The Damned is the greatest punk band of all time and they play Phoenix this week

The Damned are the greatest punk rock band of all-time, so logic would also have it, that they are also the greatest rock and roll band of all time. I write this because punk rock is the only genre of rock and roll that can still tap into its original pulse and offer up something that, at very least, feels new. So, by default, there is no band greater than The Damned.

Think about the old rock and roll question: Beatles or Stones? The correct answer is The Who and The Kinks, of course, and that isn’t to take anything away from The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. Both are wonderful, amazing, inventive bands that have changed the music world and should be revered.

The Who and The Kinks were simply better, and you could probably make a strong argument that Pink Floyd needs to be in that discussion, as well, on sheer record sales alone. That’s a whole other story, though. This is a story about The Damned and not any of those other great English bands.

Similarly, in the punk rock world, you might hear the question: Clash or Pistols? Again, the correct answer is neither. The correct answer is The Damned and it isn’t a matter or taking anyway from the other two hugely influential and deserving bands. The Damned are simply better than both bands, just less political and snotty.

Here are ten reasons why The Damned are, indeed, the greatest punk rock band of all-time and if you don’t see them on Friday night at the Van Buren, you are going to regret it for the rest of your life. Please read with a smile on your face because that is precisely what The Damned would want.

1. The Damned were one of the British punk bands to have a record out. Their single, “New Rose,” appeared in October of 1976 thanks to Stiff Records. This was about a month before the Sex Pistols released “Anarchy in the UK,” and only about six months after the Ramones released their first eponymous record in April of that same year. The Damned were also the first of the British bands to tour in the United States which was a game changer for the early West Coast punk rock scene. The Damned could really play their instruments and seeing a band play fast, tuneful and intricate songs with precision had a huge impact on early American punk rock outside of New York City. More on that in a bit.

2. From a musical standpoint, there has never been a band in the punk genre (and I challenge you to show me one if you can) that has broadened and expanded their sound the way The Damned have over their career. From the blistering blasts of Damned Damned Damned (1977) and Machine Gun Etiquette (1979), the band moved through the early and mid-1980s with Black Album (1980), Strawberries (1982), Phantasmagoria (1985), and Anything (1986) and each of those records expanded the bands’ sound, as well as punk rock consciousness. No other punk rock bands pushed the boundaries of the genre with the same type of nuance and musicality. The Damned are a great punk rock band, but they are also heavily influenced by garage, goth, psychedelic, and to an extent, pub rock, so they infused those genres into their sound across their discography without becoming unrecognizable.

3. The Damned wouldn't have existed without the late Brian James (AKA Brian Robertson) who died in early March of 2025. James was basically the Pete Townshend of the band early on, to draw a comparison between The Damned and The Who (of which there are many), because of his vice-like grip on the sound and direction of the band. On Damned Damned Damned and Music For Pleasure ( also released in 1977), James wrote nearly all of the music and lyrics with drummer Rat Scabies getting one credit on the first record and singer Dave Vanian getting one lyric credit on the latter (“Your Eyes”). While Music For Pleasure was not widely loved at first like the instant classic, Damned Damned Damned, both records are must haves for any punk rock fan and show a band ready to make their mark. James left the band after Music For Pleasure and went on to form Lords of the New Church with Stiv Bators. Over the years, James did reunite with The Damned on several occasions, including helping to make the excellent live record, Final Damnation, in 1988, and his influence will certainly be felt in Phoenix on Friday night as the band roars through some of their early classics like “Neat Neat Neat” and “New Rose.”

4. Speaking of Machine Gun Etiquette, it’s the best record, song for song, ever from the punk rock genre. This is another bold claim, but how can the greatest punk rock band not have the greatest punk rock record? If you want to put something on the turntable (or stream in your car), a record that will get you going better than three cups of coffee, this is the one. “Love Song” starts things off with both bombast and aplomb before hitting the title track at full speed. By the time you get to “Melody Lee” and its stunning piano intro at track four, you’re in love or starting a punk rock band because it is just that good. Heck, even three-fourths of the Clash make an appearance, providing backing vocals and hand claps on “Noise, Noise, Noise.”

5. Dave Vanian is one of the most captivating front men in punk rock and the guy, much like Dick Clark, barely seems to age at all. If anything, his voice just gets better and better. Vanian (born David Lett, but legally and cosmically, definitely the handsome and dashing Mr. Vanian) is the only singer The Damned has ever had and the only member to remain constant with the band during their entire career. A baritone, Vanian can pull off the punk rock snarl equally as well as he pulls off the more lush vocals of songs like “Stranger on the Town” (Strawberries) or the goth-tinged classic, “Eloise” (Phantasmagoria). Vanian also originated the punk vampire look in the ’70s, as the band was undoubtedly at the forefront of showing that punk style could come from multiple directions simultaneously.

6. As a live band, The Damned are fantastic. With such a diverse discography, fans of the band are often treated to amazing set lists. Over the years, the band has added a few choice covers to their set lists, like Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” or “Ballroom Blitz” by Sweet, but it’s really their originals that seal the deal. The current tour is touted as “Celebrating the Classic Records of the Early 80s” and the band features original drummer, Rat Scabies (aka Chris Millar) and bassist Paul Gray (who played on The Black Album and Strawberries). Having seen the band somewhere around eight times live, it is safe to say that even at their least impressive (a show at Celebrity Theater in 1988 featuring Vanian, Scabies, guitarist/keyboardist Roman Jugg, and bassist Bryn Merrick), they were still pretty great.

7. Captain Sensible (AKA Raymond Burns) is a fucking hoot. After logging time as the band’s bassist for the first two records, Sensible switched to guitar for Machine Gun Etiquette, and except for those few occasions when James would return to the fold, he never looked back. The thing is, the guy is a full-on ripper on guitar and bass. He’s also got stage presence for days, a quick wit, and oozes punk rock sensibility. Nobody pulls off a guitar solo wearing sunglasses, a beret, and a tutu like the Captain, and nobody ever will. In the early internet days, he had a hilarious (and informative) web page called “The Captain’s Log” where he would answer questions and interact with fans regularly. It was great fun, and if you ever get the chance to chat with him at a gig, he’s friendly as hell.
8. From the Keith Moon school of joyous and incredible drumming, Rat Scabies is an international treasure and seeker of the Holy Grail, to boot. Propulsive, dynamic, and technically sound, Scabies mirrors Moon considerably as he sits smiling and pounding away at his kit. I remember having a conversation in the 90s with the late Phoenix punk rock legend, Mike “Bam Bam” Sversvold, who was a huge fan of The Damned, where Sversvold shared how much of a huge influence Scabies was on his drumming. It was also during this conversation that Sversvold proceeded to play about five or six Damned songs in a row perfectly on an acoustic guitar, but that’s another story altogether. Scabies also worked extensively with locals, Glass Heroes, on one of their records earlier this century.

9. Strawberries is another record that everyone should know about due to it being the first of several records where The Damned expanded their sound. The band incorporated cello, horns, more keyboards, loops, and sitar on their most melodic record to date, bouncing between punk psychedelia and goth. “Ignite” kicks things off in full punk fury, but then the fun begins and songs like “Stranger on the Town” and “Bad Time for Bonzo” lighten the mood quite a lot. Sensible even takes the lead vocals on a couple of songs, too, so it is a diverse ride, as well. Fans should expect to hear a couple of tracks from Strawberries at the show at Van Buren, for sure.

10. Lastly, The Damned has had a tremendous influence on the punk rock scene here in Phoenix. You won’t have to look very far in the crowd on Friday night to see members of local legends like Junior Achievement, JFA, and others straining to get a good look at their British heroes. The way The Damned attacked songs on their earliest records is part of the Phoenix punk rock DNA and as the next generations discover the band, their reach will undoubtedly remain intact. If you’re a musician, t’s almost impossible to listen to The Damned and not want to do what they do because, quite frankly, they just do it so damn well. Pun intended.

The Damned, with special guests The Adverts, play the Van Buren on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 8 p.m. Tickets are available here. The Van Buren is at 401 West Van Buren Road in Phoenix. The show is a 13+ event with younger children needing to be accompanied by a parent/guardian.