The Damned go back to 'Black' in Dallas

The Damned brought their “Black Album tour” to Dallas for an exhilarating show at the Granada Theater on May 18.

Although they aren’t playing their 1980 masterwork in its entirety, they do have all four members from the album’s lineup on board, including drummer Rat Scabies, who recently rejoined the band after too long a time away.

The Damned, along with TV Smith’s The Adverts, transported concertgoers back to the early days of UK punk. The opening band got the crowd riled up from the get-go with tracks like “No Time to Be 21” and “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes.”

Sensible and Gray. All photos by Christopher Windle.

But The Damned were a sight to behold, with sound to match, of course. Guitarist Captain Sensible was all smiles from the start, kicking his leg high into the air alongside early ’80s bandmate Paul Gray on bass. Vocalist Dave Vanian prowled the stage dressed in garb reminiscent of a mortician’s. Any longtime fan would expect nothing less.

Their set began with “Love Song” and its indelible bass line, not written by Gray but played with aplomb. The energy didn’t let up with “Machine Gun Etiquette,” the one-two punch from their punk masterpiece of the same name. Then it was on to The Black Album with “Wait for the Blackout,” “Lively Arts” and “The History of the World (Part 1).”

The Damned made room for deeper tracks, including “Is It a Dream” off the gothic Phantasmagoria, “Limit Club” (from the Friday 13th EP) and two from their latest album, Darkadelic, “Beware of the Clown” and “The Invisible Man.”

But they were truly in their element with their early ’80s material, including “Stranger on the Town” and “Ignite” as they were meant to be played as well as “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Vanian melting hearts with his croon. The singer gave plenty of attention to those in the front, dropping to his knees toward the end of the band’s smash cover of “Eloise” and encouraging the crowd to sing the trumpet part to “Alone Again Or.” The two tracks were among three covers in a set list of more than 20 songs. They also played “White Rabbit” during the encore, though another early ’80s track, such as “Under the Floor Again,” would have perhaps been better.

They added a tasteful tribute to founding guitarist Brian James, who passed away earlier this year, playing three tracks from debut LP Damned Damned Damned: “Fan Club,” “Neat Neat Neat” and “New Rose,” following a truncated version of “Curtain Call."

By the time they ended the show with “Smash It Up (Parts 1 and 2),” it was clear that the band is still at their best. Despite hints on social media that this tour could be among their last, it’s hard to believe that they’re ready to give up the road entirely. Sensible and Gray displayed the energy of much younger men, Scabies appeared to be truly touched by the warm welcome back from fans and, well, Vanian just seems to be ever-ageless. Rounded out by the energetic Monty Oxymoron on keys, they don’t appear to be ready to hang it up just yet.

Indeed, days after planning our trip to Dallas, The Damned announced more tour dates later in the year, including a stop in Omaha, so watch this space for the review!