The Damned, Pelvis @ The Gov, Adelaide 5/6/2023
Hot damn! This was a show and a half! It might have been a Monday night but that didn’t seem to matter with another big tick for Adelaide selling out this show for the legendary British punk pioneers The Damned well in advance. I seriously hope industry types are taking notice that whilst we might be little ‘ole Adelaide we can sell out shows and can justify being added to national tours. Even well before Pelvis took the stage it was nuts with fans bunkering down early to hold their spot.
Adelaide band Pelvis were rock solid openers and they seemed a little nervous and a touch overawed to be supporting such a legendary band that has clearly influenced them. Nevertheless, having seen Pelvis play a couple of times now they make plenty of the right noises, look and sound great that I have no doubt that bigger things are in front of them. Looking forward to a full length release at some stage.
Holy smokes! The Damned were absolutely dynamite and for the next ninety minutes they absolutely tore it up. It has been a long time since they were last here in Adelaide and whilst some long serving fans might have been expecting more from their acclaimed albums Damned Damned Damned, Machine Gun Etiquette, and Phantasmagoria in particular the focus was very much on new album Darkadelic. Charging out from back stage Captain Sensible said ‘turn that shit off, it’s great to be back, great to see some improvements to the city’ ploughing their way through Street Of Dreams followed by Invisible Man. The band was on!
What was described as an ‘interlude of disaster’ and ‘god’s fault’ there were some power issues with Monty’s keyboard. It seemed ironic that the next tune was Waiting for the Blackout. Lively Arts followed then it was a big helping of new tracks from Darkadelic in Bad Weather Girl, You’re Gonna Realise, Western Promise, Beware of the Clown (with front man Dave Vanian sporting a red nose), Wake The Dead, Follow Me, Motorcycle Man, Leader of the Gang and From Your Lips. The new songs were great but with the predominantly ‘more mature’ demographic in the venue I wonder how many knew there was a new album out.
When the band venture back to familiar territory the crowd got excited for Born To Kill (off Damned Damned Damned), Love Song (off Machine Gun Etiquette), Second Time Around (off The Black Album), Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow (off Evil Spirits) and ending the main set on Neat Neat Neat (off Damned Damned Damned).
If there was going to be that postcard moment to remember for some time to come it would have been the two encores. Wowsers! The Damned did not take the foot of the pedal on Barry Ryan cover Eloise and hit single Smash It Up. There was more to top the night off in the second encore in Girl I’ll Stop At Nothing and the single that started it all in New Rose. The Damned was definitely a show to tick off my bucket list and if you can get a ticket I’d be getting to a show of theirs without hesitation.
Live Review Rob Lyon