Firstly I’d like to start by saying how good it was to see The Loveless and The Courettes on this bill as well as Hooky because they could have played it safe and gone for The Subs or Ruts DC etc which would have been cool don’t get me wrong but The Damned thinking outside the box for supports, its excellent not just because they are bands I love but two of em I’ve never seen before which is nice.

Right, let’s get down to business. First up is the Danish duo The Courettes, who embrace the Spector wall of sound and knock out psychedelic-tinged rock n roll with a tip of the hat to the originals back in the 50s and ’60s, but also embrace the rough and ready approach of punk rock which makes for a familiar yet modern twist and it helps that they have a raft full of top tunes as well and playing in the enormadome that is Wembley arena didn’t phase them nor did it take aways from their minimalist approach you might forgive them for the delivery on such a vast stage but no, they took to it really well and fulfilled their remit of opening act and getting a very respectful ovation from the Damned audience which was throughly deserved.

Peter Hook & The Light. Having seen them several times over the years and being a fan of Joy Division, New Order and the Light, I was looking forward to the twin Bass assault of this band and what they put into the set. The place had filled up nicely as the band entered the stage to some nifty Kraftwerk tape, it was looking like a Joy Division heavy set as ‘Dead Souls’ led the way. I like the dynamic of Hooks’ playing style, and his vocals suit the songs, and he commands the stage well, clearly more than comfortable on a big stage. By the time they hit ‘She Lost Control’, they were mesmerising with the Wembley sound being rather good to be fair. I’d not been in this place for about 30 years and always remember the sound being awful, regardless of who was playing, just the size of the concrete box possibly being the problem, but tonight so far it was excellent.

The highlight of the set was a stunning ‘Shadowplay’ followed by ‘Transmission’. It was commented that it would have gone to the next level had John Barnes entered the stage and a version of ‘World In Motion’ filled the concrete box, but alas, not tonight, opportunity missed and being in Wembley as well. Of course, the biggest cheer was for the final tune of the night from Peter Hook & The Light, which was ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, a song I’ll never tire of hearing. Job done, Peter Hook & The Light were just as good as the last time I saw them play support, absolutely fantastic performance.

Another first for me was the chance to catch The Loveless and hear Marc Almond deliver his alter ego, garage rock frontman ably supported by the talented Neil X. I loved the EPs and the album but not had the chance to catch them live until now so ‘Wild In The Street’ opened the set and whilst you might be forgiven in thinking they’re a glorified tribute covers band (which they are) they also have their own songs which are equally as good. Maybe it’s a chance to perform songs by legends like Alice Cooper Band and Sweet ‘Under MY Wheels’, complete with Ziggy tip of the hat from Almond and ‘Hell Raiser’ respectively. It was also great to hear them do a rocked up version of ‘Love Missile F1-11’ with X handling the vocals and Almond moving to backing singer. I thoroughly enjoyed the set, thought they sounded fantastic, and the added Saxophone was the cherry on top, but the curveball of the night goes to a rock n roll ‘Tainted Love’, not something I’d ever have imagined doing at a Damned show, but hey, why the hell not. A dozen songs done, and we had reached the headliners, ably supported by three most entertaining acts offering value for money and variety, who said play it safe?

Now cards on the table here, I’ve been lucky enough to see The Damned around a hundred times and been at some pretty memorable markers in their career as they ticked off Brockwell Park, a 10th Anniversery tea party in a massive tent, The Royal Albert Hall headline, captain reaching bus pass status show, multiple festival headline sets, supporting the biggest from the states in Hyde Park, headlining Hammersmith Odeon with the original line up as well as several previous OG line up shows, The London Palladium and the third phase of the band returning when Rat rightfully took back the drum stool and in a few months playing a fuckin castle! Right, I’ve also seen them play when Dave didn’t show up in a shambolic set in Cardiff and plenty of fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants performances, which were always endearing and a part of The Damned that I love, the fact that you never knew what you were going to get or which side of the band would turn up. Hell, I even saw the night there were three Damned bass players on stage at the same time. Simply put there is no other band quite like The Damned (thank God some would say) I love ’em and would happily chew your ear off recounting memories fondly of sleeping on train platforms and trying to find venues in the middle of nowhere feeling like a stranger on the town, but tonigh I knew where Wembley Arena was and was chuffed for the band that they pulled off another caper that many would thing was way beyond their grade. Often overlooked for their place in the history of UK music, and absolutely nobody here or anywhere for that matter would have given these herberts a cat in hell’s chance of reaching 50 fucking years and capping it off with their boldest move yet – punk rock in an Arena.

It’s fair to say the Damned audience has evolved over the years, but they’re a demanding bunch and often hard to please, and Damned of you do Damned if you don’t in many ways, but I was just happy to join them to celebrate a remarkable feat this evening. As the band take to the stage bathed in fog, it’s ‘Phantasmagorias’ ‘Street Of Dreams’ that kicks off proceedings as we weave through a darker opening set, ‘Blackout’ follows before a wonderful intimate performance of ‘Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde’ is played. ‘Stranger On The Town’ precedes ‘Under The Floor Again’ before we get ‘Eloise’, my least favourite Damned cover yet, a song I think they’ve played at every show since they first covered it. So the set was split in two, with set staples ‘I Just Can’t Be Happy Today’ making way for ‘Life Goes On’ and ending with a rowdy ‘Smash It Up’, then the intermission and a host of commercials from fifty years ago. Shake n vac, is it even a thing anymore? And who else fancied a flake? Anyway, I digress.

Set Two kicks off with the huge screen beaming their performance on The Young Ones as ‘Nasty’ was unleashed, then they got into gear with ‘Love Song’ and ‘ Etiquette’ before the first album got an airing with the awesome ‘Fan Club’. The Damned always put out killer singles and B-sides that never made albums, like the epic ‘Limit Club a song they’ve sadly not dropped into the set I’ve heard for many a moon, but we did get ‘Disco Man’ just before a crowd sing-a-long of ‘Ignite’.

A lot gets said about this band and the fans might be a demanding lot but at their advanced age I think its amazing I still get to see my favourite band regularly and they might not be as edgy and chaotic as they used to be why would they they are still a formidable band and on their day better than anyone and they still play the greates single ever recorded and released ‘Neat Neat Neat’ is thrashed out before we go all proggy as a rather restrained Captain leads the way through a shortened ‘Curtain Call’ before Rat has his five minute behind the kit which paves the way for a loose ‘New Rose’ and were done. Two fuckin hours of The Damned, who once again took us on a journey through some of the best music ever made. Was it their finest hour? I doubt it. Was it faultless? No, lyrics forgotten? Sure – so what, guitar parts fluffed? Of course, intros missed? – for sure. Without that edge, they wouldn’t be The Damned.

Tonight wasn’t about turning in the performance of a lifetime, it was a celebration of 50 years of anarchy, chaos and destruction and the fact that they are still here doing what we love. God bless the Damned and all who sailed with them from Brian, Algy and Bryn, who are no longer here. We salute you, and too many to name, who’ve borrowed a guitar or pair of sticks, we thank you, and to Dave, Captain, Rat, Paul and Monty, many happy returns, gents, that was a blast, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Author: Dom Daley