When Did The Damned Play Their First Gig?

The Damned a British punk rock band formed in 1976 in London is famous for several reasons; it was one of the first punk bands to release a single (New Rose) as well as an album (Damned, Damned, Damned). They are also deemed to be the founders of the Gothic rock genre and one of the first punk bands to tour the United States which resulted in the hardcore punk genre taking root there.

The band played their first gig as a supporting act for the Sex Pistols on July 6, 1976; the single New Rose was considered to be one of their finest. The founding members of the band were Dave Vanian as the lead vocalist, Rat Scabies as the drummer, Captain Sensible as the guitarist and bassist and Brian James as the guitarist and song writer.

Most of the original band members were members of the band Masters of the Backside which also featured Chrissie Hynde who would later be a frontswoman of The Pretenders with Malcolm McLaren of Sex Pistols fame as the manager.