The Damned The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Halloween 2008

Here's a US promo appearance from The Damned on The Late Late Show with Craig Fergusson filmed for Halloween 2008.

01. Neat Neat Neat
02. Shallow Diamonds

DVD iso image: https://we.tl/t-dGImlBljzn

'No More Heroes' Top Pop Dutch TV 1977

Here we have some classic footage of the band back in 1977 on the Dutch equivalent of Top of The Pops.... Top Pop. Two takes of the song were filmed, and both are captured here in this short DVD.

DVD iso image: https://we.tl/t-NGTdirBIe2

Our own Steve Beaumont also caricatured this appearance in his own inimitable style.

20 From '77(12) Devo Pirates Cove Cleveland 19th May 1977

'Devo put the fluid in the punk enema bag' is how Mark Mothersbaugh summed up his band's contribution to the punk rock scene when talking to Granada's Anthony Wilson on 'So It Goes' in 1978. It is true to say that Devo are a little off the wall. Most band's start of a plan, even a manifesto, but Devo went further and created (or borrowed) an entire biological process about themselves.... they were the De-evolution band.

The starting point for the theory of de-evolution is that the human race is moving ever more in an increasingly less evolved direction.... in a word we and everything that we are involved with is becoming increasingly more dumb. The vehicle that they have, throughout their long career, used to illustrate this point in a wholly humorous and tongue in cheek way has been by reference to the work of fellow countryman and resident of Ohio too,  the Rev. B.H. Shadduck (1869-1950). Shadduck was a man of many parts seemingly, a Salvation Army Officer, a Methodist Deacon and outspoken critic of Darwinism and his evolutionary cods-wallop! In short, the good Reverend was what in modern terms a religious zealot of the highest order!

The idea of of de-evolution was a topic of interest to Gerald Casale, a student at Ohio's Kent University at the beginning of the 1970's, but it was upon meeting Mark Mothersbaugh that the two fellow students fleshed out the bones of an idea that they would carry through into their band, Devo.

Mothersbaugh owned one of Shadduck's religious pamphlet's from 1924 entitled 'Jocko-Homo Heaven bound'..... ring a bell? The front cover shows a human figure emerging from an 'ape chrysalis' whilst at the same time the divine (in the form of an angel) emerges from the human. It this tract Shadduck refutes evolutionary theory in humorous, if mocking terms.

Devo were taken by the idea and the thoughts of the wayward Reverend. The De-evolution theme from 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!' throughout their career, always taking a sideways glance at society and its motivations and follies. A great band, both musically and visually.

Oh and I always wanted an Energy Dome!

And David Bowie liked them and what greater endorsement is that!

Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale and Bob Mothersbaugh of Devo with David Bowie and friend at Max's Kansas City, NYC. November 1977

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-KYnrskW0t0

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-eIRCjC9qqX

01. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

02. Too Much Paranoias

03. Praying Hands

04. Uncontrollable Urge

05. Smart Patrol / Mr Dna

06. Gut Feeling

07. Space Junk

08. Timing X (Synthrock Instrumental)

09. Soo Bawlz

10. Blockhead

11. The Last Time I Saw St. Louis

12. Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')

13. Come Back Jonee

14. Clockout

RTL2 Acoustic Session February 2012

Back in 2012 whilst in Europe the band did a fair bit of TV and radio promotional work plugging the 'Giants' album. Here are JJ and Baz in the RTL2 Radio Station studio in Paris knocking out a couple of songs.

Iso Disc image: https://we.tl/t-fWMcbQKAr3

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-pPinYM7SPF

01. Strange Little Girl
02. I Hate You
03. Boom Boom
04. Dutch Moon

The Gathering of the 5,000 18th April 1987- 33 Years Ago Today

Mortarhate flyer for the gig

I had been meaning to post something on this gig for a while but today I was prompted to do so by on seeing an Instagram post from Steve Ignorant on this anniversary.

In April 1987 I was 18 years old and for the past twelve months or so in a position to travel up to London gigs from home in West Sussex. Prior to this 'coming together of minds gig' in Brixton I had seen conflict and a couple of the other anarcho bands that were regularly hosted by the Richmond Hotel in Brighton. I used to go with a mate who, like me, lived in Burgess Hill (10 miles north of Brighton) and for both of us the necessity of getting up to this gig was not so much that Conflict were headlining, but the fact that Steve Ignorant would be on stage with them and Crass songs were in the offing. Neither Matt or myself had got to see Crass, who had split in accordance with a long established strategy three years before in 1984.

Announcement of the gig in 'Sounds'

To be honest Matt was a bit more clued up than me on the anarcho scene, having been going to see Conflict at Woolwich Poly and Eltham, AYS, Poison Girls, Rubella Ballet etc etc in London. You see, he was the youngest of five.... so he got to do far more than me at a younger age.... still bitter after all these years!

Arriving in Brixton, there was as we expected a healthy turnout from Conflict's friends of the Metropolitan Police, but inside the venue, initially all was calm. I do not remember many of the bands that played prior to Conflict, other than Thatcher on Acid and Benjamin Zephaniah, the poet. For the first part of the Conflict set I was at the front thrilled to be hearing those Crass songs. 'Banned From The Roxy' renamed as 'Banned From The UK', which turned out to be more prophetic than anyone originally imagined, 'Big A Little A' and 'I Ain't Thick It's Just A Trick'. This was a big occasion that saw buses from all corners of the UK bringing punters down to London for the event. Later I moved back.... that's the wonderful thing about the Brixton Academy, the sloping floor means that even a short arse such as me can see the stage from further back.

Out of the joyous ruck at the front, the mood further back in he venue was a little darker in places. Conflict never shied away from calling out other band's that they had issues with. There were spats with The Exploited, Oi Polloi (if I remember correctly) and most publicly New Modal Army, whose appearance on Top of the Pops in 1984 with Justin sporting an 'Only Stupid Bastards Use Heroin' triggered a war of words between the two prominent 'protest bands' that culminated in Conflict releasing an  album entitled 'Only Stupid Bastards Help E.M.I.', a dig at NMA for signing to the major label.

To my left were a group of punks baying for blood.... 'Kill Colin, Kill Colin!'.... well they were a bit too far away from the stage to do him any serious damage! The gig ended before schedule due to people on the stage so Matt and I decided to make an exit. The atmosphere outside was not so conducive to 'Anarchy and Peace' so we made a beeline for Brixton Tube Station and Victoria.

It was only next morning that we heard on the radio that something of a riot followed the gig with 50 plus arrests and four policemen injured. It turned out that luck had been on our side and we had just managed to make it onto the Tube before the London Transport Police made the decision to close it along with bus routes in and out of Brixton in an attempt to contain a crowd containing elements that were looking for confrontation with the police.

Gig review in 'Sounds'

If Conflict thought that they had been in hot water before the 'Gathering' the fall-out proved how bad thinks could be.

'Sounds' April 1987

News of the live album and detailed reportage of the gig from the Daily Mirror!

Reading through this stuff again, some 30 years after the event, some of the claims made that this was always intended to be an harmonious night in which 'to forget our troubles' may have being stretching credibility a little too far. I never saw any leaflets appealing to people to take the opportunity to riot, but there was certainly information available that pinpointed the locations of all butchers, bookies, burger bars, the Police Station, Boots the Chemist and even the local Conservative Club!

I still have the 'Ungovernable Force' gig shirt with the date on the back that I bought from Rough Trade in Portabello Road a couple of weeks later. It would be rather snug now but who knows after 3 months of housebound isolation....

Tommy Erdelyi Interview - Record Mirror 13th August 1977

Here is a short interview with drummer, founding member and soon to be producer of the Ramones, Tommy Erdelyi from the 13th August 1977 edition of the UK music weekly, Record Mirror.

20 From '77(11) Ramones The Show Place Dover NJ 8th February 1977

Here's an early set from one of the band's who kicked of a scene on both sides of the Atlantic... Da Brudders!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-tg9cIXIeuN

01. Blitzkrieg Bop

02. I Remember You

03. Glad To See You Go

04. Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

05. You're Gonna Kill That Girl

06. I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement

07. Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue

08. Swallow My Pride

09. Carbona Not Glue

10. 53rd & 3rd

11. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

12. Suzy Is A Headbanger

13. Let's Dance