Well, this one kind of fell into my lap. Last week it was another of those occassions where upon looking at my Facebook feed, I saw one or two posts with pictures of Brian James. Initially, I thought nothing of it and didn't read the posts because there is nothing unusual for me to see many photos of members of The Damned, The Stranglers or The Jam etc throughout the day, as that is just a reflection of the number of band related sites that I belong to. However, when checking again 30 minutes or so later and noting posts from the likes of Louder Than War and Vive Le Rock, the penny dropped.
I knew from the late 2022 reunion tour that his health was not good, nevertheless such facts does not diminish the sense of shock that someone from a band that you have been following for decades has gone. Brian James was not just the creative force behind the first incarnation of The Damned, he was one of a few idividuals that were the inspiration for the whole punk rock phenomenon. It was his 'New Rose' that opened punk up to a wider audience, for better or worse.
RIP Brian James.
Here's a reasonable sounding Birmingham club gig from early '77.
MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/t-be0K4AbNIC
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-RJUeTYjRv1
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