Live Review: The Damned - OVO Arena, Wembley, London
11th April 2025
Support: The Loveless, Peter Hook, The Courettes
Words & Photos: Tom Atkin
It is a celebration tonight as punks around the UK descend upon the OVO Arena Wembley for 50 Years of The Damned. It's a pleasant surprise seeing the mix of the crowd, with the younger generation stood right next to the elder generation, who that looked like they were still living their best lives in that same movement. It is very apparent that this show is going to be full of character!
The night was one in which the atmosphere builds throughout and opening up the evenings entertainment were the The Courettes, a Danish, Brazilian duo that bring a delightfully tweaked version of Garage Punk.
As they enter the stage the venues population seemed a bit sparse, people still casually drifting in and lingering around the bars as it all kicked off. That fact did not discourage Falvia Couri, alongsicde her husband, getting their fuzzy, reverbed sound ringing out throughout Wembley, grabbing the attention of the crowd as soon as they walk in. It was an absolutely stellar way to open the show, almost like a spark to ignite what was to come.
As the arena filled quite nicely, it seems the volume has been turned up a notch to match the increased amount of people and it was Peter Hook's turn to take the spotlight. This set is very heavily Joy Division focused, a fact that few in the venue would have a complaint about.
Starting off with the classic 'Dead Souls' was perfection, with an extended intro to it, hearing it in this setting was incredible. That wasn’t the only song that sparked a reaction from the crowd, 'Transmission' with its iconic opening riff providing a kind of pulse that was felt throughout. Each and every song throwing the crowd back to a somewhat simpler time.
It was an extremely dialled performance, and from the looks on people’s faces seeing Joy Division songs performed on a stage of this calibre was not something they ever thought they would experience. The iconic 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' was the only way to end their set.
By now pretty much every seat in the OVO Arena is occupied, just in time for The Loveless to add to the night of nostalgic vibes. Marc Almond is yet another legend that is gracing the stage tonight, shifting the atmosphere to a somewhat darker tone, and changing the type of attention that the crowd gives them. This changed the level at which peoples emotions were at in a way that all good concerts do.
A set mostly made up of covers is an interesting, albeit not disappointing, choice. Marc’s voice hasn't lost its appeal from when he was a proud member of Soft Cell. Everything is performed with just as much passion and talent as back in the day. 'Tainted Love' an obvious highlight of the set list, arguably one of their most famous of the songs this evening, and 'Heat' being the only Soft Cell song that we got treated to.
Mixed into the set were originals as well, 'Teenage Wildlife', 'Dark Side' and 'Nothing at All' provide a glimpse into the genres that influence The Loveless. These originals are welcomed just as much as the more well known covers with heads bobbing throughout the whole crowd.
And now for the evenings peak, on the LED screen we get the cult introduction to the film Plan 9 from Outer Space, however edited to introduce The Damned. As it does so the band make their way on to the stage, Captain Sensible in his signature red beret looks so impressively happy to be on stage at Wembley. Dave Vanian comes out wearing the most incredible outfit, head to toe in black, leather gloves, a Zorro style eye mask and a matching fedora. This paired with the classic Shure 55SH microphone and it's a look that is impressive and striking to all.
Fifty Years is no easy feat, especially throughout the early punk rock era which they came out of mostly incident free, retaining (or rehiring) a lot of the fairly original members. With a grand total of thirteen albums, there is no shortage of music to construct a set, so much so that they split the show into two halves.
'Street of Dreams', 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' and 'Wake The Dead' proving that they have stayed consistent throughout time. If you didn’t know any different you would think that they were from the same time frame, when in reality they were written forty years apart. Sure Vanian’s voice has changed a bit, but my god can he still perform the old songs.
Throughout the two segments there was no let up in the performance, 'Neat Neat Neat' and 'Curtain Call' performed with the exact same enthusiasm as songs like 'Under The Floor Again' and 'Wait for the Blackout'. Both featuring early int he evening as the band warmed up.
The flow throughout the different eras of The Damned was untouched, feeling like the band was giving everyone a journey through their back catalogue. Each member of the band loving every minute, Captain Sensible did not stop smiling throughout, Monty Oxymoron towards the rear of the stage consistently looking as though he was having the time of his life, Rat Scabies throwing in a drum solo to bridge between 'Curtain Call' and 'New Rose' just for the fun of it. It was non stop great live music energy.
Fifty years down the road The Damned are still relevant, capable and of course as loud as they ever where. The band that influenced some of the greatest punk and rock bands of a generation are still very much here, and the variety of people just proves that their sound has not aged at all.
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Be the first to comment