The Damned Live Performances Index
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2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980
1979 1978 1977 1976
Naz Nomad & The Nightmares The Phantom Chords Captain Sensible
Selected Miscellany Unresolved issues Site updates


The Damned: Live Performances - 1976

The list of shows for 1976 is believed to be complete (lists for some years are very much 'work in progress').


Tuesday 28 December 1976 - Roxy Theatre, Harlesden, London

Comments: Anarchy Tour tentative date, that never came to fruition, with The Sex Pistols & The Clash.

Monday 27 December 1976 - Roxy Theatre, Harlesden, London

Comments: Anarchy Tour intended date with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Sunday 26 December 1976 - Roxy Theatre, Harlesden, London

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Wednesday 22 December 1976 - 400 Ballroom, Torquay

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Tuesday 21 December 1976 - Woods Centre, Plymouth

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash. The Damned were no longer on this tour.

Monday 20 December 1976 - Town Hall, Birmingham

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Sunday 19 December 1976 - Civic Hall, Guildford

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Saturday 18 December 1976 - Kursaal, Southend

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Friday 17 December 1976 - City Hall, Sheffield

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Thursday 16 December 1976 - Caird Hall, Dundee

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Wednesday 15 December 1976 - Apollo, Glasgow

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Tuesday 14 December 1976 - Castle Cinema, Caerphilly

Comments: Though this show was arranged for the Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols as a replacement for the cancelled Cardiff gig (by which time The Damned were no longer on the tour), some ticketing indicated The Sex Pistols, The Damned, Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers, and The Clash.

Tuesday 14 December 1976 - Top Rank, Cardiff

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Monday 13 December 1976 - Colston Hall, Bristol

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Tuesday 12 December 1976 - Top Rank, Cardiff

Comments: Originally intended date for the Cardiff gig on the Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash. Show rescheduled for Tuesday 14 December 1976.

Saturday 11 December 1976 - The Stadium, Liverpool

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Friday 10 December 1976 - Charter Theatre, Preston

Comments: Intended Anarchy Tour date with The Sex Pistols & The Clash that was scheduled as a replacement for Lancaster that day - CANCELLED (?).

Friday 10 December 1976 - Lancaster University

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED and rescheduled for Preston.

Thursday 9 December 1976 - Electric Circus, Manchester

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols, The Clash & The Buzzcocks. The Damned were no longer on this tour.

Wednesday 8 December 1976 - Polytechnic, Leeds

Comments: Originally intended date for the Leeds gig on the Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash. Show rescheduled for Monday 6 December 1976.

Tuesday 7 December 1976 - Hope & Anchor, London

Set included: New Rose and Help.

Comments: Also on the bill were Eater. New Rose video filmed at this gig.

Tuesday 7 December 1976 - Sheffield University

Comments: Rearranged gig also not played - PA system was in Berkshire.

Tuesday 7 December 1976 - Village Bowl, Bournemouth

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Monday 6 December 1976 - Polytechnic, Leeds

Set: unknown.

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash. The Damned sacked / pulled out of the tour following this gig.

Sunday 5 December 1976 - City Hall, Newcastle

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Saturday 4 December 1976 - Kings Hall, Derby

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Johnny Thunder's Heartbreakers - CANCELLED. The Damned were 'supposedly' the only one of the 4 acts to agree to perform for Derby councillors to assess whether the gig should go ahead... thus antagonising the other bands. In reality, no agreement as to whether to play or not had actually been made - instead the agreement was misinformation by Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren to and between Damned management and the band, in a contrived attempt to undermine their role on the tour [since The Sex Pistol's recent appearance on the Grundy show, media coverage was such that McLaren no longer needed the previously better known (outside of London) Damned on the tour].

Friday 3 December 1976 - Norwich University

Comments: Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols & The Clash - CANCELLED.

Wednesday 1 December 1976 - Caird Hall, Dundee

Comments: An advertised Sex Pistols show that was also to have featured Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers, The Damned and The Clash.

Tuesday 30 November - Maida Vale Studios, London

Set: Stab Your Back, Neat Neat Neat, New Rose, So Messed Up, I Fall.

Comments: Not a gig… but still a live appearance. The Damned played a session at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios on Tuesday 30 November 1976. The session would be first aired on the John Peel Show on Friday 10 December. All tracks from this session would later be made commercially available to purchase.

Sunday 28 November 1976 - The Electric Circus, Manchester

Set: unknown.

Comments: Advertised as 'Punks At The Circus'. Support to Slaughter & The Dogs.

Saturday 27 November 1976 - Teeside Polytechnic, Middlesborough

Set: unknown.

Friday 26 November 1976 - Eric's, Liverpool

Set possibly included: Feel The Pain, Born To Kill, So Messed Up, Stab Your Back, I Feel Alright.

Sunday 21 November 1976 - Fox at the Greyhound, Croydon

Comments: Intended support to Flamin' Groovies, with The Troggs also on the bill. However, The Damned had quit the Flamin' Groovies tour by this time.

Saturday 20 November 1976 - Friars Vale Hall, Aylesbury

Comments: Intended support to Flamin' Groovies, with The Troggs also on the bill. However, The Damned had quit the Flamin' Groovies tour by this time.

Friday 19 November 1976 - Brunel University, Uxbridge

Comments: This gig was supposedly to be in addition to the Finchley gig below. Intended support to Flamin' Groovies, with The Troggs also on the bill. However, The Damned had quit the Flamin' Groovies tour by this time.

Friday 19 November 1976 - Manor Hill Upper School, Finchley

Set: unknown.

Comments: Advertised as 'Punks At The High School'. This gig was in addition to the Uxbridge show above. Also on the bill Slaughter & The Dogs and Eater. Gig known to have taken place.

Thursday 18 November 1976 - Lacy Lady, Ilford

Set: unknown.

Comments: A flyer for the show indicated 'Punks At The Lacy - Thursday 18th November - Live on stage - The Damned - plus support - with DJ Chris Hill - Admission 75p'. Show stopped following one number after promoter paid the band off and asked them to leave.

Thursday 18 November 1976 - Pavilion, West Runton

Comments: Advertised gig supporting the Flamin' Groovies - The Damned had quit the Flamin' Groovies tour by this time.

Monday 15 November 1976 - Polytechnic, Oxford

Set: unknown.

Comments: Supposedly support to Flamin' Groovies but the Flamin' Groovies dropped out. Instead, The Tyla Gang headlined and The Stranglers, The Vibrators and The Damned played the show. 'A contributor to this website stated 'A great night, and to this day the best value I ever had for 50p. Within months the 3 support acts would be chart successes'.

Sunday 14 November 1976 - Roundhouse, London

Set included: Help, I Feel Alright.

Comments: Supposedly support to Flamin' Groovies & The Troggs... however, Flamin' Groovies failed to appear (apparently having bad colds) so The Damned went on followed by The Troggs.

Saturday 13 November 1976 - Keswick Hall Students Union, Norwich

Set: unknown.

Comments: Gig confimed as having taken place. Advertised as 'Keswick Hall students union... present at great risk an evil evening with The Damned in concert'. The advertising stated that the show would be supported by 'an enchanted KHSU disco', advised coming to the Great Common Room at 21:30, dressed in your evil costumes, and stated admission of 60p for students and 70p for others.

Saturday 13 November 1976 - Barbarella's, Birmingham

Comments: A Flamin' Groovies gig date but whether The Damned were due to support or not is unclear. As it was, The Damned apparently only played 2 dates of The Flamin' Groovies tour... Redcar and London.

Friday 12 November 1976 - Eric's, Liverpool

Comments: A Flamin' Groovies gig date but whether The Damned were due to support or not is unclear. As it was, The Damned apparently only played 2 dates of The Flamin' Groovies tour... Redcar and London.

Thursday 11 November 1976 - The Coatham Bowl, Redcar

Setlist: 1 Of The 2, I Fall, Neat Neat Neat, Fan Club, I Feel Alright, Help, New Rose, Feel The Pain, Fish, Born To Kill, See Her Tonite, Stab Your Back, So Messed Up.

Comments: Support to Flamin' Groovies. From an unknown source [lost in my offline records] - 'I first saw The Damned supporting The Flaming Groovies at Redcar Coatham Bowl in 1976. This was at the time of 'New Rose', and I remember we went into the gig early especially to see The Damned. I recall that, for some reason, Dave Vanian wasn’t wearing his usual gothic styled make-up and clothing and appeared wearing a leather jacket and no make-up. The Captain was just mad, Brain James was the guitar hero, and Rat was going crazy on the drums. Their set included 'New Rose', their manic version of the Beatles’ 'Help' and some embryonic versions of songs which would feature on their first album, which came out the following year.'.

Wednesday 3 November 1976 - Darwin Great Hall, University of Kent, Canterbury

Set: unknown.

Comments: Support to Eddie & The Hot Rods. Gig known to have taken place from press comments of the time.

Tuesday 2 November 1976 - Hope & Anchor, London

Set: unknown.

Comments: Gig known to have taken place - from the press at the time "The sound was terrible at The Damned's gig at the Hope & Anchor this week (out demons out!) on account of using someone else's PA, but the rapport was high twixt band and audience, and they played H-O-T".

Saturday 30 October 1976 - Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, Leighton Buzzard

Set: unknown.

Comments: Show ended in violence involving Hell's Angels. Also on the bill - Caught in the Act.

Tuesday 26 October 1976 - Victoria Palace, London

Set: unknown.

Comments: Gig known to have taken place. Support to Graham Parker & The Rumour. Tyla Gang also played. A Contributor to this site wrote 'I was there, Rat wore a Hitler mask and Bay City Roller trousers, they were great, Rat smashed the drum kit at the end'.

Thursday 21 October 1976 - Red Cow, Hammersmith

Set: unknown.

Comments: A contribution to this site, mentioning this gig, states "Shane Mcgowan narrowly avoiding a beating by the roadies for pogoing".

Thursday 14 October 1976 - Nag's Head, High Wycombe

Set included: Neat Neat Neat, Born To Kill, So Messed Up, Fish.

Comments: Intended support from Jack The Hat (ref from New Musical Express (NME) of 16 October 1976).

Saturday 9 October 1976 - Teacher Training College, Canley, Coventry

Set: unknown.

Comments: Supporting Sparrow (former Opportunity Knocks talent show winners). Gig known to have taken place. Note that there are some references to this gig being at Warwick University, but Canley Teacher Training College was a separate institution in 1976, eventually being incorporated into Warwick University in 1978. It is possible that there is some mix-up with the date and venue for the 2 October - given as Rootes Hall, Warwick University. That said, the contributor that supplied this information is adamant that they played Canley Teacher Training College.

Friday 8 October 1976 - Royal Hotel, Luton

Set: unknown.

Comments: Evidence suggests a) ... 6 numbers, 4 played twice (after a break because the amps blew?) or an account that was submitted for this site b) ... Once the set was over the promoter wondered why the band was packing up, the audience expected at least two hours or else they might get nasty. So The Damned played the set again. "Jaws were dropping". After the gig there was some unpleasantness with a department store window, the police were called, and charges proffered.

Saturday 2 October 1976 - Airport Lounge, Rootes Hall, Warwick University

Set included: New Rose.

Comments: It is possible that there is some mix-up with the date and venue of 9 October - given as Teacher Training College, Canley. That said, the contributor that supplied this information is adamant that they played Rootes Hall. Apparently the show was part of Freshers Week 1976. He stated 'I watched them play a short set with about 10 other people. I don’t remember what they played except for 'New Rose' and the fact that both Captain Sensible and Brian James wore denim jackets. I think there were more people there to begin with but quite a few left during the first number… their loss'. Another contributor has stated 'Definitely played this venue. No idea what they played. Fast and furious set at the end of which Rat Scabies kicked his kit over and roared ‘GOODNIGHT CRUD’ to the bemused hippies (of which I was one). We’d never seem anything like it. Dunno if they also played Canley which was the Teachers Training College very close by'.

Thursday 23 September 1976 - Nag's Head, High Wycombe

Set: unknown.

Comments: Support to The Vibrators.

Tuesday 21 September 1976 - 100 Club, London

Set included: 1 of the 2, New Rose, Comfort, Help, Fan Club, I Feel Alright, So Messed Up.

Comments: Punk Rock Festival (2nd night). 'Comfort' would later be re-worked as 'Alone' for the Music For Pleasure LP. A female audience member was blinded in one eye at this gig from a glass / bottle that was hurled in the air and shatterd in her face - the culprit often said to be Sid Vicious.

Tuesday 7 September 1976 - 100 Club, London

Comments: Andrew Czezowski, first manager of The Damned, has a diary entry indicating that a 7 September show was planned for the 100 Club. However, he has stated that he has no idea whether the gig went ahead or not - "Not certain it happened as I was out as manager, but was probably pencilled in by me before the French trip". Further research shows, that in the end, this date was actually the day that Dave Vanian married his first wife Laurie... so no, the show never came to fruition.

Friday 3 September 1976 - 100 Club, London

Set: unknown.

Comments: Keiron Tyler's book 'Smashing It Up: A Decade Of Chaos With The Damned', states that The Damned played a show at The Marquee on this date as support to Eddie & The Hot Rods.

Saturday 21 August 1976 - Mont De Marsan Bullring, France

Set: 1 of the 2, New Rose, Help, Fan Club, I Feel Alright, Feel The Pain, Fish, See Her Tonite, I Fall, So Messed Up.

Comments: Advertised as The First European Punk Rock Festival. Andrew Czezowski, first manager of The Damned, has a diary entry confirming this show as the fifth by The Damned. Also on the bill - Eddie & The Hot Rods, Hammersmith Gorillas, Pink Fairies, Nick Lowe, The Count Bishops, The Tyla Gang and Roogalator.

Friday 6 August 1976 - The Nashville Rooms, London

Set: unknown.

Comments: Andrew Czezowski, first manager of The Damned, has a diary entry confirming this show as the fourth by The Damned. An advert in the New Musical Express (NME) dated 7 August 1976 shows that Eddie & The Hot Rods were due to play The Nashville on 6 August - though there is no mention of a support band, it is assumed that The Damned supported Eddie & The Hot Rods at this show (this also ties in with a recollection that Phil Burns (brother of Captain Sensible) has of first seeing The Damned... at he 'believed' The Nashville... supporting Eddie & The Hot Rods).

Thursday 15 July 1976 - The Nashville Rooms, London

Set included: Help.

Comments: Support to S.A.L.T. Andrew Czezowski, first manager of The Damned, has a diary entry confirming this show as the third by The Damned. Apparently, encouraged by the audience, and having finished their short set, the band began playing the set again - the headliners brought the curtain down on the band 3 songs into the repeat set... and Rat Scabies hurled his drumkit through the curtain.

Thursday 8 July 1976 - Art College, St. Albans

Set: unknown.

Comments: Andrew Czezowski, first manager of The Damned, has a diary entry confirming this show as the second by The Damned. Additionally, in a 2001 interview, Shanne Bradley (early face on the punk scene, founder of The Nipple Erectors, and later a member of The Men They Couldn't Hang) stated "I spontaneously booked their 2nd gig the day after I saw the 1st at the 100 Club (Malcolm pulled The Pistols out at that last minute due to poor attendance at their last St Albans appearance)".

Tuesday 6 July 1976 - 100 Club, London

Set: 1 of the 2, New Rose, Comfort, Help, Fan Club, 1970, Feel The Pain, Fish, Circles, See Her Tonite, I Fall, So Messed Up.

Comments: Debut performance - supporting the Sex Pistols. 'Comfort' would later be re-worked as 'Alone' for the Music For Pleasure LP, '1970' [Iggy & The Stooges cover] would become 'I Feel Alright', 'Circles' was a cover of a song by The Who.

Early Rehearsals

Comments: Early rehearsals are understood to have taken place at a church hall in Lisson Grove, then on the Saturday prior to the 1st gig, at the Warehouse of ACME Attractions in Bermondsey. Andrew Czezowski, first manager of The Damned, has also stated that Bermondsey continued to be their rehearsal space while he managed them.


The Damned Live Performances Index
The Damned - 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980
1979 1978 1977 1976
Naz Nomad & The Nightmares The Phantom Chords Captain Sensible
Selected Miscellany Unresolved issues Site updates


Page content last reviewed/updated on: 5 April 2018.
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