Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine Edited by Fiza Javid Concord Music Hall Chicago - Sunday, June 2, 2024 The Damned. The mighty Damned. In full force- with their classic 80's lineup: Captain Sensible Dave Vanian Rat Scabies Paul Gray. And talk about a setlist- Heavy on the heavy hitters, encompassing lots and lots from albums such as "Strawberries"('82), "Machine Gun Etiquette"('79), "The Black Album"('80), and of course their debut- "Damned Damned Damned", from '77, along with some nuggets from "Phantasmagoria" ('85), with a smattering of others thrown in for good measure. So yeah- this setlist, this solid band, also along with Monty Oxymoron on all things keyboards- doesn't matter the size of the venue apparently, doesn't matter if it's an outdoor festival, doesn't matter if they're playing on a Sunday for crying out loud. The show was incendiary, with an open book for a sense of humor, lots of fun and also the key element of camaraderie between bandmates. Older and lots wiser, these guys. Which certainly helps. Along with rehearsals, which by the looks of things, they spent some serious time on. Can't think of one fault with their set whatsoever. Paul Gray on bass- he was in fine form, handling the low end with that Rickenbacker bass of his- all bright fire engine red and ready to go. To have him in the fold, along with Rat Scabies on the drums- the definition of a mighty fine rhythm section I tell ya. As for Captain and Dave- holding down their own throughout, occasionally reaching out with arms, winks and smiles between the two of them. That's the cool thing with up close pit photography, and photographing bands you've grown up with- bands you cherish and love and support. You see that kinda thing up close, regularly, and you feel good, just like them. No bad and negative energy. A setlist with punch and piss and vinegar, all presented with a debauched elegance, with smatters of garage rock, punk rockabilly, and god knows what else that's genre related. Everything about this show at the Concord Music Hall with The Damned was just so damn clever- and just so damn tight. 22 songs in total setlist wise, ending with a crash and burn cover of "Looking at You", from the MC5. But to hear barnburner openers "Ignite", into "Wait for the Blackout", and then "History of the World (Part 1), like thunderclaps of solid aggressive energy, truth foretold, done with a display of panache and showmanship. Age doesn't matter at all. They came to play, they came to slay, as they say. Look at it this way, from none other than Chris Connelly, a phenomenal singer/ songwriter from the Chicago music scene- This is his quote from his Facebook Page after the show: "GOOD LORD! The Damned were ON FIRE last night, they are the best they have ever been, I am SURE they curated the setlist with me in mind!" I think that sums it up nicely. As for The Dictators who opened the show- Even with just two main members remaining, that being Ross "The Boss" Friedman on guitars, and Andy Shernoff on bass- with added punch on the drums with Albert Bouchard (original member of Blue Oyster Cult)- have to say that they had a solid set as well. Keith Roth on lead vocals and guitar provided the necessary swagger and added punch to bring the songs to life. Have to say it couldn't be easy for them, figuring your way through things with a diluted original personnel hanging over your heads. Certainly the packed crowd on the main floor ate it up, dancing and pogoing in place. Nothing came off fake or dialed in throughout their set. For their allotted time- one word- polished. So yeah, like Chris said getting back to The Damned..... Bobby Talamine - JBTV Music Television Chicago The Damned, Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Paul Gray, Rat Scabies, Monty Oxymoron, The Dictators, JBTV Music Television, Fiza Javid, Bobby Talamine
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BLOG STAFFBobby TalamineSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER FIZA JAVIDBLOG WRITER Erika ForceSOCIAL MEDIA |