Brian James, the original guitarist and key songwriter for the legendary punk band the Damned, has passed away at 70.
Back in 1955 London, Brian was born. By his twenties, he was jamming with the proto-punk group London SS with future members of the Clash and Generation X. This is where he crossed paths with Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Rat Scabies from Masters of the Backside. Chrissie Hynde was also part of that band but didn’t join when these four formed the Damned. Their first gig? Opening for Sex Pistols at London’s wild 100 Club in June 1976.
Just a few months later in October—before anyone even heard “Anarchy in the UK”—the Damned dropped their debut track “New Rose,” becoming pioneers as they were first to release an official UK punk song. They achieved several other milestones like being first to release a studio album (Damned Damned Damned) and venturing across America on tour. Ian Winwood noted their fast beats sparked West Coast’s hardcore punk scene! But drama struck when Sex Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren booted them off a tour before it wrapped up.
The fans probably think it’s crazy how quickly things can change in music!
Though Brian penned most tunes on their early albums, critics weren’t kind to their second album Music for Pleasure, leading to a breakup. However, Vanian, Sensible, and Scabies revived the band without him while he explored new ventures including playing with Iggy Pop’s touring crew and dropping solo singles like “Ain’t That a Shame” featuring Stewart Copeland from Police on drums. Later on, he co-founded Lords of the New Church alongside Stiv Bators; they toured and released three albums throughout most of the ’80s.
A reunion happened in 1988 where all original members played together twice; then Brian unleashed his self-titled solo album under New Rose Records (named after his iconic track). He kept performing into recent years until one final show reunited him with Vanian, Sensible, and Scabies again last year.
