THE DAMNED
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| Rat Scabies (The Damned) Quote © It Makes You Want To Spit! Book 2003.
“Our first visit to Northern Ireland was in late 1978. We arrived off the Liverpool to Belfast ferry in a hired van, which was our first problem as it had a Union jack painted on the back doors. Captain was also sitting in the front of the van wearing his red beret! I remember that we were all incredibly scared. When we arrived at our city centre hotel, we found that it had been blown up earlier that day and they were still sweeping up the glass and stuff as we went in. The gig was at The Pound and we went and did a soundcheck and everything was a bit cooler then. After that, we went around the corner to a pub. I remember the pub being really busy, but there were free seats by the window, which we immediately sat in and couldn’t understand why no one else had! It was a bit weird too, because in 1978, people still weren’t used to spiky hair and drainpipes, especially in somewhere like Belfast. Later, on stage, I can remember Algy asking the crowd which football team they supported. The whole place went absolutely silent. That act deserved so much respect, as everyone there was so into punk and having thing’s working. Punk was held in higher regard than any religious or political nonsense. People wanted it to work. If that had been anywhere else, everything would have kicked off. The punters after the show were really friendly towards us and all seemed really glad to see us. I’ve met Bono of U2 once and I vaguely remember him telling me that he was at the Pound gig. He told me that he had bunk in as he didn’t have any money, so I promptly asked him for £1.50”.
Above image - The Doomed at the Pound, Belfast - Friday 1st December 1978 - Photograph © Andrew Robertson
Captain Sensible (The Damned) Quote © Spit Records August 2020. “I remember the tour manager suggesting that I not wear my red beret as it meant something quite different in Ireland and despite the doom laden image portrayed on TV the place having a very friendly atmosphere. However, my overriding memory is of The Pound ‘dressing room’ being a dingy beer cellar. I thought, what person in their right mind surrounds a young band of punk reprobates with beer? I only remember a gig if something stuck out, like a dressing room full of crates of beer! Terri Hooley was there. He actually drank more than us, which was impressive! I’m sure we did a gig in London with RUDI too. They were fun!”..
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Spit Records 2011 | |||||||