The Damned mark 50 years with reunited lineup, new covers album and Wembley gig

The Damned are celebrating 50 years with the reunited core lineup of Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies, who have recorded a new album, Not Like Everybody Else, and are due to play Wembley Arena in April. Vanian has been the band’s sole constant member since its formation.

The band’s history has been turbulent: there were three break‑ups in the late 70s, late 80s and early 90s, Sensible and Scabies have had repeated spells out of the group, and Scabies only returned to working with them in 2022 after 27 years away. The Damned released the UK’s first punk single, New Rose, later moved into psychedelic pop and became identified by many listeners as a definitive goth band; their 13 studio albums are spread across nine labels, and there are some 23 live albums and about 30 compilations.

Not Like Everybody Else is the first album to feature Vanian, Sensible and Scabies together since 1995 and is dedicated to founding guitarist Brian James, who died in March 2025. The record consists entirely of covers of 1960s garage and related artists the band all admired, including the Kinks, the Stones, the Creation, the Lollipop Shoppe, the Stooges and early Pink Floyd.

Relations among the three are said to be solid after the reunion.

Key Topics

Culture, The Damned, Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies, Wembley Arena