Damned v Dead Boys

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Celebrity Punk Match - The Damned  versus The Dead Boys 

Whose the best UK punk or American punk ( yawn) . We'll never know as its all a matter of taste but there was a time when two of the leading lights from both scenes played on the same bill. First up The Damned played on the Dead Boys adopted home turf CBGBS. The Dead Boys then returned the compliment by playing with The Damned on a UK tour. It'll make a good comparison so lets see what happened. Lets meet the teams and play celebrity punk match.
The Dead Boys came out of Cleveland Ohio, out of a band called Rocket From The Tombs. The Dead Boys were led by Stiv Bators.  Stiv himself was an Iggy lovin' livewire front man who copied him right down to self mutilation adding his own twists of hanging himself with his belt, vomiting and receiving blowjobs on stage !!!. The other main man was Cheetah Chrome, a ginger nut (ter) who objected physically when Devo sang "Cheetah is a mongoloid"! Originally with long hair, flares and swastikas they punked up after playing CBGB'S. They impressed the Ramones enough to recommend them to Sire by Stiv mooning them on the roof of a car travelling at high speed .They quickly became CBGB'S favourites.

Stiv - he liked nothing more than a good hang, vomit and blow job.

The Damned came from that infamous band that never was the London SS. The nucleus was Rat Scabies and Brian James. Rat was a manic drummer. (check out his audition in the Hazel O'Connor film 'Breaking Glass' where he demolishes the drum kit !!) Bryan James was the songwriter and guitarist. Dave Vanian on vocals was an ex grave digger who had never sung before but looked good. Captain Sensible (lover of wearing tutus and nurses uniforms) was an ex toilet cleaner and who had played with Johnny Moped. Formed after the Sex Pistols they beat them to the first punk single 'New Rose'. They also had the first album out and were the first to visit America. Dismissed as vaudeville by some punks /punkettes/ bands The Damned were without a doubt a top class act who were either likely to be chaotic or shit hot.
The vanguard of the UK punk scene arrived in New york to find that previous rebels The Rolling Stones had left them a welcome present in the rock'n'roll tradition. A supply of cream cakes, prostitutes and drugs. We know what happened to the first. As to the rest ...guess !

Right - The Damned in New York - great photo by Roberta Bayley

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