The Damned - Final Damnation 50

The Damned are playing Vaillant Live on Wednesday 2 December, part of their Final Damnation 50 UK tour. It's a big one for them: they're marking half a century since the 1976 punk explosion, and they're doing it with the original line-up back together. Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies, and Paul Gray are all on stage, with Monty Oxymoron joining in on keyboards. Rat Scabies returning on drums is the bit that really puts the original line-up label into practice.

They've got a bit of a claim to fame to carry into the room, too. They were the first UK punk band to release a single, an album, and tour the US, so they've been around since the very start of the scene. This tour is their way of looking back over those fifty years, and they've been clear about what they're bringing to the set: they've said they'll play only the best songs from their chequered history, rather than trying to run through everything. If you've followed them for years, that's a fair way to approach a half-century of material.

There's something new to fit in as well. Earlier this year they released Not Like Everybody Else, a covers album built around songs the late founding member Brian James loved. It's a nod to one of the people who helped start the whole thing, and it sits alongside the older stuff they'll be drawing from. The night isn't just them, either: The Saints '73-'78 are on as special guests, so you'll get two bands from that same era in one go.

One practical thing to keep in mind: under-14s have to be seated with an adult aged 18 or over. With that sorted, it's The Damned at Vaillant Live on Wednesday 2 December.