I’ve wanted to see the Damned for a long while and was bummed that I missed them when they played Chicago’s Riot Fest a couple years ago.  Lo and behold, they came to the U.S. again for a 40th anniversary tour, and this time I was able to catch them with Bleached opening for them.  That’s a win-win.

I saw Bleached in October of last year in Cleveland.  They put on a good show, so I figured they’d be solid again.  I did not know that they would be even better in just six months’ time.  It was quickly evident (within two songs when they were absolutely gunning on “Trying to Lose Myself Again” from Welcome the Worms) that Bleached has seriously upped their game in just half a year.  They powered through many cuts off their excellent new EP Can You Deal? and even one I hadn’t heard before (“Electric Chair”).  I was gobsmacked by the end of their set.  I caught up with sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin at their merch table between the first and second encores of the Damned.  I told them their set was a home run and how much they’d improved since Cleveland.

“Being on this tour has been really good for us,” Jennifer Clavin told me.  “Playing in front of a lot of people who don’t know us has really made us work on our stage presence.”

“It’s only been six months!” Jessie Clavin said.

“I know,” I said.  “That’s what make it more impressive.”

Speaking of impressive, the Damned were just that.

“We’re back from the mists of time,” said lead guitarist Captain Sensible, “to save the world from shitty music like Mumford and Sons!”

The band tore into literal floor-shaking classics like “Generals,” “Disco Man,” and “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today” before a mosh pit finally broke out during “Love Song.”  The first of two beers went flying through the air during this.  For the record, I’ve been in some wild, fun crowds at the House of Blues.  I’ve never seen cups of beer, hats, shoes, and jackets thrown into the air during a show there until I saw the Damned play there.

I stayed in the pit for “Love Song” and “Street of Dreams.”  The Damned continued a great set (and Captain Sensible kept decrying Mumford and Sons – as well as Kurt Vile, whom he called a “pillock,” Duran Duran, KISS, and Billy Idol) that included such fine tracks as “Eloise,” “Wait for the Blackout,” and “The History of the World (Part 1).”

Of course, the crowd (and I) went berserk during “Neat Neat Neat” and “New Rose.”  Moshing to those punk classics was a dream come true for me.  Truth to tell, I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear “Neat Neat Neat” live, so being in the middle of a friendly mosh pit ten feet from David Vanian as he sung it was great.

As I mentioned earlier, they played two encores.  The first included “Jet Boy Jet Girl,” sung by the Captain, “Noise Noise Noise,” and “Smash It Up.”  The last track especially showed off keyboardist Monty Oxymoron’s skill.  The second encore included “Nasty” (the first Damned song I ever heard thanks to them performing it on The Young Ones) and “Antipope.”  A guy near me had been yelling for “Antipope” for the last third of the show, so I was happy for him (and all of us) that they played it.  He went bananas.

It was a fun show.  They haven’t lost anything.  Sensible is still a great guitarist and Vanian (“the Vincent Price of rock,” as Capt. Sensible called him) still commands a stage like few can.  The Damned are touring extensively throughout the U.S. before they head to Europe.  Catch them if you’re near you.

By the way, here’s the list of things I found on the floor during and after the mosh pit: A button labeled “GW,” a spiked bracelet (belonging to a guy in a Misfits jacket behind me), a nickel, an opened (but thankfully unused) condom, a peacock keychain and attached house key (belonging to a young woman I found after the final encore), a hat (owner unknown), and a sweater (owner unknown).  A guy next to me in the pit found a cell phone.  I don’t know if he ever found the owner.

Keep your mind open.