Captain Sensible – The Damned – Interview Exclusive
Written by Dom Daley
Saturday, 12 November 2011 05:34
This interview doesn’t really need an introduction because every self respecting music fan should know who Captain Sensible is, but I’m going to cobble something together anyway just in case you have been living on Mars for the last 35 years. The Damned were the undisputed leaders of the first wave of UK punk bands and one of the first to release an album and single. They were the first UK punk band to tour America and are the only UK punk band from the “Big Three” to still be relevant today, still touring the world over and making some great records in the process. They are also a band that personifies what “punk” is all about for me, and as such I guess you could call me a “bit of a fan”. Hence, when I was given the chance to interview one of the two remaining original members from the Damned the only question was when and where? I’ve been there, seen it and done it with these guys.
In 2011 there doesn’t seem to be any let up in Damned activities with the guys having recently started a world tour promoting the 35th birthday of their classic debut album, which along with their iconic ‘Black’ album are being played every night as part of a show people really shouldn’t miss. Also for those of you who read Uber Rock regularly you’ll be aware that right now The Dammed are being followed round by a camera crew filming their every move (it’s the same guys who made the recent ‘Lemmy’ movie) which is planned for a big screen future release.
I had so many questions for the Captain but so little time so here is what we chatted about on the eve of the British dates of said tour.
Captain how are you this afternoon on the eve of your ambitious UK tour? Looking forward to the challenge?
I am yeah. Pretty much we’re on fire at the moment just come off the back of the US tour and the band is really hot and I think we’re doing this material justice.
Whose idea was it to tackle the first album and the ‘Black Album’ on the same night, and take it across the globe?
Well we sat down, and it’s always difficult to write a set list being an old band like we are. And having made a fair old few records in our time we could easily have done a greatest hits set, which you know everyone would have been pleased about. Well I had seen Brian Wilson do ‘Pet Sounds’ a while back and other bands have gone out and done their so called “classic” albums – not that I’m putting myself in the same category as Brian Wilson mind – but I though it would be a nice idea if we did the two albums which people say are kind of instrumental in creating two separate genres of music.
Obviously the first one being the whole punk thing in ’76 and the ‘Black Album’ had quite a lot to do with the whole goth thing. So we just thought it would be a good idea. They are also kind of like chalk and cheese, those two records. It’s really fun for us and has proved to be the most enjoyable tour for us so far that I can remember for years and years and years. We do the first album, and then have a short break because after the blitzkrieg of those songs and the energy and chaos quite frankly we need it, and there are so many riffs it definitely keeps you on your toes as a guitarist. You think, “Yeah right this riff – that solo” and with Brian’s playing there are a lot of notes in there but he crammed them into nine seconds or something, Ha ha. So it’s fun but it’s also challenging to do. Then the opposite end of the spectrum you have the moods of the ‘Black Album’ it’s quite a dark album the moods are pretty “black” Ha ha! Those dark bits on the album are important and I don’t mean the lighting although we have got some very nice lighting on this tour, which you’d obviously expect – Ha ha.
Will we be getting the whole of the albums with nothing left out?
Oh absolutely including the full epic version of ‘Curtain Call’.
There has been some debate on the net about why you didn’t include ‘Stab Your Back’ for the American dates.
Well yeah we did; the reason being two of the new boys, if you can call them new boys. They swore blind that they didn’t learn it because they thought it was a B-side. I did tell them that they’d made a mistake and what they’d done is mix it up with; um, ‘Sing-a-long A Scabies’ Ha ha. You know I can’t remember but that was a B-side wasn’t it?
Yes it was a B-side but not realising ‘Stab Your Back’ was on the album is almost unforgivable I hope they were severely reprimanded.
Ha, yeah but in the end I wasn’t even sure, so you can call me Captain Senile these days ha ha!
When the band decided that these two albums were going to be toured did you have any rehearsals before announcing it just in case it couldn’t be done for whatever reason?
Funny you should say that because we decided to do it and made the announcement and then booked the studio for some rehearsals and after two or three days we were just staring at each other. After a few hours we were saying “whose bright idea was this because it’s turning out to be a…” There is so much music in the tracks there was so much to learn; I’m not being funny but they’re not easy albums to play, The first one because it’s so fast and the ‘Black Album’ because there so much to do like time changes and harmonies they’ve even got me playing some of my wonderful keyboards on it.
Was there a lot of it you’d forgotten? I don’t know how often you listen back to your own work of an evening with your smoking jacket on revelling in their qualities ha ha
Ha never! No I never ever listen back to them really. Some of these songs I haven’t listened to for 35 years almost, or since they were recorded and I had to totally re learn them. Do you know the chords they weren’t straight chords a lot of the time. Drone strings, and some of the stuff has got a slightly eastern flavour to it, so it took quite some learning. In rehearsals I was cursing shouting “who the fuck wrote these bloody songs?” and of course you realise ahh….. Ha ha!
Was it ever talked about perhaps having Brian and Rat back in to play the part of the set when you do the first album?
Well for a one off festival, but you have to respect the current line up for one thing. If you replaced them with others then they’d rightly be a bit pissed off or unhappy you know? The other thing is much as I respect Brian and Rat and I really do respect them, because working with those two changed my life and it got me out of being a cleaner. I’ve got a lot of respect and time for the guys but the thing is you’d only ever play the first bit of material if you were working with Brian because he won’t play anyone else’s songs
Yes that might not be right him getting on the tour and only having to put in a 25 minute shift Ha ha!
Ha ha Well yeah
You’re being followed round at the minute by the guys who did the ‘Lemmy’ movie so what’s the deal with that exactly? Whose idea was it? Were you approached or did you go looking for someone to make a documentary about The Damned finally?
We did some pieces for the Lemmy movie because dear Lemmy – he saved this band, and when I jumped over from bass to guitar we were in the pub and we were broke and we were offered a few gigs in London and we really wanted to do them but we just can’t find a player who was good enough, and Lemmy was playing the bandit (as he does) just behind us and he turned round and said “I’ll do it gentlemen” Ha ha ha. So that was that so we were called The Doomed. So yeah we got on with the guys when they were making the film. An American guy called Wes and when he finished Lemmy and he asked if we’d be up for making a movie about us and when I thought about it the bands story has never really been told you know. There are plenty of films about The Clash and the Pistols and the Ramones and stuff, but there isn’t much out there about the Damned.
For me after the first time I heard the debut album I was hooked, and have everything you guys have put out. I just couldn’t get enough, but it has always bugged me that the other “Big Two” UK bands have the DVD’s documentaries and the books, but very little on the Damned – other than the volumes of clips you could get off places like Ebay (in their good ole days) so its about time we got a little insight into the best band of its generation.
Well I think part of the reason for that is back in the old days we had various managers who would go up to the people with the camera and demand money in their hand or you can sling your hook. So consequently people like Don Letts didn’t actually get to film us. I agree with you it’s a bit of a tragedy really because some of our early performances were just insane.
I’ve got the black and white show filmed in Germany I think it was where Dave was spiked with acid and you give the audience a piece of your mind which is amazing stuff..
Yeah ha ha! We’ve pretty much been through everything this band its not been normal ever ha. It’s something The Damned doesn’t do – Normal! Ha ha
How far into the movie process are you now?
Well Wes did the States with us. He said we made him laugh anyway, he said he’s captured some great moments. We’re just being ourselves really, which is good. I’m proud of being part of the punk movement, but we are a band full of eccentrics, I wouldn’t say the people even the fans really know us at all. I think when people see the film; boy I think you’ll be surprised.
When is it set to come out or finish recording do you know?
No idea really, that’s up to Wes.
Were they given total access for the movie and it’s a case of take the cameras everywhere film what you like warts ‘n’ all?
The thing is after a while you don’t even realise they’re there. You just behave like normal. I think these reality TV shows they say “you forget the cameras are filming” and it’s true you know you don’t realise they’re there most of the time. I suppose the temptation is to play up to the camera and show off, but you can’t do that all the time and you aren’t aware really they’re filming until you hear the cameraman laughing. Ha ha I’m sure there will be lots of embarrassing moments and funny moments. Yeah I think it’s quite nice. I would have loved it when I was a kid buying records as a schoolboy, I had my favourite bands and to know more about them, so yeah; rather that than just the same old interviews. I do think the internet is a fantastic thing though. You can get the gossip before a tour hits your town and you can go on and read about whose done what and so on. All the bands have message boards and their always gossiping about stuff and there is nothing you can do about it and I think it’s very healthy. I just wish it had been about when I was younger.
It’s the first major change in music really in as much as record shops are going and there’s not this need for physical copies of recordings and that’s a pretty big shift.
I don’t think anyone in the music business really knows where it’s going at the moment, but I’m happy to be touring and I think it’s important for bands to keep playing and touring or they’ll die. Ha ha. For me it’s such a joy to be there on stage playing a guitar for a living it’s fantastic honestly.
I thought the line up at Rebellion this year was true quality, and to get to see The Boys, The Adicts, and you playing with some exciting new bands was really great. it shows that people still want live music and bands want to still play. Guys like Charlie and the Subs or Texas Terri – it’s great to see everyone under one roof so to speak.
Yeah it was good, Texas Terri was great. She was really brave I thought when she fell off the crash barrier; I thought she’d broken her arm, but she carried on and gave it everything. She’s an incredible performer and she’s so sweet. I’ve got a lot of time for Terri. People call her the female Iggy Pop but I’ve not seen Iggy play like her for some time. I recommend her highly.
Absolutely agree with that, she deserves so much more, a great performer.
Moving on to your playing. Why did you switch from bass to guitar when Brian left, rather than simply get a new guitar player in?
I always played guitar before I joined The Damned, in a band called Oasis. If you can believe that? I used to say to the guys “please can we not change the name of the band it’s just shit! No band will ever get anywhere with a name as shit as Oasis!” Ha ha ha – Anyway when I met Brian I was so impressed with his ideas that I changed because he was looking for a bass player. I wouldn’t have done that unless 1. He’s a phenomenal guitarist. 2. He had written a cracking bunch of tunes and 3. He had a total concept and he really knew there was something just around the corner, and he was going to be part of it. Oh and did I want to come along for the ride? So I said “Oh yes please” Ha ha and I went out and bought a bass guitar before he changed his mind Ha ha ha!
Did you jump at the chance when he left to switch over? Especially when it became apparent the rest of you had decided to carry on?
I was very very surprised when he decided to scrap it, but the problem was we made the second album for Stiff Records, and I think Stiff were more than a little bit fed up with us because of our bad behaviour. Brian decided to scrap the band and go on to form the Lords Of The New Church, and I think he did well because they were a very good band. But we’d decided to carry on and go our way without him, which took us down a totally different path. It was great for us three because we were totally unrestrained, and we could make the music we wanted to. We all had to find our feet quickly as songwriters because I’d never really written a song before. It was such a stroke of incredible luck that when our leader had left we found out that all of us could write not just the one songwriter but all of us, and when Algy joined he could write too, which was great. I do think I’ve been incredibly lucky because after Brian we could have just disappeared.
Was it a conscious move to sort of keep reinventing yourselves for every new album? Even when you left the band seemed to turn another path which took them to a certain level of success with the cover of ‘Eloise’ etc. But before that ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’, ‘Strawberries’ and the ‘Black Album’ are all so totally Damned – yet quite different from each other as well.
Yeah we don’t like repeating ourselves too much. I think each album should and did have it’s own flavour. I think that’s quite important.
Would you say your always looking ahead to the next album and what it might sound like? or isn’t it planned that uniformly?
Well I just sort of write when it hits me. I’ve got a bunch of tunes ready to go now
Would that be for the next Damned album?
Who can say? If Dave says I’ve got a bunch of tunes and asks; “Captain what have you got?” then we might get in the studio.
You’ve always kept busy like playing bass on some of the Sonny Vincent albums, or doing the Joey Ramone solo vocals and of course famously Dead Men Walking. You once said “that all acoustic guitars should be abolished”. Explain yourself.
Ha ha ha!! – I did yeah – Ha ha – Yes I bloody well did didn’t I? I tell you why that is; in the mid 70’s there was a country rock boom going on, mainly stuff like Emmylou Harris. This was all driven by Bob Harris and his crowd, and these people were driving me to the brink of insanity. I couldn’t fucking stand it, and I just wanted to trash the bloody thing! In fact I did if I’d go round somebody’s house and see one I grab it and go “bloody acoustic guitar” and go” argh!!!” and smash it to pieces. That was the way I felt at the time. Now of course being wiser I appreciate they can make a lot of music and not just country music. You see I’m called “Captain Sensible” but it’s just ironic because I’m not sensible at all Ha ha And I’ll admit I’m more than capable of behaving extremely stupidly at times as well. Ha ha ha.
Did you enjoy the Dead Men Walking gig because that must have been out of your comfort zone and certainly a new challenge?
It was yes. I made enduring friendships there as well with all the other guys I absolutely love them. Kirk is just a lovely human being – totally eccentric. Slim Jim is a smashing geezer, you know he’s just always on the road. He’s always out playing with someone or other, he just loves it, and Mike Peters is the world’s greatest enthusiast. He’s always brimming with optimism and ideas. Yeah it was a fantastic experience and I’m sure we’ll do something again in the future. In fact we did go into the studio and we made an album and a bloody good album it was too, but then Slim got called to do “the Tour” with the Stray Cats so everything go shelved.
I was going to ask about the rumoured album you recorded and if it was true.
Oh yes its there somewhere, “in the can” as they say.
So if Mike or Kirk called and you had a gap in the old diary you’d pick up your guitar and play then?
Yeah and I can bet on it happening as well, yes definitely. It’s good because we all get on so well
Still on the subject of acoustics and country music. Clear up your side of events regarding why the Supersuckers wrote the song ‘Captain’
Yeah yeah yeah I’ll exp-lain that one to you. Right those bastards did a song ‘Captain’ something or other slagging me off, but what happened was my loathing of country knows no bounds. I cannot stress that enough I CANNOT STAND IT! I always say there are good bits in all forms of music; – classical even opera (you might have to look hard to find it but its there) but there isn’t no good country music. It’s all absolute dog shit!
I wouldn’t class Johnny Cash as a country artist because he was a serious rock ‘n’ roll man but country all that syrupy kind of – you know…. dog shit! Treat your woman mean and all that…But darling I loved you anyway. “argh!” Anyway I went in the studio to meet these guys the Supersuckers and a mutual friend said go and meet them and record a single with them. So anyway I said “yeah”.
When I got into the studio I said OK chaps let’s hear what you’ve got, and they played this fucking country song to me, and I just burst out laughing. I thought they were having a joke but they said “no, no that’s it”. I did say “I thought you were punk group?” They said “yeah but we’re kind of a country cowboy punk band” – so I got me guitar and I was walking.
They said “where you going?” and I said “there was nothing I could do for you I can’t contribute to this I just can’t stand country music”. They said “stay and listen to the lyrics they’re funny, you’ll like it”. I did apologise and say “sorry but I just can’t” and I walked out and that was it. Then they got a song out of it and have slagged me off mercilessly from that day on. But you know I just don’t like country. Neither do I like beards; I don’t like cowboy hats, you know I don’t like loud Americans so what can I do? Ha ha ha
You must have been chuffed when you entered that room with them then when they started playing the song
Exactly I had a right go at our mutual friend for that situation
I was going to ask is the friend still mutual or have you cut all ties? Ha ha
Ha ha. Yeah I gave him a right ear bashing I can tell you.
Back to the current touring schedule after the British dates what’s next for you guys?
We’re taking it all round the world I hope. We’ve got Australia, Japan, South America and I hope we can sort out Europe as well which would be good.
Then hopefully you’ll finish just in time for the premiere in Leicester Square of the Damned movie?
Yeah that’s right that would be nice. Yes
We’ll wrap it up there then Captain can I just thank you for your time and making me laugh and I really hope the tour goes well and may there be many many more years of touring and making music in the Damned and long may you avoid country music and Sir Cliff.
Oh absolutely. Can I just say that I think it’s important to celebrate 35 years of The Damned. For the music – yes of course but more than that I think it’s worth celebrating that were still alive Ha ha ha. Lets just say it’s been touch and go after leading such a debauched life, so let’s just leave it like that Ha ha ha. Cheerio Dom and thanks for the questions.
Now after reading that you must be thinking to yourselves “What a blooming good guy!” Because as the sound of the Captain’s cackle fades down the phone line I’m most definitely left thinking how good it was to speak (albeit briefly) to someone who’s been such a big part of my musical life and what a quality bloke he turned out to be also.
I actually made it to the opening show on the 35th anniversary tour the other night in Bristol and can concur with the Captain that the band really are “on fore” right now.
You can still catch the band live playing their debut and Black albums, as there is still a week’s worth of dates left to run. So for those of you who may have been living on Mars, here they are once again.
November:
9th – Bristol, O2 Academy
10th – Birmingham, O2 Academy
11th – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
12th – London, Roundhouse
13th – Brighton, East Wing
14th – Norwich, UEA
15th – Nottingham, Rock City
17th – Newcastle, O2 Academy
18th – Leeds, O2 Academy
19th – Manchester, Academy
20th – Edinburgh, HMV Picture House
I also really can’t wait to see the upcoming documentary because knowing it’s about the Damned it’s bound to be good. Now wouldn’t it be a blast to get all the current and past members to turn up for the premiere I just hope there are some instruments there when it happens, as that would be one hell of a jam session.
God bless The Damned and God bless the Captain – True Legends.
http://www.officialdamned.com/
http://www.captainsensible.com/
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah Maynard at Division Promotions for making Dom Daley a very happy man by setting up this interview, and of course a HUGE thank you must also be extended to the Captain – for simply being the Captain.