UK punk legends The Damned have released a kinetic reinterpretation of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 classic ‘Summer in the City,’ as the final single from their upcoming covers-album, Not Like Everybody Else, and announced a series of live shows, marking half a century of smashing things up.
Recorded in just five days at Revolver Studio, Los Angeles, the new album finds the band – Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, Paul Gray on bass, and Monty Oxymoron on keyboards – recapturing the raw energy that defined the late Seventies punk rock scene.
Significantly, Not Like Everybody Else marks the first time in 40 years that Rat Scabies has returned to the studio with the band. Every song on the album is described as a personal, celebratory tribute to the group’s late guitarist Brian James and his influences, who passed away last year.
Significantly, Not Like Everybody Else marks the first time in 40 years that Rat Scabies has returned to the studio with the band…
Punk, goth and everything before
Not Like Everybody Else kicks off with R. Dean Taylor’s ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’ and moves through classics like Pink Floyd’s ‘See Emily Play’ and The Animals’ ‘When I Was Young’. The album closes with a poignant ‘The Last Time’ by The Rolling Stones, featuring Brian James, recorded at the last shows he played with The Damned, including his final performance at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, remixed here for this release.
Not Like Everybody Else is available in a variety of physical formats. In addition to a standard CD, and vinyl release, it’ll also ship as a limited Rainbow Sparkle vinyl edition, and a high quality 180-gram audiophile pressing.
To celebrate the new collection, The Damned are playing one-off covers shows at Albert Hall, Manchester on January 28, Bataclan, Paris on February 1 and Essigfabrik, Cologne on February 3, performing tracks from Not Like Everybody Else alongside fan-favourite covers, like ‘White Rabbit’ and ‘Eloise’. Tickets are available here.
The band is also scheduled to perform songs from the album exclusively live on BBC Radio 6.
The Damned famously released the first UK punk single, ‘New Rose,’ in 1976 on Stiff Records, with their debut album Damned, Damned, Damned following in early 1977. Brian James wrote that landmark debut 7-incher and was lead songwriter on the album. He left the group after the release of second album, Music For Pleasure, in 1977.
The Damned will play a special 50th anniversary show at OVO Arena Wembley on April 11 2026, celebrating five decades as one of the founders of British punk rock. Tickets for the big London show are available here.
Some wines travel thousands of miles to reach London. At Vagabond’s new Canary Wharf bar, one of the shortest journeys is around 1,300 metres. The new Vagabond Wines has opened on Park Drive in Wood Wharf, bringing more than 120 wines by the glass to one of London’s most recognisable business districts. There’s a heated…
That Boutique-y Whisky Company is marking the height of summer with a seven strong collection led by a 21 Year Old World Whisky Blend that brings together mature spirits from four whisky-producing nations. The new Summertime Specials collection explores a broad range of styles, from long-aged world whisky and Islay single malt to rarely seen…
Bose is bringing its flagship immersive audio tech to the latest generation of its best selling QuietComfort noise cancelling headphones. It’s one of several upgrades for its 2nd Gen model, which also includes improved noise cancelling and a breezy new design. The headphones launch in the familiar Black and White Smoke finishes, alongside three limited-edition…
The Luxe Review 
UK punk legends The Damned have released a kinetic reinterpretation of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 classic ‘Summer in the City,’ as the final single from their upcoming covers-album, Not Like Everybody Else, and announced a series of live shows, marking half a century of smashing things up.
Recorded in just five days at Revolver Studio, Los Angeles, the new album finds the band – Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, Paul Gray on bass, and Monty Oxymoron on keyboards – recapturing the raw energy that defined the late Seventies punk rock scene.
Significantly, Not Like Everybody Else marks the first time in 40 years that Rat Scabies has returned to the studio with the band. Every song on the album is described as a personal, celebratory tribute to the group’s late guitarist Brian James and his influences, who passed away last year.
Punk, goth and everything before
Not Like Everybody Else kicks off with R. Dean Taylor’s ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’ and moves through classics like Pink Floyd’s ‘See Emily Play’ and The Animals’ ‘When I Was Young’. The album closes with a poignant ‘The Last Time’ by The Rolling Stones, featuring Brian James, recorded at the last shows he played with The Damned, including his final performance at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, remixed here for this release.
Not Like Everybody Else is available in a variety of physical formats. In addition to a standard CD, and vinyl release, it’ll also ship as a limited Rainbow Sparkle vinyl edition, and a high quality 180-gram audiophile pressing.
To celebrate the new collection, The Damned are playing one-off covers shows at Albert Hall, Manchester on January 28, Bataclan, Paris on February 1 and Essigfabrik, Cologne on February 3, performing tracks from Not Like Everybody Else alongside fan-favourite covers, like ‘White Rabbit’ and ‘Eloise’. Tickets are available here.
The band is also scheduled to perform songs from the album exclusively live on BBC Radio 6.
The Damned famously released the first UK punk single, ‘New Rose,’ in 1976 on Stiff Records, with their debut album Damned, Damned, Damned following in early 1977. Brian James wrote that landmark debut 7-incher and was lead songwriter on the album. He left the group after the release of second album, Music For Pleasure, in 1977.
The Damned will play a special 50th anniversary show at OVO Arena Wembley on April 11 2026, celebrating five decades as one of the founders of British punk rock. Tickets for the big London show are available here.
Vagabond Wines Canary Wharf review: There’s a world of wines to explore at this stylish waterside bar
Some wines travel thousands of miles to reach London. At Vagabond’s new Canary Wharf bar, one of the shortest journeys is around 1,300 metres. The new Vagabond Wines has opened on Park Drive in Wood Wharf, bringing more than 120 wines by the glass to one of London’s most recognisable business districts. There’s a heated…
21 Year Old world whisky blend heads up That Boutique-y Whisky Summertime collection
That Boutique-y Whisky Company is marking the height of summer with a seven strong collection led by a 21 Year Old World Whisky Blend that brings together mature spirits from four whisky-producing nations. The new Summertime Specials collection explores a broad range of styles, from long-aged world whisky and Islay single malt to rarely seen…
Bose upgrades QuietComfort headphones with spatial audio, better ANC and a fresh new look
Bose is bringing its flagship immersive audio tech to the latest generation of its best selling QuietComfort noise cancelling headphones. It’s one of several upgrades for its 2nd Gen model, which also includes improved noise cancelling and a breezy new design. The headphones launch in the familiar Black and White Smoke finishes, alongside three limited-edition…
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