Fangbase - Reviews

McDermotts - Wakefield

2nd December 2000

The Damned and Choking Kojak, McDermotts, Wakefield 3.12.00
Wakefield McDermotts is a small venue, and has only recently begun to attract established bands. Despite this, everything came together on the night and the Damned entertained a sell out crowd of about 250. But first, the punters who came in for the support band were treated to the entertainment spectacle that is Choking Kojak. These are a young local band, who we had offered the support slot to partly to give them a once in a lifetime opportunity, and partly as an alternative to the usual punk bands doing the rounds. Choking Kojak play a high energy set that comprises mainly of punked up versions of crappy chart songs, and the reaction to the Britney Spears and assorted "boy bands" songs ranged from absolute delight to utter bemusement. This was the effect we were hoping for õ a refreshing change, and they certainly got a reaction!

Immediately after the Kojaks set, the room began to fill very quickly, then everybody went wild as The Damned took to the stage. Right from the opening bars of New Rose to the final mayhem that always accompanies Smash It Up, the band put in a fine performance comprising a good mixture of old classics and new material. Pinch especially enjoyed the night as he is no stranger to Wakefield and met many old friends as well as making a few new ones. Monty was a bit restrained as the small stage didn't lend itself too well to his usual antics, but he coped admirably and managed a bit of a dance, albeit from the waist up only! Dave, Patricia and Captain also seemed to enjoy themselves, and there was no doubt whatsoever that the audience did. Most of the crowd seemed to fall into the 30 something age group and there's a good chance this was the first gig they had attended in a long time. Luckily there was a complete lack of spitting and bottle throwing which was really appreciated by everyone on or near the stage; hopefully this will be a regular feature of Damned gigs in the future. The only obvious casualty of the night was the table that served remarkably well as a barrier right up until Smash It Up, when it got well and truly trashed!

The high numbers of smiling faces, or rather those grinning from ear to ear, showed what an excellent time was had by all, and hopefully The Damned will consider a return to Wakefield. Full set list as follows: New Rose, Blackout, Disco Man, Democracy, Can't Be Happy, Song.Com, Shadow Of Love, Nasty, Looking At You, Plan 9, She, 13th Floor Vendetta, Neat Neat Neat. And for the encore, Absinthe, Love Song, Eloise, Thrill Kill, and Smash It Up (which is now known affectionately in Wakefield as the Table Song).