Original The Damned drummer Rat Scabies re-joins the band!
In a surprise announcement made today, it was confirmed that original The Damned drummer Rat Scabies will be back behind the kit for tours, festivals and more in 2024!
Following the departure of drummer Will Taylor earlier this year, speculation abounded over who would replace him on the drum stool.. nobody guessed it would be the man who joined the band during its inception back in 1976!

Main Photo ‘Scabies sets his kit alight, Manchester 2022’: RUTH RAE
Get the latest from The Damned on their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?


Six of the Best – 26th February 2025
Single, EP and Album releases from The Pighounds – Tutti Frutti’, State Power – ‘Final Hour’, Launch Control – ‘Hedge Fundamentalism’, Killing Daisies – ‘Echoes


Live review: TV Smith raises the Face Bar roof in Reading!
Punk legend TV Smith may just be one man with an acoustic guitar, but the founder of The Adverts can still fill a room with


EP review: ‘¡No Pasarán!’ by Dutch punks Mouser
Mouser, four veteran punks, release new songs on the fascist threat, mobile phones, refugees and forced labour in prisons in their debut EP ‘¡No Pasarán!’.


Album review: Black Spiders – ‘Cvrses’
Isn’t rock n’ roll supposed to be a young person’s game? Then how come so many of the old guard are doing such a great


Album review: Split Dogs – ‘Here To Destroy’
There’s one glaring omission on ‘Here To Destroy’; namely that, unlike a Split Dogs gig, it comes without vocalist Harry Atkins’ utterly magnetic stage presence.


Six of the Best – 19th February 2025
Single, EP and Album releases from Eville – ‘Plaything’, SPY – ‘Seen Enough’, Silverstein – ‘Antibloom’, Punchcard – ‘Soap Box Hero’, Real Sickies – ‘Triage’
Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.