The Damned

The Damned

With The Bellrays

Tuesday, May 13,  2025

Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale

Photos and review by Brad Stevens

“So DAMNED Timeless”

Time isn’t linear, and neither is Britain’s first punk band, The Damned. In the 1970s, they blazed a trail for anarchic punk bands, leading the charge both in the UK and on the NYC punk scene. On May 13th, they brought their chaos to Fort Lauderdale’s Revolution Live with an energetic, seventeen-song set that proved they’re as vital as ever.

The energy started early with openers The BellRays, whose high-octane blend of rock and soul got the raucous crowd moving near the front of the stage. By the time The Damned took the stage, a small mosh pit had already broken out near the center of the floor.  True to form, the band kept things unpredictable, weaving in three well-chosen covers: “Eloise” — originally by

Barry Ryan and famously reinterpreted by The Damned in 1985 — “Alone Again Or” by the psychedelic group Love, and, in a surprise second encore, a stirring version of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” They closed the night to roaring applause with their beloved ’80s anthem “Smash It Up.”

The Damned delivered a full-throttle assault of poppy hooks and machine-gun riffs, covering two decades of music. Their signature blend of raw punk energy and theatrical flair — especially the gothic elements they embraced later in their career — was on full display. It was a Revolution Live performance for the ages, one that proved, once again, that The Damned can’t be confined by time.