The Damned are an influential English rock band formed in London in 1976 by Dave Vanian, Brian James, Captain Sensible, and Rat Scabies. Pioneers of the UK punk scene, they were the first British punk band to release a single and album, and the first to tour the United States. Known for driving punk anthems and later a shift into gothic rock, The Damned helped shape the evolution of both genres, inspiring the hardcore punk and goth movements. Through decades of lineup changes and musical reinvention, the band produced acclaimed albums such as Damned Damned Damned, Machine Gun Etiquette, The Black Album, Phantasmagoria, and Evil Spirits. Their dramatic style, marked by Vanian’s signature baritone vocals and dark imagery, left a lasting mark on alternative music and the goth subculture. The Damned continue to perform and release new music, with their 2023 album Darkadelic achieving success in the UK charts.