INTERVIEW: THE DAMNED IN CONVERSATION WITH RAT SCABIES
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
The Damned are the most influential band to emerge from the original British 1970s punk movement, and who continue to make an impact across the musical landscape today.
Rat Scabies (Christopher Millar) is one of punk rock’s icons. He shares a birthday with Kate Bush on the 30th of July. And after birthday wishes were given and questions were asked about the presents and cake, I was told:
“I have just been in rehearsals with my band The Sinclairs. There was no cake! But we did go out for a great curry. I am just grateful that I can be doing this – we are playing a show tonight and making new music – and I’m starting to get twitchy again for the road and touring,” Rat Scabies informed me.
After five decades of musical influence, Rat Scabies’ “other” band The Damned, will be returning to Australia in September to play the country’s most prestigious stages as the band says farewell with a career-spanning set of concerts.
“We’re absolutely grateful to our fans in Australia,” said Rat Scabies as the smoke from his cigarette wafted around him. “Australia has a place in its heart for The Damned. We are going to play fantastic venues and we will be playing at the Opera House. I can’t believe it! That will be amazing”.
Rat Scabies is the The Damned’s drummer. The band was formed alongside lead singer Dave Vanian, late guitarist Brian James, and bassist-turned-guitarist Captain Sensible in 1976. His nickname was earned after he turned up to the band audition with a skin condition and, while he was auditioning, a rat ran across the floor: Rat Scabies was created!
The Damned were the first UK punk band to release a single on a physical 7-inch record with ‘New Rose’ and the first to issue a studio vinyl album with ‘Damned Damned Damned’ in 1977. That order of events, orchestrated by the legendary Stiff Records, positioned them at the front of the initial punk wave, preceding many of their contemporaries in both recorded output and international touring reach.
The band are still touring and playing live whenever they can. The current line-up of The Damned for their 50th-anniversary tour here in Australia will feature original members Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Rat Scabies, alongside long-serving members Paul Gray and Monty Oxymoron. It was this version of the band that, in January 2026, released ‘Not Like Everybody Else’, a covers album reflecting the formative influences of their deceased band member Brian James.
“It was sad for us,” explained Rat Scabies. “It was our tribute to Brian. These are the songs that he really loved – that affected him and influenced him – you know. But it also gave us a sense of elation. We still sounded great. And we still get to do this – make a new album. It really is amazing. Fifty years later and who’d have thought we would still be upright and breathing? I never thought we’d make it this far.” Rat Scabies was laughing as he said, “But here we are…another year older”.
The Damned have had a magnificent career. Their music spans the first wave of punk (see the brilliant album ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’) they were present and recording when the rise of goth started with ‘Phantasmagoria’, they have detoured into heavy rock, alternative rock with ‘Evil Spirits’ and ‘Darkadelic’ and explored deep into their influences with ‘Not Like Everybody Else’ and with ‘Give Daddy The Knife Cindy’ when they released a covers album under the name of Naz Nomad And The Nightmares. The Damned diverge and change as other bands are still jumping on the bandwagon. They are a band always ahead of the musical fashion wave as they created their own musical world.
“We were lucky with Stiff Records,” Rat Scabies explained. “They just got us and did stuff quickly. It was a lot of fun. The place was a shopfront with a huge bay window and it was a drop-in centre. You’d go in and Elvis Costello and Graham Parker were there. Jake Riviera was a man of action. He said to us, we will make those badges in purple and yellow, and they were there the next day. And when it came to our recording (‘Dammned Damned Damned’) he said Nick Lowe will produce it. He just got things done. It was exciting to be part of something important and to watch music grow.”
“Now, we have over 13 albums of music to perform from,” mused Rat Scabies. “It makes it very difficult to get a setlist together. ‘New Rose’ will have to be played as it’s 50 years old and everyone loves it. Same with ‘Smash It Up’. Our London show was so difficult. There is 50 years of material. Do we make a setlist for the band? Or for the audience? It will depend on what sort of mood we are in.”
“We also know our fans come from different parts of our road,” Rat Scabies mused. I told him that, for me, while I had vague memories of those early punk days – it was the stand alone single ‘Eloise’ in 1986 where I came into the world of The Damned. “Yeah, our fans come in to our world, at different times. That’s why touring is fun but hard…what to play…what to miss. Old songs…New songs…How we feel?”
“Just remember,” stated Rat Scabies. “Punk was all about the freedom to do and be what you want. And I don’t think that has changed for me. We got a lot of stick for it. But the older I get, I see the same things going around – problems with money, new technology, Russia, inflation, political problems – it just goes round, you know.” The same in 1976 as in 2026.
“We can’t wait to come to Australia,” Rat Scabies exclaimed. “We love going on the road and we can’t wait to play for our fans and in all those amazing places.”
The Damned will play live at The Tivoli on 11 September 2026. Tickets are on sale now for the other shows around Australia. Catch them and be able to say you saw them still on top of their game!
