Read our interview with Captain Sensible here.

Punk never really dies. As other musical forms come and go, the genre, in its various guises, remains as angst-ridden and in-your-face as ever, lighting a fire for those who hate the establishment and like their songs raw. And for one of the most inspirational and defining punk acts in history, look no further than The Damned. The gothic punk outfit were one of the first – and they’re still united.

The Damned have stood the test of time, keeping their ardent fans from the 70s in tow and picking up plenty more over the decades. Yes, they’ve reformed and disbanded on occasions but the current line-up of Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Monty Oxy Moron, Pinch and Stu West is arguably one of their best.

From being the first punk band from the UK to release a single and an album, and also the first to have a record in the British charts, The Damned have done it all over their 35 years (on and off) in the business. But there’s one thing they’ve never done – play Hong Kong – until now. Okay, there’s no massive punk scene here but there is a strong undercurrent of challenging, punchy bands who’ll no doubt be part of the crowd at Grappa’s Cellar. Their ears will ring after moshing to riotous tracks from the band’s back catalogue including songs from 1977’s awesome Damned Damned Damned album and 1980’s Black Album.

Fresh off tours in the USA and UK, The Damned are pumped for their first Hong Kong outing. Support comes from The Shadow, over from Houston, Texas. But the real draw is a legendary gothic punk band who are still damn, damn, damn good.

Matt Fleming 

The Damned play Grappa's Cellar on Tuesday January 31. Tickets: damned@hongkonggarden.net.