I pre-ordered this album as soon as I knew it was going to be released at Amazon .

For years I owned the VHS tape of this concert , which was a last get-together-and-play show from The Damned . That tape got lost and until now I couldn't find the CD . This is not the best Damned CD , especially because it was recorded long after they heyday was gone , but it is nevertheless a great album and a great show . The boys were older in '88 , but never lost their irreverence and corrosive sense of humor .

Played before an eager audience in the summer of '88 in London , "Final Damnation" is a testimony of the extraordinary energy of one of the best punk bands ever . The show kicks off in typical Damned fashion , when Captain Sensible almost gets hit by a beer bottle as soon as he shows up on stage : " Obnoxious ! You're supposed to drink it , not throw it " he says to the beer-thrower fan , just before the first chords of "See her tonite" start pulsing .

After that it's a Damned night : introducing "Neat neat neat" Capt. Sensible asks the crowd " Is this Live Aid ? " and then solemnly states "We're doing this show because we love you people" , at this point Rat Scabies says "No , we're doing it for the money" and the crowd follows them . You can't hear it on the CD , but on the VHS tape you could see the Captain pointing at Rat Scabies and telling the unrested crowd " We have a superstar lineup just for you . Here's George Michael on the drums" .

Later on the show they play a vertiginous version of Lennon & McCartney's "Help" , and then play "New rose" which was their first recording , as a matter of fact THE first punk single ever recorded , October 22nd 1976 , as the inside cover accurately states , 4 full weeks before the Pistols' "Anarchy in the UK" created chaos in the musical world .

Songs nos. 10 & 11 are my personal favorites : " I just can't be happy today " and " Wait for the blackout " , both musically strong enough to wake up a dead bear , but with a Doors-touch that makes them superior pieces . The clever use of keyboards certainly helps .

Towards the end of the show they go back to stripped-down , high-speed songs such as "Noise noise noise" and "Smash it up" , and finish off in a very appropriate manner , playing "The last time" .

Not a lot more to say : get the CD and a case of beer and play it as loud as you can , with or without company . Long Live The Damned ! It's Final Damnation indeed !

Final Damnation was the first "final" concert from the Damned. This reunion show occured in the late 80's. Brian James and Captain Sensible were brought back to do a serious of farewell tours. One of them was captured on video and CD. The set was divided into two sections. The first half had the original four performer their "hits". Then Roman Jugg and Bryn Merrick were brought out to perform on the rest of the material. The final track (the Rolling Stones classic "The Last Time" has all of the band members on stage. A great show for all.

This proved to be so sucessful that they took it on the road. But after awhile things got a bit heating between the members and the spilt for good (well, until the early nineties).

Recommended for all Damned fans!

I've been a Damned fan for 20 years, and I find this release appalling. The Damned went through numerous lineup changes between 1977 and 1986. This 1988 show is a reunion of two of the stronger lineups. But it sounds like they didn't rehearse at all. The skills of guitarist Brian James, who lights the band's debut album on fire, have seriously diminished by the time of this concert. The other members put in a listless, bored effort that sounds like they really don't want to be there. To check out the Damned, try Damned Damned Damned, Machine Gun Etiquette, and The Black Album, to hear a band progress from top-notch high-energy punk, to a completely unique mix of punk and unpretentious fun progressive rock.