the Damned - CAPTAIN SENSIBLE ... LApunk13 ... punk rock

[click on the 'jumping dog'...]

LApunk13

Capt. Sensible

THE DAMNED - Capt. Sensible

" Um Far Out "

by kiki b moretti

AN EARLY MORNING EXCLUSIVE CHAT WITH CAPTAIN

SENSIBLE OF THE DAMNED ON ANARCHY, CHAOS AND

DESRUCTION. THIS INNERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED AT THE

WORLD FAMOUS TROPICANA ON SANTA MONICA BLVD. IN

HOLLYWOOD ...with Capt. Sensible in his underwear.

[kiki] Why did the band call themselves 'the Damned'?

[capt.] At that time, Brian, Ratt, Dave and myself had done some really crappy jobs, and gone through bad ways of living. Ratt had been a burglar in trouble with the law, and I had done every job imaginable. We all just thought we were DAMNED by society, cursed! So we chose to call ourselves, the DAMNED. We have been together for 8 years and I don't see why it shouldn't go on for another 8 years. [ THIS INNERVIEW IS FROM THE EARLY EIGHTIES ]

[kiki] Tell us a bit about yourself.

[capt.] I didn't want to become a useless part in a big machine, so I would rather live the life of a tramp than work. Not being a very good musician back then, I decided to be a squatter with a bunch of hippies. So, we squatted, stole food and it worked quite well for 2 years. I survived without a single penny! You don't need money to live in this life, we don't care about money. Money is equivalent to shit. The best things in life are free and money won't save from a Nuclear Holocaust!

[kiki] How long have you been playing guitar?

[capt.] I started playing when I was 16. I saw an interview on the telly and the man said 'anyone can learn to play the guitar in 3 weeks!' and I thought to myself 'Wow, he might be lying, then he may be not!' So, I went out, bought a guitar and yes, I learned how to play in just 3 weeks just like the man said- anyone can learn to play in 3 weeks and yes everyone should, why pay $10 to see a band play, when you can play in your own band and make your own music! Punk is important so go out and play the world. I detest the pop rock syndrome like- where's the money, where's the limo, gimme my drugs! I hate musicians who walk around and demand that people respect them just because they play a musical instrument. A good musician has the same status as a good plumber. If your good at something, you're good. Because you're a musician doesn't make you better than anyone else. That's why I hate pop rock stars who walk around behaving like idiots!

[kiki] How did you first get together with Ratt Scabies to form the DAMNED?

[capt.] I was working in a concert hall. I was toilet cleaner. I cleaned 14 toilets a day! I was making 158 pounds a week, more than what I'm making now! I would like to see Prince Charles clean the toilets daily! Ratt was the floor cleaner in the same building. He said 'I'm a great drummer' and I said 'I'm a bloody great guitarist'. So, we got together with Brian James and we found Dave Vanian standing in a bar, looking like he did, and I said to Dave 'You're looking really good, would you like to join a band?' and Dave said ' I don't know, I've never sang, but I'll try anything' So, that's how the DAMNED came to be!

[kiki] What happened to Paul Grey?

[capt.] Paul got beat-up by Ratt in the studio- got a good punch in the mouth, couple of kicks in the head. Went to the hospital, and that was the end of that!

[kiki] Let's lalk about your song 'WOT''.

[capt.] Well, the song 'WOT' is actually a true story! The words are true. It's about us being in our hotel room in Chicago, just getting to sleep around 6 in the morning and getting woke-up when we didn't want to be woken-up. I shouted at the hotel manager, then I shouted down at the wanker who was making all the noise, he was making so much noise he could not hear me, so I kept shouting 'shut-up!' and he kept shouting back- 'WOT?'. He couldn't hear me! So, I kept shouting 'shut-up' and he kept shouting back- 'WOT? Shut-up WOT? Say what?' The more I shouted shut-up, the louder he shouted back 'WOT?' So, I wrote the song. My songs are diverse, a bit of Punk, jazz and everything. Real variety.

[kiki] What about thbe controversy here in the U.S. about Jet Boy Jet Girl banned from American airwaves because of sexual lyrics such as- 'he gave me head'?

[capt.] Head! Yes, the trouble with the states is you can watch T.V. and see sex along with killings, stabbings, brutal murder and all that crap, but go and write a song about just sex, and suddenly sex is worse than the killings! Wot the hell! Sex is brilliant, and guns are shit.

[kiki] Tell about touring with the Sex Pistols?

[capt.] There was a tour put together by Malcom Maclaren, which was comprised of the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Heartbreakers. It was the first Punk tour of Britain, but the ticket sales were down. The tickets were not selling, so we were added on by Maclaren because we were proven to be popular. We had already gone on tour, and we sold tickets and were bigger than the Sex Pistols at the time. Then, the Pistols went on T.V. and said -'Fuck'. Well, they made all the headlines, front pages- just because they said- 'fuck'! So, then the ticket started selling, and they didn't need us anymore, so Malcom just made a quick excuse to dump us off the tour.

[kiki] On stage, you play lying-down alot, is that your gimmick?

[capt.] Anyone can play any instrument, laying-down, or sitting-up, or even being hung by your toes! People like to listen to Eddie Van Halen, or Richie Blakemore, but their style is playing a lot of old rubbish, and yet no one knows any better!

[kiki] Captain Sensible, are you sensible?

[capt.] Yeah! I think I'm the last sensible person on the planet! No one else seems to mind about destruction, the torturing of animals, polluting our planet. We, the DAMNED, work hard to fight for peace and sanity. I would like to kick a certain politician right in her tits! Cause I understand, I'm sensible! In our lyrics we state that there's nothing wrong with Black People, no differences between the rich and poor, except for the money. Our society is sick, we were just trying to spread a message. Peace, that's all! I used to be drunk on wine all the time! Sick all over the place. So, they called me Captain Sensible. I didn't like my name back then, but I've learned to live with it. Yeah, it's me.

[kiki] What bothers you about the music industry?

[capt.] Rip-offs! Getting ripped-off! All the managers and record companies that turn you over and out and make you look like assholes! The music industry attracts people who are out to make big fast bucks. That's the way it is. It really should not be that wat at all. There should be no politics when dealing with entertainment. Thanks to the greed, that's the way it is.

[kiki] And your opinion of L.A.?

[capt.] America is a country of extremes! It's good and bad. The climate is good, the people are extremely nice. There's take-out food, in fact, you can get just about anything at any time. Britain is a large gray area, never good, never bad, just bland and mediocre! But, L.A., I enjoy it very much!

[kiki] What do tou feel is lacking in the world?

[capt.] Creativety! People watch T.V. too much! Instead of just watching, go and join a drama group, people spend too much on entertaiment, instead of paying to see other bands, put your own band together. Don't go out and spend money on Eddie Van Halen records, those guys don't need your money! Save your money and buy a flute, drum kit, guitar or whatever.Just be creative. Don't strive for perfection. Perfection is boring. Be creative, do something you'vre always wanted to do. Just go out and do it! Everyone has brains. Use your's! Don't let other people do it for you and don't be paying other people for using their brains! Get up off your brain. Use your creativity to your best advantage.

[kiki] What are your ambitions for the future?

[capt.] Get a professional record deal! Make some new records. We need a deal. All the British labels are frightened of us because we are considered a violent, stupid and crazy band who smashes record company offices and kick the windows in! Yes, we have done that! But, only because the record company people were wankers! We won't do that to a good truthful label! We need an honest record deal!

[kiki] Captain, what advice would you give anyone seriously considering a career in the record industry?

[capt.] Practice hard, and don't listen to, or copy anyone else! Even with no natural talent- if you practice 6 hours a day, you can do it, if you want to! Just don't copy anyone! There's too many Punk or rock bands sounding like each other, and that's real bad. Punk is an attitude, a way of life, and you don't have to sound like someone else to be successful. Be yourself, and you will progress into success!

[kiki] In closing, Captain Sensible, what do you wish to say to our readers?

[capt.] Here we go! We have this small planet, the Earth! We are masters of this Earth and I look at L.A. and across the hills, I see the smog, and it comes from people, the L.A. people are killing themselves everytime they breathe the air! And we're killing all the fish in the sea, the poor whales and seals. Human beings are really doing some obscene things! America is so meat oriented, that for me as a vegetarian to come here and not eat meat is impossible! You can't go into any restaurant and order just vegetables. They must bring you meat, even though I won't eat it and it gets wasted, they still serve you meat! No one will just serve you vegetables! Solving the World's food crisis is a very simple thing. You can feed 10 times more people on a field of grain, than you can if you raised meat and let the cows graze there until slaughter time! It's true, the whole World is meat mad! It's obscene to eat animals! Animals have brains, like humans and no one goes around chomping down human beings! Well, cows and pigs are beings as well! Everyone should be vegetarians! Meat mad people you are, meat mad! You have an abundance of good, no meat, foods! I used to be a gardener, I've a passion for radishes, spring onions, cauliflower and cabbage. So. you don't need meat! There's no more vitamins in meat than there are in vegetables!I mean, what does Col. Sanders have against chickens? When he was a growing tot, Colonel probably got bitten on the leg by a chicken, and ever since he's had a single man's vendetta against chickens and he is responsible for the mass murder of billions of chickens! McDonalds is another! Billions of dead cows served daily! When you ask for a Big Mac, remember it used to be a living cow! If you have to eat a dead cow, respect the fact that it has died for your dinner. Don't ask for a Big Mac, ask for a cow! Give me a piece of cow with 2 bits of bread please! Be respectful! If you actually saw the animal enjoying the grass and life in the sunshine, how many of you would be willing to say- 'I will have that cow, there! Go and kill that cow, there! Go and kill that cow for me so I can have a steak! People should not accept slaughter, like poor little veals who never see the sun, or grass because some bigshot likes his veal tender! These animals are disgustingly abused by the human race. People may think, well, who really gives a damn anyways, but keep in mind, after death, even you may come back as a cow, darlings, waiting for the slaughter. And see how you like that.