Croydon Council joins forces with Punk.London this Saturday (22 October) to mark four decades of punk rock, exactly 40 years to the day since local band, The Damned, released the first ever punk single, ‘New Rose‘.
The day, sponsored by Croydon BID, will include original artwork, free live music, and chances for people who remember 1976 to share their memories.
[Facebook event page here]
The Damned played regularly around their home town – including at the infamous Greyhound venue, more recently home to the Blue Orchid nightclub. As part of the day the walls of nearby St George’s Walk and the windows of the old Nestle building will be covered in a montage of old and new artwork – from record sleeves, badges and posters dating back to 1976, to modern interpretations of the punk ethic, created by contemporary artists and graphic designers.
The launch event from 4pm to 6.30pm will include live acoustic music from St Evel, LaFlamme and Neck as well as short talks from key people who were part of the scene at the time. There will also be an ‘open deck’ opportunity for old punks to bring along their cherished 45s and not only have them played, but also have a chance to say a few words and share memories from four decades past.
Later in the evening from 7.00pm at The Oval Tavern, the bands will play full sets, and are joined by Matilda’s Scoundrels, a folk-punk act who are rapidly cementing themselves as firm favourites across the UK festival circuit.
Councillor Stuart Collins, a lifelong fan of The Damned who will be DJing throughout the evening, said:
“’New Rose’ is recognised as the first commercially available punk single, and so this day is really special and marks probably the most significant date in the Punk.London calendar. Croydon was very much at the heart of the scene at the time and it’s great to help the capital celebrate 40 years of this important subculture.
“The Damned were very much a Croydon band and they played here alongside all of the other main punk acts of the era. During the heyday of the scene The Greyhound was arguably the most important live venue in South London and Surrey.”
Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader – ‘councillor for punk’
