The Damned announce the release of “Not Like Everybody Else”, a deeply personal and celebratory covers album – dedicated to the memory of Brian James, the band’s legendary founding guitarist, who passed away on 6th March 2025.
Recorded in a blistering five days of emotion and creative fire at Revolver Studio, Los Angeles, the album finds The Damned – Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, Paul Gray on bass and joined by longtime keyboardist Monty Oxymoron – reconnecting with the raw energy that started it all.
“Not Like Everybody Else” marks the first time in 40 years that Rat Scabies has returned to the studio with the band. Kicking off with R. Dean Taylor’s “There’s A Ghost In My House” and moving through classics like Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play” and The Animals’ “When I Was Young”, the album closes with a powerful farewell: “The Last Time” by The Rolling Stones, featuring Brian James himself, taken from his final live performance with The Damned at Hammersmith and lovingly remixed for this release.
To celebrate the album, The Damned will play a one-off covers show at Albert Hall, Manchester, on 28th January 2026, performing songs from “Not Like Everybody Else” alongside fan-favourite covers that have marked their career. It will be an unforgettable night honouring Brian James and the band’s shared history.
The first single, “There’s A Ghost In My House”, reimagines R. Dean Taylor’s classic with The Damned’s unmistakable energy and dark charm. Driven by Captain Sensible’s urgent guitar and Dave Vanian’s atmospheric vocal delivery, the track perfectly blends Northern soul spirit and gothic rock swagger. It’s both a nod to Brian James’s love of raw, melodic power and a reminder of The Damned’s gift for turning familiar songs into something entirely their own.
“There’s A Ghost In My House,” accompanied by a music video directed by Gilbert Trejo and filmed during the band’s recent US tour – including their legendary show at the inaugural CBGBs Festival in Brooklyn, New York – will be released on 30th October.
Set to coincide with The Damned’s 50th anniversary celebrations, “Not Like Everybody Else” is a heartfelt homage and a testament to the enduring spirit of one of punk’s most pioneering bands. 50 years of The Damned also means 50 years of punk, with the explosion of 1976 hitting a half-century. The band jump-started the revolution, releasing the first UK punk single in “New Rose” and album” Damned, Damned, Damned”. Brian James wrote that debut single and was the lead songwriter on the album. He left the group after the release of their second album, “Music For Pleasure” in 1977.
The band earned an ever-expanding fan base fuelled by legendary live shows, while their dark lyrics and Dave Vanian’s rich baritone vocals catapulted them to the forefront of the Goth-Rock genre. The Damned have announced a special 50th anniversary show at OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday 11th April 2026, marking five decades since the band first exploded onto the scene as one of the founders of British punk rock. The milestone celebration will also feature special guests, The Loveless featuring Marc Almond, Peter Hook And The Light and The Courettes.
Tickets to the 50th anniversary show at OVO Arena Wembley HERE.
THE DAMNED
Not Like Everybody Else
Album Release: 23rd January 2026
Tracklisting CD/LP:
Side A:
1. There’s A Ghost In My House 2. Summer In The City
3. Making Time
4. Gimme Danger
5. See Emily Play
Side B:
6. I’m Not Like Everybody Else 7. Heart Full Of Soul
8. You Must Be A Witch 9. When I Was Young
10. The Last Time
Damned fine why no Lou Reed covers?