The Damned will pay tribute to their late founding guitarist Brian James with a powerful new covers album, Not Like Everybody Else, due for release on 23 January 2026 through earMUSIC. The record arrives as the punk icons mark their 50th anniversary, with founding drummer Rat Scabies reuniting with Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Paul Gray for their first studio recording together in four decades.
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Recorded in just five days at Revolver Studio in Los Angeles, Not Like Everybody Else channels the same urgent, combustible spirit that launched The Damned’s career in 1976. It’s both a farewell to James, who passed away in March 2025, and a salute to the roots of British punk itself – a scene The Damned helped ignite with their debut single New Rose, the first UK punk 7” ever released.
The album opens with a blistering version of R. Dean Taylor’s There’s A Ghost In My House, reimagined through The Damned’s signature gothic punk lens. Vanian’s haunting baritone anchors Captain Sensible’s jagged guitar attack, resulting in a track that bridges Northern Soul’s infectious drive with the band’s dark theatricality. The song’s accompanying video, directed by Gilbert Trejo, was filmed during The Damned’s recent U.S. tour and includes footage from their headline set at the CBGB Festival in Brooklyn, New York.
Other highlights on Not Like Everybody Else include takes on The Animals’ When I Was Young, The Creation’s Making Time, and Pink Floyd’s psychedelic gem See Emily Play. The album closes poignantly with The Last Time by The Rolling Stones, featuring Brian James himself from his final live performance with the band at Hammersmith. That recording has been lovingly remixed for the release, providing a fitting farewell to the guitarist who helped define their earliest sound.
Not Like Everybody Else Tracklisting
Side A
There’s A Ghost In My House (R. Dean Taylor)
Summer In The City (Loving Spoonful)
Making Time (The Creation)
Gimme Danger (Iggy & The Stooges)
See Emily Play (Pink Floyd)
Side B
I’m Not Like Everybody Else (The Kinks)
Heart Full Of Soul (The Yardbirds)
You Must Be A Witch (The Lollipop Shoppe)
When I Was Young (Eric Burdon and The Animals)
The Last Time (The Rolling Stones)
The release coincides with The Damned’s 50th anniversary – a milestone not only for the band but for the entire punk movement. The group’s 1976 debut single New Rose and album Damned Damned Damned set the stage for a global cultural shift, influencing generations of artists from The Misfits to Green Day. Brian James, who penned most of that first album, left the group in 1977 following Music For Pleasure, but his influence on The Damned’s DNA remained ever-present.
The Damned’s theatrical sensibilities and gothic overtones, led by Vanian’s deep, crooning vocals, also helped pioneer goth-rock in the 1980s, paving the way for bands like Bauhaus and The Sisters of Mercy. Through their evolution, The Damned have consistently balanced chaos with melody – a formula that’s kept them relevant long after the punk explosion settled into history.
To celebrate Not Like Everybody Else, The Damned will perform a special one-off show at Manchester’s Albert Hall on 28 January 2026, performing the album in full alongside other fan-favourite covers. The event will honour Brian James and spotlight the band’s enduring bond.
The celebrations will culminate with a massive 50th anniversary concert at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on 11 April 2026. Joining The Damned will be The Loveless featuring Marc Almond, Peter Hook And The Light, and The Courettes. Fans can expect an unforgettable night marking five decades since the band detonated the British punk scene.
The Damned have crafted a love letter to their own history with Not Like Everybody Else. It is a bridge between the rebellious spark of 1976 and the reflective spirit of the upcoming 2026. Half a century on, they remain what they’ve always been: not like everybody else.
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