English punk veterans The Damned have been forced to cancel a trio of dates in the Pacific Northwest following an unspecified “catastrophic event” affecting a member of the band.
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The group shared the news on social media on Tuesday (July 22), revealing that their upcoming July dates in North America would not be going ahead.
“We are very sorry to have to cancel our Seattle, Portland and Vancouver shows this weekend, due to an unexpected and catastrophic event at a member of The Damned’s home,” the band wrote.
“We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Refunds will be available for our two headline shows at your point of purchase.”
Currently, no details regarding the nature of the aforementioned event have been made public.
The Damned were scheduled to perform three dates this coming weekend, including headline dates in Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC on July 26 and July 28, respectively. An additional performance at Portland’s Project Pabst festival on July 27 has also been cancelled, with FIDLAR being added to the lineup in the wake of the band’s exit.
The trio of North American dates follows on from an earlier run of shows throughout North America in May, and will be followed by further shows in September. Currently, The Damned are scheduled to return to the stage with an appearance at Belgium’s Lokerse Feesten on Aug. 4.
The Damned formed in 1976 and rose to fame that same year as the first U.K. punk band to release a single with “New Rose.” Though they never charted in the U.S., the group’s first three albums (1977’s Damned Damned Damned and Music for Pleasure, and 1979’s Machine Gun Etiquette) are considered essential listening for punk fans, with their influence still felt today.
The group released their most recent album, Darkadelic, in 2023, with vocalist David Vanian serving as the only consistent member of the band. In March, founding guitarist Brian James – who performed on The Damned’s first two albums – passed away at the age of 70.