The Damned’s Paul Gray On The New “The Rockfield Files” EP, Recording With Professor & The Madman, COVID-19 & More
Although the members of the British band known as The Damned have been considered punk rock icons for over 40 years, 2018 finally brought the bnd its first Top 10 album on the UK charts. Evil Spirits was The Damned’s first full-length release from The Damned in 10 years. Right on the heels of the success of Evil Spirits is the 2020 EP The Rockfield Files, as released by the UMG-distributed Spinefarm label offshoot Search And Destroy. Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Rammstein, Ghost) oversaw production on this EP, as helmed just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales.
Looking back at the legacy of The Damned, among the high-profile artists that have paid tribute to The Damned over the years are Guns N’ Roses (who recorded “New Rose” for The Spaghetti Incident?) and The Offspring (who recorded “Smash It Up,” which appeared on the Batman Forever soundtrack). The Damned — which included vocalist David Vanian, guitarist Captain Sensible, keyboardist Monty Oxymoron, bassist Paul Gray and drummer Pinch as of the recording of The Rockfield Files — is notably performed at New York City’s Madison Square Garden as an opening act for the reformed Misfits. In turn, if things get back in order for the performing arts world (and greater world as a whole) soon, there is no reason that 2021 cannot be a banner year for the beloved punk icons.
Paul Gray has plenty on his CV besides The Damned, of course. As a teenager, Gray joined Welsh pre-punk bruisers Eddie & The Hot Rod right as the group enjoyed a UK Top 10 hit with “Do Anything You Wanna Do.” He has also played with the hard rock group UFO, as well as legendary punks Johnny Thunders and Rob Tyner (MC5). Currently beyond The Damned, Gray recently completely his second album with Captain Sensible as Sensible Gray Cells, in addition to his work on the new album from Professor & The Madman; Professor & The Madman’s lineup also includes founding Damned drummer Rat Scabies, Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.) and Sean Elliott (D.I., Mind Over Four).
On September 29, 2020, I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Gray via Zoom, as embedded below. We spoke about Professor & The Madman’s new album Séance, future plans for The Damned, life during COVID-19, whether it was true he was in the band Fastway, whether he was ever confused with former Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, and plenty more. Great guy — and you can find more about him online via www.professorandthemadman.com and www.twitter.com/paulgraybass.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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