The Damned were one of the first bands to emerge from the West London rehearsal room that also produced the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Like the other members of the British punk “big three,” the Damned played at punk’s coming-out party, the 100 Club’s two-night “Punk Special” in September 1976. A few weeks later, they became the first British punks to release a single, “New Rose,” later mutilated in a misbegotten tribute by Guns ‘n’ Roses. The Damned were the first to record an album, Damned Damned Damned, released on Stiff Records, the first indie label, in February 1977. ...