Rat Scabies with Pip Pop Art painting

pip
Mar 1
2 min read

OMG, here's the moment in March 2024 the legendary drummer Rat Scabies of The Damned got to see the painting I did of him - what an honour! He's pictured here with Alistair from Rochdale who commissioned the piece, and this is what Al had to say...

Original 30" x 30" Painting - Acrylic on canvas

"Hi Phil here is a pic I promised of myself and Rat with the painting you did for me. I'd had the idea of a painting of Rat setting his kit alight for a while now after looking at some old photos and then he obliged with putting flame to his cymbals at the reunion show at the Manchester Apollo on my birthday in 2022, which was coincidentally 40 years to the week since I first watched The Damned at the same venue.

I also own the bass drum skin used on those dates which kindly came from the great man himself with whom I have got to know over recent years. Anyway I visited him yesterday and took the painting down with me. He was blown away with it and spent ages looking at all the detail and colours as he had only seen pics I sent him at the time. It's definitely got the King of the Kits approval 🥁. So that's the tale behind painting Pip and thank you for doing such a fantastic job bringing it too life. Cheers, Al"

Rat Scabies

Christopher John Millar (born 30 July 1955), known by his stage name Rat Scabies, is a musician best known as the drummer for English punk rock band the Damned. Read more about his life and career on his Wikipedia page.

The Damned

The Damned are an English rock band formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist (and later guitarist) Captain Sensible and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, "New Rose" (1976), release a studio album, Damned Damned Damned (1977) and tour the United States. Nine of the band's singles charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40. Find out more about the band here.