The Damned sign Pip Pop Art painting
- pip
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Another moment of real pride for me this week: the 'Black Album' painting I created of The Damned has now been signed by all the members of the band. Huge thanks to Pete from Bolton, who commissioned this piece last year, for sending over this brilliant photo after getting it signed in Manchester last week.
All four band members featured in the artwork were there in person - Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies and Paul Gray - and they did an absolutely beautiful job adding their signatures. Pete is, quite rightly, chuffed to bits. He now owns a completely unique and genuinely priceless piece of art.
It blows my mind to think that some of my paintings have been in the hands of legends. Less than a year ago, Rat Scabies signed the portrait I did of him (read more here), which was special enough… but having the entire band see and sign another one of my paintings might just have topped it!
The Damned have been busy across the UK promoting their new album 'Not Like Everybody Else', a powerful tribute to their late guitarist Brian James, who sadly passed away in March 2025. The record is built around covers of the songs that shaped Brian’s musical journey and fed into the raw, chaotic energy he brought to the band’s earliest days.
To celebrate the release, the band have been out meeting fans at album signing events, including a packed session at HMV Manchester, where Pete was lucky enough to get the painting signed. Alongside the signings, they’ve been performing intimate gigs featuring the new material, giving fans a chance to hear these reimagined influences brought to life with The Damned’s unmistakable spirit.
And here's a reminder of the moment I dropped off the painting to Pete in Bolton last year. Pete is a massive Damned fan and chose this image from the 1980 Black album which is his favourite era for the band. Ironically Pete was just 28 years old and wasn't even born when the album came out, but his Mum got him into the music taking him to his first Damned gig in 2006 when he was just 9 years old and he's been a fan ever since!
Pete collecting the original painting he commissioned from Pip in Bolton, April 2025
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.
The Damned Prints
I have now completed 4 original paintings relating to The Damned. All are available as canvas prints in 3 different sizes from my online shop.
