Latest news with #NewRose
Axios
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Weekend events in the Bay Area: Block parties, book fair and more
Get outside and enjoy the nice weather this weekend by attending these events. Friday 🕺 Fridays on Front Street: The city's newest downtown block party will be hosting its first event with live music, food pop-ups and by showing the Giants game. 4-9pm at 240 Front St. 🎸 The Damned at UC Theater: The legendary British punk rock band will be performing top hits, including "New Rose" and "Neat Neat Neat." Doors open at 7pm at 2036 University Avenue in Berkeley. Tickets start at $51. 🍧 Fort Mason Night Market: West Coast Craft and Off the Grid are teaming up to launch a monthly event featuring 100 retail vendors and nearly 20 food and drink options. 4-9pm at 2 Marina Boulevard. Saturday 🏳️🌈 SF LGBT Center House Party: The center will be hosting its second annual kick-off to the 2025 pride season with live entertainment, a clothing closet, art exhibit and more. Noon-6pm at 1800 Market St. 🥁 Union Street Festival: One of the city's biggest street festivals returns this year in the Marina with local craft brews, live entertainment and family-friendly games. 1-7pm Saturday and Sunday on Union Street between Fillmore and Gough. 📚 Bay Area Book Fair: This year's event will feature readings, panels, writers workshops and a lively outdoor block party. 🇮🇹 Festa Italiana: Celebrating North Beach's longstanding Italian community. 11am-6pm on Saturday and 11am-4:15pm on Sunday on Stockton Street between Union and Filbert. Sunday 🍷 Waiters Race: Teams of restaurant servers will compete in a fast-paced challenge while attempting to balance a tray with full drinks without spilling.
Miami Herald
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Epic Rocker Granted Dying Wish, Buried at Sea
A legendary rocker of the British punk scene was granted his dying wish when his loved ones buried him at sea. Brian James, the punk rock guitarist who founded British group The Damned, died on March 6 at the age of 70. On April 28, his friends and family gathered to lay him to rest on the ocean floor off the coast of East Sussex, England, according to The UK Sun. The burial was held after a small church service in Brighton. James' widow, Minna, told The Sun this week about the burial and said, "It was a beautiful day and the sea was calm. We've been together since I was 18, so it was very emotional. A burial at sea is pretty unusual, but it was in his will, so we had to do it." Another unnamed source told The Sun, "Brian now sleeps with the fishes, which is what he wished for before he died. He was a true original in life and has carried that on in death. "The spirit of punk never left him, and he was adamant he wanted his final resting place to be at sea. A few loved ones went out on the boat for around three hours and watched as his coffin was dropped into the drink." According to The Sun, a local funeral home had to apply for a special permit from the Marine Management Organisation in order to perform the burial at sea. The family announced James' death on his Facebook page back in March, writing, "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of the true pioneers of music, guitarist, songwriter, and true gentleman, Brian James." He was survived by Minna and his son Charlie, and daughter-in-law Alicia. James is often credited with writing the "first ever UK punk single," the 1976 song "New Rose," which music critic Dave Thompson called "rightly revered as one of the greatest songs to emerge from 1970s Britain." After his tenure with The Damned from 1976 to 1978, James went on to co-found the British-American punk group The Lords of the New Church, which was together throughout the 1980s and then reunited several times since the year 2000. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Metro
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
70s rock icon granted his dying wish to be buried at sea
Brian James of The Damned has been buried at sea (Picture: Erica Echenberg/Redferns) Brian James, founding member of the iconic British band The Damned, has reportedly been granted his dying wish of being buried at sea. James passed away on March 6 at the age of 70. The news was announced in a post on his Facebook page, immediately receiving an outpouring of support from fans in the comments. A cause of death has not been revealed, although he died 'peacefully' with his family by his side, according to the post. The post read: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of the true pioneers of music, guitarist, songwriter, and true gentleman, Brian James.' According to The Sun, James was buried last week on the sea floor off the coast of Newhaven, East Sussex, England, in accordance with his final wishes. The Damned was comprised of Captain Sensible, Brian James, and Rat Scabies (Picture: Elisa Leonelli/REX/Shutterstock) James wrote many of the group's most iconic songs (Picture: Ian Dickson/REX/Shutterstock) His widow Minna, son, Charlie, and around 10 of his closest friends were in attendance at the unorthodox funeral ceremony. Minna told the publication: 'It was a beautiful day and the sea was calm. We've been together since I was 18, so it was very emotional. A burial at sea is pretty unusual, but it was in his will so we had to do it.' Another source told The Sun: 'Brian now sleeps with the fishes, which is what he wished for before he died. He was a true original in life and has carried that on in death. 'The spirit of punk never left him and he was adamant he wanted his final resting place to be at sea. A few loved ones went out on the boat for around three hours and watched as his coffin was dropped into the drink.' The initial 'burial' ceremony, which took place on a boat, was followed by an additional gathering at a church near James' home in Brighton. James' widow says one of his final wishes was to be buried at sea (Picture: Andre Csillag/REX/Shutterstock) James had a long and impressive career that included writing the iconic song New Rose. On 22 October 1977, five weeks before the release of the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the U.K., Stiff Records released the Damned's first single New Rose, making it the first-ever punk single in the UK. Released in February 1977, James was also the primary creative force behind the band's debut album, Damned Damned Damned. The Damned was founded in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist (and later guitarist) Captain Sensible, and drummer Rat Scabies. Considered pioneers of the genre, nine of the band's singles charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40. With a career that closely mirrored the Sex Pistols (they even planned to audition Sid Vicious as lead vocalist) The Damned played their first show on 6 July 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols at the 100 Club. The band was one of the biggest trailblazers of UK punk (Picture: by Jorgen Angel/Redferns) The guitarist also helmed other bands like The Dripping Lips and the Brian James Gang (Picture: PA) After the band's second album, James left the band to form the group Tanz Der Youth, which only lasted a short time before he founded The Lords of the New Church with Stiv Bators. The band was known for songs like Open Your Eyes, Dance with Me, and Method to My Madness. Other bands the talented guitarist helmed over the years included The Dripping Lips and the Brian James Gang. He was also a successful solo artist and worked with punk and rock icons like Iggy Pop (who he toured with as Iggy's guitarist in 1979), Wayne Kramer, Stewart Copeland, and Cheetah Chrome throughout his six-decade career. Back in March, Brian's ex-Damned bandmate Raymond 'Captain Sensible' Burns posted a tribute online, sharing a photo of himself with Brian on X. Burns wrote: 'We're shocked to hear that creator of The Damned, our great chum Brian James has sadly gone. A lovely bloke that I feel so lucky to have met all those years ago and for some reason chose me to help in his quest for the music revolution that became known as punk.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: Gloria Gaynor: 'The biggest misconception about me? That I'm a feminist' Arrow MORE: The Sopranos star Charley Scalies dies aged 84 after Alzheimer's diagnosis
Boston Globe
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Brian James, pioneer of punk rock, is dead at 70
The Damned never shook British society, or the rock world at large, like the Sex Pistols, who sneered at the queen, hurled obscenities on television talk shows, and had pundits mulling the collapse of Western values. Nor did they play the part of political revolutionaries like the Clash, who were billed as 'the only band that matters.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Nevertheless, the Damned made history. They were the first British punk band to release a single: 'New Rose,' written by Mr. James, in October 1976 (the Sex Pistols' anthemic 'Anarchy in the U.K.,' soon followed); the first to release an album, 'Damned Damned Damned,' in 1977; and the first to tour the United States. Advertisement Mr. James was a cornerstone of the Damned's early sound. He wrote most of the songs on the band's first two albums — their second, 'Music for Pleasure,' was released in late 1977 — and his guitar playing earned the praise of one of rock's most hallowed guitar gods, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. "We used to call Brian the riff-meister," Captain Sensible (born Raymond Ian Burns) recalled in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone. "That's why Jimmy Page was such a fan of the band at the time." Writing "New Rose" was a marked achievement in itself. On the surface, it was a conventional enough love song, if a vaguely sinister one. ("I got a feeling inside of me/It's kind of strange like a stormy sea.") But that song, delivered with flamethrower intensity, "was the absolute redefinition of all that rock 'n' roll held dear," British music journalist Dave Thompson wrote in 1992, "a stunning return to basics which threw every last iota of expertise and experience to the winds." Advertisement Brian Robertson was born on Feb. 18, 1955, in the Hammersmith district of West London. (He adopted the surname James in 1976 to avoid confusion with guitarist Brian Robertson of the band Thin Lizzy.) Growing up in Crawley, about 30 miles south of London, he played in bands from an early age, drawing influences from the Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry and later from British blues guitar virtuosos like Peter Green, founder of Fleetwood Mac. In his midteens, he left the Hazelwick School in Crawley and doubled down on music, starting a band called Train that released a single, "Witchi Tai To," in 1969. He later fell under the sway of American punk progenitors like the Stooges (he would gig with their lead singer, Iggy Pop, in the late 1970s) and formed a more hard-edged band called Bastard. "We wanted an in-your-face name to go with the in-your-face music that we were playing," he said in a 2007 interview with Penny Black Music, a music site, "but unfortunately not a lot of people in Britain understood that or wanted to try and get into us. It was the age of the glitter thing." The band found some success after moving to Belgium, but they split upon returning to England and Mr. James joined London SS, whose other members included Mick Jones, the future Clash guitarist, and bassist Tony James, who went on to found the band Generation X with Billy Idol. London SS failed to take off, but it did set the stage for Brian James' career-defining next step when Rat Scabies (born Christopher Millar) impressed him at an audition for the band. 'It was like 'I've got no choice here,'' Mr. James told Penny Black Music. ''I'm going off with this guy to do my thing.'' Advertisement The Damned rode high for a time, joining the Sex Pistols on their infamous tour of Britain in late 1976 — although many of those shows were canceled because of the Pistols' penchant for chaos. The band's second album was a rush job, Mr. James later said, and had an unlikely producer: Nick Mason, drummer of Pink Floyd, a band that punks of the era routinely assailed as pompous corporate rock. (Nick Lowe, a label mate at the independent Stiff Records, produced the first one.) The album was generally dismissed by critics, and Rat Scabies left shortly afterward, followed by Mr. James. (The original three members, minus Mr. James, soon reunited with a new lineup. The Damned continued to tour and release albums with various members for decades.) Mr. James created a short-lived band called Tanz der Youth and then, in 1981, teamed with Stiv Bators, former lead singer of Cleveland punk band the Dead Boys, to form the Lords of the New Church. The group, with Bators as its singer, lasted for nearly a decade, earning airplay on MTV and achieving minor chart success with songs like 'Open Your Eyes' (1982) and their cover of the Grass Roots' 1967 hit 'Live For Today' (1983). Mr. James stayed busy over the years, releasing five solo albums. In 2001, he released an album with a supergroup called Racketeers, which also featured Wayne Kramer (MC5), Clem Burke (Blondie), Stewart Copeland (the Police), and Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses). He joined the other original members of the Damned for a series of gigs in Britain in 2022. Advertisement Mr. James' survivors include his wife, Minna, and a son, Charlie. 'New Rose,' which was later covered by the likes of Depeche Mode and Guns N' Roses, lived on. So did Mr. James' legacy. In 2020, the punk magazine Vive Le Rock gave him its Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement. "They describe me as a pioneer," he said of the award in an interview with British newspaper The Observer. "A pioneer! Does that mean I have to wear a Davy Crockett hat to the ceremony?" This article originally appeared in
New York Times
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Brian James, Pioneer of Punk Rock, Is Dead at 70
Brian James, who helped spark the punk-rock revolution in Britain in the 1970s as the lead guitarist and chief songwriter of the British band the Damned, bringing a rare degree of musicality to a genre known for its chain-saw attack, died on March 6. He was 70. His death was announced on his Facebook page. The announcement did not cite a cause or say where he died. Mr. James formed the Damned in London in 1976 with Dave Vanian, a former gravedigger, on lead vocals; Captain Sensible on bass, and Rat Scabies on drums. The band was part of Britain's original punk vanguard. The Damned never shook British society, or the rock world at large, like the Sex Pistols, who sneered at the queen, hurled obscenities on television talk shows and had pundits mulling the collapse of Western values. Nor did they play the part of political revolutionaries like the Clash, who were billed as 'the only band that matters.' Nevertheless, the Damned made history. They were the first British punk band to release a single: 'New Rose,' written by Mr. James, in October 1976 (the Sex Pistols' anthemic 'Anarchy in the U.K.,' soon followed); the first to release an album, 'Damned Damned Damned,' in 1977; and the first to tour the United States. Mr. James was a cornerstone of the Damned's early sound. He wrote most of the songs on the band's first two albums — their second, 'Music for Pleasure,' was released in late 1977 — and his guitar playing earned the praise of one of rock's most hallowed guitar gods, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. 'We used to call Brian the riff-meister,' Captain Sensible (born Raymond Ian Burns) recalled in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone. 'That's why Jimmy Page was such a fan of the band at the time.' Writing 'New Rose' was a marked achievement in itself. On the surface, it was a conventional enough love song, if a vaguely sinister one. ('I got a feeling inside of me/It's kind of strange like a stormy sea.') But that song, delivered with flamethrower intensity, 'was the absolute redefinition of all that rock 'n' roll held dear,' the British music journalist Dave Thompson wrote in 1992, 'a stunning return to basics which threw every last iota of expertise and experience to the winds.' Brian Robertson was born on Feb. 18, 1955, in the Hammersmith district of West London. (He adopted the surname James in 1976 to avoid confusion with the guitarist Brian Robertson of the band Thin Lizzy.) Growing up in Crawley, about 30 miles south of London, he played in bands from an early age, drawing influences from the Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry and later from British blues guitar virtuosos like Peter Green, the founder of Fleetwood Mac. In his midteens, he left the Hazelwick School in Crawley and doubled down on music, starting a band called Train that released a single, 'Witchi Tai To,' in 1969. He later fell under the sway of American punk progenitors like the Stooges (he would gig with their lead singer, Iggy Pop, in the late 1970s) and formed a more hard-edged band called Bastard. 'We wanted an in-your-face name to go with the in-your-face music that we were playing,' he said in a 2007 interview with Penny Black Music, a music site, 'but unfortunately not a lot of people in Britain understood that or wanted to try and get into us. It was the age of the glitter thing.' The band found some success after moving to Belgium, but they split upon returning to England and Mr. James joined London SS, whose other members included Mick Jones, the future Clash guitarist, and the bassist Tony James, who went on to found the band Generation X with Billy Idol. London SS failed to take off, but it did set the stage for Mr. James's career-defining next step when Rat Scabies (born Christopher Millar) impressed him at an audition for the band. 'It was like 'I've got no choice here,'' Mr. James told Penny Black Music. ''I'm going off with this guy to do my thing.'' The Damned rode high for a time, joining the Sex Pistols on their infamous tour of Britain in late 1976 — although many of those shows were canceled because of the Pistols' penchant for chaos. The band's second album was a rush job, Mr. James later said, and had an unlikely producer: Nick Mason, the drummer of Pink Floyd, a band that punks of the era routinely assailed as pompous corporate rock. (Nick Lowe, a label mate at the independent Stiff Records, produced the first one.) The album was generally dismissed by critics, and Rat Scabies left shortly afterward, followed by Mr. James. (The original three members, minus Mr. James, soon reunited with a new lineup. The Damned continued to tour and release albums with various members for decades.) Mr. James created a short-lived band called Tanz der Youth and then, in 1981, teamed with Stiv Bators, the former lead singer of the Cleveland punk band the Dead Boys, to form the Lords of the New Church. The group, with Mr. Bators as its singer, lasted for nearly a decade, earning airplay on MTV and achieving minor chart success with songs like 'Open Your Eyes' (1982) and their cover of the Grass Roots' 1967 hit 'Live For Today' (1983). Mr. James stayed busy over the years, releasing five solo albums. In 2001, he released an album with a supergroup called Racketeers, which also featured Wayne Kramer (MC5), Clem Burke (Blondie), Stewart Copeland (the Police) and Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses). He joined the other original members of the Damned for a series of gigs in Britain in 2022. Mr. James's survivors include his wife, Minna, and a son, Charlie. 'New Rose,' which was later covered by the likes of Depeche Mode and Guns N' Roses, lived on. So did Mr. James's legacy. In 2020, the punk magazine Vive Le Rock gave him its Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement. 'They describe me as a pioneer,' he said of the award in an interview with the British newspaper The Observer. 'A pioneer! Does that mean I have to wear a Davy Crockett hat to the ceremony?'
