On The Day Of Our Lord: Dave Vanian’s Ghoulish Style
Direct from the archives, this article was originally published by Lethal Amounts Magazine on 12 October 2020 and is republished here with consent by the author featuring additional content.
Dave Vanian. Image: Vive le Rock.
“Reared on predominantly Gothic Fiction, black and white expressionist films from the twenties and thirties and my love for art and all things esoteric, these things worked their way insidiously into my subconscious until to me the graveyard pallor, the black lips, black hair and smoky coal eyes, seemed perfectly natural. Even though the reality was I was as far from the Gothic Towers of Romantic Fiction as I was to the moon, I saw no reason why you couldn’t aspire to a life less ordinary. There was to me nothing feminine about what I did. I never thought of myself as wearing’ girls make-up’, it was ‘male grooming’ and you make the best of your features either way.”
Of all the frontmen in punk and what was later termed “goth,” no other has surpassed the mystique and ghastly stylized look of Dave Vanian. Best known as the vocalist of The Damned, he also is well known for his side projects David Vanian and the Phantom Chords and Naz Nomad and The Nightmares. Taking the stage in late 1976 with a debut single that is the historic first ever punk release in the UK, The Damned’s “Neat Neat Neat” video showed a wild frontman with kohl-blackened eyes, slicked back black hair and black lipstick—years before others who would become iconic for their use of these theatrical styling techniques in the deathrock/goth genre. Leave it to Dave Vanian, a Libra sun sign, to take elements of art, film, and fashion history with a dark edge but make it charming, romantic—and above all—pleasing to the eye. On his 64th birthday, we take a look at what influenced Dave Vanian’s distinctive style.
Dave Vanian’s fashion sense was not just a hoax or a device for marketing the newly formed band. He has indicated that he toned his look down for gigs. Considering how unusual Vanian’s style would have been in the 1970s with the United Kingdom’s post-WWII shifts in society, the economic challenges, and emerging Conservative Party ideology led by Margaret Thatcher (who became Prime Minister in 1979), it makes sense that Vanian would catch criticism from the public about his looks. It’s also easy to pin the vampire trope on Vanian’s style; after all, he did work as a gravedigger, loves a finely tailored cape as well as frilled linen shirts, and has at times been seen dressed as an actual vampire (but more on that later).
Dave and Laurie on their wedding day with Fang Mobile visible behind them, 1977. Image: Tumblr.
Dave and Laurie on their wedding day, 1977. Image: Tumblr.
“I’ve always been the sort of person who has stuck by their convictions. Long before I was in a band, I had black hair and was wearing black clothes and make-up. It’s nothing today, but back then it would get you a whole barrage of insults. I only bought a car because I was getting into so many fights on the train at night. But I stuck with it, because that is who I was.…I didn’t develop a persona to be in the band. I was probably odder offstage. I’d put on a full evening suit to do something completely mundane and then onstage I’d wear a leather jacket. For me, performing was dressing down sometimes.”
Why is Dave Vanian a style icon worth exploring? He appeared before most in goth, deathrock or post-punk were making noise with their own wildly macabre looks. A fan of the New York Dolls and Marc Bolan as well as the rock ‘n’ roll icons of the 1950s (it’s hard to miss the references to Gene Vincent, Roy Orbison, Esquerita and Little Richard among others), it makes sense that Vanian expressed his flair for drama through a dark lens. This image was furthered by his romantic partnerships, first with wife Laurie (married in 1977 and a fashion designer herself) and with the female goth icon herself, Patricia Morrison, whom he married in 1996. To fully appreciate the many phases of Dave Vanian’s style, it seemed most appropriate to split the eras by his creative output.
The original lineup of The Damned: Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Brian James, Rat Scabies; 1977. Image: Estate of Keith Morris/Redferns.
The Damned outside of Bomp! Records on their first U.S. tour. Image: Genny Lens.
1976-1979: ‘Damned Damned Damned’ through ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’
Dave Vanian in the early days of The Damned. Image: Reddit.
This era takes us from the beginning of The Damned in 1976 to 1979 with 1978’s Music for Pleasure in between. We see hints of the Dr. Phibes-inspired garb as seen in Vincent Price’s portrayal of the title character of this cult classic 1971 film The Abominable Dr. Phibes and the vampiric mannerisms of F. W. Murnau’s German Expressionist classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) starring the mysterious and sinister looking Count Orlok played by Max Schreck. The inspiration for the way Vanian prowls the stage seems to owe some credit to Schreck’s portrayal of the undead predator based on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula published in 1897.
Vincent Price in Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971). Image: IMDB.
Max Schreck in Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922). Image: IMDB.
In Vanian’s hair and makeup there are visual references to Udo Kier’s title character in Andy Warhol’s 1974 film Blood for Dracula directed by Paul Morrissey and as well as the characters Dr. Caligari and Cesare in the classic German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920). Clearly, Vanian is a horror film fan and took notes from the classic monsters of the early twentieth century.
Udo Kier in Blood (1974). Image: IMDB.
Udo Kier in Blood (1974). Image: IMDB.
Cesare and Jane’s bedroom scene from ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,’ 1920. Image: GoreGirl’s Dungeon.
Cesare and Dr. Caligari from ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,’ 1920. Image: IMDB.
It is worth noting that Expressionism as an art movement in the early twentieth century was seen as a rejection of earlier movements that valued rationality and ideas over emotional catharsis through art. The German Expressionists were known for displaying raw emotion in their work, using color, texture, and composition to elicit extreme emotions from viewers. Interestingly, one painting from this era by Russian artist Alexej Jawlensky seems to encompass Dave Vanian’s style. In a parallel to the sociocultural environment around the time The Damned formed and punk emerged as a new musical genre, the Expressionist movement gained popularity after World War I when many young people felt distrust toward their government as well as the toll of war on their communities and human loss which could only be expressed through art that had no filters and was stripped of the “high mindedness” of previous works, favoring raw emotion and storytelling.
Alexej Jawlensky. The Hunchback. 1911. Oil on cardboard, 21.5x19.5. Private collection, Europe. Retrieved from PubHist.
A fun fact: this is the era when a young Dave Gahan would see The Damned performing and was inspired to be a frontman himself, eventually leading him to join Depeche Mode. As Gahan explained in an interview with Chris Hardwick in 2017, he was even a member of The Damned’s fan club and was
Here’s a few clips of the early days of The Damned.
1980-1986: ‘The Black Album’ to ‘Anything'
Dave Vanian. Image: Reddit.
This era is the iconic, perhaps best-known period of Dave’s style because of that hair: long black hair with a shock of white. Uber vampiric and romantic. In truth, the entire band looks great during this period with even drummer Rat Scabies joining in on the romantic gothic fashion. The addition of Roman Jugg on guitar while Captain Sensible was on leave from the band along with Bryn Merrick on bass gave the gothic leanings of the band’s image a sharper and darker musical edge. Look for Roman in the clips below and notice his penchant for long coats, crucifix earrings, and teased hair.
The Damned’s 1985 performance on Top of the Pops for their cover of Barry Ryan’s “Eloise” showcases Vanian’s look during this era.
Dave went a little more rock ‘n’ roll cowboy with his style in this clip of The Damned performing a cover of The Doors’ “LA Woman” for a piece on BBC2’s Whistle Test in Denmark, 1986.
The Damned was featured on the soundtrack of the 1985 classic The Return Of The Living Dead (punks in daylight and trespassing through a cemetery by night!) with their song “Dead Beat Dance.”
1989-2004: David Vanian and the Phantom Chords, resurrection gigs of Naz Nomad and the Nightmares, and Patricia Morrison joining The Damned
Dave Vanian photographed in London, 1990. Image: last.fm.
Cover of the 1995 S/T LP David Vanian and the Phantom Chords. Image: Discogs.
Dave Vanian’s most “modern” looks occurred during this era: sunglasses, a pompadour with the signature white streak, and modern tailoring to the jackets and shirts he performed in. This is also the era when Patricia Morrison joined The Damned (and married Vanian in 1996) until she was pregnant with their daughter, Emily Vanian.
2018-Present: ‘Evil Spirits’ and beyond
Dave Vanian. Image: Facebook.
Dave Vanian comes full circle with his style around this time. In The Damned’s most noteworthy performances in recent memory, Dave and Patricia’s daughter, Emily, was seen onstage with him playing violin during a performance of the epic “Curtain Call” in 2016 at Royal Albert Hall and in 2019 at London Palladium. We finally see evidence of what the blend of genes from the Goth Dream Couple of Dave Vanian and Patricia Morrison created-- and she definitely resembles both parents in the best way. It’s a strikingly poetic thing to see Dave dressed as Nosferatu in the London Palladium performance, even going so far as to arrive to the venue in a coffin, although he is quiet on any confirmation to the press that he was actually inside the coffin during transport to the gig. In this homage to his beloved films and Universal Classic Monsters, Dave Vanian’s sense of style is a reminder that his image was never a gimmick and the longevity of his love for macabre fashion has been lifelong.
Emily Vanian performing “Curtain Call” with The Damned at Royal Albert Hall, 2016. Image: Dod Morrison.
The Damned’s “Curtain Call” finale at Royal Albert Hall in 2016 featuring Emily Vanian.
Emily Vanian and Dave Vanian at The London Palladium show, October 2019. Image: Dod Morrison.
The Damned perform “Curtain Call” at The London Palladium, 2019.
As a final nod to my favorite vampire, here’s another image of a time when Dave Vanian turned himself into a vampire (again), this time with the help of special effects makeup artist Brian Kinney, who summarized the experience as, “I went round to [Vanian’s] to do a lifecast with my friend Tytti Vaaleri assisting, and we had a long chat about Hammer and Amicus 70s horror films, motorbikes, and music of a certain era over tea. The concept I started to visualize was an idea that this original man in black and pale-as-death proto-goth icon, could really be a vampire, all this time… As it wasn’t exactly a stretch, Dave was game.”
Dave Vanian as a vampire. Images: Brian Kinney via Medium.
Keep up with The Damned via their website and check out the archive of The Damned Show on YouTube.
