I did it!
Seven shows in seven days.
Leeds. Liverpool. Liverpool again. Marlborough. London. Brighton. Kingston.
And after seven shows in seven days, countless photos and videos, several train journeys, hotel rooms, and a huge quantity of Coke Zero (which my travel companions and I declared the official drink of the ‘Sweet Chaos’ Album Launch tour), I sat down to write about it all.
Because there is far too much to fit into a single article, my review is going to come in two parts: This first article is about the shows themselves: the music, the stories, the venues, the fans, and the people who made this week so special. The second will be more of a road diary, covering each city and all the little adventures that happened along the way…
So let’s go!
It’s been a pretty rubbish year in many ways, and when Damian announced these launch shows, Lewisto encouraged me to do something I don’t do often enough: simply enjoy myself.
So I did.
What followed was one of the most enjoyable weeks I have had in a very long time.
I traveled with my partners-in-crime Monique, Tsveta, and Mel. I caught up with old friends – Helen, Lauren, Geri, Katy, Natalie, Paul, and David. I made new friends – Deb, Charles, Gemma, Niall, Evie, Tracy and Taz, Christina, Mark, Sam, Matt, Karen, Daniel, Toni, Marie, and many others.
And one of the loveliest surprises of the week was how many people knew Fan Fun. Several fans told me they discovered the launch shows through Fan Fun. Others thanked me for what we’ve been doing for Damian’s fans for the last eleven years. I honestly can’t tell you how much those conversations meant. Thank you.
Now on to the shows… The album launch shows didn’t feel like promotional appearances. They felt like celebrations. Most people already had the album in their hands. They were there to celebrate it with Damian. And every night Damian thanked the audience for coming out to celebrate Sweet Chaos with him. His gratitude was genuine and it set the tone for the entire week.
And I don’t think the venues were chosen by accident. Every stop felt carefully considered. The record stores that organized the shows are institutions in their respective cities.
Crash Records in Leeds.
The Jacaranda in Liverpool.
Sound Knowledge in Marlborough.
Rough Trade East in London.
Resident Records in Brighton.
Banquet Records in Kingston.
These are places where music matters.
And then there were the churches.
St. Peter’s Church in Marlborough was one of the most beautiful venues of the week. A medieval church dating back to the fifteenth century, it also has a personal connection to Henry VIII, whom Damian brought to life so brilliantly in Wolf Hall. Cardinal Wolsey, Henry’s Lord Chancellor for many years, was ordained priest there in 1493. When I told Damian about that connection, he seemed genuinely delighted.
Marlborough also gave us the set-list surprise of the week. Roger from Sound Knowledge put in a request for Harvest Moon… Now, technically speaking, that’s a Neil Young song. But for many of us, it’s also part of Damian’s musical story. Damian recorded Harvest Moon for Mission Creep, and I’ve always loved his version of it. And Damian always described it as “one of the most beautiful songs ever written.” So, for those of us who have been around since Mission Creep, it felt like a lovely little gift.
Then there was The Jacaranda.
Just walking into that room gave me goosebumps!
The Jacaranda occupies a special place in Beatles history. Before changing music forever, the young Beatles and their predecessors, The Quarry Men and The Silver Beetles, played there regularly before heading off to Hamburg and changing the music forever. That history is part of what makes The Jacaranda feel so special.
The venue also features murals often attributed to John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe. To be honest, different sources point to different murals as the ones painted by Lennon and Sutcliffe. But Graham Stanley, the manager director of The Jacaranda, what a kind and lovely man he is, told me that Lennon’s sister said once that the murals in the room that Damian performed belonged to John. Here’s one of them.
Damian talked about the murals from the stage.
“Beautiful murals out here apparently made by John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe. It’s alright, I painted them over. It’s fine.”
A little history lesson with a little mischief attached to it. Very Damian. And, of course, this being Liverpool, football was always going to enter the conversation.
Damian asked the question himself:
“Reds or Blues?”
For those unfamiliar with Liverpool football culture, the Reds are Liverpool F.C. and the Blues are Everton F.C. Given that Damian has supported Liverpool since he was seven years old, there was never much doubt where his loyalties lay. As he later wrote on Instagram:
“Big love from a Southern Scouse. YNWA.”
Rough Trade East was special for different reasons. Three years ago Damian launched Mission Creep there. Now he was back launching Sweet Chaos in the same place. There was something wonderfully full-circle about it. It was also very lovely to see so many of Damian’s family and friends there, including his daughter Manon. Damian dedicated the evening to his friend Alex. And the evening felt less like a launch event and more like a homecoming.
The set list remained the same throughout the week.
Question Mark.
Sweet Chaos.
Traffic Jam.
No Man’s Land.
King.
Pentonville Prison.
At the beginning of every show, Damian first introduced his bassist:
“The legendary David Catlin-Birch.”
Many fans know David through World Party or as the original “Paul McCartney” in the Beatles Tribute Band. After seven shows, the fans who did not know David before got to know him pretty well, too.
David has a terrific voice. His bass playing anchored every song. But what really made the shows special was the chemistry between him and Damian. Damian would praise David. David would immediately make some self-deprecating joke. The two clearly enjoy each other’s company, and that warmth spread through every room they played.
And once he introduced David, Damian would say:
“Gonna start with a gentle little love song called Question Mark.”
He also described it as a love song about a woman in bed, which generally got a laugh from the audience. A very Damian way to start an evening.
Gentle. Funny. Slightly cheeky. He’s one of those people that can pull cheeky off seamlessly.
Then came Sweet Chaos itself.
Damian talked about how chaotic his life has been in the last five, six, seven years… But, he said, sometimes chaos could be sweet. Sometimes it could be liberating. And I think maybe that is what this entire album is really about. Not avoiding chaos. But learning how to live inside it. And maybe even discovering the beauty within the disorder.
Traffic Jam followed.
Damian described it as a song about “sweet thoughts on a shitty day.”
Before playing it, he would often tell us:
“Those of you who know their music will recognize a motif in the middle of this.”
https://youtu.be/oXPErxvUEaI
Damian has often spoken about David Bowie being one of his musical heroes, and Traffic Jam contains a wonderful nod to Space Oddity. In Bowie’s song, Major Tom is floating above the Earth in his tin can. In Damian’s version:
“Here am I sitting in my tin can, stuck in another stupid traffic jam.”
One man is drifting through space. The other is stuck in London traffic 🙂
Damian also shared that he contacted Bowie’s estate for permission to use the reference, and they gave him the green light.
After Traffic Jam came No Man’s Land.
“I open the album with this song. This is called No Man’s Land.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUqSGVnN38
Then Damian would explain:
“This is a love is war kind of song.”
A simple description. But so true. Love isn’t literally a war but the two often share a thin line, don’t they?
Time for King.
The story behind King also became the story behind Sweet Chaos itself.
Damian talked about recording Mission Creep on tape at Durham Sound Studios in Kentishtown because he wanted that “in the room” feeling for his first album. When it came time to make Sweet Chaos, however, he wanted something different. Then he met Guy Chambers at a party. The two clicked immediately, and began working together at Chambers’ studio, Sleeper Sounds.
King is the child of that collaboration. It’s a co-write between Damian and Guy Chambers. Damian brought the lyrics. Guy brought the music. And I found myself looking forward to Damian’s guitar solo in King every night. It was fabulous.
Then came Pentonville Prison. Damian acknowledged some of his fans at The Jacaranda!
“Those of you who have been on the tour with us, supporting us… some ladies in the front have… we have been playing this song for a while.”
Who are those ladies in the front?!?! Here’s a shot from Rough Trade East album launch show.
Long before Sweet Chaos came along, Pentonville Prison was already part of Damian’s live shows.
The story begins with a motorbike accident. As Damian was going home one night on his motorcycle, a mini cab did suddenly back up and Damian directly hit the windshield. This happened on Caledonian Road near Pentonville Prison.
It turned out he had been unconscious for around ten minutes. When he woke up, he found himself in the recovery position but had absolutely no idea how he had got there. The good news was that he was wearing his helmet. The bad news was that when he woke up, somebody was holding his wrist and shaking it very hard. Damian’s immediate reaction?
“This is not feeling good.”
The person who put Damian in the recovery position and then shook his wrist pretty hard was the passenger in the mini cab. He was an off-duty male nurse from the Royal Free Hospital. A few weeks later, Damian tracked him down to thank him and ask a question:
“Why were you squeezing my wrist so hard?”
The nurse’s answer was priceless. He couldn’t figure whether Damian was dead or whether he himself was too pissed to take Damian’s pulse.
Fortunately… he was just too pissed!!!
I noticed over the course of the week that Damian seemed to talk more and more about the songs each night. The stories evolved. New details appeared. By Kingston, the stories felt as ready for the fall tour as the songs themselves. And that’s one of the things I enjoyed most about these launch shows. Damian is a natural storyteller. Whether he talked about chaos, Bowie, Guy Chambers, Liverpool football, Beatles murals, or motorbike accidents, he gave the audience a little glimpse into the world behind the songs.
Another thing I loved about the first six shows was their simplicity. It was just Damian on acoustic guitar and David on bass. That’s it. Because the arrangements were stripped down, the lyrics became incredibly clear. So every night the songs became more familiar. And by the time we reached Kingston, I could sing all six of them!
And it was clear as we heard these songs seven times in seven days that Sweet Chaos is not Mission Creep Part Two. Mission Creep is warm. Tender. Personal. Sweet Chaos is something different. Damian also describes it as bigger, louder, and angrier. And you can hear it in the songs. Mission Creep often felt reflective. Sweet Chaos feels like someone stepping back out into the world. That doesn’t make one album better than the other. They’re simply different chapters. In life, and in Damian’s musical journey.
I have always admired how seriously Damian takes his craft. Whether it’s acting or music. Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the set of Billions. What struck me then was his discipline, and his focus. Watching him as a musician, I see exactly the same thing. We often arrived at venues hours before the shows began. Sometimes we could hear sound checks happening inside. And what stood out was how carefully Damian approached them.
Play. Listen. Give feedback. Try again. Adjust. Listen again. Sometimes the same section would be repeated several times. Because he wanted it to be right. The reason Damian looks comfortable on stage now is not because he takes music lightly. It’s because he takes it seriously.
And it was obvious that he was having a ball on stage. Whether he was teasing David, joking about Beatles murals, talking football, interacting with audience members, or dedicating songs to men discussing their prostates, he looked genuinely happy to be there.
Now, one thing such intimate gigs guarantee is unpredictability.
Well, the Jacaranda provided plenty.
Veterans of Damian’s Manchester gig in 2023 will know exactly what I mean. A couple of enthusiastic ladies seemed determined to become part of the show. They called Damian “babe” and offered running commentary during the show – they were sort of making sure everyone knew they were having a fantastic time 🙂 You can hear the exchange between them and Damian in the Traffic Jam video I shared above. And Damian dealt with them exactly the way he deals with everything: with humor.
And the most hilarious audience interaction of the week came in Brighton. One gentleman somehow managed to give Damian a surprisingly detailed update about his prostate. Without missing a beat, Damian announced that the next song was called Prostate and dedicated it to him. The room collapsed with laughter.
A few days later Damian was still joking about it on social media.
“I hope your prostate is okay, sir.”
Brighton also gave us one of my favorite images of the entire week.
At one point during the performance, the Sweet Chaos album cover was reflected on Damian’s guitar.
It was one of those completely accidental moments that nobody could have planned.
For a split second, the album itself seemed to become part of the performance.
A small moment, perhaps.
But somehow a perfect visual summary of the launch week.
Honestly, if somebody had told me before the week started that prostate health would become one of my favorite memories of an album launch tour, I probably wouldn’t have believed them… I am still laughing about it!
Officially, the performances lasted around thirty five to forty minutes. But, in reality, they lasted much longer. Because after the music ended, the signings began. Night after night Damian signed albums, posed for photographs, chatted with fans, and made time for everyone. What struck me most wasn’t how much time he spent with fans – which is very admirable on its own. But what impressed me the most was how present he was. Here’s the queue from Headrow House in Leeds…
A friend asked me recently what makes these signings different. My answer was simple. Damian listens. Really listens. His attention is completely on you. And people notice…
I know that people notice because I gave away around 400 Fan Fun “I Was There” magnets during the week, which means I spoke to a lot of people. I met Mission Creep veterans who came back because they loved the music. I met people who knew Damian only as an actor and were curious about this musical side of his career. Many arrived as fans of Damian as Winters, or Brody or Axe. Many left as fans of the musician too. That was one of my favorite things about the week…
…but my most favorite moment happened at The Jacaranda.
While introducing Pentonville Prison, Damian once again acknowledged the fans who had been following the song for years.
“Those of you who have been on the tour with us, supporting us…”
Then he looked toward the front row.
“Some ladies in the front have…”
We laughed.
And then, completely unexpectedly, he added:
“Thank you, Bahar, for coming.”
I can’t help it. I’m still over the moon about this. And I have it on audio! (I record the shows to remember everything Damian says between songs).
And if you ask me which show was my favorite. The truth is that every show had something special. Leeds had the excitement of opening night.Marlborough had St. Peter’s Church and Harvest Moon. Rough Trade had the homecoming feeling. Brighton had the prostate conversation. Kingston had the full band. But if you absolutely forced me to choose, I think I’d pick The Jacaranda.
The room only holds around ninety people. You’re right on top of the music. The Beatles history is incredible. The atmosphere is incredible. And yes, it was a standing gig. I like dancing to Damian’s music.
And Kingston came very, very close.
If St. John’s Church had somehow removed all the pews for one evening, we might be having a different conversation 🙂 Still, if The Jacaranda was my favorite room of the week, Kingston was certainly the curtain call.
Banquet Records brought the Sweet Chaos launch week to a close at the beautiful St. John’s Church, and from the moment we arrived, it felt different. Partly because it was the final show. Partly because we knew the full band would be there. As wonderful as the intimate acoustic performances had been throughout the week, there was something incredibly satisfying about seeing the album launch run end with the full band on stage.
Kingston felt bigger. Bolder. Definitely louder. A glimpse of what was to come in the fall tour. It was the perfect way to bring seven memorable shows to a close.
Will Cleasby on drums.
Rudi Falla on the guitar.
David Catlin-Birch on the bass.
Joe Glossop on key board.
And one very special surprise!!!
We arrived early and heard the soundcheck taking place inside St. John’s Church. Waiting outside St. John’s Church with our bags, we looked less like music fans and more like people who had accidentally moved in 🙂
Then we heard a familiar voice from the stage… Alison! OH MY GOD! I can’t tell you about how thrilled we were.
Anyone who has seen The Kills live knows about Alison’s stage presence. And she has an incredible voice. When she joined Damian for No Man’s Land, yes I may be biased, but it was pure magic.
There was warmth. There was affection. There was trust. And there was a musical connection that turned an already wonderful song into one of the highlights of the entire week. I honestly couldn’t get enough of it. Here’s a glimpse:
As the final notes faded and the evening moved into the signing, it felt like the perfect ending to a very special week… And I’m deeply grateful to have been part of the Sweet Chaos celebration week — following Damian through seven unforgettable shows across six cities with people I love was an incredible joy that I’ll cherish forever.
Now that we are done with the record store tour, I am so looking forward to the UK tour in the fall. And one thing I’m especially curious about is what the autumn tour set list will look like. For the first time, Damian has two albums to choose from. Will we hear all of Sweet Chaos and a handful of Mission Creep favorites? Will the songs be mixed together? Will there be surprises? Will there be a new song? I genuinely have no idea!
You can find the UK fall tour dates and ticket information here. Who knows? Maybe I’ll see some of you there…
Coming next week: the moments offstage, finally catching up with Damian again, the celebrations, the gifts, the laughter, and personal things that made this Sweet Chaos week truly unforgettable. Stay tuned!
Thank you for sharing, Bahar!
Thank you for reading, Fay