EDITOR'S COLUMN: Lessons from The Damned, and why we should all be kinder

If you haven’t seen them play already I really recommend it, in my opinion they are one of the only ‘nostalgia’ bands of their era who are still consistently pushing the envelope and trying new things, and it’s so much fun.

In light of the national conversation about mental health, this week I answered a social media call to take part in a short video, where I was asked about a song which meant a lot to me.

I picked Smash It Up by The Damned.

“We’ve been crying now for much too long, and now we’re gonna dance to a different song, I’m gonna scream and shout til my dying breath, I’m gonna smash it up til there’s nothing left.”

It sounds aggressive, but the message really isn’t that. It’s simply a reminder to be yourself, and care less about what others think and keep going.

In a world of brainless and cruel social media ire and a seeming queue sometimes of giddy detractors just waiting for a slip or trip, I think that’s a good reminder.

And in a society of trolls, sensational ‘endings’ of people in the tabloids, witchhunts, false information and mock outrage to serve no purpose, in my opinion being yourself should also mean always being kind.

Let's not be the person that said the thing that caused lasting harm. You never know where other people are coming from - and that's everyone no matter how 'together' or successful someone seems.