The Damned star Dave Vanian reveals he’s behind Welsh vampire myth

The Damned star Dave Vanian has exploded a 38-year-old Welsh vampire legend by revealing he was the mysterious figure who made the local headlines back in 1980.
The punk legend was recording the band’s Black Album at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth when he decided to step out for a breath of fresh air one night and take a stroll to a nearby cemetery.
“There was a full moon and Monmouth in the full moon… you can see everything,” he tells WENN. “It was very bright because there’s no city there; it’s just countryside.
“So I went for a walk to the local graveyard, which was, like, a mile down the road… and I walked around and as I left and started heading back up the lane to the studio, I was caught in a Mini’s headlights as I was coming out of the cemetery, and the car veered off the road almost and then screamed round the bend.
“The local newspapers, the next few days, had a thing, where a woman claimed she had seen the ghost of a vampire coming out of the local cemetery. It became a big deal and I decided to say nothing.”
Vanian, who has always enjoyed a good vampire tale, admits he was dressed like a creature of the night: “It was very chilly and I was wearing an ankle-length wool cloak to keep warm,” he laughs.
“I became entrenched in a ghost story. I’ve become an urban legend down there. I guess the locals will read this and realise they’ve never had a vampire ghost haunting the cemetery.”
Nearly 40 years later, Vanian and his band are in the middle of a revival thanks to the success of their latest album Evil Spirits. The Damned are preparing for a major North American tour, which begins next month (Oct18).