EXCLUSIVE 90s boyband Damage reveal they were forced to dress femininely so they weren't seen as 'dangerous' as they detail music industry racism - and their surprising new careers

Daily Mail​

19 hours ago

Legendary R&B boyband Damage have revealed the shocking racism they faced in the Nineties and how a lack of support with their mental health led them to forge new careers beyond the spotlight.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the group - now in their 40s - explained they were forced to dress and act a certain way in order to avoid being perceived as 'dangerous', and had to fight for press coverage after being told 'black faces don't sell magazines'.
Originally formed by Jade Jones, Andrez Harriott, Rahsaan J. Bromfield, Noel Simpson, and Coreé Richards, Damage burst onto the scene with their groundbreaking debut album Forever in 1995.
Coreé left the band in 2001, shortly after the release of their second album, Since You've Been Gone.
Today, Damage are recognised as one of the UK's most influential R&B groups, having sold over four million records worldwide - but their path to success was anything but easy.
Jade, who is married to fellow pop star Emma Bunton, explained: 'Being five black guys in a band, there was an image that had to be portrayed, you know, for it to be palatable for, for the pop market.'
He continued: 'We only got put on the cover of Smash Hits through fighting [for it]. We were told we weren't allowed to be on the cover before because black faces didn't sell magazines in the 90s.
'Therefore, for them to make it more palatable for everybody, we had to do a shoot, which was definitely not our style at the time, but it was something we had to swallow.
'There a picture of us with pastel coloured suits on, with flowers and roses all around us.
'Boyband Five were out at the time and they were able to dress and act however they wanted. We had to act a certain way.
'Not saying that we were bad boys. We never were, but we could never portray ourselves or even have an inkling of any aggression about us or any attitude, otherwise we just get shut down.'
MailOnline has contacted Smash Hits for comment.
Noel added: 'We could never ever be portrayed as the bad boys of pop. Our stuff would have been cancelled straight away.'
Sharing his thoughts, Andrez said: 'There were bands like Five, NSYNC which all come down the lineage of people like New Kids on the Block, which come down the lineage of the Jackson 5, etc.
'All those bands, they could take American clothing, American language, use American music producers, and create R&B songs.'
He continued: 'And when Damage would do something like a cover of an Earth, Wind and Fire song, which should have been a massive hit, radio struggled to play it.
'There is a really restrictive, dominant, paradigm that black males have to fit into.
'And there is unconsciously and consciously an idea that we are dangerous, and for us as young black males, we have to provide a counter narrative to that nonsense just to be us.
'I remember our record label, we went to Aquascutum to get jackets in central London and the English gentleman image was really kind of being portrayed through us because we have limited bandwidth.
'We couldn't come out in baggy jeans and hoodies, or everyone would be terrified.
'It's really different now, but at that time we had to provide a counter narrative to this idea that five black guys in a space is dangerous.'
Mental health struggles were also a significant part of each member's journey, a challenge that wasn't openly discussed during their rise to fame.
Reflecting on a turning point while on tour in Southeast Asia, Rahsaan explained: 'At that point we were just like a hard no, we need to stop doing what what we're doing right now.
'Up until that point, we didn't realise that we had the power to do that.
'We were just part of the machine, that kept those cogs going and It was really something therapeutic for us to be able to do that.'
Andrez shared: 'You know, when we were coming up as a band, mental health was not discussed in any space, whether it was creative industries or private business or statutory spaces, you know, the welfare of individuals wasn't really considered.
'For us, the impact of being so young, getting up really early for television shows, this constant hamster wheel of trying to get the records out, etc. I don't think we'd have reflected on the impact of that until many years later.
'The hardest time would have been when we first separated and you have to really find yourself within society. We did this since we were 12, 13, 14 years old.
'We had to go out and do job interviews and work in organisations and, you know, find ourselves in the world.
'It wasn't necessarily the impact of the band, it was more so the closing when we ended and then when we came back together.'
Noel said: 'You get into a band and you're really young, you don't think it's ever gonna end.
'The free clothes, the taxis everywhere, the trainers, all the amazing stuff, the red carpets and all that, and you never think it's gonna end.
'You know, when it does come all crashing down and for me personally, I had to go and like sign on, which was an eye opening experience for me when when we first when we first split.'
Explaining how their tight bond helped them through their hardship, Jade explained: 'I think even when we were younger, I think we, we always had a real family connection between all of us.
'So therefore we were always there, everyone was always allowed space and you could always tell if somebody wasn't feeling too good.
'So we kind of helped pick each other up a lot and that was throughout performances and everything.
'I think that's just our synergy that we have together that allowed us to kind of have that safe space between each other.'
Damage initially split in 2002 after releasing their album Live & Liberated. They then had a brief reunion in 2010 before officially splitting up.
Each member of Damage has gone on to forge a career outside the spotlight - paths that, in many ways, reflect the personal growth and life lessons they took from their time in the band.
Rahsaan now serves as a deputy head at an alternative provision (AP) school, supporting young people who don't thrive in mainstream education.
Noel works with the charity Carers Choices, offering vital support to those looking after loved ones.
Jade discovered a passion for food and became a professional chef, while also dabbling in property.
Andrez spent over a decade working with children in the justice system through the local authority, eventually launching his own organisation.
He's now an organisational consultant, working within the NHS.
Damage are now gearing up for their biggest headline show in over a decade as they prepare to celebrate 30 years since their debut.
The iconic R&B group will return to the stage on December 5, 2025, with a special anniversary show at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Speaking about the highly anticipated show, the group said on Instagram: 'Our fans have shown us so much love, and we can't wait to hit the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire stage next December for our biggest headline show in 10 years, celebrating 30 years together.
'It's going to be epic! With Kele Le Roc, Manny Norte plus more joining us, it's a party you don't want to miss!'
Tickets went on sale in November, and limited availability remains for fans still hoping to attend.