Review by JoJo Anthony
Photos by Joe Schaeffer
First thing I have to about The Darkness is that this band should be playing much larger venues in America. The band has performed at some of the largest venues and festivals in their homeland of Britain, yet they have never been able achieve much success in this country. More on this issue later.
The Darkness were formed in 2000 by brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins and eventually signed to a record deal in 2003 with the release of their debut album Permission To Land. They garnered critical success with their nostalgic sound that was reminiscent of the Hair Metal genre of the 1980s. They would establish themselves as a major live act, while touring extensively and building up a loyal fan base. And that fan base is still present to this very day.
The band would take a hiatus in 2006 for personal issues after the release their second album “One Way Ticket…to Hell and Back.” The album was produced by the legendary Roy Thomas Baker who had guided Queen, Journey and The Cars to much success. The Darkness would reunite in 2011 to play a couple of music festivals and they would eventually lead to the release of their third album, “Hot Cakes.”
Since their reunion the band has released four more studio albums and an energetic live album. Their current stage show sees the band focusing on their latest album Motorheart and their debut album Permission To Land with a healthy dose of songs from their catalog.
I have to give a special mention to the opening act, the Dead Deads. The all-female power trio hail out of Nashville, Tennessee. They are promoting their album Tell Your Girls It’s Alright. I enjoyed their set and they have some great and interesting songs. I’ll definitely be exploring this band a bit more.
The Observatory was packed full of enthusiastic Darkness fans as the band took the stage opening with k “Welcome Tae Glasgae” from the current album. The song not only showcases the band’s songwriting talents, but also their musical proficiency. Lead vocalist and guitarist Justin Hawkins immediately takes control of the performance and he has become one of the best front men to date. He doesn’t waste any time making the crowd feel welcome and entertained.
The next song performed was the title track from their second album “One Way Ticket.” This song has always been a favorite of mine and the crowd was very excited to hear it included in the set. As I stated earlier, most of the set would focus on the latest album with songs like “Sticky Situations,” “It’s Only Love, Jim” and the title track.
Some of the best performances were on songs like “Barbarian” and “Open Fire” from their fourth album “Last Of Our Kind.” Of course I have to pay special attention to songs like “Solid Gold,” which is lyrically brilliant with the band sardonically critiquing record label executives. “Japanese Prisoner of Love” from the same album showcases other band members like guitarist Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Rufus Taylor as a force to be reckoned with.
Taylor is the son of legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor. That should draw a gasp from most Vintage Rock fans when it sinks in. The Darkness are definitely a seasoned band and all of the members are fantastic musicians. On a side note, the Hawkins brothers play some of the best guitar tones I’ve ever heard from a band. I have to respect a couple of guitarists who play Les Pauls.
The audience was very plugged in when the band would perform songs from their debut album. This is not to say that their latter work isn’t of quality or on the same level, because this couldn’t be further from the truth. However, songs from their debut album seemed to garner most excitement from the audience. Tracks like “Black Shuck,” “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” and “Givin’ Up,” which really brought the audience to a frenzy.
The Darkness would return for an encore with the fan favorite “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” with Hawkins making a costume change that consisted merely of a pair of black speedos, leather boots and a vest. The outfit would surely have shocked even Rob Halford or Freddie Mercury. However, the audience seemed to get the humor and they loved it.
The Darkness are one of the best bands I’ve seen perform in the past 10 years. They are always an exciting live act with so many great songs. It baffles me that they are sometimes referred to as a “new band” in spite of them being around for a couple of decades. If you haven’t experienced this band, I would highly recommend any of their albums, especially the Live At Hammersmith record which does a fantastic job of capturing a Darkness concert. This band deserves to be playing in America’s largest arenas. I’m hopeful that America will soon come realize this.
