The Darkness

The stage is shrouded while the roadies do the change over from the support to the headline act. The thronging crowd vary vastly in age and there are a surprising number of families. Thin Lizzy, AC~DC and Rainbow play over the PA while we all wait for The Darkness.

When the shroud drops it reveals the drum kit flanked by a pair of tusks, an enormous pipe organ at the back of the stage and a lighting rig worthy of the biggest and the best glam rockers. This explains the 8 or 9 artic trucks filling the car park outside! ABBA’s Arrival is the fanfare that greets the cheers from the audience, eager to see if the performance will live up to the expectation created by the grandeur of the stage.

Drums, Bass, guitar and finally Justin, spangled in red and silver, take to the stage and launch into Knockers. Disappointingly, the entrance we had been led to expect in which Justin is lowered onto the stage on a pair of breasts doesn’t happen, but the opening number is concluded with the first round of fireworks. One Way Ticket follows, it’s note perfect and the crowd love it. “We’re hoping to reach the outer 80ths of the charts with this one” Justin announces before playing the new single Is It Just Me?

The audience seem impressed with the new material, but there is far more participation from the hall when the familiar tunes from Permission to Land are rolled out. Really Growing On Me, Givin’ Up and Love on the Rocks With No Ice are firm favourites and the band perform them with a rockier edge than ever.

The Darkness have an extremely polished stage show, it’s a fantastic balance between rock, glamour and comedy. Justin’s easy rapport with the audience overcomes an unfortunate split trouser situation which is eventually resolved with a David Beckham style sarong. The performance is punctuated by further volleys of fireworks and columns of flames shooting up from the stage around the band.

The show loses momentum a bit as the band play a series of semi acoustic numbers with Justin at a piano, Freddie Mercury style, and Dan on acoustic guitar, but the crowd are soon jumping again for Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Friday Night and I Believe In a Thing Called Love.

The encore brings Justin out into the bright spotlight in a white satin suit, framed by the tusks to play the pipe organ which I had begun to assume was a prop. As he plays the inevitable Close Encounters of the Third Kind, smoke shoots from the pipes and I’m desperately trying to anticipate what the band are going to play, because all the big numbers have already been covered. English Country Garden and Bald from the new album is an unusual and brave move, but the over the top finale of smoke, fireworks and flames is entertainment enough to see me inching for the door, but not quite being able to leave until the last.

Set List:
Knockers
One Way Ticket
Is It Just Me?
Growing On Me
Dinner Lady Arms
Givin' Up
Black Shuck
Love On The Rocks With No Ice
Love Is Only A Feeling
Seemed Like A Good Idea at The Time
Blind Man
Hazel Eyes
Get Your Hands Off My Woman
Friday Night
Girlfriend
I Believe In A Thing Called Love

English Country Garden
Bald

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