2008 Woodie Awards
Darkness CD gains popularity in the US
Ian Folger
Issue date: 5/3/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
The United Kingdom has always been on the cutting edge of the rock and roll scene. From The Clash to the Smiths, British bands have been setting new trends and blazing new paths in the musical landscape for decades. England's newest export, The Darkness, looks to be poised to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. With a unique sound and eclectic look, this throwback hair-metal band is a refreshing blast of cool in an otherwise stagnant scene.
Dubbed as the biggest thing since The Strokes, The Darkness are as over the top as they are precise; at concerts, the lead singer, Justin Hawkins, is no stranger to hopping on the shoulders of fans while letting loose a blistering guitar solo, while sporting a unitard and screeching at the top of his lungs. While they may seem, on the surface, to be a bit of a joke, they are quick to dispel comparisons to the biggest joke band of all, Spinal Tap, for they truly believe they are making the music they were destined to make.
Their first single, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," is undoubtedly the largest hit of the spring. The song itself displays Hawkins' incredible vocal range, but does not in any way detract from the efforts by the rest of the band; his brother and lead guitarist, Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain, and drummer Ed Graham help Justin through four minutes of solid rocking and pave the way for the waifish singer to sound as good as he does. The song possesses a unique crossover quality, in the same vein of Outkast's mega-hit "Hey Ya," in that it appeals to pop, rock, and metal lovers alike and has been in heavy rotation on all three types of radio stations.
While they appear to have come virtually out of nowhere, The Darkness assures its fans that they are no flash in the pan success. Years of touring the U.K. and Europe have helped them build a solid fan base overseas, and they are only now receiving the recognition they feel they are entitled to. The band members are not surprised that their popularity is skyrocketing in the United States, but rather confused as to why it took so long.
The band recently played at the Avalon Ballroom in Boston this past month, and the venue was packed to the gills. The show sold out extremely quickly and the crowd was shoulder to shoulder on the floor, but once the curtain dropped and the band took the stage, nothing else seemed to matter.
Hawkins came out in leather pants and no shirt, typical rock star attire, but what this outfit lacked in hilarity, his tattoos and subsequent costume changes more than made up for. On his left bicep he has his first name inked in giant black letters, and his navel is surrounded by a tattoo of flames. Even if his reputation didn't precede him, his appearance is proof enough of the great lengths he will go to in order to entertain.
After charging through the album opening "Black Shuck" and power ballad "Love Is Only a Feeling," he engaged the crowd to mimic sounds he was making before diving into "Get Your Hands Off My Woman," the third single soon to be released from their debut album, Permission to Land.
Having grown tired of his jeans and no shirt garb, the band took a short break backstage before returning out to the screams of the audience, with the lead singer wearing what can only be described as a costume resembling some sort of hybrid peacock-skunk. Nevertheless, the crowd ate up every ridiculous minute of it and sang back the words to virtually every song they played.
Before the encore, the band tore into the song that undoubtedly everyone had come to hear: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." While, prior to the rendition, many wondered whether or not it would sound as good live as it does on the record, The Darkness left little doubt in anyone's mind that it is better in person. Hawkins strutted around stage, nailing every note, and encouraging the audience to scream as loudly as he did, making it nearly impossible to hear the instrumentation of the band over the deafening chorus of voices.
For the encore, the band decided to go with "Love on the Rocks with No Ice," the cleverly named eighth track of the album; though a decent song, it was not particularly one of their best. This night, however, they could do no wrong, and this wound up being perhaps best song of their entire set.
Hawkins, out of nowhere, jumped on the back of a fan and literally rode him around the club, all while still playing his guitar perfectly in synch with the rest of the band. By the time his trek around the club was over and he had rejoined the rest of his mates on stage, the crowd was in a frenzy and the excitement was at a fever pitch. The Darkness finished the song strong, and, to the disappointment of all in attendance, left the stage for good, but assuring that they would be back. For anyone who was there that night, the wait, no matter how short, will feel like an eternity.
Dubbed as the biggest thing since The Strokes, The Darkness are as over the top as they are precise; at concerts, the lead singer, Justin Hawkins, is no stranger to hopping on the shoulders of fans while letting loose a blistering guitar solo, while sporting a unitard and screeching at the top of his lungs. While they may seem, on the surface, to be a bit of a joke, they are quick to dispel comparisons to the biggest joke band of all, Spinal Tap, for they truly believe they are making the music they were destined to make.
Their first single, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," is undoubtedly the largest hit of the spring. The song itself displays Hawkins' incredible vocal range, but does not in any way detract from the efforts by the rest of the band; his brother and lead guitarist, Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain, and drummer Ed Graham help Justin through four minutes of solid rocking and pave the way for the waifish singer to sound as good as he does. The song possesses a unique crossover quality, in the same vein of Outkast's mega-hit "Hey Ya," in that it appeals to pop, rock, and metal lovers alike and has been in heavy rotation on all three types of radio stations.
While they appear to have come virtually out of nowhere, The Darkness assures its fans that they are no flash in the pan success. Years of touring the U.K. and Europe have helped them build a solid fan base overseas, and they are only now receiving the recognition they feel they are entitled to. The band members are not surprised that their popularity is skyrocketing in the United States, but rather confused as to why it took so long.
The band recently played at the Avalon Ballroom in Boston this past month, and the venue was packed to the gills. The show sold out extremely quickly and the crowd was shoulder to shoulder on the floor, but once the curtain dropped and the band took the stage, nothing else seemed to matter.
Hawkins came out in leather pants and no shirt, typical rock star attire, but what this outfit lacked in hilarity, his tattoos and subsequent costume changes more than made up for. On his left bicep he has his first name inked in giant black letters, and his navel is surrounded by a tattoo of flames. Even if his reputation didn't precede him, his appearance is proof enough of the great lengths he will go to in order to entertain.
After charging through the album opening "Black Shuck" and power ballad "Love Is Only a Feeling," he engaged the crowd to mimic sounds he was making before diving into "Get Your Hands Off My Woman," the third single soon to be released from their debut album, Permission to Land.
Having grown tired of his jeans and no shirt garb, the band took a short break backstage before returning out to the screams of the audience, with the lead singer wearing what can only be described as a costume resembling some sort of hybrid peacock-skunk. Nevertheless, the crowd ate up every ridiculous minute of it and sang back the words to virtually every song they played.
Before the encore, the band tore into the song that undoubtedly everyone had come to hear: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." While, prior to the rendition, many wondered whether or not it would sound as good live as it does on the record, The Darkness left little doubt in anyone's mind that it is better in person. Hawkins strutted around stage, nailing every note, and encouraging the audience to scream as loudly as he did, making it nearly impossible to hear the instrumentation of the band over the deafening chorus of voices.
For the encore, the band decided to go with "Love on the Rocks with No Ice," the cleverly named eighth track of the album; though a decent song, it was not particularly one of their best. This night, however, they could do no wrong, and this wound up being perhaps best song of their entire set.
Hawkins, out of nowhere, jumped on the back of a fan and literally rode him around the club, all while still playing his guitar perfectly in synch with the rest of the band. By the time his trek around the club was over and he had rejoined the rest of his mates on stage, the crowd was in a frenzy and the excitement was at a fever pitch. The Darkness finished the song strong, and, to the disappointment of all in attendance, left the stage for good, but assuring that they would be back. For anyone who was there that night, the wait, no matter how short, will feel like an eternity.