When The Darkness strutted into New York City at Irving Plaza on September 10th, fans were expecting nothing less than a collision of musical hits, mischief, sharp-witted humor, and just the right touch of danger; envision Cirque du Soleil meets Ringling Brothers Circus powered by loud guitars and soaring falsetto anthems.
The band is currently on a North American tour in support of their latest album, Dreams on Toast, which was released in March of this year. The tour kicked off on August 29th in Pryor, Oklahoma, and continues through September 21st. It then resumes on November 7th in Houston, Texas, and wraps up on November 22nd.
Only Justin Hawkins (vocals/guitar), Dan Hawkins (guitar), Frankie Poullain (bass), and Rufus Taylor (drums) can bring this mayhem to life on stage. They share a volatile combustibility, like a match and gasoline. Who’s the match and who’s the gasoline depends purely on the wild disposition of any of the members at the moment!
There’s nothing quite like a well-crafted song, and The Darkness are true masters of the art and tonight showcased a solid mix of songs from many their albums performing “Growing on Me,” “Motorheart,” “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy,” “Barbarian,” and “Japanese Prison of Love” all delivered with the perfect mix of double entendres and tongue-in-cheek humor.
Speaking with Dan and Frankie during a prior interview, I asked them both about the importance of injecting tongue-in-cheek humor into The Darkness‘ songs. Dan replied, “It’s always important. We want to make honest music that we like. That’s just who we are: four characters. There is humor in AC/DC, Def Leppard, and so on. It’s more of an acknowledgement of when you are doing something that’s ridiculous and loving it even more so because of it. We like to have fun within the boundaries of what we do.” Frankie added, “It’s a garnish, a seasoning, a flavor; a priceless ingredient lovingly sprinkled or dribbled over a delicious home-cooked meal.”
Gone from this tour is the spandex jumpsuit, mustache, cowbell, and Thin Lizzy shirt that were staples at their shows for several years. They have been replaced by a few new surprises like an audience participant march in place routine for “Walking Through Fire,” a cover of “Power of Love” which Celine Dion made famous in the 90s, and Rufus taking lead vocals on “My Only” reminiscent of Taylor Hawkins and The Foo Fighters.
Even with Rufus‘s extraordinary performance, Justin was the focal point of the band with his compelling vocals and guitar showmanship. A rebellious spirit burns within him as he parades his way around the stage, sometimes singing, sometimes playing guitar, and occasionally managing the daring feat of doing both at once. Being sober for 19 years, Justin wasn’t just performing; he was entertaining, joking, and storytelling. Fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dan, being true to form, hung back by his amps seamlessly blending gritty rhythm guitar with glam flair and a no-nonsense, riff-driven approach. Rufus‘s powerful drumming locked into a deep, rhythmic groove, with Frankie, who is the sonic ambassador between the drumming and the guitar playing. He is responsible for holding the band together with rhythm, fury, and melodic grace.
Their unrelenting passion for writing, recording, and playing live was evident in every note sung by Justin, chord and head thrash by Dan, bass run by Frankie, and drum beat by Rufus, which was delivered with a singular focus on pleasing their audience. To end the show, they launched into their biggest song, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” with its distinctive dancing guitar lick, and then concluded the show with “I Hate Myself.” The band and fans were equally sweaty and exhausted after the performance; it was a testament to the band’s stamina and the sheer power of Rock & Roll that all fans left Irving Plaza plastered with a Pinewood Smile!
Tickets to their remaining shows can be found here.
