The Darkness Gig Review -Resorts World Arena, Birmingham.

February 1, 2023 rocknews

“Gimme a D…D! Gimme an arkness! We are the F**king Darkness!” J Hawkins 31/01/23

It’s a bit of a trip down memory lane tonight as I watch The Darkness performing on the stage at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham. Firstly, The Darkness are back where they belong in an arena! Secondly, the setlist tonight is predominately made up of songs from their first album Permission To Land and finally, its for the antics that charismatic Justin Hawkins has brought to ever show since the first time I saw them, twenty years ago.

The Resorts World lights dimmed and ABBA’s Arrival began to play over the venues speakers. A short time passes and the metallic tinsel backdrop to the stage is illuminated by a white light that displays The Darkness logo. Dan, Frankie and Rufus arrive on the stage to an almighty cheer from the crowd. In an oversized black winter coat Justin Hawkins moves to the very front edge of the stage with his hands raised in recognition of the crowds support. Absorbing the spectacle in front of them, The Darkness wait for a few seconds before striking the first notes of Growing On Me at which point the back wall of the stage erupts in a huge curtain of pyrotechnic sparks falling from the ceiling to the stage. What a fantastic way to start a rock n roll show!

The Resorts World arena crowd found their voices early and sang along with The Darkness from the opening lines of Growing On Me to the last song Love On The Rocks. Grown men throughout the audience sounding like they are in pain trying to reach the falsetto notes easily achieved by the legend Justin, who laughingly describes himself as ‘an Englishman with a very high voice’.

Having used a substantial amount of budget on the impressive fireworks it was evident that there was little left in the pot for the bands wardrobe as Justin removed his winter coat to reveal his bare chested torso beneath. Joking with the crowd Justin observed the subdued nature of the audiences reaction. ‘Birmingham! This is the home of rock! Are you standing their mouth agape admiring our physiques’ Justin said. ‘We’d rather see you dance and bounce around’ he continued. The crowd reacted as instructed as the next song sparked up.

What’s the best album of all time by The Darkness?. Cast your vote here.

The set list tonight included One Way Ticket, which was introduced by Frankie playing the cowbell. Heart Explode which The Darkness were joined by ‘Ian Softlad Norfolk’ on an acoustic guitar. Between the songs Japanese Prisoner and Givin Up Justin ran off stage to change into a colourful Lycra body suit. And during Get Your Hands Off My Woman Justin performed a handstand on the drum riser and clapped along with the audience using his feet no less! No matter what the song the four members of The Darkness performed in an energetic and theatrical manner. Most songs contained massive flames or fireworks spewing into the air. Nearly every song ended with Justin jumping from the drum riser where Rufus and his kit were sat. This band is all about fun and entertainment.

Teasing the crowd, Justin played some mini solos on his guitar, stopping every now and then to play an unmistakeable chord from I Believe In A Thing Called Love. The chords become more frequent building the frenzy of excitement in the crowd until he launches full on into the opening bars of the song. Abruptly the music stopped. Justin called out to the crowd telling them that The Darkness were playing their most famous song and urged the audience to put their phones away. ‘Don’t record the song for the people who haven’t come, f**k ‘em, lets see you bounce!’ he shouted into the mic. The music started again with the majority of the audience, now with phones in pockets, bouncing along in unison to the beat of the song. I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t know this song and as far as I can see around me everyone is singing along.

Back in 2003 I saw The Darkness for the first time, just up the road, at Nottinghams Indoor Arena. That night Justin Hawkins, in true rock n roll fashion, rode a white tiger above the heads of the audience whilst playing his guitar. Unluckily for Justin that night the machinery that was carrying him along broke down only for him to have to return to the stage. Twenty years on and Justin still continues to venture out into the crowd to perform his guitar solo, which tonight was during the bands last song of the set Love On The Rocks, nowadays the trip out into the crowd is more of an analogue affair. Justin stepped onto a speaker stack in front of the stage where he then climbed on to the shoulders of a roadie who then proceeded to carry Justin out on to the arena floor. Throughout the excursion Justin played his guitar and at some points lifted his guitar and played it behind his head! With Love On the Rocks being the last song on the set meant that Justin wasn’t going to leave the stage quietly. When the crowd thought he had played the last note he went on to play another, then another and another. This toying with the crowd cumulated in Justin balancing in the Karate Kid Crane Kick which he then went on to reenact the famous kick in front of the Birmingham audience and finally play the last note on his guitar and the stage fell into darkness.

Even though I have seen The Darkness many times before it’s been a brilliant night of entertainment in Birmingham. The Resorts World Arena is a venue where the band were truly at home and able to display their fantastic showmanship. If you get chance I would thoroughly recommend you get a ticket to see one of their shows in the future!!

A Night to Remember: The Setlist

The Darkness played a mix of their classic hits. Some of the highlights of the night included “Growing on Me,” “Love is Only a Feeling,” and of course the classic “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”