Phones, Crowd Surfing, and Encore Antics: The Unforgettable Night with The Darkness. Rock City Gig Review.

Two decades after “Permission to Land” first graced our eardrums, I still vividly recall my Darkness JFK moment when I first heard “I believe in a thing called love” on the late Janice Long’s show on Radio 2. Long was always a champion of new music, and she was raving about this song, a few months later, excitedly announcing a new Christmas song by The Darkness that she deemed brilliant. As it turns out, she wasn’t wrong, and all these years later, The Darkness continues to captivate.
I remember witnessing them fill stadiums, and then, after what seemed like the end, seeing Justin’s new band, Hot Leg, in a small club in Derby. Fortunately, Justin got his shit together, and The Darkness was reborn.
On the plus side, this meant we got to see them perform at great venues like Rock City once more. Judging by the success of this tour, we might find ourselves back in stadiums next year.
Dressed in spandex and Christmas suits, the crowd showcased a fashion sense as eclectic as The Darkness’ discography. As the band burst onto the stage with “Black Shuck,” the audience’s hands shot up.

This was followed by “Get Your Hands Off My Woman.”
Justin attempted his usual leg clapping from the drum riser but quickly realized there was no room. “I’m going for a swim,” he said and dove into the audience.

Ever the showman, Justin reminisced about Rock City’s legendary floor, now a relic in his bedroom arsenal for impressing the ladies. “Making sure the audience was not slacking,” Justin declared, “You are watching The Darkness, not Coldplay.”
“Dancing on a Friday Night” turned into a massive sing-along, with Justin taking a rare backseat as the crowd owned every lyric. And let’s not forget the first-ever Darkness crowd surfing; now that’s a first for this band.

A young man named Conall was caught by Justin filming the show on his phone, despite Justin’s earlier plea to put away phones. Justin came down, took the phone from him, and slipped it into the front of his pants. The phone was still recording, after the next song, he handed it back, not before cleaning it on his bum.
When it came time for the encore, they all came back on stage wearing dressing gowns and PJs. They mixed it up a little, with Rufus on bass and Dan on drums playing “I Love You 5 Times.”
The night climaxed with a call-and-response session during “Love on the Rocks” and Justin’s Angus Young-inspired journey through the crowd on a brave soul’s shoulders.
What a night! You still have a chance to catch this show, so don’t miss out. They are even back at Rock City on Tuesday.






Phones, Crowd Surfing, and Encore Antics: The Unforgettable Night with The Darkness. Rock City Gig Review. @ RockNews
The Darkness are
Justin Hawkins – Lead vocals, Guitar
Dan Hawkins – Guitar
Frankie Poullain – Bass
Rufus Tiger Taylor Drums
The Darkness discography.
Permission to Land
One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back
Hot Cakes
Last of Our Kind
Pinewood Smile
Easter Is Cancelled
Motorheart
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