The Darkness @ Irving Plaza
THE DARKNESS - NEW YORK, NY 4.18.22
The Darkness are a band unlike any other. Mostly associated with outlandish outfits, Queen-esque vocals and the 2003 mega-hit “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” many have come to think of them as no more than a gimmick. However, a listen through their decades spanning 7-album discography proves they have both quirk and talent in equal amounts.
Back in late 2019, before the pandemic caused the world to come to a halt, The Darkness had just released their 6th studio album Easter is Cancelled. They had big plans for a world tour where they would perform the album in its entirety while also including past favorites. Unfortunately in March of 2020 their tour was abruptly cut short and Easter did, in a way, get canceled.
After months of few social media updates suddenly the Darkness emerged from, well, the darkness… to announce another new album releasing in the fall of 2021 titled Motorheart. The fans would gain another chance to see the band perform live in the US in the spring of 2022. In an ever changing climate of COVID variants and restrictions it is always uncertain whether a show will be quite the same as it may have once been. Rest assured, this is one band who will not let you down with a subpar performance or lack of pageantry.
There was only one opening act for the evening, a three piece all female band known as The Dead Deads. With X’s drawn over their eyes and both singer/guitarist Meta and bassist Daisy wearing black and white jumpsuits, these ladies definitely left an impression. Their drummer McQueen took the spotlight with her kit placed right in the center of the stage. The Dead Dead’s sound melds together elements of punk, rock, grunge and even metal which was perfectly suited for the headliners fandom. They did have a fanbase of their own in the crowd who could be easily identified by their own hand drawn X’s in homage to the group. They were a great warm up for what was to come later in the evening.
As the lights went dim in between acts, the crowd began chanting for the headliner to appear. Singer Justin Hawkins electrified the stage like a bolt of lightning dressed in a hot-pink western style two piece and bolo tie. The elder Hawkins brother did two costume changes throughout the evening, both featuring variations of his signature catsuit embellished with fringe and open at the chest. Despite the New York date landing towards the tail end of the tour, his voice did not falter even on the highest of falsettos.
The rest of the band also had shining moments throughout the evening. Younger brother Dan Hawkins could teach a master class on guitar, dummer Rufus Tiger Taylor held his own even in the shadow of his famous father (Queen drummer Roger Taylor) and bassist Frankie Poullain oozed swagger, donning a Hugh Hefner style robe for their encore.
The Darkness were all smiles throughout their performance, as they are a band who often remind the crowd that music can be both serious and silly. Their songs are filled with heavy guitar riffs accompanied by Justin’s signature vocals in which he belts out sometimes ridiculous song lyrics. Their setlist featured classics like “One Way Ticket”, “Growing On Me” and “Friday Night” mixed in with newer songs such as “Heart Explodes”, “It’s Love Jim” and “Motorheart” from their latest album of the same name. Throughout the set there were moments of fans sitting atop each other's shoulders, crowd surfing and even a few mosh pits.
Gene Simmons of legendary rock ensemble KISS was quoted as saying “rock is dead”. The Darkness may not even disagree as they too have a song titled “Rock and Roll deserves to Die” - however the crowd at Webster Hall would argue otherwise. It seems rock music is alive and thriving, even on a rainy Monday night.
THE DEAD DEADS
THE DARKNESS
