UNITARDS, FLAMBOYANCE, falsettos, and gargantuan guitar riffs will explode onto the stage of Monroe’s Live when The Darkness play the Dominick Street venue on Friday March 13 at 8pm.
The band - Justin Hawkins, Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain, and new drummer Emily Dolan Davies - are currently on tour, ahead of the release of their fourth album, provisionally titled Cliffhanger, which will also be released in March.
The Darkness burst on to the scene in 2003 with the album Permission To Land. Its Queen indebted heavy rock and riff centred anthems, and frontman Justin Hawkins high pitched vocals and flamboyant dress sense were epitomised by the hit single ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’.
The band would enjoy further hits, a No 1 spot in Britain for the album, and win three Brit Awards, four Kerrang! Awards, several Pop Factory Awards, and two MTV Music Awards. Their live performances also generated much excitement. However, their often camp, OTT style and image meant not everyone was able to take them seriously, and some wondered if they were a deliberate parody of 1970s classic rock or genuine revivalists of the style. As Pitchfork noted:
“Cynical legions still question the seriousness of the Darkness’ intentions, often confusing the sense of humour apparent in the band's songs and videos with insincerity and winking satire...If the Darkness were anything less than completely honest devotees of the large-scale rock they’re determined to resurrect, their music wouldn’t be so successful.”
Follow-up One Way ticket to Hell...And Back failed however to make the same impact leading the band to implode. By 2011 though they hit the comeback trail and in 2012 released third album Hot Cakes, which performed well, and contained the band’s Iron Maiden-ised re-imagining of Radiohead’s ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out )’:
Tickets are €25/€22.50 and are available through www.monroes.ie
