The Darkness

Yep, you read the title correctly, The Darkness are still going. Who’da thunk it! After conquering the world with their début album Permission To Land in 2003, their party train of classic rock pastiche quickly came off the rails. The clichés of rock band excess took hold and the public decided they only wanted to listen to dreadful indie bands. Unfortunately, their time in the spotlight was up.

Upon their return to Brighton in support of latest album Hot Cakes, Justin Hawkins displayed the showmanship and musical chops which made them so popular 10 years ago. The comedic talent of Hawkins alone are worth the ticket price and the songs and rock star posturing carry a sense of fun which is gloriously cheesy and satisfying to watch. A sluggish crowd was the only misdemeanour in what was otherwise a highly entertaining, endorphin-boosting evening.

Concorde 2, 7 December 2013

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