From the moment frontman Justin Hawkins ran out on stage to smash out the high note of “Rock and Roll Deserves to Die” in a white, glam-rock jumpsuit, the crowd knew they were about to witness a truly special concert that late December evening. The Darkness has returned in full force to perform their latest album Easter is Cancelled at the Roundhouse.
From their formation in 2000, the band’s journey has been extremely rocky. After their hit single ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ propelled them to the height of popularity alongside an iconic Reading Festival headline set in 2004, the band has experienced multiple members leaving, starting their own side projects and then rejoining to officially reform The Darkness in 2011. Their performance tonight, 19 years after their initial formation, was a demonstration of utterly brilliant classic Rock and roll to see the new decade in.
In true Rock and Roll fashion, the band did not conform to the fans’ expectations – the first part of the concert on December 20th consisted of the entire Easter is Cancelled album, performed chronologically. Then came the second part, dedicated to the band’s classic hits. That evening it did not matter whether you followed them from the beginning or had only heard their main hits – everyone in the room was experiencing the same electric spirit throughout the performance. The combination of animated church windows at the front of the stage, the entire Roundhouse headbanging in unison and cheering along to Hawkins, who was conducting the crowd mid-handstand with his legs clapping in the air, made clear how the night was a truly spiritual experience for many fans. The crowd’s enthusiasm and energy lasted the whole night, driven by the exemplary vocals provided by the lead-singer, a defining part of The Darkness’ sound. The performance of ‘Get your hands off of my woman’ outshone any version I’d heard prior to tonight and testified that The Darkness has become the best and most polished version of themselves whilst simultaneously retaining their carefree and effortless Rock and roll spirit.
While this performance is one of the highest in energy, passion and excitement I have seen in a long time, I have to ask why the album has not garnered more attention from mainstream media? Perhaps it is linked to the demise in popularity the music genre has seen over the past decade. Naturally, trends and bands change over a decade, however, the ‘10s are arguably the first decade in music history where there has been no rock band to define the rock sound of the decade. Bands from the ‘10s such as Coldplay and Maroon 5, made famous by their rock hits, have gradually moved over to a pop-rock sound to follow the gradual change in trends and appeal to younger audiences. However, The Darkness has stayed true to their original sound, first developed at the turn of the millennium, not allowing the influences of modern music to divert them from their Rock and roll spirit. They are a prime example of a band that does Rock and roll exceptionally, which is perhaps a factor in their continued success and their loyal fanbase steadily growing over the years.
I am by no means a dedicated Rock and roll fan; the only other rock performance I’ve ever seen live is Slade - the iconic 70’s glam-rock band hailing from my hometown. However, this performance delivered by The Darkness has demonstrated to me the eccentricity that can be achieved with traditional instruments played to the highest standard and extraordinary vocals. Following tonight, Easter is Cancelled and the band’s other albums will have a strong feature in my playlists, and it has shown me that it is time for me to branch out into other rock bands across the past few decades that I may have neglected. Maybe they too will tear down expectations the same way tonight did. A performance by The Darkness is a guarantee of high energy rock and roll that encourages all types of people to get involved. Without a doubt, I will be on the lookout in the future for more appearances from The Darkness and highly encourage you all to take time to embrace a different genre of music you’re yet to explore. Push the limits of your musical taste.
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