Photo of The Darkness by Laura Jerele
Simply put, The Darkness are, without a doubt, one of the best bands you can ever see live. And I don’t say that lightly because, as you probably know, I catch hundreds of bands every year. Yes, The Darkness hold a very respectable and special place in my heart for the amount of cheeky grit they bring to every single performance. Their very first US tour did not bring them to St. Louis, so after having to travel to see that first jaunt across America many years ago for that first impression, you can bet I would never miss a St. Louis tour stop from them, and last night’s show at The Pageant was just as remarkable as you would expect. Technically it’s the first stop of their tour supporting their latest release, Dreams On Toast, although they did perform an excellent set at Rocklahoma the night before.
With their trademark intro of ABBA’s “Arrival” to officially start their show, they came out to and jumped right into their new song, “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy,” which was a fun choice, and of course, the crowd knew the song well being the loyalists that they are. Well done, St. Louis! Singing along loudly and proudly, I could hear the fans singing behind me—damn I love that for the band as much as I do for me! “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” kicked hard and singer Justin Hawkins did his trademark headstand-on-the-drumriser complete with leg kicks to the beat. TOP THAT, will ya? I don’t think you can—and mind you, this man is not in his twenties and looks fitter than most twenty year olds, running about with jumps, kicks, antics, choreography that makes you both laugh and participate, and headstands! My personal favorite, “Growing On Me,” was played early in the set, so I was practically dying with joy over that as I was singing and photographing, having the time of my life! Their set was a fabulous mix of new songs and fan favorites from their debut Permission To Land, including the best sing-along ever, “Friday Night.” Sorry to the fans that had a sign to play “Bald”… I know you drove a long way, but better luck next time for that deep cut!
Let’s talk about this band. Ever the consummate frontman, Justin Hawkins is the showpiece in and of himself. Not showing a stitch of age, his voice is rich and stellar, and his antics are plenty, parading around and owning a stage as only he can. Campy and entertaining, sure, but talented as hell with an incredible vocal range that is incredibly impressive live when you realize he’s been doing this for more than 25 years. No autotune. No crazy effects to fix things that lack. This man has raw talent, and his band mates deserve just as much accolades, each in their own right. His brother, Dan Hawkins, holds everything steady as an incredibly underrated guitarist. His stance, perfectly timed rhythmic playing, and head banging are all the things you come to expect with a Darkness show and Dan always delivers. Oh, but tonight, no Thin Lizzy tee! He’s also a talented singer and multi-instrumentalist which the anniversary of the Permission To Land tour that we covered showcased well for all of the band members for their memorable set-ender. Bassist Frankie Poullain is as much elusive as he is incredibly fashionable—he doesn’t slink to the back of the stage, he commands your attention throwing plectrums, engaging the crowd and looking suave as hell doing it in a custom styled suit. His bass is loud, his playing is perfection as part of the rhythm section that holds and drives everything together in an unmatched way. It’s heavy and it’s loud. Immediately playing to and with the audience, it’s always fun to watch Frankie play and interact with the fans and tonight was no different. Drummer Rufus Taylor is one of the best drummers you will ever see and hear live, he hits hard and has tremendous finesse and even though he’s not their original drummer, he is the most natural and perfect fit of any version of the band I’ve ever seen in 25+ years. He also has an incredible voice as he took a moment out from behind the kit and sang “My Only,” a song for his dog. He’s born of rock royalty, but is divine in his own right with being a phenomenal drummer.
A fantastic end to the night was having the band choosing a new song to end with, rather than an obligatory hit like “I Believe In A thing Called Love.” That’s what I love about this band: they are not afraid to try new things and do new things while being absolutely true rock ‘n’ roll rollers at heart. They know how to give to their fans as much as they give to their craft with absolute integrity. They do this better than most people half their age and if you weren’t there, it sucks to be you and you missed one of the best shows St. Louis had all year! And with that, they left the stage while “I Had The Time Of My Life” played, just as they did the very first time I saw them in March of 2004. And yeah, we did!
Here’s the setlist:
Rock and Roll Party Cowboy
Get Your Hands Off My Woman
Growing on Me
Mortal Dread
Motorheart
Walking Through Fire (complete with crowd demanded choreography)
Barbarian
Love Is Only a Feeling
Givin’ Up
My Only (Rufus on vocals)
Heart Explodes
The Longest Kiss
Friday Night
Japanese Prisoner of Love
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Encore – I Hate Myself
Opening the show was Mark Daly, who brought a really rich rock and roll style to open the show for their US tour. It’s not easy to take the stage before an act like The Darkness, but honestly, he was such a solid opener. He’s got this gritty, heartfelt rock sound that immediately grabbed the room, and even people who clearly came just for The Darkness were nodding along and warming up to him. There’s a raw edge to his voice that feels both polished and unshakably real, and it set the tone perfectly for the night. He chatted up the crowd and seemed so utterly likeable, I’m sure he won hearts! By the end of his set, he had the crowd cheering louder than most openers usually get, which says a lot. It felt a lot less like a warm-up act and more like we’d just been treated to a mini headliner before the main event. | Laura Jerele
