The Darkness have been a fixture in UK popular rock’n’roll circles for numerous years now. Known for their spandex, ludicrous videos and songs, and dynamic range of vocals from charismatic frontman Justin Hawkins. So, when we were given the chance to cover their super special, intimate and early promo gig for forthcoming album ‘Dreams on Toast’ it was an opportunity we couldn’t believe we’d been afforded.
Read MoreIf we are honest with ourselves, the early noughties were rather a bleak and monochrome time for rock. Radiohead were being self-consciously awkward, the Strokes were plying an insipid brand of faux-rebellion that is only possible when you are the trust fund kids of Wall Street billionaires and The White Stripes were busy whitewashing the blues of all of its cultural heritage. Then into that world appeared The Darkness, a vivid Technicolor explosion in a valley of greyscale. Like all good explosions, they burnt bright and died young. A brief extravagant glimpse into a parallel dimension of lurid colour and tight spandex.
Read MoreBlack Stone Cherry and The Darkness make interesting bedfellows. The latter haven't bothered arenas since 2005, whilst the former is desperately battling diminishing returns to retain their arena-bothering status. Tonight's double-header is designed to be a win-win for both bands and both sets of fans. In terms of quality, it achieves this in spades as both acts roll up their well-tattooed sleeves and deliver astounding performances.
Read MoreIt’s a cold and rainy Liverpool tonight, yet the O2 Liverpool Academy is rammed. This is good but not good, the place is steamimg and so are my glasses.
I wipe them just as Massive Wagons hit the stage. Wagons are a band who have slogged their arses off on the pub and club circuit for the last dozen years or so, and it’s been amazing to see them transform from a fairly average pub covers band to the new Britrock powerhouse that they have now become. This tour with The Darkness is yet another rung on their ladder to success – they are here as a last-minute replacement for Steve Harris’s British Lion who pulled out for unspecified reasons that appeared to involve covid precautions. Yes, THAT Steve Harris.
Read MoreREWS are a three-piece pop/rock band hailing from London despite there being a distinct Norn Irish twang about the vocals. They are bubbly, with catchy songs, and the female vocals are OK. There’s nothing that reaches out and grips me about them, but nothing I particularly dislike either. They do sound a lot like Scotland’s Amorettes though, to the extent that from my position at the back I had to squidge a bit closer to the stage just to check that this wasn’t them under another name. (It wasn’t).
Read MoreIs it getting harder to commute to Manchester or am I getting slower? After my last experience on Tuesday, I decided to set off from Liverpool in good time to ensure I would arrive well before the support act Blackfoot Gypsies were due on stage.
The opening act was not publicised on any of the UK dates, was this meant to create an element of surprise or a last minute decision?
Read More
