THE DARKNESS // BARBICAN CENTRE, YORK
‘Easter is Cancelled’ but Christmas has finally arrived – The Darkness Rock Out with their Bells Out in York!
THE DARKNESS PERFORMING AT YORK’S BARBICAN CENTRE - 17.12.2019
PICTURE BY: | JOHN HAYHURST @SNAPAGIG.COM
★★★★☆ (4/5)
It has been 16 years since ‘Permission to Land’ graced the record shelves of stores that now no longer exist; however, The Darkness are still packing a punch and have another pre-xmas tour to play and a brand-new album to promote.
We have the usual stench of beer and comedy Santa hats at the Barbican, as droves of people are queuing up for their annual treat of some nostalgic classic rock, most of them were probably at Leeds Academy the previous year.
It’s a good time for the Classic Rock panto, all the characters are here, the long haired and the bald with beards, the rock chic wearers in leather and lace, and the aging punks and bikers in Motorhead T Shirts. We will run through the customary panto actions, clap and sway hands and sing a long at the right times, marvel at the guitar solos and be amazed when Justin Hawkins does his handstand, splits kick and plectrum keepy-uppy. Like a panto, it is pure fun entertainment, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, it doesn’t - and shouldn’t, try to be anything else.
One look at Justin Hawkins as he walks out on to the stage tells you everything, he’s wearing a white flared latex jumpsuit, split to the navel. Anyone who has ‘Lowestoft’ tattooed in big letters above their belly button, clearly does not give a shit what anybody thinks about them, and that self-deprecating charm works a treat with this audience. “I used to do this a while back - Give me a D” he shouts and the D is duly given back, “Give me an….arkness?” he enquires in an unsure what to do next voice. It is all part of the panto and like an extract from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, where the audience can all recite the script, we laugh and join in with seasonal gusto.
His brother Dan Hawkins is the chalk to Justin’s cheese, a trad rocker, shoulder length hair, wearing another white jacket suit, but a little less understated. He is the provider of some amazing riffage on his many Les Paul guitars, and the odd belting solo too. Playing the Malcolm Young (RIP) role, he tends to stay at the back, while his brother struts around like an eccentric male peacock.
Bass player Frankie Poullain is in a white shiny suit with wide lapels, with his afro and tash he’s looking cooler than ever tonight and teased the crowd with Mo’Cowbell before ‘One Way Ticket’. Then we have the young drummer with a pedigree most would envy, Queen’s Roger Taylor’s son - Rufus ‘Tiger’ Taylor. I have often thought that The Darkness have many similar qualities to Queen, an outrageous camp frontman and some underlying rock tunes and hand pumping choruses that stay with you for years.
Tonight is a game of two halves, 1st we have the brand spanking new album ‘Easter is Cancelled’ in full. In an age where we have regular album tours from eighties and nineties stars celebrating 20 or 30 years, it is a brave move to do this with a new album that hasn’t really been played that much. However, it shows that The Darkness have some serious confidence in this new record.
Comedy moments are everywhere, too many to mention, but particularly when Frankie’s wireless for his bass stopped working and Justin Hawkins filled in time with a “Yorkshire Yorkshire” chant – brilliant.
In the 2nd set we get all the main hits from Permission to Land and more, ‘Growing on Me’ and ‘Love is Only a Feeling’ are early in this set and the fantastic ‘One Way Ticket to Hell’ kicked it off. Justin now in a red flared jump suit and again split out to show of the tats. Personal fave ‘Solid Gold’ was in there along with a Radiohead cover of ‘Street Spirit’ and a little bit of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.
The 2nd half performance is quite perfect, every falsetto note hit and every guitar pose pulled, exactly what we came for. They walk that fine line between comedy and rock’n’roll, but do so with incredible musicianship and a big smile on their faces.
‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ gets the Hawkins/audience call and response treatment again. It may be 16 years old, and like many of their tunes it’s clichéd to the hilt, but I wouldn’t want it or this band any other way.
Of course, you save your best till last and the Christmastastic ‘Don’t let the Bells End’ rings out across the Yorkshire audience and arms are swayed in regulation and time. Christmas can’t start without The Darkness as they take on the mantle left by Noddy Holder and Roy Wood and pull off one of the best post 70’s Christmas songs with ease.
In a world where every TV bulletin seems to plunge us further into darkness and despair, ironically The Darkness provide more light and fun than anything found on the box or on your shiny pieces of tech tonight. Let the Christmas season commence and don’t let the bells end!
SETLIST: | THE DARKNESS : BARBICAN CENTRE, YORK - 17.12.2019
Easter Is Cancelled - Set:
Rock and Roll Deserves to Die - (with Extended Outro)
How Can I Loose Your Love
Live ‘Til I Die
Heart Explodes
Deck Chair - (Dan on bass, Frankie on Acoustic, Rufus on Keyboard)
Easter Is Cancelled
Heavy Metal Lover
In Another Life
Choke on It
We Are the Guitar Men - (Justin Solo Acoustic)
Set Two:
One Way Ticket
Barbarian
Growing on Me
Japanese Prisoner of Love
Love Is Only a Feeling
Solid Gold
Givin’ Up
Street Spirit (Fade Out) - (Radiohead cover) - (With “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” snippet by The Beatles)
Get Your Hands Off My Woman
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
ENCORE:
Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)