After a mammoth journey to Rock City through almost stationary traffic, we arrive just in time to experience the mounting excitement of the crowd as they await The Darkness. We are primed and ready to really kick off Christmas season with some glittering anthemic rock as part of Rock City’s 35th anniversary celebrations and the friendly crowd have definitely come to dance.

A blue satin suited Justin strides onto the stage and the rocking sounds of BARBARIAN have the crowd pounding the air and head banging under the strobing lights.

Justin then engages in some crowd call and response banter before launching into GROWING ON ME with frantic fretwork and guitars held aloft whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

A rapturous reception to the opening chords of BLACK SHUCK confirm that the room is full of genuine Darkness fans who are soon screeching the lyrics at Justin Hawkins, who as ever is a consummate showman.
Hawkins teases the crowd into a variety of cheers prior to star jumping from the drum riser and then rocketing into MUDSLIDE, with stratospheric vocals and a rythmn that soon has the whole crowd dancing along and applauding guitar greatness at the cacophonous conclusion of the track. Brilliantly, Justin is wearing a Darkness t-shirt.

Dan’s beautiful suit and matching guitar are alluded to and then put to maximum use during GIVING UP, with the audience singing along joyfully with Justin, who jumps down into the photo pit.

A shout out to a Swedish birthday girl and a Sex Pistols style Happy Birthday precedes the tumbling ROARING WATERS , where Justin once again demonstrates his awe inspiring vocal range to the dancing fans.
Frankie then teases the crowd with his cowbell as an intro to the anthemic ONE WAY TICKET with it’s unbelievable vocal range echoing throughout the room and dance dominating melody creating a suitable reaction in the crowd. Justin then creates The Darkness plectrum glitter ball challenge; he is pretty awesome at hitting the glitter ball to be fair…and I am awful at catching plectrums, even when they fly very close to my failing fingers.
Cascading chords and clapping hands signify the start of LOVE IS ONLY A FEELING, which turns the whole room into an epic karaoke until Taylor jumps the drums and guitars in some amazing acrobatics that indicate that The Darkness will never be boring or predictable.

FRIDAY NIGHT has Justin on keys and the crowd so good at backing vocals that he states it is his favourite night of the tour, which causes huge cheers and lots of dancing on this Wednesday night.

The beautiful CONQUERORS has the crowd swaying their arms along with the melody and singing along with Frankie.

ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN sees Justin on keys again and claiming his affection for Nottingham as the stage erupts into a rocking volcano of vibrant vocals and infectious melody. One overly enthusiastic crowd member begs Hawkins to get his cock out…but the singer insists that this is not appropriate and strips off only his t shirt. The humour is hilarious as always. Hawkins is a man who knows how to entertain.

RACK OF GLAM follows, which was the first song written with Taylor as a drummer and the beat is prevalent throughout, demanding dancing and foot stomping.

Craziness predictably ensues with GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY WOMAN, with mad moshing breaking out across the crowd. The audience then claps along as Justin does a handstand with star jump legs on the drum riser.

STUCK IN A RUT sees Hawkins racing across the stage playing relentless riffs with potentially one of the most charismatic bands on the circuit at the moment; The Darkness definitely come determined to entertain.
Rocking anthem I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE obviously kick starts a clap along, sing a long, we came here to party vibe and the shout of ‘guitar’ reminds us of the sheer brilliance of the riffs that rifle through The Darkness’ songs as Justin Hawkins wields his like a weapon of mass entertainment.

LOVE ON THE ROCKS sees Justin Hawkins travel through the crowd on the shoulders of a bouncer right next to us because The Darkness are throughly here to entertain their fans and to have a great time, which we are clearly having as Justin Hawkins karate kid crane kicks the song to it’s conclusion and the song we are waiting for in what will surely be a Christmassy encore. I mean, we don’t want the gig to end but we do want to hear about the bell’s end.

It is clearly going to happen as we watch the stage become bedecked with decorations. Firstly, though, The Darkness perform SANTA, their latest Christmas song with some help from their opening act and it is a catchy dance inducing delight that certainly deserves a chart place more than any manufactured drivel from the terrible television show that shall not be named, so buy it people. It mentions reindeer and everything!

Finishing with DON’T LET THE BELLS END, The Darkness help us to get into the Christmas spirit and reaffirm their place at the top of our great gigs list. Go catch them on the rest of their tour; it will be your one way ticket to rock heaven and back!