Made up of spandex-clad, wailing front man Justin Hawkins, his quieter brother Dan, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham, The Darkness burst onto the music scene in 2003 with ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’. Rock music was fun and in the mainstream again, but sadly it didn’t last. Early Success The Darkness enjoyed a great run after their debut album Permission To Land. Combining the best of Queen and AC/DC, they create tracks with huge riffs, blistering solos and soaring vocals. They remained talented, but always tongue-in-cheek lyrically and with their general attitude. The album earned the band a lot of attention with awards including the Kerrang! Best Album, as well as one of the band’s three BRIT Awards. The Darkness enjoyed huge success in 2004, winning Best Album, Best Act and Best Rock Act. The album produced a few successful singles, although The Darkness never managed a Number One Single. Arguably the closest they came was with ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)’, but yet another cheesy and just fantastic Christmas song was beaten by a run of the mill, depressing pop track (‘Mad World’, that year). The Beginning of the End They toured extensively, riding the coattails of the previous album. Eventually it was time for The Darkness to release album number two. Unfortunately, the album and its subsequent tour was harmed by Justin Hawkins’ drug-centred lifestyle, leading to a spell at The Priory. One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back was a good album, but a complete commercial flop. Whereas its predecessor reached Number 1 in the Album Chart, The Darkness’ second record only debuted at 11, falling 23 spaces shortly after. Also, Frankie Poullain departed as bassist, to be replaced by former guitar technician Richie Edwards. The band milked the album for as long as they could, but with Justin beginning other projects (such as the failure that was British Whale), it became the clear The Darkness wouldn’t last much longer. The End, and Where Are They Now? After the demise of The Darkness, Dan Hawkins, Ed Graham and Richie Edwards went on to form Stone Gods, with Toby MacFarlaine completing the line-up as bassist (Richie switched to guitar and lead vocals). To date, there’s only been one album, 2009’s Silver Spoons & Broken Bones. It was well-received, and the band have garnered a great reputation for their heavy rock style. They couldn’t be further from The Darkness. Meanwhile, Justin Hawkins formed his own group Hot Leg, which somehow amplified his flamboyant personality. Branding themselves as Man Rock, Hawkins’ vocals were even more prominent, although his knack for a great 80s-style rocker is still admirable. Their album Red Light Fever was critically well-received, but failed to send Justin back into the public eye (for the right reasons). Both of these bands have recently announced hiatuses amid rumours of a reunion for The Darkness. Justin and Dan are apparently friends again, and the rumours are that it would be with the original line-up. Whilst this is maybe a bit exciting, it’s disappointing for Stone Gods fans, who are still waiting for the follow-up to their debut. It’s been recorded, but almost forgotten. Should The Darkness reunite? Will it be a success, or a complete failure? Let us know what you think. Female First - Alistair McGeorge
Made up of spandex-clad, wailing front man Justin Hawkins, his quieter brother Dan, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham, The Darkness burst onto the music scene in 2003 with ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’. Rock music was fun and in the mainstream again, but sadly it didn’t last. Early Success The Darkness enjoyed a great run after their debut album Permission To Land. Combining the best of Queen and AC/DC, they create tracks with huge riffs, blistering solos and soaring vocals. They remained talented, but always tongue-in-cheek lyrically and with their general attitude. The album earned the band a lot of attention with awards including the Kerrang! Best Album, as well as one of the band’s three BRIT Awards. The Darkness enjoyed huge success in 2004, winning Best Album, Best Act and Best Rock Act. The album produced a few successful singles, although The Darkness never managed a Number One Single. Arguably the closest they came was with ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)’, but yet another cheesy and just fantastic Christmas song was beaten by a run of the mill, depressing pop track (‘Mad World’, that year). The Beginning of the End They toured extensively, riding the coattails of the previous album. Eventually it was time for The Darkness to release album number two. Unfortunately, the album and its subsequent tour was harmed by Justin Hawkins’ drug-centred lifestyle, leading to a spell at The Priory. One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back was a good album, but a complete commercial flop. Whereas its predecessor reached Number 1 in the Album Chart, The Darkness’ second record only debuted at 11, falling 23 spaces shortly after. Also, Frankie Poullain departed as bassist, to be replaced by former guitar technician Richie Edwards. The band milked the album for as long as they could, but with Justin beginning other projects (such as the failure that was British Whale), it became the clear The Darkness wouldn’t last much longer. The End, and Where Are They Now?
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