Justin Hawkins
After announcing they reformation earlier this year, and three warm-up shows, The Darkness made their long-awaited return at Download Festival, and may have saved rock n' roll all over again.
Showing no signs of rust or nerves, the glam-rock quartet played a hit-filled set to a crowd hanging on their every word and riff.
Justin Hawkins had promised an updated cat suit and delivered, emerging late into the set with a black and grey suit complete with a tail.
With the change in outfit, and the huge pyro display, you could be forgiven for thinking that The Darkness' show was style over substance.
However, any band that opens their return set with an old, instrumental b-side deserves credit, especially when they keep the crowd engaged.
Opening with 'Bareback', The Darkness owned the stage (excuse the cliché) and showed their very real instrumental talent before launching into 'Black Shuck', the first track from their debut album Permission To Land.
Justin was back on form as the larger-than-life front-man he was before the band split. His vocals were soaring, as the crowd tried to match him note-for-note on favourites like 'Get Your Hands Off My Woman' and 'One Way 'Ticket'.
As opinion of The Darkness generally declined for their second album, there was always a chance this return wouldn't be well-received, and that any singalong moments would fall flat.
However, the crowd joining Justin in an a capella intro for 'Friday Night' was wonderful, leading into another fine performance from the quartet.
Even new track 'Canonball' (the only new song played tonight) went down well, although any more new tracks would have been an overkill.
Thankfully, the set did lean heavily on The Darkness' debut, with 'One Way Ticket' and 'Is It Just Me?' being the only songs from the band's sophomore album featuring in the set-list.
'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' predictably got the biggest reaction, but The Darkness did things right by ending on 'Love On The Rocks With No Ice', as they always used to.
It was a great spectable to watch, and proves that The Darkness are back, better than ever.
They were hailed as the saviours of rock n' roll the first time round, and look set to do it again.
At least for an hour, everyone in attendance at the Main Stage remembered that rock music can, and should be, fun.
Read our interview with The Darkness.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
Tagged in The Darkness Download Festival