With their 2026 Dreams On Toast tour being their seventh down under since 2004 (eighth if the 2013 tour had not been cancelled), it's quite obvious The Darkness loves Australia.
Guess what? Australia loves The Darkness right back. The sold-out Friday night show (20 February) at The Tivoli, Brisbane, is further evidence of this. A queue of fans lining up around the block (and then some) proves once again The Darkness holds a special place in our hearts.
The crowd oozed Friday-night energy. Original fans, dads and sons, and glam-rock cosplayers were tripping over each other to get inside. One very happy group of friends were keen to share that "the wives were at Ed Sheeran and the guys are here! Yewwww!" Mr Sheeran was playing at Suncorp Stadium only 2km away. Game, set and very well matched.
Support act RAGEFLOWER kicked the night off with an enjoyable, reliable set. The Sydneysiders tap the '90s alt-rock vibes. Singer Madeleine Powers is a powerful vocal mix of Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs) and Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), backed by a very adept four piece.
Recent releases 'Hands On', 'Sign Of Life' and 'Hot Glue' kick the set off. Powers' lyrics connect to a modern-pop audience with a wonderfully produced sonic scape. 'Angel Things' is a dark creeper with big synths and 'Zombie'-era Cranberries tones with modern edges.
While not in the power league of The Darkness, RAGEFLOWER holds the audience attentive and receives deserved appreciation.
RAGEFLOWER - image © Clea-marie Thorne
A simple backdrop banner with a huge The Darkness logo glowed under red lights as the band casually took the stage. A long intro song creates tension, inducing a monsoon of cheers as members take their positions.
While the signature curly quiff of bassist Frankie Poullain is iconic, it's the rock & roll shape of Justin Hawkins that brings the roar. Slinging guitars like professional sharpshooters, the band launches into the feedback riffs of 'Rock And Roll Party Cowboy', the opener of recent album 'Dreams On Toast'.
The name says it all with its tongue-in-cheek poke at '80s-era versions of Bon Jovi and Poison.
From the get-go, Hawkins kicks his vocal range into full throttle. Like a demon child of Skid Row's Sebastian Bach and Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Hawkins catapults all listening ears into the stratosphere. Anyone in the audience trying to reach within an octave of Hawkins' top note risks the attention of paramedics.
The Darkness - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The band flips straight back to where it all began with 'Growing On Me' and 'Get Your Hands Off My Woman' from 2003's 'Permission To Land'. The latter sees Hawkins climb into the audience for an epic crowd surf.
He's still singing when realisation sets in that he's reached halfway across The Tivoli. He beckons to the stage and his holders u-turn him straight back. Guitarist Dan Hawkins doesn't miss a note as his older brother, Justin, arrives back onstage. It's all in a day's work.
Before moving onto 'Mortal Dread', Hawkins recalls himself leaping from a balcony at a previous gig at The Tivoli. Without pause, he proceeds to make his way to said balcony and launch into a mattress of outstretched arms. Another crowd surf back to the stage follows, this time on his back. His ear-to-ear grin says it all. This is his playground and we're all invited.
Absolute rock & roll follows with AC/DC vs Van Halen vs Queen DNA'd 'Motorheart' and 'Walking Through Fire'. The band throws everything at each song.
The Darkness - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Drummer, Rufus Tiger Taylor is a beast on the skins. A very apt and excellent appointment, being the son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor. Now shirtless with torso tattoos on full display, the (mostly) self-taught Rufus shows us his soloing prowess.
The crowd is shushed for the poetic 'Barbarian' intro before getting blasted back a step when the kick drum hits. Hawkins' wail lifts the roof like 1,000 banshees. 'Love Is Only A Feeling' brings the phones up, dispelling an earlier request by the singer to "put the phones down and live in the moment". Words are sung and tears are wept. Old memories emerge to invite new ones to sit beside them.
The set is a masterclass of crowd interaction and pure joy. As songwriters and musicians, The Darkness is of the highest quality. A tension lies in the fine line between the serious hard rock world and a Spinal Tap parody. Thankfully, the former is where they land.
That said, their song names and lyrics are sublime in taking the mickey. With humour akin to Gary Larson's 'The Far Side' type of humour, many double meanings and entendres go over a listener's head. All these years later, this reviewer is still picking up on glorious in-song constructs.
The Darkness - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Tiger Taylor's vocals bring a touch of soul to the country bar during slow-dance number 'My Only'. Dan Hawkins seamlessly takes drum duties, adding another impressive touch to the night.
The surprise hit of the night came in the form of a cover. Beginning with a dinky country twang, Hawkins begins 'Creep' by Radiohead. His voice is sublimely matched for holding the Thom Yorke falsetto. The crowd whips into a frenzy as the band kick in with the iconic 'Cha Chunk' chorus as the big guitars kick in. For those who haven't witnessed Radiohead live, this was a premium level option.
'The Longest Kiss' taps ELO's 'Mr. Blue Sky' while 'Friday Night' brings the actual Friday night dancing. Rounding the main set out is their big breakout hit, 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love', but not before a cheeky half serving of Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song'.
A solid breather gap whips the crowd in a lather again. The band have given 110 per cent and obviously require an energy drink or 15. They saunter back onstage and crack into 'One Way Ticket' from their second album, 2005's 'One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back'. It's an absolute winner complete with cowbell.
The Darkness - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The show is bookended with a little more Led Zepp ('Heartbreaker' intro) before the early Queen-esque rocker 'I Hate Myself' completes the night's set.
The Darkness love their crowd as much as they love performing for them. As sweat drips from almost everyone as they exit the venue, there is no doubt the love is reciprocated in bucket loads.
Tonight, nothing was left on the table. It was rock & roll or go home. These days, it's no mean feat to keep classic hard rock alive and fresh. It can only be achieved by staying true to your art and doing it freaking well.
The Darkness does all this in spades; and with a sweaty hand on heart, this reviewer was glad to be here and not at the big stadium up the road.
