Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Tuesday 18th March, 2025
The first time I saw The Darkness live was back at T In The Park in 2006. We had a day ticket because Bowie was supposed to be performing as part of The Reality Tour. Incidently it would have been my tenth time seeing the great man live. Alas it was not meant to be as David had a heart attack so couldnae perform.
The Darkness took Bowie’s place on the bill. So up to press that was the only time I went to T In The Park and up until now was the only time I have seen The Darkness live. In recent time I have been enjoying Justin Hawkins podcasts and have proved to display an impressive and entertaining talent. So after a break of 19 years I get to see this great band live again.
Good Things always come out of Yorkshire, I would know being a Bradford Lad. So it always warms the cockles of my heart when Northern English bands do well. And although originally from down south, Justin Hawkins and his brother Dan formed the band while studying at college in the Yorkshire town called Huddersfield. So that in Divine’s eyes makes The Darkness a Yorkshire band.
One could see it in their performance, the joy that was expressed on performing such a beautiful venue such as The (Packed To The Rafters) Usher Hall. Each of the band members struck a very handsome presence, completely in tune with Justin’s five-octave vocal talent and yes his heroes really came through, Freddie Mercury being key, the call and responses were a mirror of Queen, Queen if they had been a Northern English band that cut their stagecraft amongst Bingo Machines and tinsel.
The drummer too, sexy fella, when he took his leave from the drum stool, he was replaced by his drum tech so that he could perform a number, The Darkness really are a very sexy whole, there wasnae a dry pair of pants in the house when he finished his number.
As one can tell I was very much enjoying this. Yes indeed by the end of the performance, The Darkness had won a new fan. Rock N Roll Sexy Glam. Yes indeedy, The Darkness ticked all the box’s tonight, a spectacular performance. Hot and Raw. The Darkness are having a resurgence, a second wind of massive popularity, it is not hard to understand why this is so, when a band work as hard as The Darkness collective did. Oh Yes baby, Tonight was really special. I loved it as did the capacity audience. And for one night, we collectively “Believed In A Thing Called Love.”
Words: Mark Calvert
Photography: Raymond Speedie
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