THE DARKNESS
WE HAVE LIFTOFF!
by Astrid S
If you thought the era of mega monster rock bands with mega monster rock songs and mega monster rock heroes was over and you'd never get to experience it...that stories told by an older brother or uncle about those days of glory would be the closest you'd get to experience it, well, be glad, all that has changed. The Darkness have arrived.
This British rock band that has taken the music scene by the balls formed at the end of 1999.
All four members,Justin Hawkins, (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, piano) Dan Hawkins (guitar) Frankie Poullain (bass) Ed Graham(drums)have known each other for many years, all have been into music from an early age and have played together and separately in several bands.
Growing up in Lowestoft, England, the Hawkins brothers, with the support and encouragement of their parents which continued through-out their lives, dedicated most of their time (throw some soccer, sharks, trucks and girls in there)to mastering their music skills and forming and playing in bands. Ed also grew up in Lowestoft and was friends with Dan and Justin and apparently all he really cared about back then was his drumming. He later enrolled in film school and continued drumming. Scots Frankie has said that he has been driven to succeed in the rock world by his musical father (a violinist in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1950s, and founder of a group of musicians called The Edinburgh Quartet in the 1960s) who walked out on him to pursue his career when Frankie was just seven years old.
At age 17 Dan moved to London to continue to fulfill the commitment he made to himself when he was 9: to be the best guitarist he could be and create one of the best rock bands ever, and it was then when he met Frankie Poullain, through an ad in a music paper. Together they played in several bands with different musicians. Justin also continued working with music (you can also throw in there charity work in war-torn countries)attended music school and kept writing music and composing songs.
Then, by the end of 1999, Dan and Justin decided to put aside their differences as brothers and start a band together with Justin as the frontman.
They recruited childhood friend Ed Graham who left the band he was in at the moment to join his friends and contacted Frankie Poullain who at that time was in sunny Venezuela and who quickly rushed home to join his bandmates in this new adventure.
They became The Darkness.
With powerful, melodious and extremely well composed/arranged songs under their belts they started to play gig after gig until by word of mouth their fame and group of followers started to grow.
However, the big record companies where afraid to touch them as they were too different from everything else going on in the music scene.(They did tell the Beatles before being signed that guitar music was out), but this didn't stop the boys from continuing to play and carrying on with what they were doing, not thinking whether they should change their music in order to fit the parameters that would be "acceptable" for the record companies. They just kept being true to themselves and to what they loved.
These are the kind of people who make you think they are genetically engineered to be true rock personas and are only fulfilling the destiny that was decided for them(or maybe by them)before they were even born.
They released 3 singles through the independant label Must Destroy Music and then finally, came the time to make a record, to lay down all these incredible songs that had been rocking thousands of people throughout the UK filling venues without having an album out.
It took them 3 weeks of intense rehearsing (all the backing tracks are live) and 2 weeks in the studio to deliver their debut album "Permission to land" which was released through Atlantic records
To the people who had already seen them live the album was just a confirmation of what they already knew, to the rest who didn't know of them it was the most incredible and explosive surprise. In an ocean of dull songs sang in the same way with the same sounds all of a sudden came something so charged with emotion, perfection, energy, virtuosity and just this Wham Bam thank you Mam! feeling to it that most people were just in s state of shock at first. Some in complete awe, others just trying to figure out what just hit them and others just upset with it, probably thinking to themselves why didn't they come up with something like that, so better trash it.
Whatever the case (even for the ones who diss them because probably inside they can't help but like them as well), you get hooked from the first moment you are exposed to it. It's inevitable.
Ask their legion of fans who call themselves The Darklings. They are under the spell of this band and they travel (literally)around the world following their rock heroes, to get their fix and survive until the next time they see them play live.
In the band's own words the sounds in the album go from a stripped down AC/DC type song to the more luxurious Purple rain type rock. From a tight, organic rock to massively overproduced pieces.
What some reviews say:
"Each track is a joy-riding anthem" 8/10 - Metal Hammer.
"Has an ear for giddily catchy hooks that would make Jim Steinman
jealous, sets a new standard for fist-pumping anthems" - Billboard .
Beyond genius and out the other side" - Dave Everley, Kerrang!.
"The most overblown, vainglorious, vital band to ever have placed
foot upon monitor...true stars" - Matt Everitt, The Fly.
As a listener, well, if you've never heard them, it's difficult to explain. It's difficult to say with words what you feel when the sounds of the guitars seem to pierce through your body and you are compelled to start moving to the music,it becomes impossible to stand or sit still. And as you start to uncontrollably rock your body away, you let yourself go to the melodious (sometimes beautiful, sometimes full of mystery, sometimes plain badass and wild) coming from the speakers until the singer's falsetto makes you stop and think that it is impossible that anybody, let alone a man, could reach those tones (well, yes Mariah Carey)until again some kind of incredible guitar riff or solo ("Dan, Dan, he's our man, if he can't play it, no-one can!") just blows your mind away and makes your body rock even harder. After you have played the whole album you will just want to play it again.
The songs are so well crafted that one has to think every second has been meticulously designed with the perfect sound, the perfect riff, the perfect vocals.
One thing is for sure, if you are feeling tired, down, sad, depressed or simply bored, go and play this record, 30 seconds later you will find yourself stumping your feet, smiling without really understanding why and full of an energy you just can't understand where it came from.
In their videos they come and go in a spaceship as to imply they are some kind of alien/human hybrids who only come to Earth to perform. Well, as long as they keep coming back; if they left for good, they would leave behind an army of jonesing fans.
Fortunately, in 2004 they will be touring the world.
They have also said to have some songs ready for the next album and that they are really satisfied with those, so hopefully they won't be taking any long term intergalactic trips in the near future.
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