Pop Break Live: The Darkness Permission to Land 20th Anniversary USA Tour at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, California
Do you believe in a thing called love? The Darkness sure do! And in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their huge debut album Permission to Land, The Darkness have returned to remind us all that glam rock hasn’t gone anywhere; it’s still alive and well in The Darkness. Taking to the stage at the Wiltern to a sold out crowd who never forgot how much this English band rocks, lead singer and guitarist Justin Hawkins led his band through a full set of hits, singalongs, and energetic performance art.
Much like the lively bands of their era like The Hives, or newer glam acts like The Struts, The Darkness are never ones to forget the importance of a powerful and theatrical stage presence. Opening their set with the heavy “Black Shuck,” the band turned the three and a half-minute track into what felt like a Broadway-level production. Hawkins – always one known for his fashion choices – was dressed in a sparkling black and white-striped leotard with an open neck that plunged all the way down to his bellybutton. His hair is still long, his tattoos are still beautiful artworks across his chest, and he still knows how to command a crowd with a glance.
After tearing through “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” and “The Best of Me,” Hawkins took on the Los Angeles crowd in the way he thought best: by pitting everyone against rivals in San Francisco. Right in the middle of “Growing On Me,” Hawkins tried to get the crowd going with a “repetition exercise” that he thought was less than stellar and so stopped the song. After explaining how “challenging” LA shows can be to get crowds excited, he started trash talking the tour’s opening night in San Francisco, remarking, “Let’s get the inter-California rivalries going!” With everyone loosened up, it felt like the band could do no wrong.
During “Love Is Only A Feeling,” Hawkins jumped up on the drum kit’s pedestal and managed to do a handstand for what felt like several minutes. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he started clapping his feet in the air all while holding the handstand position. To say that the LA crowd was entertained that night is an understatement beyond belief. Guitarist and brother of Hawkins, Dan Hawkins, and bassist Frankie Poullain likewise put on a great show in their snazzy suits, dancing in and out of the darkness of the stage.
The first highlight of the set was the band’s surprising but rocking cover of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit (Fade Out).” The band has been regularly playing the cover for years and it’s clear to see why; to anyone skeptical of the song choice, The Darkness have managed to take Thom Yorke’s delicate voice and gentle melodies and transform them into an upbeat true rock song. Justin’s high-pitched and powerful voice is actually a fitting match for Yorke’s, and Dan’s rough guitar brings an electric edge to everything. To further emphasize The Darkness’ own spin on it, Justin injects a power ballad guitar solo before the final bridge and chorus. It’s a great example of how The Darkness brings both fun and heart to their live performances.
Any review would be incomplete without mentioning how much “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” still brings down the house in a sold-out crowd. Not a single body was still while the band played through their biggest hit as Justin urged everyone to jump and dance and scream along while sticking out his microphone so everyone could sing along. Somehow, after two decades, Hawkins’ voice still rips through the loft track with undeniable ease. The joy and elation of the crowd during that song alone was worthy of admission to the show. The Darkness still has all the glam and guts and theatrics that they had when we first met them decades ago, and there’s nothing better than that.
