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The Darkness
Pier Hotel, Frankston
The Pier is packed to breaking point, almost ready to rip at the seams when Justin Hawkins and his band The Darkness saunter out to greet them.
Opening with ” Rock N Roll Party” quickly followed by ” Growing On Me”, Hawkins quickly grabs the attention of the crowd, with his high energy performance. Dressed in flares, he jumps up onto the barrier, perching precariously on the barrier edge his tall frame wobbling as the crowd holds onto him.
Diving head first into the crowd, he lands and gets passed through the audience, quite the scene. Returning to the stage he grabs a handy cam and passionately pleads with the audience to put away their phones- he’s tired of seeing screens blocking human interactions. And, he has a point, there is nothing worse than having your view blocked by videos people will never watch again, social media has made us a bunch of validation seeking wankers.
Moving through the set list, he randomly sings ‘The Power Of Love” the Jennifer Rush song, the audience embracing the moment, arms raised in the air. It’s a moment that brings the entire room together, strangely enjoying the song. That’s the thing- an exceptional front-man like Hawkins can unite a whole room, no matter what song he happens to be singing.
Finishing the night with ” I believe In A Thing Called Love” followed by ” I Hate Myself”‘, The Darkness proves that they are the quintessential rock band that give audiences a really great night. Hawkins as usual is charismatic, charming and just really fun to watch. The Darkness are one of those bands that are just really good fun to watch, always providing a great time.
Words and imaged by Amanda Lee Starkey
