"A lot of bands say they'll be back next year and they end up in the House of Blues. Not us. We said we'd be back in the Paradise and here we are!"
Disconcertingly soon after their last Boston concert date, I find myself in almost the same spot, watching the same band that unexpectedly impressed me so much. Why? partly because The Darkness are so damn likeable (just read that quote), but also simply because:
1. Their shows are still amazing. I've said it before, but there's a fantastic element to having a stadium band play mid-sized venues, because grandeur is forced into containment. As always, The Darkness never cease to entertain and put on a perfectly executed and lively show, loaded with crowd participation and an extended version of "Love On The Rocks" that had singer Justin Hawkins on people's shoulders, in the crowd, up on the balcony, and stage diving back down.
2. Hot Cakes being the charming little album that it is ("Every Inch of You" and "Everybody Have a Good Time" are pure gold, I tells ya!), it was a great chance to be able to see the new songs live, and be impressed by the likes of "She's Just a Girl," "Eddie," and bring out someone from the crowd to dance while the song was being played. Would it hurt to play "Everybody Have a Good Time" though?
3. The Darkness are basically underdogs at this point. After a successful career, the band broke up, got back together (Spinal Tap style) and released a new album. The problem is that everyone had moved on by that point and accused the band of being derivatives of themselves which still sounds contradictory to me, but that's what everyone claims. The truth is that the Darkness got back together, the right way (with all original members) and took it upon themselves to self-record and release their new album in an independent fashion. What's more, Hot Cakes is actually a pretty good album that it appears will be under-appreciated for years to come. So, despite getting no recognition, the Darkness are still doing what they do best, and doing it their own way.
Photos:
The Darkness – Paradise Club – Boston/Allston, Mass. – 19/01/13 – [Photos]
Artist:
www.theactualdarkness.com/
www.myspace.com/thedarkness
www.facebook.com/thedarknessofficial
www.twitter.com/thedarkness
Tour:
The Darkness' current tour continues. For a list of upcoming shows, click here .
