| Set list | Knockers
One Way Ticket
Is it Just Me?
Growing On Me
Dinner Lady Arms
Givin' Up
Black Shuck
Love on The Rocks With No Ice
Love Is Only A Feeling
Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time (acoustic)
Blind Man
Hazel Eyes
Get Your Hands Off My Woman
Friday Night
Girlfriend
I Believe In A Thing Called Love Encore:
English Country Garden
Bald |
The Darkness have grown up in the space of one album. Justin is quite serious these days. There was less banter with the crowd, but then again, more music for your money. And now he’s got a bit of a belly. But with Roy Thomas Baker in the producer’s chair, they have an eclectic and multi-layered second long player. The question was could they recreate it live? The answer is a resounding yes. The songs were generally fantastic; new tunes sat comfortably against the ‘classics’ andÌý Justin showed his versatility by handling keyboards, sitar and even a church organ in the encore over his sibling’s solid riffing. New bassist Richie Edwards proved to be a more than able player and singer, plus he’s a lot less 'Spinal Tap' than his predecessor. Sadly, the spandex catsuits were also a fading memory with the bold colours and shimmer saved only for Justin’s guitars. However, their sense of humour still remains. The opener, Knockers, was accompanied by Justin suspended in, well, a huge pair of knockers floating high above the crowd, replacing the giant tiger of the previous tour. What followed was both albums (bar two songs) played in their entirety on shuffle play. The climax inevitably came with the old favourite, I Believe In A Thing Called Love, and we all knew exactly what to do in the dropout chorus. No encouragement was needed as every pair of hands shot into the air, clapping along to the bass drum. The Darkness were always the fun band, the humble underdogs battling against the industry giants. They were a band that the kids could enjoy alongside the old rockers, and despite the significant drop-off (it was only one night at the Arena this time), they will always have a following, but you couldn’t help but wonder how many were hanging around waiting for the Permission to Land replays? It's like being told a really good joke twice. As much as you still like the punch line, the fact that you know what’s coming means that it just isn't as much fun. Still, as they put it themselves, it seems like such a good idea at the time. | 
