In Remembrance: The Darkness
It’s the last one, and screw it, metal still rules.
I’ve been saving this band for quite some time now; as this is quite possibly the last “In Remembrance,” it seemed only fitting to finish strong with a band that couldn’t possibly be missed more, The Darkness. Now for those of you who only recall a bunch of Brits with long hair, ambling unintelligibly about women and booze in an arcane falsetto, boy have you been missing out (although those are undeniably the best parts). The Darkness are so much more than your average hair metal band that arrived on the scene two decades late. They embodied what was missing for so long in the world of hard rock - humor. And sure, you could argue that there have always been bands out there making good music laced with humor, but the Darkness took that idea and ran with it, all while making some of the most kick-ass, catchy music of the decade.
Formed in East England in late 2000, The Darkness’ original lineup included vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Justin Hawkins, his brother and guitarist, Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Ed Graham. Taking much of their charismatic persona from past greats like Queen, Led Zeppelin and a whole slew of 80’s glam bands, The Darkness characterized flamboyance, lewd humor and old-fashioned rock n’ roll.
In 2003, the group released their debut studio album, Permission to Land, in the UK. In little time the album had climbed the UK charts and ruled with an iron fist, holding the number one spot for an unprecedented four weeks. The Darkness toured relentlessly through Europe following the album’s release before eventually coming to the US. While only reaching 36 on the Billboard top 200 here, The Darkness were nothing if not a hit. Their hit single here, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” rocketed through the charts here and it’s accompanying music video gained major attention on networks like MTV. While Permission to Land only received fair reviews, the album went on to win several British awards and appear on a few notable top album lists.
After over a year of touring and promoting their album, The Darkness returned to the studio to record a follow-up album. Midway through the recording process, bassist Frankie Poullain decided to leave the group. However, in later interviews, Poullain claimed that his fellow members, due to differences in musical direction, had forced him out of the band. For the duration of the recording process, guitarist Dan Hawkins took over most of Poullain’s duties. Shortly thereafter, Richie Edwards, Dan’s former guitar technician, joined the group, taking over on bass.
The Darkness’ second studio album, One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back, did not fair quite so well as its predecessor had. Only receiving mixed reviews, yet still reaching number eight on the UK Charts, One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back was felt as a disappointment by many of the group’s hardcore following. Renowned rock producer, Roy Thomas Baker, best known for his work with Queen, was the producer for the album. While much more whimsical and theatrical than any of their past material, the group still very much identified with the album. It was also during the writing of this album that vocalist Justin Hawkins started to experiment heavily with cocaine.
In August 2006, less than a year after the release of One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back, Justin admitted himself into a rehabilitation clinic in concern for his own health. The singer later admitted to spending over 200,000 dollars on his addiction in the three years since the band hit it big. Prior to Justin’s departure, the band had announced that they would soon be returning to the studio to begin work on a third album, although that would never happen.
Following Justin’s exit, the band was initially in shock at his decision to leave; not knowing quite what to do next, rumors circulated that the band would continue on without their former front man or that they would simply go on hiatus until his return. Incidentally, the group decided to disband, only to reform months later under a new name with an altered lineup. This new band, Stone Gods, featured replacement bassist, Richie Edwards on guitar and lead vocals and Dan Hawkins on guitar, leaving former drummer Ed Graham to eventually fade out. Justin went on to form his own band named Hot Leg in 2008. Justin has also released some music under his solo alias, British Whale.
Posted by Andrew Scott on Jan 18, 2010 @ 9:00 am