New York, NY (Top40 Charts) After thrilling sold-out crowds with their critically acclaimed U.S. tour last month, THE DARKNESSwill return stateside this May for select dates as well as three festival appearances: Saturday, May 19 at InfieldFest (Baltimore, MD), Sunday, May 20 at Rock On The Range (Columbus, OH) and Saturday, May 26 at Rocklahoma. Tickets are available now at: www.theactualdarkness.com.
Hailing from Lowestoft, Suffolk, THE DARKNESS-JUSTIN HAWKINS (vocals/guitars), DAN HAWKINS (guitars/backing vocals), FRANKIE POULLAIN (bass) and ED GRAHAM (drums)-are ready to launch a full-scale invasion with the release of their third studio album and first in eight years. Due out late summer, the as-yet-untitled album-marks the follow-up to the group's multi-platinum debut Permission To Land which spawned fan favorites "
I Believe In A Thing Called Love" and "Get Your Hands Off My Woman" as well as the revered One-Way Ticket To Hell And Back which featured "
One Way Ticket" and "Is It Just Me?." More album details and a major tour will be announced soon.
So far, 2012 has been a stellar year for THE DARKNESS, described by the LA Weekly as "…heroically reunited, with a returned sense of fun and still this millennium's most multi-dimensionally entertaining live rock show." They've left fans stunned (see the Rolling Stone "Random Notes" photo below), critics delighted (see soundbites below), debuted a free new song "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us" and made a surprise Superbowl commercial appearance with their classic hit "I Believe In A Thing Called Love." THE DARKNESS are poised to hit the stratosphere in 2012 and beyond. Much more to come…
See the concert photo that appeared in Rolling Stone here:
Justin Hawkins of THE DARKNESS takes a leap during the band's recent Philadelphia show.
Photo credit: Derek Brad.
Check out what critics are saying about THE DARKNESS:
"They returned Sunday with all of the original members in a smashingly successful comeback concert before a sold-out crowd of nearly 2,000 at House of Blues. [Justin] Hawkins was active, intense and on key. His brother, guitarist Dan Hawkins, came through with some blistering fretwork during 'One Way Ticket,' and the rhythm section of bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Ed Graham provided the thunder. Yes, it was LOUD."
-Gerry Gittelson, LA DAILY NEWS Feb. 20, 2012
"Playing to a sold-out crowd Saturday at the Metro, Hawkins and co. (which includes his brother, Dan, on guitar) delivered what is easily one of the top three shows I've ever seen."
-
Laura Baginski, TIME OUT CHICAGO, Feb 13, 2012
"'Gimme a D! Gimme an 'Arkness'! That's how frontman Justin Hawkins greeted the packed-to-the-tits, way-beyond-sold-out crowd on Sunday night, February 19, at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.
Revolver was in the front row for the Darkness' first Hollywood appearance in eight years. Faces were ruled, asses were kicked, and names were taken."
-J. Bennett, REVOLVER (March 9, 2012)
"…on the HoB stage, it still came down to the band's undeniably impeccable pop songwriting on virally infectious glam numbers like 'Growing On Me,''Friday Night,''Is It Just Me,' and of course 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love.' Yup, the
Darkness are back to rock us like hurricanes, just when we need them most. Permission to land? Permission granted. It's their world once again."
-Lyndsey Parker, YAHOO! NEWS, Feb. 20, 2012
"It was a non-stop barrage of succinct, high-impact popsmithery that, almost without fail, boiled the best bits of AC/DC,
Queen and
Thin Lizzy down into three-and-a-half-minute nuggets of rousing, verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus perfection."
-Ben Rayner, TORONTO STAR, Feb. 2, 2012
"Last night, Irving Plaza was witness to call-and-response sing-a-longs with the audience, epic guitar solos played while riding a roadie through the crowd, and a trust fall into the congregation. And that was just one song. It could only be The Darkness."
-Bill Peris, BROOKLYN VEGAN.com, Feb. 7, 2012
"Transforming the venue into a joyous, raucous, rollicking English-pub, the adoring crowd sang along with the band's trademark catchy, anthemic choruses and hung on every move of limber lead singer, Justin Hawkins (who wore an assortment of colorful leather jumpsuits throughout the night that harkened back to the Bowie-Mott the Hoople-Marc Bolan era, circa 1973). It was a raise-the-rafters love affair between band and fans that easily could have gone all night."
-Chris Epting, AOL MUSIC, Feb. 22, 2012
"Yes, frontman Justin Hawkins did a spread-eagle handstand during the Darkness' sold-out show Saturday at Metro. Yes, he climbed up on the speakers and dove into the crowd, like a rock god unfrozen from 30 years ago."
-Matt Pais, REDEYE, Feb. 12, 2012 (Chicago)
"The Darkness's show at First Ave. had me shaking my head in pleased disbelief from its first moments: there's no shortage of glam in today's pop music (see: Grammys), but you just don't hear bands punch that Brian May pedal and throttle their axes up the neck while wearing Mad Hatter headgear and pleather pants the way you used to, and The
Darkness brought it all back for a wildly appreciative sell-out crowd…"
-Jay Gabler, TWIN CITIES DAILY PLANET, Feb. 13, 2012 (Minneapolis, MN)
"Despite their lengthy hiatus, the band has not missed a step; the old songs were pitch-perfect, and they played nearly all of them. Within the 21-song set, Hawkins cut through each track off of the band's 2003 debut LP, Permission to Land, and the newer material, including lead single, "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us," were tight and well controlled… The
Darkness are somewhat starting from scratch after their seven year pause in work, but it won't be long before they are back on top. This concert solidified their place in rock music for a lot of fans, and is a glaring shining sign that they're, indeed, back."
-Nick Freed, CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND.COM, Feb. 12, 2012 (Chicago)
"…The
Darkness stood out because it had rock solid songs to back them up. Their material is amusing and light, sure, but it's built on a foundation of excellent songwriting which stood out as remarkable pop songs."
-Adam Graham, DETROIT NEWS, Feb. 14, 2012
"The
Darkness have clearly returned to peak performance shape, and the band played almost all of its material…You've yet to see crowd feedback until you've heard (and survived) The Darkness' diva crowd rocking out in full-on falsetto."
-Kelsey Whipple, WESTWORD, Feb. 16 2012 (Denver, CO)
"…a ridiculously great show-this is real rock n' roll, people…"
-REAL DETROIT WEEKLY, Feb. 16, 2012
"The
Darkness is truly back and are hell-bent on a successful return to the altar of rock and/or roll."
- CHICAGOIST.COM, Feb. 16, 2012
"This show was 100% awesome."
-Shela Palkoski, EXAMINER.COM, Feb. 13, 2012
www.theactualdarkness.com
www.facebook.com/thedarknessofficial
https://twitter.com/#!/TheDarkness
| DATE |
|
CITY |
VENUE |
| Fri |
5/4 |
Brisbane, Australia |
Eaton Hill |
| Sat |
5/5 |
Newcastle, Australia |
Workers |
| Sun |
5/6 |
Sydney, Australia |
Roundhouse |
| Tue |
5/8 |
Melbourne, Australia |
Palace |
| Thurs |
5/10 |
Canberra, Australia |
ANU |
| Fri |
5/18 |
New Haven, CT |
Toad’s Place |
| Sat |
5/19 |
Baltimore, MD |
Preakness Stakes InfieldFest, Pimlico Race Course |
| Sun |
5/20 |
Columbus, OH |
Rock on the Range, Crew Stadium |
| Tue |
5/22 |
Nashville, TN |
Marathon Music Works |
| Wed |
5/23 |
New Orleans, LA |
House of Blues |
| Fri |
5/25 |
Austin, TX |
Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre |
| Sat |
5/26 |
Pryor, OK |
Rocklahoma, Fever Music Festival Grounds |
| Sun |
5/27 |
Dallas, TX |
House of Blues |
| Fri |
6/8 |
Solvesburg, Sweden |
Sweden Rock |
| Sat |
6/16 |
Spain |
Azkena Rock Festival |
| Sat |
6/23 |
Milan, Italy |
Gods of Metal Festival |
| Sun |
6/24 |
UK |
Isle of Wight Festival |
| Fri |
6/29 |
Belgrade, Serbia |
Usce Park |
| Fri |
7/6 |
Kinross, Scotland UK |
T in the Park |
| Sun |
7/8 |
France |
Sonisphere |
| Sat |
7/14 |
Suffolk, UK |
Thetford Forest |
| Sat |
8/4 |
Oder, Poland |
Woodstock Festival |
