I must highly recommend a relatively new band called the darkness and their debut album "permission to land"

Its an excellent homage to 70's rock and roll and if you see their new video, they are also hilarious

Spinal tap all the way!!!

Did i forget to mention they are British?

Yes a good British band in what.... the last 10 years of a barren void???

[eviljohn2]

I'll agree that it rocks, but I've yet to be able to listen to more than 3 songs at a time as Justin Hawkins falsetto voice REALLY aggravates me!

It's good to see a British band getting acclaim, but there have been, and are still many good British bands around. You just have to look a little beyond the mainstream radio and television playlists.

Here's a list of some that I rate quite highly - do some research and perhaps give them a go:

Hundred Reasons
Capdown - second best live act I've ever seen!
One Minute Silence - best live act I've ever seen!
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleroes - (sadly no more)
Crackout
Terrorvision
4ft Fingers
The Prodigy
Placebo

By no means a comprehensive list, and quite varied but each of those has released at least one album worthy of the attention The Darkness seem to be getting.

[karkus30]

Well done Matt, I think they are a great band, but loads of people just 'dont get it'. It isnt really 70s rock either, its a mixture of all of the rock sounds over the last 30 years, with a modern twist.

The thing is, its fun its well written, well played and the band really like to entertain the audience, you just cant knock that.

I have tickets for the Newcastle gig, cant wait.

There have been lots of great British bands during the last decade, but none of them are doing anything remotely like the Darkness, they are a Pheonix rising from the ashes of pure rock and roll, which was killed off by MOR rock and hair metal.

Pure rock didnt die it just became unfashionable and the tide has turned, you can hear it with music by Avril Lavigne, its making a comeback.

well when i say a great band i don't mean simply that they sell records ala blur, stereophonics, travis, coldplay etc etc. I mean that they are quite revolutionary. Yes their sound isn't entirely original, but you do get a feeling when listening to this band. Certainly one i haven't felt since i first listened to Led Zep or Hendrix.

Truly phenomenal

Yeah i've met capdown and been to a number of their gigs, and i got my one minute silence cd signed by the band too! Both good bands :-)

[mjn]

i still reckons Justins pants are too tight....a voice that high, just can't be natural!!

Originally posted by mattruston
Did i forget to mention they are British?

Yes a good British band in what.... the last 10 years of a barren void???

Evidently you missed out on Supergrass

Originally posted by karkus30
Well done Matt, I think they are a great band, but loads of people just 'dont get it'.

Now, K my old buddy, you can say that about any band which you like more than usual. I'll be the first to admit that I have an unhealthy obsession with Incubus, but it's becasue I get it, it speaks my lanuage - musically, lyrically, spiritaully - whatever. When you love the music enough, you get it. I susspect you'll " get" very few artists in your time, and I wouldn't have it any other way, if you catch me.

i missed out on supergrass?

I caught them first time around T. Rex

**** then and **** now

I think the main difference/advantage of The Darkness is that they've realised that really great rock music needs to be a little bit ludicrous.

Gambit, I had meant to tell you, I was reading some magazine out of the Sunday Express the other day where they had Uri Gellar list his top ten albums of all time.

At number 5 (or thereabouts)?

Morning View by Incubus

[david plunkett]

I cant really get away with the Darkness. I feel its just soft rock from the 80's with an opera singer in spandex up front. I do feel they will do well in the American market though. I just dont think you can take someone who supports Robbie Williams seriously(Flamming Lips being the exception).

I cant believe I have now heard someone say Supergrass are ****. I personnally think they are one of the best British bands around, Moving what a tune.

[tomson]

I caught the end of the Darkness at Glastonbury and while they are very entertaining they really dont do it for me - listened to the album too but it just didn't click. Like Mr plunkett says above - bad 80s spandex rock.

[karkus30]

Originally posted by Gambit
Evidently you missed out on Supergrass



Now, K my old buddy, you can say that about any band which you like more than usual. I'll be the first to admit that I have an unhealthy obsession with Incubus, but it's becasue I get it, it speaks my lanuage - musically, lyrically, spiritaully - whatever. When you love the music enough, you get it. I susspect you'll " get" very few artists in your time, and I wouldn't have it any other way, if you catch me.

Thats entertainment as me old muckas the Jam would say

What Im getting at is that a lot of people are looking at The Darkness and trying to establish their credibility on a serious level.

The same thing happened during Punk, branded as musical thugs with no connection with proper music, but looking back we now know different.

I dont hail them as saviours of music, but they are different to any current crop of bands and they do rock. People pay money to see cover bands play ac/dc , queen etc etc, but this is the real thing, genuine songs, genuine music and no re treads. You can label copycat, 80s anything you like at them , but they rock.

How much more miserable Coldplay can you stomach, how much sweet and simple Travis dont you just yearn to do a bit of head banging again and not feel like a ballroom dancer at a Rave.

Incubus are a different Kettle of fish, like a lot of the bands that I prefer to listen to, its minority listening, contemplative even, it cant be compared to The Darkness.

Bad Hair metal (Not your comment Gambit), nah, grab a bit of Eye of the Tiger or anything by Heart and compare. Its more Ac/Dc and Van Halen, but the lyrics tell a different story from bands that have gone before, gone is the Macho posturing.

Anyway, I like them, their fun and I like fun, so there

meh!
people can think and say what they like!
(and they will)

but i like 'em!

Originally posted by david plunkett
I cant believe I have now heard someone say Supergrass are ****. I personnally think they are one of the best British bands around, Moving what a tune.

Thank you thank you. In It for the Money is one of the best british albums ever made, ever. Classic.

Originally posted by juboy
Gambit, I had meant to tell you, I was reading some magazine out of the Sunday Express the other day where they had Uri Gellar list his top ten albums of all time.

At number 5 (or thereabouts)?

Morning View by Incubus

[nabby]

Originally posted by mattruston
I must highly recommend a relatively new band called the darkness and their debut album "permission to land"

Its an excellent homage to 70's rock and roll and if you see their new video, they are also hilarious

Spinal tap all the way!!!

And if you listen to the lyrics of Growing On Me, it's a homage to genital herpes

I can't get rid of you
I don't know what to do
I don't even know who is growing on who
'Cos everywhere I go you're there
Can't get you out of my hair
Can't pretend that I don't care - it's not fair

I'm punished for all my offences
I wanna touch you but I'm afraid of the consequences
I wanna banish you from whence you came
But you're part of me now
And I've only got myself to blame

You're really growing on me
(Or am I growing on you?)
You're really growing on me
(Or am I growing on you?)
Any fool can see

Sleeping in an empty bed
Can't get you off my head
I won't have a life until you're dead
Yes, you heard what I said

I wanna shake you off but you just won't go
And you're all over me but I don't want anyone to know
That you're attached to me, that's how you've grown
Won't you leave me, leave me alone

You're really growing on me
(Or am I growing on you?)
You're really growing on me
(Or am I growing on you?)
Any fool can see

You're really growing on me
(Or am I growing on you?)
You're really growing on me
(Or am I growing on you?)

[adox]

i think the darkness are crap.

[seany]

youhooooooohooooooo are out of order

[mjn]

Originally posted by karkus30
How much more miserable Coldplay can you stomach, how much sweet and simple Travis dont you just yearn to do a bit of head banging again and not feel like a ballroom dancer at a Rave.

i hear you there karkus30....thats why i got meself tickets to see Iron Maiden in December.

Anyone see the interview with them in this month's Q magazine? Hilarious. The lead singer just doesn't give a monkey's!

yeah its great to see a glam metal cock rock band like the darkness

great rock sound with solo's and posing with loads of full stack Marshall's behind the lead singer in the growing on me vid

[jonathan]

I saw them supporting Lynyrd Skynyrd & Deep Purple. They were OK but I can't understand the big hype about them. What sets them apart from countless other glam-matal acts? Why the big deal? Maybe because the general CD buying public have been force fed manufactured (cover) bands for so long now, they'll attach themselves to any "new" bandwagon. To my mind there are so many others who have done similar so much better long ago.

[probedb]

Originally posted by adox
i think the darkness are crap.

I think they're very funny, seen them live twice now and Justin (?) managed to get changed in both 30 minute sets !!!

Yeah I have no idea why everyone thinks they're so special.

[adox]

Originally posted by pinkprobegt
I think they're very funny, seen them live twice now and Justin (?) managed to get changed in both 30 minute sets !!!

Yeah I have no idea why everyone thinks they're so special.

these guys are favourites to pick up the mercury music prize ***.
they are funny for five minutes, but if these are the next big thing well.........

[karkus30]

Nah, they arent the next big thing in music, but they are a nice change. Having said that, they are definitely talented and I have my suspicions that the next album might not be along the same lines as Permission to Land so I shall reserve judgement.

[ollie501]

I saw them at the Donington "Download" festival, and they were one of the best acts there. They certainly know how to work a crowd! Going to see them again in December at Bournemouth.

[probedb]

Originally posted by ollie501
I saw them at the Donington "Download" festival, and they were one of the best acts there. They certainly know how to work a crowd! Going to see them again in December at Bournemouth.

I saw them there as well, just saw them at Leeds on Saturday too.

The music is OK I just think the high stuff he does with his voice is funny

[Whiting]

It's "This Is Spinal Tap" made real, isn't it ?

I've not heard the album but I think I owe it a listen given the word of mouth...the whole thing (the music, the look, the return of Cock Rock) -- is it real or is there a heavy dollop of irony in there (and we love a bit of irony, don't we). It's all so far from being trendy or fashionable that it's become exactly that...

...but I guess that gives them a limited shelf life.

[karkus30]

Originally posted by Whiting
It's "This Is Spinal Tap" made real, isn't it ?

I've not heard the album but I think I owe it a listen given the word of mouth...the whole thing (the music, the look, the return of Cock Rock) -- is it real or is there a heavy dollop of irony in there (and we love a bit of irony, don't we). It's all so far from being trendy or fashionable that it's become exactly that...

...but I guess that gives them a limited shelf life.

Like a British summer, enjoy it while you can. I have a feeling that they might change course for the next album. They lean towards prog rock, so are probably more than one dimensional.The album is definitely worth getting, dont expect ground breaking music, just good solid rock, its only ten short tracks and everyones a winner.