There’s one thing for sure The Darkness always puts on a cracking show. A couple of years back they played a sold out show at The Astor and this year they are back with a sold out show at Metropolis Freo the scene of their equally sold out 2020 show. You can safely say that The West loves The Darkness and The Darkness loves The West.
It’s interesting to see the setlist for this years outing which celebrates 20 years of ‘Permission to Land’ as back on the ‘Easter is Cancelled Tour’ in 2022 they managed to pack in nine of that album’s ten tracks. This though is a very different show as this year not only do we get to hear the one they missed last time: ‘Holding My Own’ but we also get a swag of bonus tracks and B-Sides from that monumental album.
After the support act Cry Club, a ‘Queer Pop Punk’ duo from Melbourne, had wrapped up (Don’t say anything if you can’t say anything positive) the atmosphere in the room completely changed. You might even say it was charged with that magical electricity of anticipation. After a bit of ‘Quo’ and ‘Thin Lizzy’ and other assorted classic goodies the band came on to the swell of Celtic noise and held sway acknowledging the suitably packed house who roared their approval. This year Justin had come as a cross between a slender superhero and a trapeze artist. It was a contrast to the always dapper Frankie and the understated jean and t-shirt style of Dan and Rufus.
“This might just be my favourite venue in the whole world” Justin tells us after a remarkably raucous ‘Black Shuck’ before launching into the next two tracks from the album we are here to celebrate ‘Get Your Hands off my Woman’ and ‘Growing on Me’. The crowd is bouncing and sweating like both activities will be banned at midnight.
After imploring the few filming to just enjoy themselves we skip the album’s next track till later and Justin picks up the guitar to bolster ‘The Best of Me’ and ‘Makin’ Out’ – one fan is in the know calling out for bonus tracks just before they are suitably delivered!
‘Givin’ Up’ of course isn’t about carry the guilt of addiction for 20 years but it’s a ice quip and by the time ‘Love Is only a feeling’ hits there’s no one anywhere (OK maybe behind the bars and at the urinals, maybe) who isn’t full immersed in this Rock and Roll show! There’s even a snatch of ‘Thunderstruck’ in the solo that bookends ‘Stuck in a Rut’ and a lovely acapella and crowd opening to ‘Friday Night’ (Only a day early that one).
It’s attention to the ‘phone filmer’s’ again as Justin advises that there really are only three reasons to film a show and none of them legit – from failing memories, to documenting the sold-out nature of the show to doing it for those who were too slow to get in!
The album continues to flow, and the party is well underway (I reckon I lost a few kilos just watching the first few rows). There are sprinkles of magic with bonuses like ‘How Dare You Call This Love’ and the Radiohead cover ‘Street Spirit’ (I never got the level of love for that one).
‘Immigrant Song’ is much better! It starts with some riffing, then chugging then clapping before bursting forth! It’s a nice hit between the eyes before the set closes with a crescendo of bouncing, arm-waving and singing along to ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’. It will never get old, that one!
It might not get old, but it does get stopped after the first chorus as Justin points the fingers again at those filming “You’ve spoilt it now” he tells them. “If you all sing along and clap where the synth part is and all bounce along then we’ll do that again and maybe I’ll forgive you.”
We go again from the off and the room explodes. The Darkness leaves the stage to roof raising applause…
They return to much the same as Justin thanks the crowd for their “Rapturous stuff” and introduces ‘The plyers in this beat combo”. There’s some high jinx going on of course as Dan takes the keys, Frankie the guitar and Rufus takes the bass.
They end up playing a ‘Darkness version’ of Phil Collins in the air tonight with lines like “Daniel Hawkins playing on the drums tonight”. After some more banter there’s a rather splendid version of ‘I Love You 5 times’ another B-side, and thanks to tonight’s support for playing real music.
What could end a show like this? Why ‘Love on the Rocks With No Ice’ of course. I’ll have a double! The Darkness never disappoints and tonight in Fremantle it’s certainly one of the best of the 20 shows I’ve seen the band play so far.
I’d have loved if they had closed with ‘Curse of the Tollund Man’ but that’s just my East Coast sense of humour…
With thanks to SBM Presents for the media access
Photo Credit Caris Bingemann Photography
