The Darkness, Cry Club @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 30/1/2024
The Darkness descended on Adelaide requesting Permission To Land at Hindley Street Music Hall. The venue was packed early, as it usually is nowadays, with fans wanting to get in on the twentieth anniversary of this landmark album. Much had been said of the band cancelling their two New Zealand shows due to the singer and main man Justin Hawkins suffering a chest infection. Fast forward a few days and he still was suffering the effects of the infection and whilst later in the show he conceded that he wasn’t at his best, maybe 99.5% but to borrow some football vernacular they would have better for the run.
Melbourne pop-punk duo Cry Club opened proceedings and hells bells they have some killer tunes. They have been building for quite some time and with albums God I’m Such A Mess and Spite Will Save Me there is no doubt that 2024 is their year to strike. Mark that on your list of bands to check out.
The Darkness need to introduction and their affinity with Australian fans right from that Big Day Out appearance in 2003 to now is tighter than it has ever been. Even battling the after effects of illness the band battled valiantly leaving it all on table and nothing in the tank post gig. Awesome walk out music with Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back In Town and that they were. There was no real surprise with the set list with the show being focused first and foremost on Permission To Land opening with Black Shuck. Right at the end Justin Hawkins took a moment to pause asking the crowd about whether they had heard about New Zealand, and that he was convinced that he died being “a bit sick” laying in a hotel thinking about wanting to see was everyone’s faces beguiling promising that he would still sound “magnificent as long as I’m upright” going for a black suit rather than a cat suit so he didn’t run around.
Introduced as Get Your Hands Off My Fucking Woman Arsehole they ploughed through that with Justin stopping again to requests fans “to be in the moment” and not film the show on their mobile phone asking that they are to be put away. With that speech going on a bit longer than anticipated drummer Rufus Tiger Taylor started the next song even though the previous had not finished. Justin did not look happy during Growing On Me with a combination of not feeling well and sound issues. It isn’t until you hear this album played in full live where you can fully appreciate its genius and acknowledge that even by today’s standards it still stacks us.
The Best Of Me, Makin’ Out, Givin’ Up were solid and it is a testament to Justin’s professionalism to plough on despite still feeling quite unwell. Love Is Only A Feeling proved popular as did Stuck In A Rut. Street Spirit (Fade Out) morphed in to Holding My Own with Justin responding saying “what a delight, it’s all about the mojo”. The main set finished on Friday Night (featuring nice Led Zeppelin Immigrant Song teaser) and wanting to see the crowd “bounce” on big hit single I Believe In A Thing Called Love.
Returning for a encore the band were decked out in kimonos and with a change up which saw Frankie on acoustic, Rufus on bass and Dan on drums who did a nice improv of Phil Collins drumming on In The Air Tonight before delving in to I Love You 5 Times. Justin did take a moment to thank the crowd saying that he wasn’t performing at the high standard he sets himself being unwell but hats off for continuing when it would have been easy to pull the pin. The extended show closer Love On The Rocks With No Ice took a while to get there, which even saw Justin chaired through the crowd, brought these celebrations to a close. A solid show, we hope Justin gets better for the rest of the tour.
Live Review By Rob Lyon