The Darkness: Last News

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins has revealed that he was “petrified” about performing at the tribute concerts for the late Taylor Hawkins.Hawkins, who bears no relation to Taylor, was part of the lineup of the 2022 tribute shows in London and Los Angeles, following the Foo Fighters‘ drummer’s death at age 50.Now, he’s shared that performing at the colossal gigs initially seemed to be a daunting task. In a new interview with Rolling Stone UK, the frontman shared: “When Taylor died, it was devastating for us because he was Rufus (Taylor, drummer)’s godfather.“We were on the road in Canada and it was an awful moment, so we did our best to support Rufus through that time.“But I’d known Taylor too and we’d joked about having the same surname, and there was even a guy who claimed to be the missing family link between us.“I got the call from Dave Grohl and I was kind of petrified in a way, because he meant so much to me and there was so much at stake.

The Darkness have discussed the race against Mumford & Sons to get their latest album to the top of the charts, saying that they are determined to “beat those c**ts”.It comes as the Justin Hawkins-led band dropped their latest album ‘Dreams On Toast’ last Friday (March 28) – marking their eighth studio LP and the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Motorheart’.The record featured singles ‘The Longest Kiss’, ‘Rock And Roll Party Cowboy’, ‘Walking Through Fire’ and ‘I Hate Myself’, as well as a closing track called ‘Weekend In Rome’ which starred actor Stephen Dorff.Now, it looks like the band are in a race to reach the top of the UK album charts with the record, and eager to beat off close competition from Mumford & Sons, who recently released their new LP ‘RUSHMERE’.“I think it’ll go Number One,” guitarist Dan Hawkins told Classic Rock. “I am confident.

The Darkness for their new album.The Justin Hawkins-led band dropped their latest album ‘Dreams On Toast’ last Friday (March 28) – marking their eighth studio record and the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Motorheart’.Aside from featuring an assortment of singles that the band had been steadily releasing over the past few months, including ‘The Longest Kiss’, ‘Rock And Roll Party Cowboy’, ‘Walking Through Fire’ and ‘I Hate Myself’, the album also featured a closing track called ‘Weekend In Rome’.In the ballad, there is a memorable spoken word section that opens the song: “Meandering like the Tiber, hand in hand, we scaled the Spanish Steps, the night air thick and sultry, I kiss you beneath the Italian moonlight… This was my dream.” This, it was soon confirmed, was provided by actor Stephen Dorff.Following on from his appearances in True Detective season 3, the movie Blade and The Beatles biopic Backbeat, the actor opened up to Classic Rock magazine about how he ended up on the album.“I know their music from way back,” he said. “I thought they were a great rock band with Justin’s [Hawkins, singer] voice and flair and the crazy sense of humour.

Novocaine, the new action-thriller starring The Boys‘ Jack Quaid has arrived in cinemas, and we’re here to take you through its killer soundtrack.Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, the film follows an unlikely hero in Nate (Quaid), a man who is incapable of feeling physical pain. His rare condition turns out to be an unexpected advantage, however, when the girl of his dreams is kidnapped and he must use his powers of numbness in the fight to rescue her.Other cast members include Amber Midhunter, Ray Nicholson, Jason Batalon, and Matt Walsh.The film has generally been well received by critics and fans alike (currently sitting at 82 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), with the high-adrenaline yet ironic soundtrack being a particular highlight.From R.E.M.

Download Festival has confirmed that there will be “multiple secret sets” coming at the 2025 edition.The metal festival will return to Donington Park in Leicestershire, between June 13-15, and this year will mark the 22nd instalment. It will see Green Day, Sleep Token and KoRn perform as headlinersNow, in the latest newsletter, organisers have revealed that there will be some surprises planned for this year, including “multiple” unexpected performances that are already in the works.The update came in the form of a new graphic shared in the update, which saw a man reading a newspaper that had the headline “Multiple secret sets confirmed for Download XXII”.

The Darkness have shared a new single called ‘Walking Through Fire’, which explores the “gruelling” aspects of being an artist. Check it out below.Shared today (February 24), the new track marks the latest preview of the band’s forthcoming album ‘Dreams On Toast’.

The Darkness have shared the latest taste of their new album ‘Dreams On Toast’ in the form of ‘Rock And Roll Party Cowboy’ – listen below.The Justin Hawkins-led band are preparing to release their eighth studio album on March 28 via Cooking Vinyl and you can pre-order/pre-save it here. They have already previewed it with the singles ‘I Hate Myself’ and ‘The Longest Kiss’.Now, they have channelled the stomping classic rock of bands such as ZZ Top, Motorhead and Judas Priest on ‘Rock And Roll Party Cowboy’, which is packed full of searing guitar solos and theatrical vocals.

The Darkness have shared a music video for their latest single ‘I Hate Myself’, in which they explore gender roles and “self-loathing”. Watch below.The song was released last month as the second preview of Justin Hawkins and co’s eighth album ‘Dreams On Toast’, due to arrive on March 28 via Cooking Vinyl (pre-order/pre-save here).Speaking about the energetic, punk-inspired tune previously, Hawkins explained: “At last, a joyous, raucous celebration of self-loathing.

Shania Twain and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins set to feature.The legendary Philly soul group were a perennial presence in the album and singles charts in the 1970s, with classic hits including ‘You Make Me Feel Brand New’, ‘I’m Stone In Love With You’, ‘Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)’ and ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’.Now, 56 years after their original formation and a full 17 years since their last full-length album ‘That Same Way’, they have announced a brand new record, ‘Falling In Love With My Girl’.The album will be released on February 21, 2025 and will be previewed by its lead single ‘Yes, I Will’, a song co-written and performed by Shania Twain, which will be available on February 14.Vocalist Airrion Love has spoken about working alongside Twain on the track: “I fell in love with Shania Twain the first time I heard ‘You’re Still the One’ – a great song that I still love. When we heard there might be a chance to do something with her we said, “Hell yeah!”Shania herself has also commented: “I’m so happy that this song I wrote ‘Yes, I Will’ has found a home on The Stylistics album.

The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins has addressed a previous video he made criticising Liam Payne, and opened up about why he isn’t going to remove the post in light of the singer’s death.The frontman initially spoke about Payne on his hugely popular Justin Hawkins Rides Again YouTube channel, which sees him elaborate on his time in the music industry and weigh in his thoughts on news-worthy events and new releases.Back in March 2023, Hawkins shared a video in which he looked at previous interviews that Payne had done, and criticised some of his behaviour as coming across as “arrogant”. A large segment of the video centred around the divisive discussion Payne had with Logan Paul, in which he recalled the formation of One Direction and implied that he was meant to be seen as the main member in the line-up.Although Hawkins seemed to defend Payne to an extent – describing him as his “favourite” member and sympathising with him as one whose brand “suffered the most post-One Direction” – the comments made were brought to light once again following the singer’s death earlier this year.Payne died on October 16 at the age of 31, after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Darkness have shared a new self-deprecating, punk-tinged single called ‘I Hate Myself’ – check it out below.Released today (December 10), the track comes is the latest to be shared from forthcoming album ‘Dreams On Toast’. The record – which will be their eighth studio LP and the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Motorheart’ – was announced back in September with the Queen-inspired lead single ‘The Longest Kiss’.Now, in the second preview of the new LP, Justin Hawkins and co.

Download boss Andy Copping caught up with NME to discuss the bill for the 2025 festival, as well as the decision to give Sleep Token their first headline slot at a major festival and who he thinks could step up to top the bill in future.Last night (November 12), Download announced the first wave of artists lined-up for 2025 at a launch party in London, with Sleep Token being joined by Green Day and KoRn as headliners.In total, over 90 artists were confirmed for next year’s edition – which will be held in Donington Park between June 13 and 15 – including Weezer, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Jimmy Eat World, Poppy, McFly,The Darkness, Spiritbox, Meshuggah, Steel Panther, Cradle Of Filth and Alien Ant Farm.“It was seeing their meteoric rise over the last two years that made me think, ‘This is a band that deserves to be elevated’,” Copping told NME, reflecting on the decision to have Sleep Token return to the site as a headline act. “They’ve got a sold-out arena tour in a couple of weeks which we already know will be a sight to behold.”“I think it’s important for the festival to bring new bands through to headline.

Justin Hawkins has shared his admiration for The Cure and the band’s new material, despite Robert Smith previously saying he isn’t a fan of The Darkness.The comments from The Darkness’ frontman come as The Cure are preparing for the upcoming release of ‘Songs Of A Lost World’. It’ll be their first album in 16 years, following on from 2008’s ‘4:13 Dream’, and has already been previewed by the lead single ‘Alone’.On Sunday night (October 6), the post-punk icons dropped a teaser of the second single ‘A Fragile Thing’ via the group’s fan WhatsApp channel and mailing list.

The Darkness at the Sky Arts Awards 2024 – check out footage of the moment below.The ceremony took place last night (September 17) at London’s Roundhouse, and winners received an award on the night that had been designed by Reeves.The comedian, real name Jim Moir, spoke about the awards ahead of the show to Sky, saying: “The finished pieces are Bronze sculptures standing roughly one foot tall, they’re heavy too at four kilograms so will fit perfectly on a mantlepiece… or used as a doorstop!”There were live performances during the evening from acts including The Darkness, Ren, and poet Lemn Sissay.It was during The Darkness’ closing performance that Reeves stormed the stage. When the band were playing ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, Reeves arrived on stage and grabbed the microphone to sing the song’s second chorus.

The Darkness have shared details of a new album called ‘Dreams On Toast’, as well as an upcoming UK tour. Find more details below, as well as the lead single ‘The Longest Kiss’.‘Dreams On Toast’ will mark the eighth studio album from Justin Hawkins and co.

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins recently joined The Libertines on stage to perform ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’ – check out the footage below.Both bands played at the 2024 Vilar de Mouros Festival in Caminha, Portugal last Saturday (August 24). According to Setlist.FM, Pete Doherty and Carl Barât delivered a 19-song set – airing classics as well as cuts from their latest album, ‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’.The Libertines closed the show with a special rendition of their 2003 single ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’, with Hawkins assisting on electric guitar.He has since shared footage of the moment on social media.

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins spotted his ex-classmate in the crowd during the band’s show at Latitude 2024 last weekend.The ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ group played a set on the main stage at the Southwold festival on Sunday (July 28).At one point in the performance, Hawkins asked if anyone present had been in his year at Kirkley High School in the nearby Suffolk town Lowestoft – where The Darkness formed back in 2000.David Matthews, 49, then caught the musician and YouTuber‘s attention. As BBC News reports, Hawkins, also 49, responded: “I remember you.

Latitude Festival 2024 is set to kick off tomorrow – but will it be rain or shine onsite? Check out the latest weather forecast below.The event, which is located at Henham Park, Suffolk, opened its gates today (July 25) before three days of live music and entertainment begins tomorrow (26).Kasabian, London Grammar and Duran Duran will all headline the Obelisk Arena at this year’s edition of Latitude.Other names on the line-up include Khruangbin, The Vaccines, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Keane, Future Islands, Orbital, CMAT, The Darkness, English Teacher and Ash.BBC Weather currently predicts that temperatures will peak at 21°C, with lows of 13°C. Ticketholders can expect a mix of drizzle, light rain and sun.

Latitude Festival has announced a swathe of new names for its 2024 line-up, including The Darkness, Future Islands, Lankum and The Vaccines.The festival will return on the weekend of July 25-28 in Henham Park, Suffolk, and last month revealed its 2024 headliners as Duran Duran, Kasabian, Keane and London Grammar.Also on today’s line-up announcement are Jockstrap, CMAT, Waxahatchee, Baby Queen and Marika Hackman.The festival’s comedy line-up for 2024 has also been revealed, with headliners Jo Brand, Judi Love and Joanne McNally joining the previously announced Sara Pascoe.See the full Latitude 2024 line-up so far.

The Darkness has performed their version of ‘Don’t Let The Bells End’ with a 12-piece choir – watch the footage below.‘Don’t Let The Bells End’ was The Darkness’ bid at the 2003 Christmas Number One (sadly Gary Jules beat them to the top spot with ‘Mad World’).Originally recorded at Abbey Road studios as an epic rock ballad complete with jingle bells and a children’s choir, The Darkness have honoured the track for its 20th birthday with a particularly festive performance.Playing the track on the Jo Whiley BBC Radio 2 show at BBC’s Maida Vale Studios, frontman Justin Hawkins appeared with an appropriately glittery red guitar and a 12-piece choir to perform the song.“Thank you so much to the wonderful Jo Whiley and her fantastic BBC Radio 2 team for having us and of course to Mark Delisser’s angelic sounding 12 piece choir,” wrote the band on social media. “Beautiful.” Take a look below:Recently, Justin Hawkins has opened up about his regret over The Darkness’ split.

Justin Hawkins has admitted that he still feels regret over the time The Darkness split up before reuniting again in 2021.Despite the huge success of their debut album in 2004, ‘Permission To Land’, the band split up after their 2005 release, ‘One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back’ while Hawkins, who is the lead singer, guitarist and frontman of the band, was battling addiction.During the group’s ongoing UK tour to celebrate two decades of their debut, Hawkins told fans at a concert in Manchester on Tuesday (December 12) that he “felt really bad” for his bother Dan in the band following the break up.He described his brother as the “brains” of the operation before adding: “Silly old Justin took all the drugs and [messed] it up” (via Music News).He said he “had to live with the consequences of that”, referring to the split.Hawkins recently said he thought he was “too old” to be a rock star at 18. The musician told Metro newspaper that he thought he wouldn’t make it as a musician once he reached 18 and started to study music and work behind the scenes instead.He said: “I remember when I got to about 18 and I saw bands like Ash coming up and thinking, ‘Well this is over, I’m already too old!’ But I still wanted to be in music, so I went and studied music technology and got a job in a recording studio,” (via Yahoo).He then went on to reflect on his journey and being signed by a label, aged 25.