Review: The Darkness at Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield.

Usually when you are shooting a gig it is the unwritten rule that you have the first three songs and you don’t use flash – of course I have mentioned that the rules can occasionally be bent if the lighting is poor and I have shot wider shots of the stage from the back of the venue after the three songs.

But this was different and completely unexpected. I think the band might might have had their own photographer and did not want to give us access. Anyway I managed to get around 17 useable shots after just the one song – but my review was published without a photo anyway.

Still it must have looked quite a comical scene with all of us being rushed out of the snappers’ pit. I am not sure why we still have to jump through so many hoops to get a pass when everyone in the crowd is snapping and videoing away on their phone and putting the material out there on social media.

My next encounter with The Darkness was at Kendal Calling, near Penrith in Cumbria, a few years back but I decided it was not worth the hassle in the end.

IT WAS a strange situation to be in as a photographer. I had filled in all the accreditation forms for a photo pass and thought I had permission – but we were turfed out of the pit after just one song.

Apparently no-one had bothered to tell the band we were going to be there and singer/guitarist Justin Hawkins got a little bit stroppy about it. That aside they put on a good show.

The band has come a long way since the release of its first album – Permission to Land – in July last year and, judging by Saturday’s show, they can do no wrong.

Justin had the audience in the palm of his hand and they enthusiastically followed his every command, echoing his on-stage antics.

The charismatic frontman gave a polished performance, confidently posturing on top of the speaker stacks and constantly dashing from one side of the stage to the other, in true stadium rock style.

There were plenty of Spinal Tap moments, with a seizure-inducing light show, pyrotechnics, inflatables and dry ice.

Justin, and brother Dan, provide a fine twin guitar assault, which is backed by the tightest of rhythm sections – Frankie Poullain on bass and Ed Graham on drums.

Frankie does bear an uncanny resemblance to Tap bassist Derek Smalls and he completes the look by playing while doing a lot of pointing.

The band has been busy writing new songs and they fit perfectly among the more familiar material being eagerly accepted by the crowd.

“I urge you to jump up and down like it’s going out of style,” screeches the singer – and the crowd eagerly obeys, particularly when they launch into I Believe in a Thing called Love.

Justin returns for the encore in a trademark silver, spangly catsuit, which matches his collection of flamboyant guitars and the band play Get Your Hands Off My Woman and Love on the Rocks. There is also the sight of Justin riding a flying white tiger.

But the best is saved for last with Christmas Song (Don’t Let the Bells End), which includes a bizarre ragtime version of the Band Aid song. The audience is showered with confetti which falls like snow, as a perfect finale.

For pure showmanship, the marks out of 10 go right up to 11 – that’s one better than all the rest. Spandex-tastic! ID.

• If you can’t afford the real thing, check out The Darkest at the Baths Hall on Monday, December 20.

From the Scunthorpe Telegraph on Thursday, December 9, 2004.