The Darkness Bring The Glam, The Falsetto and the Firepower to The Forum

Some bands walk on stage. The Darkness arrive like a glitter cannon exploding in slow motion.

On Saturday 7 March, Melbourne’s beloved Forum Melbourne became a cathedral of glam rock excess as the British rockers delivered a set that was equal parts stadium spectacle, tongue-in-cheek theatre and blistering guitar heroics. If rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to be outrageous, joyful and just a little bit ridiculous, then The Darkness are still the undisputed high priests.

The Darkness

When: Saturday 7 March

Where: Forum Melbourne

Keep connected to your live music scene here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Forte Magazine (@forte_mag)

From the moment Justin Hawkins strutted onto the stage in a sparkling ensemble that would make Freddie Mercury raise an approving eyebrow, it was clear the crowd were in for a night of unapologetic, high-voltage glam. And the crowd was ready.

The Forum erupted as the band launched into a wall of riffs that felt like being hit by a Marshall stack wrapped in sequins. Hawkins’ signature falsetto soared effortlessly above the band’s thunderous groove – part rock god, part glam ringmaster – whipping the crowd into a singalong frenzy within minutes.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when Queen-level theatrics collide with pub-rock energy and a healthy dose of Spinal Tap humour, this is it. The Darkness don’t just play songs – they perform them.

Between shredding guitar solos and sky-high vocals, Hawkins spent the night cracking jokes, undecided on whether his fringe should be parted to the left or right down the middle – spending much of the night licking his own hand and pasting his hair from one side to the other, asking the crowd which look worked best for him. Working the room like a stand-up comic who just happens to be able to hit face melting notes most singers wouldn’t dare attempt without a safety net.

It’s this blend of ridiculousness and razor-sharp musicianship that makes The Darkness so enduring. Beneath the glitter, there’s serious firepower. The band were tighter than a pair of 1970’s leather pants on the Sunset Strip, with every riff and drum fill landing with arena-level precision. And then there are the solos…

The Hawkins brothers delivered them like two men on a mission trying to physically bend time with a guitar – leaping, posing, pointing the instrument skyward like a glam-rock lightning rod. The dualing axes really making knees wobble during their classic hit ‘Love Is Only A Feeling’ – a definite stand out on the night!

Of course, the night wouldn’t be complete without the band’s most infamous anthem, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, which turned the Forum into a falsetto choir of several thousand people doing their best (and often hilariously unsuccessful) impressions of Hawkins’ vocal acrobatics. The audience, properly engaged and truly living in the moment after happily obeying Choir Master Hawkins’ request to put their phones away and to look upon them with not but our very own eyeballs!

It was glorious. Arms went around shoulders and the entire room sang like their lives depended on hitting that final note. Few songs can still trigger that kind of communal rock ‘n’ roll joy – but this one remains pure glam gold.

What makes a Darkness show special isn’t just the music, though – it’s the sense that everyone involved, band and crowd alike, understands the assignment: rock n roll should be fun. Not cool. Not ironic. Not carefully curated. Fun.

On Saturday night in Melbourne, The Darkness delivered it in spades – loud, proud and with their amps turned all the way up to eleven – keeping the glam flame very much alive

If rock ‘n’ roll is dead, nobody told The Darkness. Kings they be, and long may they reign!

Words by Matt Wilkinson