Page 49 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 103

BV103 pg49_BV103 pg49 23/12/2019 19:11 Page 1

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 49
THE DARKNESS / REWS – BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY, 01.12.19
It takes a brave band to release an album in October and then decide his own with an acoustic guitar to fine effect. The band leave the stage
to play said album in its entirety on tour a couple of months later. But The for an outfit change before returning for set two, which includes hits and
Darkness are never shy to rise to a challenge, and spectacular when it fan favourites such as ‘One Way Ticket’, ‘Growing On Me’ and the always-
comes to defeating them. wonderful ‘Solid Gold’. With Frankie Poullain on latin percussion, Justin
Rews, fronted by Northern Ireland musician Shauna Tohill, lead the urges the crowd to bounce along in time at the beginning of ‘One Way
way with a set of catchy alt. pop/rock tunes. ‘Shake Shake’ is a particular Ticket’, almost like they’re at a keep fit session, with a one way ticket to a
gem with its infectious beat, while ‘Birdsong’ has a fuzzier tone and hope- sexier body. The second set is a whole array of colourful pleasure and en-
ful, positive lyrics such as ‘spread your wings and fly’. This trio is definitely tertainment, packing twice as many punches as the first set. ‘Get Your
flying high, and bassist Eleisa Barnacle almost looks like she might on Hands Off My Woman’ and ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ are magical
stage too, such is her animated performance. Ending with ‘Shine’, Rews moments of fun, while the show ends with ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let The
do that and leave a positive impact on the crowd. Bells End)’ and ‘Love On The Rocks With No Ice’ (and a few witty snippets
Dressed in white suits, The Darkness could almost be not-so-little an- of other songs preceding) – the final number seeing Justin on a crew
gels that later morph into the devil – particularly as Justin Hawkins’ stage member’s shoulders heading into the audience and all around the floor
outfit for the second set is a bright red catsuit. The ‘Easter Is Cancelled’ while playing guitar.
portion of the set sees the band play the ten tracks of the album in order. With ‘Easter Is Cancelled’ encompassing the death and rebirth of rock,
Justin Hawkins is nowhere to be seen at the beginning of first track, ‘Rock seeing The Darkness playing that and their well-known hits in a two-hour
And Roll Deserves To Die’, while his vocals sing along to the sullen num- set definitely makes you feel alive; gloriously alive.
ber. The band are in, er, darkness until about 1min 45 when Justin runs YYYYY
onto the stage for the highest falsetto of ‘die’ you’ve probably ever heard. Shari Black Velvet
It’s at that moment that the stage lights burst on like an erupting volcano
and the show really kicks off. ‘How Can I Lose Your Love’ is body-sway- Justin (And Dan) Hawkins (The Darkness) Photo By Shari Black Velvet
ingly good, while the melodic ‘Heart Explodes’ sees the audience clap
along in time. The humorous ‘Heavy Metal Lover’ sees Justin’s brother
Dan stalk the stage while repeatedly snarling ‘You look so happy when
you’re carving meat’ towards the end of the song when it turns into a psy-
chopathic hallucination. Justin then performs ‘We Are The Guitar Men’ on

CONCERTS