The Darkness at Skogsröjet
A knockout performance by The Darkness in a dark Swedish forest.
The Darkness at the Skogsröjet festival in Rejmyre, Sweden on 2nd August 2024
The Darkness burst onto the British rock scene with its debut single “Get Your Hands off My Woman” in February 2003. 21 years later the band is still relevant, cocky and touring around the world with a fantastic rock show based on sweat, passion and four guys applying themselves to the task at hand. This late evening at the Skogsröjet festival deep in the Swedish countryside the lads delivered a crazy-good rock show.
Unsurprisingly, the show was built around the band’s splendid debut album “Permission to Land” from 2003. They opened with “Growing on Me” and the set also featured obvious fan favourites such as “Get Your Hands off My Woman”, “One Way Ticket”, “Love Is Only a Feeling”, “Givin’ Up”, “Stuck in a Rut”, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and “Love on the Rocks with No Ice”. Such much-loved bangers went down a treat with a beer-fuelled Swedish festival audience.
But The Darkness is so much more than its hits. Some of the highlights of this terrific festival set included songs such as “Motorheart”, “Barbarian” and “Japanese Prisoner of Love”. The Darkness is, as is well known, a band with balls and swagger. Justin Hawkins is a frontman who gives it his all. He can back up the swagger with delivery. Few bands can pull off having a Led Zeppelin cover in the set but The Darkness can.
The current line-up of the band features Justin Hawkins on guitar and vocals, his brother Dan Hawkins on guitar and Frankie Poullain on bass. Since 2015, the three original members have been joined by drummer Rufus Tiger Taylor. He is the son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor and a touring drummer for Queen + Adam Lambert.
This evening in Sweden, Justin grabbed the audience by the balls from the first few riffs and never let go. He is a relentless entertainer. Dan and Rufus focused on the playing. Visually they were in the background without drawing much attention to themselves. But Scotsman Frankie must be one of the most stylish and coolest bassists in the rock music business. He is a great wingman to Justin. The band being as solid as it is, gives Justin the freedom to entertain. He knows he has a band that won’t let him down and can thus push his limits. Justin spoke his mind and shared some truths about music and life. He is real and doesn’t hold back which adds to his attractiveness as a showman.
The band will release its eighth studio album “Dreams on Toast” on 28th March 2025 and the touring will continue. Go to see them perform. Let them entertain you. You deserve it.
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