Concert Review: The Darkness at The Mohawk, Austin. UK rockers bring sunny vibes on a sultry night to playing songs off latest release Motorheart and a bevy of classic cuts.
Austin has had some crazy weather lately, but the past few days have been cool and breezy. But not last night. Local news stations said we broke a heat record.
So the crowd at the Mohawk were already beading up a sweat during openers The Dead Deads, who put on a high energy show with their miasma of musical styles, with several concertgoers rocking the group’s trademark X’s over their eyes.
But the sweaty crowd were assembled to see The Darkness, returning to Austin for the first time since 2018. The group stormed to stage with Welcome To Glasgae, a high-energy Scottish tribute from their 2021 release Motorheart.
The set leaned heavily towards their latest, with propulsive versions of the Star Trek homage It’s Love, Jim, and the title track, a multi-headed beast welding various metal sub-genres into a hearty stew, pushing frontman/guitarist Justin Hawkins helium falsetto to the breaking point.
The group were resplendent in colorful rock and roll garb, with Hawkins rocking a red suede jumpsuit/Nudie suit hybrid, flanked by bassist Frankie Poullain in a black ensemble complete with headband, brother Dan Hawkins, soaked to the bone in a leather jacket, and drummer Rufus Taylor (son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor) going shirtless. They look about as out of place now as they did when they first emerged in the early 00’s.
But that’s the beauty of The Darkness, they’ve never cared about fitting in, quite content to be the sore thumbs of rock. It’s a point of pride, an aesthetic, and a reminder to not take things so damn seriously. So when Hawkins emerged mid-set in one of his trademark catsuits, the crowd whooped in rapturous approval.
The band’s momentum never slowed, blasting out tunes including the glammy 2005 song One Way Ticket, and 2015’s The Last Of Our Kind tracks Open Fire (where Hawkins let a rabid concertgoer sing lead for a chorus), and the suitably brutal Barbarian.
Other songs of note included a slamming rendition of Japanese Prisoner of Love from 2017’s Pinewood Smile, along with Solid Gold (with the irresistible chorus of “And we’re never gonna stop, shitting out Solid Gold”) and Heart Explodes off 2019’s Easter is Cancelled.
But the bulk of the set focused on their breakout 2003 album Permission to Land, including the STD lament Growing On Me, the charmingly romantic Friday Night, power ballad Love Is Only a Feeling, and Givin’ Up, the most chipper song about heroin addiction ever recorded, featuring a guitar solo that was truly transcendent.
More Permission songs followed, including the folklore driven Black Shuck, and the expletive-laden Get Your Hands Off My Woman, both of which sent the crowd into a frenzy. Which is saying something, because to say the crowd was rapturous is an understatement. This was not an audience composed mainly of casual fans. Lyrics were shouted in unison, even on deep cuts and newer songs.
Hawkins is a master of raunchy wit and showmanship, whether it was grabbing a fan’s phone and taking a photo of his crotch (from inside his catsuit), climbing on top of the Mohawk balcony, or stage-diving into the crowd (in which he unceremoniously got walloped in the crotch, causing him to lament “I think one of my balls popped, but at least I have 2 more!”).
The band returned for one encore, playing their worldwide smash (and sole U.S. radio hit) I Believe In A Thing Called Love. The singer asked fans to put away their phones so they can be in the moment, “because we don’t know what tomorrow may bring.” In light of the band’s recent tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins, this held extra gravity, offering a moment of poignance from a band known for levity.
The crowd complied, the song was joyous, and then it was over. Everyone emerged sweaty and smiling. In an era where stress, chaos and bad vibes abound, a set by The Darkness is the perfect antidepressant.