The Darkness at The Fonda Theater
Justin Hawkins of The Darkness
The Darkness, The Fonda Theater, March 29, 2018
The Darkness swept upon the hallowed walls of the historic Fonda Theater, enrapturing the Tinseltown throngs with an epic rock and roll extravaganza. Selecting Hollywoodland as the kickoff date for their massive Tour De Prance cross country trek, The Darkness would find themselves greeted with an opening night sold out crowd. The hard rock reigned supreme, with The Darkness unleashing the performance of a lifetime, and the fans singing along to each and every song. Touring in support of their Pinewood Smile magnum opus, the acclaimed British collective certainly made even the most jaded of music critic euphorically happy. Performing selections that spanned a brilliant career, the good vibes and wickedly infectious tunes were thunderous to behold!
Commencing their set with the combustible refrains of Open Fire from their Last Of Our Kind manifesto, The Darkness launched into what would be an absolutely unforgettable performance of music and mayhem. Not only do these gentlemen know how to rock and shred your face off, they do so with a vibrant sense of humor and grace. One of the most striking parts of the show was when vocalist Justin Hawkins decided to add accessories to his already sparkling wardrobe, borrowing a checkered hoodie, a baseball cap, and spectacles from various audience members – performing a few songs in his newly acquired gear.
Dan Hawkins of The Darkness
Justin Hawkins is a supremely charismatic entertainer; whose epic vocals and buzzing guitar work are electrifying to witness. His brother Dan Hawkins is a virtuoso on guitar, launching glorious axe work with a grand amount of skill and finesse. Frankie Poullain not only supplies a rapturous low end on bass, but the dude plays a mean cowbell as well! And then there’s the one and only Rufus Tiger Taylor, the latest and greatest addition to The Darkness, bringing it all home on drums with a vengeance and a smile. His performance certainly should make his legendary father – Roger Taylor of the almighty Queen – very proud indeed!
What an amazing collection of tunes The Darkness bestowed upon the audience at The Fonda Theater within the wilds of the City of Angels! Classics such as One Way Ticket, Get Your Hands Off My Woman, and Growing On Me were ardently received, nearly blowing the ceiling off the Fonda establishment. The new songs from Pinewood Smile were embraced with a dynamic amount of enthusiasm by the audience, including Southern Trains, All The Pretty Girls, and Solid Gold. For a much deserved encore, The Darkness unleashed waves of timeless love upon the crowd – Japanese Prisoner Of Love from the current Pinewood Smile and I Believe In A Thing Called Love for their Permission To Land debut.
The Darkness is bringing back rock and roll to the masses, and their live show is a colossal celebration that is not to be missed! Tour De Prance is now making its way across the county, and expect The Darkness to fully devastate and delight all whom encounter their mesmerizing live performances!
(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)
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