REVIEWED
HANDS ON... The Band
THIS MONTH: The Darkness
The Darkness first strutted onto a baffled music scene in the early Noughties, their spirited take on early 70s-inspired glam rock and unabashed showmanship was an unlikely
hit, confounding the UK music press and public alike. Heavily influenced by early Queen, front man Justin Hawkins’ screaming falsetto vocals and crunchy guitar riffs, backed up by his younger brother and fellow guitarist Dan, injected a shot of showbiz sparkle into a hard rock scene that had been hitherto dominated by traditional heavy metal and the dour self-reverential face of alternative rock. Taking their cue from the tongue in cheek showmanship pedaled by metal veterans Iron maiden and Judas Priest, The Darkness cranked everything up a couple of notches, sprinkling their rocking tunes with a healthy does of commercial poppy zest that saw the band’s debut LP Permission to Land (2004) achieve a UK number one, plus the band scooped multiple awards – including three Brits – that same year. Inevitably the band couldn’t sustain its momentum; their second album One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back (2005) was a shadow of its predecessor, barely troubling the UK top ten and it wasn’t long before the band disintegrated amidst allegations of drug abuse, in-fighting and generally feeling the colossal strain of trying to live up to the promise of their phenomenal debut.
After taking tine out to sort themselves out via a handful of solo
projects (including Justin Hawkins’ unsuccessful attempt to represent the UK in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest) The Darkness happily announced that the original lineup of Justin and Dan Hawkins, plus drummer Ed Graham and bassist Frankie Poullain have reformed. Following a short series of warm up dates and a well- received set at the Download festival in June, the band has confirmed that they are currently back in the studio working on their third studio album… powered all the way by Marshall Amplification, naturally!
Marshall 1959SLP Reissue
The Darkness are no mugs when it comes to their choice of equipment and for them there is only one brand…Marshall! The band has used several different types of Marshall amps over the years but according to our sources Justin and Dan are powering the newly rejuvenated Darkness with the one and only 100watt 1959SLP. This legendary amp has been around in its various incarnations since 1966 and from Jimi Hendrix onward, generations of rock guitarists have found themselves irresistibly drawn to its awesome power and silky dynamic range. So what makes the 1959 such a great amp, we hear you cry? Well, like all of the really great Marshall amps the 1959's secret is its purity. Some guitarists claim that the 1959's sheer tonal transparency can be a bit disarming; it doesn’t colour your tone like many other amplifiers and with no niceties like built-in reverb to fall back on the raw beauty of the
18 3pickup Glam raid: Justin Hawkins struts his stuff…
LEARN THE SECRETS OF MARSHALL USERS’ TONES
Hendrix, Clapton and beyond… the Marshall's 1959SLP is the foundation of classic rock tone!
1959SLP does take some getting used to. Once acclimatized, however, there is very little that can match a Marshall 1959 Super Lead for sheer power and range. Teamed up with a good overdrive or distortion pedal the 1959SLP is force to be reckoned with that literally set the standard by which all other rock and roll amplifiers are judged but its silky clean tones are also very effective – and somewhat underrated by those who only associate the classic Marshall tone with crushing overdrive. The Darkness definitely know how to draw some stunning tones
from their Marshall 1959SLP amps – check out the YouTube footage of the band at this year’s Download of you need proof – and if you want to hear more keep a look out for more live dates over the summer. Welcome back The Darkness…long may you rock, with Marshall all the way! PM
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