Almost two years ago to the day, I saw The Darkness for the first time. They were great and I was upset that I had never seen them before. I knew right then that I had to catch another show, so I was very lucky when I got the opportunity to shoot their show at Park West earlier this week.

I understand they aren’t as popular in the States as they are in the UK, but if it were up to me I’d have this band headlining festivals every weekend of summer. They put on such an awesome, fun show and they should be rewarded for that. Since they reformed in 2011 after a few years apart, I think they have a new appreciation for what they do and it shines through in their performance.

I love the way Justin Hawkins commandeers an audience and bends them to his will. Thirty seconds into the show everyone in the crowd is his to do whatever he wants. And he doesn’t relinquish control until the final note is played. It’s really something to witness.

They put out a new album since the last time I saw them. It’s called Pinewood Smile and it came out last October. They didn’t play a ton off that one, loading the set with tracks from earlier albums, including their awesome debut Permission To Land.

There isn’t much else to say that I didn’t already say in my previous review. If you haven’t seen them live, you really should. The energy and emotion The Darkness displays while playing is infectious and exciting. Check out their website for tour dates.