The Darkness Live at The Summit Denver REVIEW! Blast of our Kind Tour 2015

   The black X's on my hands prove that I wasn't hungover, but why the hell did I feel like I was dragged naked through a corn field? I couldn't walk because my legs were cramped, my neck felt like it was crushed, and my throat felt like I had Strep again. Oh yeah that's what happens when you go to a fucking MASTERFUL concert. In an instant I remembered the taste of blood coming up from my vocal chords, throwing myself back and forth in a vicious headbang, and oh, the jumping. I'm not a veteran concert goer, and the Darkness marked my 4th official gig. All I can say is I've seen Rush, Jack White, and the Golden God, Robert Plant himself... THEY CAN ALL SHOVE IT. The story...
   
   We got to The Summit to find a small group of eager people chatting away. Justin's shlong this, Frankie's fro that, you know, the usual. It was 5 and the boys wouldn't go on for another 4 hours, but we had our little golden tickets... a gorgeous birthday present from my mother. Pre-gig Q&A with meet-n-greet... yes please! We stood listening to the startings of the sound check through the door while talking to some of the coolest fans I've ever met. Now I'm a member of the Jack White Vault as some of you readers know, and seriously, those people are assholes sometimes. Darkness fans are where it is at, straight up. I learned that even 40+ burly men can act like school girls given the right circumstances. I haven't taken Adderall in months and I felt like I had taken one too many.

   We were name checked and eventually brought in. The 14 or so of us ringed around the stage, each face mesmerized. The band didn't seem to notice and continued messing around, belching, and checking their instruments. The occasional glance was cast down to the crowd, rustling out jimmies. Then I saw him. Those blue eyes and that blonde mop. That's when it hit me that what was happening was real. 
   For you who don't know me, I am known as the Queen Girl in town. from the time I was 12 on up, it was all Queen all the time. I cried, I laughed, I sang the tunes. I once wrote an 11 page paper on the history of Queen from memory. I still get messages on Facebook: "Heard Queen today, thought of you". I'm good. At the first sight of Rufus Taylor, my eyes started to grow misty. He was beautiful and looked just like is dad {Roger Taylor, Drummer, Queen}. The Darkness was the Queen I could never have, being birth in 1996. Yeah, I'm a sappy mother fucker.

   Anyway, as the check went on, the boys became more involved with us, playing a couple songs and then ordering us to dance. Literally, Justin said "We aren't going to go on until you are all fucking dancing, like her" *point*. Well then. Time to go ultra-white. I didn't know what to do, so I awkwardly did the Disco.

   Soon stools were carried on stage and we gathered back around as the guys sat down. It was soon raining questions and statements. There are too many to remember, so I'll just use what my new bretheren of The Darkness Army posted to Facebook:

Q: Can I buy you guys a beer?
A: Justin: We never drink before shows. actually I've been sober for about 10 years now. *Crowd goes wild* Thank you.

Q: ME: I know you are a big Queen fan, Justin, so what is your favourite Queen song? If you say Bohemian Rhapsody, you're lying.
A: Band: No, we are going to answer this as a whole on Justin's behalf on the count of three... DRAGON ATTACK.

Q: I know you like photography, Justin, do you like film or digital better?
A: Justin: I actually went to school for Photography, so I was developing film before there was even such thing as digital. I like to use a Leica.

Q: Why did you chose to cover Radiohead when you are compared to bands like Queen, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin?
A: Dan: Well that is exactly why we did that; it was so different.

   Note that not all of those are quote for quote, but you get the point. It was cool. A member of the audience gave up her hat to Justin, hearing that he sold his one in an auction. He wore it, tried to give it back, then later picked it out of the audience. Dan received a bronze bracelet that means "You're a man in viking culture" to which he put on and proceeded to demonstrate his increased manliness.

   After the Q&A was over, the boys came down from their perch and we shuffled over to where they landed. forming a makeshift line, we all took photos of the person in front of us with the boys and got our fair share of autographs. We walked away with a pair of signed sticks, the LP I clutched over my chest all night, and a T-shirt. And I walked away with picture that will forever be my Facebook cover. It was the little things that made meeting them so great. it was like in an instant they went from being rock gods to being fellow rock saviors. They also loved the purple marker we had. "It's looks good on the album, doesn't it?"

   after the boys retreated to eat dinner in peace, we returned to our little spot outside. The VIP section. Very fancy indeed. We chatted with people in the big line (Hey you have my shoes!), talked about the Q&A and waited ever so patiently to return to our spots at the front of the stage. 

   It wasn't long before we were digging our tickets back out and yanking IDs from wallets. I wandered right on in and parked my ass near the middle of the stage. It took forever for the place to fill up and even though the doors opened at 7:30, the opening band didn't come on until around 9. They were Denver's own In The Whale, filling in for The Darkness's opening band, who were stuck at Canadian customs and not allowed in the US. While it is an article for another time, they rocked the house, which is probably why they followed The Darkness to their next venue. According to Justin: "The other opening band is fucking sacked! These guys are going with us!". Not bad for a chance encounter.

   I was literally in work-sleep mode when Whale went on. I work nights in a nursing home, so I can indeed wake-sleep standing up. After... that was a different story. It took a momentous and agonizing wait to get the stage set for The Darkness, but they treated us to tasty classic rock. It feels like I've heard Tom Sawyer played at a concert before...

   Anyway, When we finally got to see the boys dressed and ready for the show, it was like they were body snatched from the jeaned and tee-d guys we met before. Rufus had his hair down and a lovely satin shirt, Dan had his Thin Lizzy shirt under his sick rock vestments (a red and grey suit) Frankie had on his stylish red and blue suit, and Justin was a vision in his pinstriped, suspender-ed jumpsuit and jacket. Dreamy.

   For the first couple of songs, I held my LP and bounced around, smiling like a fool at the stage, but I decided to wrap the LP in my jacket and stow it under the barrier. I needed those arms for rocking. It took two songs before I was deaf and screaming "Black Shuck!" at the top of my lungs. Tone deaf much?

 

The setlist goes as followed, based on the one we caught:
Barbarian
Growing on Me
Black Shuck
Mudslide
Givin' Up
Roaring Waters
One Way Ticket
Love is Only a Feeling
Friday Night
English Country Garden
Every Inch
NEW Rack of Glam
Get Your Hands Off of My Woman
Stuck in a Rut
I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Open Fire
Street Spirit
Love on the Rocks

   The show was a whirlwind of deafening music, drunk people, and Justin Hawkins. For the most part, he people around me were hardcore immersed in the music. The nice dude standing next to me only stopped headbanging when I gave him a pick I caught (I already had one), and people stayed away from me because hey, I'm not looking at your feet when I'm battering my brain. Eventually, like with most shows, people started shoving up to he front, and even more people it seems were being carried to the front, where they were either dumped in the pit or angrily dropped. The stage hands seemed to be getting annoyed with the amount of people being thrown at the stage, as were the people who stood in line for hours to get their spots. After being kick in the head I booted some drunk in the ass and accidentally caused someone to be dropped. (I felt bad about that one, I meant to push her back but ended up pushing a support arm and, you know, gravity happened.). it always seems that people from the backs of venues are rowdy dick-butts. 

   Always gotta mention the crowd. Anywho, The band made up for it. Even though there were these Rowdy few screaming at them, and a few people being forceful and rude, they remained cool. They knew what they were up against. "I'm glad there is this thing here... This is my moat and I am the king." said Justin after a song request went awry.
   I should mention now that although the crowd is not really a part of most reviews, I make it a point here because of how audience orientated the band was. I'll get into that soon.

   I don't think anyone in the band took too much seriously. They were feeling it. Frankie and his fucking cowbell solo during One Way Ticket, Justin laying on the floor to sing into his dropped mic... Justin standing on his head, clapping his feet... Justin walking around like a fucking tarred chicken. You know you love it.
   One thing that I will never forget is the way the music sounded. A gay little ditty like English Country Garden was turned into the most fucking metal thing I've ever experienced. Everything was so rich and heavy. This is an occasion of "Yeah, the band is good, but I think they sound better LIVE." Fuck you CDs. Not really, I need those.
   
   I should add to that while these guys are devilish, They are also wonderful people. At one point, my partner nearly passed out. We were exhausted and hadn't eaten that day. Justin glanced at him, came over and gave his signature thumbs up with a slightly concerned look on his face. I know, they keep getting better and better.

  To keep things short, I'll cut to where our story reaches its sick climax. While talking to the crowd, Justin stepped out onto the barrier bars, audience members holding his legs for balance (right...). It wasn't long before that that he said "Look at all these ladies with their men holding on to them for safety. People come to escape, and no one wants to be molested." (said to an audience member defending his fine lady! A hand shake was in order!) And it didn't take long before he was growling "I feel so free, like I can fly... Aaaaaye! what are 'ou doin'? Get your 'ands off o' that! There is not more where that came from!". Someone got what they came for.

   During the final song of the Encore, Love on the Rocks, the band kept things going for a while, but they were soon left hanging when Mr. Hawkins decided to crawl onto a fan's shoulders with his guitar, which he ditched. It's alright, it crowd surfed it's way back to the stage just fine. In a grand move, Justin was piggy backed through the crowd until he reached the lower part of the balcony. he grabbed on and was quickly hauled up. He stood there with his mic in one hand, hanging on for dear life with the other. People might have crowd surfed like crazy, but NO ONE had jumped off the balcony. Until Justin reached the count of three. He fell back and was caught full on by his adoring fans below. The rest of us went fucking crazy.

   He was carried back to his brother and band mates on stage, hauled up by the roadies. They finished the set and I broke my neck. It was really over. it was like a sweet dream, one of the ones where your body releases endorphins while you sleep and you wake up feeling good. It was midnight and the spell had broken. I know a few people stayed behind at their bus, but it was time to fly. There was word that they said they will release a new album next year and maybe even tour before then. You bet your fucking ass I'll be there.
 -Cheyenne Kline

Craving Strange: Besides Review!

   From the weirdos that describe them-selves “Like Foghat and Cheap Trick in a fistfight with the Foo Fighters and GreenDay,” we get the band’s latest record, Besides (released 19 September).

  

 Craving Strange hail from Amityville New York and hold an impressive Bio, making them inarguably the biggest band we’ve worked with at TWRAR. With music on every watchable TV station I can think of (VH1, Fuse, and Discovery) and then some (FOX Sports, MTV) and an impressive list of venues and festivals under their belts (Texas Rock Fest, SXSW), it’s no wonder they were given the opp-ortunities to open for some of rock’s notable beasts, including Steel Panther.

   Obviously taking influence from the 21^st century greats, including Those who Fight Foo, GreenDay, and Jimmy Eat World to name a few, as well as those tried and true Classic Rock gods. You know the three. What we get is a crisp metal tone that isn’t quite hard enough to be the cold and lifeless sound we tend to see on the rock scene these days.

   Ah! The band! Right! Drum roll please- on vocals and guitar we have Jimmy G. Coming in at a whopping Whopper on the drums is also Jimi. Jimi Tassone to you. We have Matt Abbate on guitar! Let’s not forget the spectacular cherry on top, Mike Talento. If that isn’t the grouping of the most stereo-typical names in modern rock, I don’t know what is! But that aside, these guys are anything but.

   To get a clear view of the album, let’s start at, I dunno, the beginning. Safe From The World grabs you hot and heavy from the first second. Headbang all you want, the lyrics and music come together to form a beautiful intertwined work of art. Jimmy’s vocals feel natural and sincere. We are talkin’ smooth. Added harmonization in the background compliments his masculine voice and brings out true gentleness of this song. The riff is another thing that gets a hold of you and doesn’t let go. Very crisp and clean with just the right amount of crunch. Drums are complex without being over the top. Slight changes and variations add a great deal of interest to the rhythm section. The bass is something you’ll have to pick out, but the mixing and tone is absolutely superb. The bottom greatly rounds out the vocals and lead guitar, grounding them. Don’t fly away little soaring vocals! Although darker in tone, the song has a very optimistic message. That you should listen to it.

   You’ll Never Know starts with a pleasant riff that is quickly joined by a dramatic drum track that does wonders in creating atmosphere. Soft vocals fill in the void, soon rising to a full vocal tone filled with a rich timbre. It is easy to say that this particular track does an extra-ordinary job at pumping up the listener. It is exciting and energetic without tripping the line into “party everyday” zone. The overall feeling this song gives is perfectly described as “hopeful” While not a complex song, it is definitely ambitious, so much so that the feeling of get-up-and-go is utterly contagious.

 

   From The Grey follows with a beat slightly reminiscent of reggae. Put that with the rock and roll and you have the Police! In all actuality, I can only imagine that this is what the police would have sounded like if they were pushing albums during our modern reign on rock. This jive turkey only lasts about a minute before we are met     with soulful vocals and a solid mix of that sweet rock sound. Just as you think things are going to overwhelm you with sheer awesomeness, things dissolve back to the cool mellow the track opens with. With a slight build up before we get back to the chorus, it’s like a charge is being built. Judging by the songs we’ve covered so far, it is obvious that the boys of Craving Strange have truly mastered the art of pumping up their audience, something that is critical in today’s audience.

   After a guitar solo that somehow reminds me of Slash (good, but not over the top), we are given a final treat as the last chorus reaches a brilliant climax. All 4 members are accounted for in creating this vibrant swell that skews us out.

   Where Is The Way Out gives us a taste of just where our rock and roll roots are. The guitar is set just right in the intro and I love it. It holds all the moodiness and angst we expect a tone like that to bring. This 15 seconds of vibe does its job of setting the stage for this contrastingly dusky piece. I think musically, this is my favourite track off the EP. Everything comes together nicely to create an ideal placement for the song in the psyche. The nature of this piece is almost dark, but it seems that it is the band themselves that help hold us back from falling down this rabbit hole. I like it.

   Oh yeah, the music. I was getting distracted by the song. Sorry. So the drums are the first thing that stands out to me. The tempo is very fast, and Jimi is all over the place, but it does no such thing as take away from the overall effect. The hurried tempo and frantic bashing reminds me of the intro of Heart’s Magic Man, Which to me shows nothing but desperation and the will to be free.

   Once the end is near, we are led out with the same guitar that brought us in. a very beautiful journey to say the least.

   Complicated is the fifth and final track on the EP. Do not be solemn, my friend, because this song is anything but. The lead in has a bright sound that reminds me ever so slightly of the “Summer is Great!” songs that flooded Disney when I was a kid. That being said, my last statement is probably the most “negative” thing I have to say about the whole album. Not really that negative.

   Every album has to have one song that appeals to the larger masses I’ve found, and this one is probably it. We all know no one listens to albums as a whole anymore.

   Here’s hoping this song does get radio play on that scale because the rock is hard, the solo is radiant, and I think that anyone who gets their hands on this single song will be craving something (oh, word play, u so silly).

   Overall, this album is very well produced, heartfelt, and on flames with Fuckin Rock and Roll. Each song knows just how to pump the listener, and then carry them off. Craving Strange has a wide world open to them for their taking.

   Literally, the guys are currently touring in CHINA. Asians are by far the biggest keepers of rock in the world, so go out and do your part to help fight those darn commies! Buy up all the Strange you can and beat them! Or at least check out the band by ways of Facebook, Youtube, or their website, http://cravingstrange.net. It is very fancy. They also have their albums all up for grabs at BandCamp!

      -Cheyenne Kline

            Thank you to the boys of craving strange for their kindness and patience as TWRAR got rough! We will rise again!