Review: Joshua Hobbins
Pictures: Dan Maynard

There is something slightly surreal about watching a band built for arenas tear through a venue like Miami Marketta, but that is exactly what happened last night when The Darkness rolled into the Gold Coast, with Sydney’s Rageflower opening the evening.

The crowd was thin early, still filtering in through the Marketta sprawl, but it did not take long for people to drift toward the stage. Rageflower leaned into a dreamy, shimmering pop set that felt warm and immersive rather than explosive.
Hands On and Sign of Life set the tone with layered textures and quiet confidence, while Hot Glue brought a little more bite. By the time Kerosene and Desk Job landed, the room had noticeably thickened out, heads nodding and bodies swaying in the glow of the lights. It was a measured, melodic opener that quietly won the room over.

A synth intro bled into a wall of feedback before snapping sharply into Rock and Roll Party Cowboy as The Darkness hit the stage. From there, it was on. The obligatory three-pronged vocal attack hit immediately, guitars harmonised with precision, and the room shifted from casual buzz to full attention.

Growing On Me came early, Justin Hawkins effortlessly nailing those high notes most singers would save for later. The sibling harmonies between Justin and Dan were tight all night, a reminder that beneath the theatrics, this band is seriously well drilled.

Then came Get Your Hands Off My Woman. Justin worked the crowd with charming sarcasm, yelling, “Gimme a D! Gimme an arkness! We are the motherfucking Darkness!” He punctuated the chaos with a handstand, clapping his feet in time with the beat before dropping straight back into falsetto call and response. Three songs in, the shirt was already off, and his voice carried effortlessly across the room.

Motorheart was arguably the heaviest moment of the night, flirting with metal territory. Roger Tiger Taylor was locked in on drums, driving it hard while Justin commanded horns aloft from the crowd. The rhythm section of Taylor and Frankie Poullain held everything together, giving the Hawkins brothers space to shred without the wheels ever wobbling. Justin took a moment to give a big shout out to guitar tech and multi-tasking wizard Ian Norfolk, who floated between keys and backup guitar all night. It was a small but genuine moment that showed just how much support goes into keeping a stadium-level show firing in a room this size.

A choreographed moment arrived during Walking Through Fire, with the entire crowd instructed to physically “march to the left, then march to the right” during the chorus. Cheesy on paper, brilliant in practice.

Mid-set highlight Love Is Only a Feeling drew one of the loudest singalongs of the night. Meanwhile Givin’ Up, apparently Dan’s self-confessed favourite song to play, sounded massive, with the whole venue belting the chorus back at Justin.

A fun switch saw Taylor take lead vocals on My Only, with Dan stepping onto drums. It worked surprisingly well and showed just how deep the talent runs in this lineup.

Their cover of The Power of Love was an unexpected highlight, turning a Jennifer Rush classic into a surprisingly heartfelt crowd moment.

By the time they hit I Believe in a Thing Called Love, the place was fully heaving. Every falsetto note soared, every harmony landed.
The encore brought I Hate Myself, a darker, punchier closer that capped off a set balancing absurdity and elite musicianship in equal measure.

Watching it unfold up close felt special. The theatrics, the harmonies, the physicality, all happening right in front of you, sweat flying, voices raised, and every chorus coming straight back at the band.

The Hawkins brothers shredded.
Taylor and Poullain kept it locked in.
The crowd sang like it was 2003 again.

Wild, electric, and ridiculous in all the right ways.

THE DARKNESS
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 2026

Sun 22 Feb – Bar On The Hill, Newcastle [LOW TIX]
Wed 25 Feb – Waves, Wollongong
Fri 27 Feb – Enmore Theatre, Sydney [LOW TIX]
Sat 28 Feb – Hindley Street, Adelaide
Sun 1 Mar – Odeon, Hobart [SOLD OUT]
Wed 4 Mar – Metropolis, Fremantle
Fri 6 Mar – Pier Bandroom, Frankston [SOLD OUT]
Sat 7 Mar – Forum, Melbourne [SOLD OUT]
Sun 8 Mar – Forum, Melbourne [2ND SHOW]

TICKETS ON SALE NOW via SBM Presents

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