“I was a session guitarist for a bit, which is unbelievable because I can’t read music. I used to pretend to flip the music sheets during sessions!” Dan Hawkins says it’s a miracle The Darkness have survived so long

Daniel Hawkins of The Darkness perform onstage during a concert at Alcatraz on October 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy.

Perhaps The Darkness – the quadruple platinum, outrageously infectious rock band – made their riff-roaring, double-entendre-laden debut, Permission to Land, 20 years too late. There was a significant backlash on its release: due to the outlandish lyrics and falsetto vocals, many critics were quick to assume the band were a glam rock parody.

Yet here the four-piece unapologetically are, 23 years on, having secured three BRIT and two Kerrang! awards, and with eight albums under their rockstar, or catsuit, belts.