The Darkness: Do you believe in a thing called comebacks?

I’m sure I can’t be alone in having experienced either the misty-eyed reminiscing or a drunken rant about how dire they are in Monty’s at some point, pretty much the only place such a conversation would arise nowadays. They’re not forgotten, but it does take ‘One Way Ticket’ or ‘I believe in a thing called love’ cranking out of the speakers to entice the memory out of the back of our minds. Soon enough though, you never know, that might be about to change again.

In case you missed the news last week, The Darkness, with its original line-up, is back together (yes, the crazy, moustached, bandana-clad bassist from the Permission to Land days has re-joined the ranks too!). By hearing this intelligence almost immediately, I was glad to finally restore some of my pride and sense of loyalty to the band; I was ashamed to only hear of their split two and a half months down the line through the Christmas edition of Top of the Pops 2 of all places. December 2011’s still a long way down the road though with festival appearances and a new album separating now from then, so who knows what the East Anglian glam rockers will have achieved by that time? Chances are either a triple somersault reverse twist pike, or an absolute belly flop. Now I’d hate to tempt fate, but I’ve got an inkling they may just surprise use with the former. Let me tell you why.

Well for starters, this is going to be the first time in eight years that the same four guys who gave us Permission to Land, the band’s brilliant debut, have got together in a recording studio to cut some songs together. 2005’s follow-up, One Way Ticket to Hell and Back, was another solid effort, but as more serious new boy Ritchie Edwards arrived and frontman Justin Hawkins started devoting more attention to the sort of prescriptions mirrors and razorblades are required for, it didn’t quite have the fan-winning charisma of its predecessor.

Following rehab and the almost inevitable split, Justin went on to form Hot Leg, while the rest of the band stayed united under the name Stone Gods. Neither outfit was show-stopping, but only because they were missing a (as it has transpired) re-attachable limb; Stone Gods certainly had their house in order musically, but without Justin’s inimitable wail, they were just another of the classic rock ‘revival’ acts. Likewise, the elder Hawkins’ vocal performance and tongue-in-cheek lyrics were spot on as ever on Hot Leg’s one and only LP, but without the riff machine of younger brother Dan beside him, the musical compass seemed to have gone slightly wayward. Put the two back together again though, and I believe The Darkness could be back on form in no time.

The last few years have admittedly seen a few underwhelming reunions in rock, and for the most part they’ve been a case of staggering onstage with a Zimmer frame, belting out a few greatest hits gigs, and swiftly heading back into hiding with a good boost to the pension. But with this over the top, fun loving bunch of criminals, “there’s life in the old dog yet”, and I’m looking forward to seeing a flaxen-haired, spandex-clad Justin Hawkins leaping unceremoniously all over Jools Holland’s cherished piano again before too long.

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