The Darkness @ Monarch, London

Alice Cooper‘s drama and Mick Jagger‘s arrogance.

The set ranged from power ballads to camp rock pastiche. Fancy guitar-work and melodramatic poses were delicately balanced on solid riffs. The Darkness lamented life’s cruel moments and celebrated silliness. Their songs possessed soul, sentiment and cunning cliches, delivered with ludicrous overstatement and crafty musicianship.

Essence of The Stones, Thin Lizzy and AC/DC was captured in The Darkness’ home-grown neo-classic anthems. Two favourites about to be recorded are Love on the Rocks with No Ice and I Believe in a Thing Called Love.

The fans could not get enough of topless tunes at top volume with all the prancing and pouting of a would-be Rock God. Justin careered through the middle of them on the shoulders of producer Pedro(ck) Ferreira, not a twang out of place.

This was rock’n’roll – big, clever, happy, horny, frivolous, stylish, and very very loud.