THE DARKNESSS SHINES BRIGHT AT THE WILTERN IN LOS ANGELES
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JACKIE NG
As lights come down, we traverse into a tunnel of flashing green lights at the Wiltern and bathe again in the nostalgia of rock’n roll. It feels as though we begin to embark on a journey back into twenty years of time with The Darkness. Who said rock was dead? The audience roars with sounds and cheers as the Darkness electrifies the stage in their 20th-anniversary tour: Permission to Land.
Lead singer, Justin Hawkins, who embraced the stage in an eye-catching leotard suit, had an energy that was palpable to the crowd. His big leaps and handstands throughout the night captivated the audience and made dancing nearly irresistible. You could feel the crowd’s connection to the band and the meaning behind their songs, each individual renewing a fond personal bond with their early rock years. The crowd, which was quite a diverse audience of all ages, celebrated this night together and anticipated their most popular well-known song, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” The band announced they would be playing the entire album of ‘Permission to Land’ from start to finish and the audience wanted absolutely nothing more as they sang along.
The sounds of guitar, bass, and drums filled the room with such vibrancy and created absolutely such a unique memorable experience that only the Darkness could curate.
