The Darkness performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
–by Carrie Zukoski
The buzz of anticipation emanating from the all-ages crowd was palpable on this Saturday night at The Pageant in St. Louis. These fans were geared up for a night of sheer riffs of heavy guitars gilded by hard, heavy rock, driving drums with falsettos as only The Darkness’ frontman Justin Hawkins can deliver, sprinkled throughout the night.
The Darkness performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
They don’t need an excuse, but the multi-platinum UK glam-rock legends are touring to support their March album release of Dreams On Toast. They kicked their set off with the driving, rockin’, wild “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy” and slid into “Get Your Hands Off My Woman,” which Justin teased the crowd partway through to harmonize with his falsetto.
The Darkness performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
Fan favorites ranged from “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” “Motorheart,” to the anthemic “The Longest Kiss.”
The Darkness performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
The band ended the night with the fast-paced, power-pop “I Hate Myself” from Dreams On Toast, which should quickly skyrocket to one of The Darkness’ top-rated songs.
The Darkness performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
Cork, Ireland’s Mark Daly opened the night a little before 8 p.m. with 35 minutes of good, old, rock ‘n’ roll. A quick online search touts him as hard-rock through and through, but on this night seemed a bit more on the classic rock side. However you classify him, what shone through was raw, honest, and driving.
Mark Daly performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
Daly and his backing band, The Ravens, began with “This Is Love,” which they released earlier in August, and continued with “Better Off Alone,” then slowed it down a bit with “Crazy” before amping back up with “Super Heroes.” Daly peppered in stories and complimented fans in the US for coming out to see the opening act, something, he said, wouldn’t happen in Ireland.
Mark Daly performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
The entire concert was replete with anecdotes, high kicks, headstands, bare chests, and more, which left the crowd sated from all the energy that The Darkness and opener Mark Daly could deliver.
Mark Daly performing at The Pageant in St. Louis Saturday. Photo by Carrie Zukoski.
Check out the rest of the photos in the gallery after the setlist below.
