Rebecca Martin is a long-time American fan, whose contribution Darkling life has been somewhat legendary.
The Darkness: Changing the World One Life At A Time
The Darkness is and always has been a band who, rather than listen to the suggestions of record company execs, prefer to heed their instincts about the kind of songs they write, the kind of music they compose, and the kind of the show they put on. Their fans around the world respond to The Darkness’ artistic autonomy.
It’s been 10 years since the release of The Darkness’ debut album Permission to Land. I didn’t hear of The Darkness until late 2004. I was 30 years old at that time, and heard the radio-friendly hit “I Believe In a Thing Called Love.” I liked the song, but I didn’t become a full convert until I heard the first song on the album, “Black Shuck,” the tale of a local legend to the band’s hometown in eastern England. A searing guitar split the silence open, jolting me out of my skin. After four measures, the guitar was joined by a loud, pounding bass drum, which was followed by the bass guitar. It seemed to grab me at the base of my spine and figuratively shake me around like a rag doll. From the moment I heard “Black Shuck,” I knew I would always be a fan.
In western culture, we’re conditioned into thinking that if life doesn’t happen for you in your 20s, you’ve lost your chance at anything ever happening. But in 2004, this English band came into my life, changing my perspective. Its members were around the same age as me, and they were making a name for themselves. Seeing that gave me hope that things could still happen for people at any age, as long as they were willing to keep their nose to the grindstone and work hard to make these things happen.
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I was disappointed when the band split in 2006 because I had never seen them perform live. I discovered them after they had completed their U.S. tour for Permission to Land. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when they reformed in 2011. As soon as their U.S. tour dates were announced, my friends and I scrambled to make plans to go see them. On February 4, 2012, I finally got to see my favorite band perform live.
Since 2005, I’ve made friends with other Darkness fans and my life would not be the same without them. At this time, I’d also like to give a shout-out to all the friends I’ve made over the last year and half. Every time we meet up at gigs, it’s like a family reunion. Our passion for this band compels us to travel all over the U.S., catching the band on as many tour dates as possible. To the members of The Darkness, I want to say this: Thanks for the memories, and here’s to many more years of rocking out.