Celebrations have been loud and plentiful this weekend, I suppose you’ve noticed. Days off, parties, outings, rain – all the usual Bank Holiday gubbins. However, hidden amongst all the Jubilee extravaganzas, there’s a small but very significant anniversary that deserves a mention too.

A year ago, The Darkness played their first gig together after 5 years.

It wasn’t hard to judge the response on the night, or the clamouring for all things TD before, during and after it. Since then,  things have happened thick and fast. Download, which proved that the appetite for Dark is still strong. The UK and Ireland tour that delighted us all on home soil – especially the BRIAN MAY GIG (capitals a must there). America’s first taste for many years went so well that they got seconds, with Australia going nuts for what they’ve wanted and never thought they’d get. I think we thought TD had hit it big with the Samsung Superbowl commercial, because it was a bloody brilliant piece of exposure.

But HELLFIRE, wtf? Lady Gaga’s announcement of her support acts blew everything out of the water for everyone. TD are probably still pinching themselves, never mind what Monsters and Darklings are doing. It’s going to be a hell of a tour.

We had about long enough for a whole weekend recovery before album news started to emerge – dates, name, tracklist, single, video, next single news, confirmation that limited edition bundles will be available. Whatever you think of the name and the track listing, it’s going to be here and on your media player in just over 2 months. Things are as they are. We HAVE an album coming that’s going to shape Darklinghood for months and months ahead.

The year’s been a good one. Dave Ashworth, Darkling of over a decade’s standing, says ‘its been a bit of a quiet reunion in many ways, I guess because they’ve aimed to hit so many areas so soon and do the album.’ Agreed. There’s been a definite lack of blaring fanfare, more of doing the job – it was going to take a lot of effort to re-establishing the base before World Domination restarted , and they’ve never let up. Not for a minute, either onstage, on task  or online. It’s been loud where it needed to be, and quietly determined in other areas. So much hard work in one year, and don’t forget the management, crew, PR or anyone else. Festival season started this last weekend and from here, it’s all go until October and the Lady Gaga tour ends.

Raise your glasses and hats to The Darkness, today, and remember how we got here before taking a breath and wondering…

What the fuck’s next?