The Darkness are playing three warmup gigs prior to their Download appearance on 10th June.

Live Nation announced earlier today that advance tickets go on sale tomorrow – Friday 13th May -for the following gigs. To qualify to buy, you will need a code that will have been emailed to you, and seems to be for Download ticket holders. General sale will be 5 days later and links go to Ticketmaster.

ON GENERAL SALE NOW!!! For the London gig, the best link is direct to venue – http://www.o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk/

Monday 6th June – The Assembly, Leamington Spa

Wednesday 8th June – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

Also announced by the  UEA ticket office:

Sunday 5th June – Waterfront, Norwich

That gig goes on sale Friday 13th May at 9am but there don’t seem to be any advance buying criteria. THIS IS NOW SOLD OUT

So. Festivals are lovely and TD will get huge exposure  – what we all want for them. There’s nothing nicer though than a venue gig – packed, sweaty, hot and bouncy. The angst of waiting to get tickets, the travel planning, who to go with, timings, money, work getting in the way.. it’s all starting here and now. Already has, here. I’m plotting and planning, not knowing if I’ll even manage to get a ticket!

I will be there. It might cost blood sweat and tears (though they might not be mine) and there could be hell and high water. It’ll be like coming home.

Not quite 30 years of hurt – only 5, and my god, there was hurt – but The Darkness and the Darklings are coming HOME.