British rock band The Darkness have just announced a 2023 UK and Ireland tour to celebrate 20 years since the release of their debut album.
“You have all been very patient. We are VERY EXCITED to announce the dates for our Permission to Land 20th Anniversary UK & Ireland Tour!” said The Darkness on Twitter.
“We can’t wait to celebrate this very important birthday with you. See you all soon!”
The tour, which will see The Darkness stop off at nine cities across the UK and Ireland in December, is to celebrate two decades since the release of Permission To Land – the band’s first album. Permission To Land was released by Atlantic, and includes hits such as I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Love Is Only a Feeling.
“Their lack of subtlety, sophistication or sense has got up noses,” said The Guardian in its 2003 review of the album. “It’s not as if they’ll be impinging on our consciousness for longer than a few seasons, anyway...”
Defying the critics, Permission To Land was nominated for a Mercury Prize that same year, and although the album didn’t win, it did peak at number one in the UK album charts, and at number 36 on the US Billboard 200.
In 2004, Permission to Land won British Album of the Year at the BRIT awards, and the band won an Ivor Novello Songwriter Of The Year award the same year.
The Darkness went on to release six more albums, the most recent being 2021’s Motorheart, which went to number one in the UK Rock & Metal Albums charts and number 16 in the UK album charts.
The band supported Guns N’ Roses at BST Hyde Park on June 30, sharing a bill with the Pretenders, Larkin Poe, Dirty Honey and Bad Nerves.
Next up the band, which is made up of members Frankie Poullain, Rufus Tiger Taylor and brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins, will be playing alongside Kiss in Norway as part of Kiss’ End of the Road World Tour – the American band’s final ever tour.
After this, The Darkness will be playing at venues across America, before their first date in Belfast.
The Darkness UK and Ireland tour dates
- December 2 – Belfast, Telegraph Building
- December 3 – Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre
- December 8 – Norwich, Nick Rayns LCR
- December 9 – London, Roundhouse
- December 11 – Glasgow, Barrowland
- December 12 – Manchester, New Century Hall
- December 14 – Bristol, Beacon
- December 15 – Nottingham, Rock City
- December 16 – Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
The Darkness UK and Ireland tour, December 2-16; thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates
