THE DARKNESS
The Moth Club (London)
21 September 2026
There is no backstage and so the band had to make their way through the crowd to get on stage.
I jumped at the chance to see The Darkness in The Moth Club in Hackney. It’s a very small, village-hall-style building with an antique sign on stage that says kids have to get off the dance floor by “9.30p.m.”. In the corner of the stage there is a faded photo memorial of a long departed local patriarch. It’s clearly had a familial past. Now, the three-railway-arches-style ceiling is covered in gold glitter and long, gold foil streamers, which form a curtain all along the back of the stage, flutter in the air conditioning behind the large and sinister word “MOTH”. Having hosted a secret show by Lady Gaga and known for stand-up comedy and drag acts, this venue is at the same time fabulous, seedy and a little ridiculous. I instinctively loved it! It felt transgressive before we heard a note!
I instinctively loved it! It felt transgressive before we heard a note!
The gig was, of course, sold out and packed, and people stood guarding their positions at the front from the off. I came an hour early to get my spot and did not move all night. There is no backstage and so the band had to make their way through the crowd to get on stage. There are so many people the band could not be seen, except by the people they are immediately next to, until they climbed the very few steps onto the low-slung stage. As Justin burst out of the crowd, the front row saw his gold sequined cat suit only at the last moment when he leapt on stage, causing the girls to scream with delight. Lately he hasn’t worn catsuits much when performing, so it was a fantastic surprise, and totally chimed with the gilded room.
It was a shock at first to see the band with such a rudimentary sound system, a stadium Rolls Royce band with the engine of a three wheeler, but we very soon got over that as we saw how much fun the band were having and enjoyed our favourite Darkness songs. Quite simply to do this sort of gig is a total laugh and the band, particularly Justin and Rufus, all beamed with amused sunny smiles throughout the show. The occasion is heralding the new album ‘Crock Of Hits’ (the self-deprecating pun of the title in tune with the band’s usual down to earth attitude to the realities of a Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle). They could have had a party at Claridges, but it wouldn’t have been half as much fun, and here there is no problem with Justin’s sartorial choices (and the fact that he very soon stripped to the waist, exposing his piercings and new tattoos). The set was loosely based on the one they did at Knebworth, but ‘Open Fire’ (which Justin has previously said that he associates with a burlesque circus) replaced the Christmas Song, and what else could be more appropriate to substitute ‘Love On The Rocks...’ with in light of tonight’s sparklingly amber surroundings, but ‘Solid Gold’!
Quite simply to do this sort of gig is a total laugh and the band, particularly Justin and Rufus, all beamed with amused sunny smiles throughout the show.
It’s a very “let it all hang out” evening and Justin threw out off the cuff an a cappella first line from Queen’s ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’. The crowd immediately seized the moment and enthusiastically completed the whole first verse, bellowing every word. That song is, of course, not very PC by today’s standards. Rufus caught Justin’s eye in clearly what was not an entirely approving look. (It has been said that Roger Taylor’s son, who loves his dad and his dad’s band, might just love a little less the constant references to Queen directed his way. He’s a fairly level headed guy and, for him, it seems to be like a constant name drop he would never instigate.) The utter inappropriateness of the story of the nanny and her ward was so very appropriate for The Moth Club though, you couldn’t make it up! It’s no doubt this was a vintage Rock crowd, so that when Justin does a cover of Little Feat’s ‘Willin’’ which I have never even heard of before, I have to ask what it is. Only one person in the crowd appears to know it and sings along, but even that fairly young guy won’t go on stage to sing with Justin as he says he doesn’t know all the words. Justin commented in an exaggerated “luvvie” voice “at least I have reached one person!” Just another little bizarre moment in this strangest of nights.
Dan and Justin both got to play close and personal to the bopping front row
There’s not much room for stage moves. Even so, Justin managed to do a few leaps and Frankie did a side to side, slightly Monty Python-esque sideways silly walk across the full six feet of the stage and back when he banged his cowbell! Justin played the keytar and there was room, of course, for guitar solos! Dan and Justin both got to play close and personal to the bopping front row and, if anything, the solos were more alive than in a big venue, because the proximity of the crowd elevated the vibe! Tight space did not stop the band doing the ‘Walking Through Fire’ gym walk with exaggerated fist pumping arms and marching, and we all joined in, taking care not to punch our neighbours, despite being packed like sardines. Before ‘Love Is Only A Feeling’ the crowd broke into chants of “Rufus, Rufus, Rufus” and Justin riffed off the crowd’s participation by getting them to do huge stiff-armed, no-bent-elbows claps. This was all quite challenging, as there were no cats being swung in this tiny, overstuffed, hot and sweaty establishment tonight!
The final track was ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’. Justin delivered a rich solo with Brian May-like tone.
The final track was ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’. Justin delivered a rich solo with Brian May-like tone. Rufus stood up and shook his sticks. Justin made weird engine-like noises with his guitar, throwing it over to the left repeatedly, while turning to and, thereby, communing with Dan. Frankie made strange theramin-style sounds by holding his bass repeatedly close to his antiquated amp. Following the snippet of Zep’s ‘Heartbreaker’ there was another clap-along accompanied by slightly funfair-sounding keyboards. Finally, to the extent humanly possible, Justin jumped repeatedly and emphatically high on the spot and the band thrashed their instruments to the final crashing chords.
What a night! The new greatest hits album’s not out till end November, just in time for the band’s full stage electric gigs at Christmas. As such, there are no albums on sale, this being an awareness raising event. One thing is for sure, however: for those that got the “golden tickets” to actually be there, it will be a night not easily forgotten.
What a night! The new greatest hits album’s not out till end November, just in time for the band’s full stage electric gigs at Christmas.
Photo Gallery (courtesy of Dawn Osborne)
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Review and Photos: Dawn Osborne
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