The Darkness at the O2 Academy, Liverpool

I am so fortunate to live within a few minutes of the O2 Academy, Liverpool. It means that I can go to concerts and see the artists that I love without having to worry too much about getting home.

Last night, I saw The Darkness, and their opening act, Massive Wagons.

Justin Hawkins, who is the lead singer of The Darkness, was phenomenal. He really put on a show, and the whole audience just ate it all up. It was he who truly made the night memorable, because he is the frontman. It appears that he is the character, the charmer, and the big man in the band.

The opening band, Massive Wagons, formed in 2009, and have since played at Download Festival, and even opened for legendary guitar rock band Status Quo. The band were very loud, sometimes to their detriment; there were times when the lead singer's vocals weren't even audible over the sound of the instruments... but this seems to be their signature. Their songs are awesome; catchy and absolutely adored by the crowd who, by the end of the set, were Massive Wagons fans. So was I. It was hard not to be.

Overall, the Massive Wagons' set was epic and energetic, stuffed with sick guitar solos and slides with almost otherworldly vocals sometimes being audible over the top. The band was definitely a good opener for an artist like The Darkness, and in the future I would love to attend Massive Wagons' own show.

Of course, The Darkness are who I really went to see, though. Like their opening act, they had a great rapport established with the audience within the first song or two. Frontman Justin Hawkins had every person in the audience eating out of his hand, and kept them there for the entire set. In terms of audience interaction, it was one of the best concerts that I have attended. The aura in the room was amazing. It was magnetic and nobody could resist it.

As one might expect of a band like The Darkness, their set was loud. When, for a few brief moments, the instruments and singing ceased, my ears were ringing to the point where the near-silence was almost painful. Their sound is addictive, and you can still hear it long after they have left the stage. I have never seen a band keep themselves going as successfully as this one, even after their set had finished.

And the encore! Everybody knows The Darkness' infamous Christmas song, Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End), and it was their final song of the night... performed in traditional Christmas garb - that is, Rufus Taylor was dressed as a smiling Christmas tree, and Justin Hawkins as a (somewhat) sexy Santa Claus. Not exactly my type, that is, but I can definitely see the appeal.

Overall, the show was amazing. The opener and the main act fit quite well together, and it was definitely a night to remember. The atmosphere alone was amazing, but honestly I've never felt more excited to be at a gig... I think.