Justin Hawkins Rides Again: Comedy, Music & Chaos

“Who’s here because they know me from The Darkness?” As many hands go up, Justin Hawkins adds, “This is going to be more about my podcast.”

In 2003, the unthinkable happened: rock music was back on top again. Not that it had ever gone away, but hard rock finally got its flowers, albeit briefly, thanks to four lads from Lowestoft known as The Darkness.

Top ten hits. Arena tours. A support slot for Robbie Williams at Knebworth. It looked like they could do no wrong. Sadly, it didn’t last. Why not? We’ll get to that.

In 2026, The Darkness are still a successful band. Not as huge as they once were, but very much beloved. Frontman Justin Hawkins also produces regular videos for his YouTube channel, which now boasts 649k subscribers. So popular, in fact, that he’s taken it on the road for the second time.

Making it clear that this is not a solo music tour in the vein of an “An Evening With…” style gig, Justin lays out his plans for the night: some music analysis, a guest interview, and more. Coming out to ‘Back in Black’ by AC/DC, accompanied by clips from his YouTube channel, this promises a night of rock ‘n’ roll. It is, just not as we know it.

The first act could easily be mistaken for a stand-up comedy routine. Hawkins cracks jokes, shares anecdotes, and even talks about music, all while expertly playing off audience heckles. Behind him is a photo taken at The Darkness’ commercial peak: Hawkins lighting a cigarette, yet still looking oddly upset. He explains that the band’s rapid, overwhelming success came with enormous pressure, leading him into substance use and heavy drinking. This ultimately contributed to the band’s first demise. Thankfully, Justin has now been clean for 20 years, and his career appears firmly back on track.

With that history in mind, we’re then ‘treated’ to excerpts from Gary Barlow’s autobiography. Justin reads them in a mocking tone, clearly inviting laughter. Admittedly, Barlow’s writing style does veer towards something reminiscent of Alan Partridge or David Brent, but the subject matter deals with addiction and eating disorders. Given we’d only just heard about Hawkins’ own demons minutes earlier, this section feels slightly tone-deaf. That said, Justin reassures the audience that he and Barlow are on good terms and have collaborated since.

After the interval, we return to find an extra chair on stage, reserved for tonight’s guest, David Brewis of Field Music. A Sunderland native, Brewis has played alongside his brother Michael since the mid-2000s, with Field Music often regarded as a hidden gem of the indie rock revival era.

This segment leans heavily into musical analysis, with Hawkins guitar in hand. While this will undoubtedly be valuable to technically minded guitarists in the crowd, for someone like myself (a more passive music enjoyer) it proved difficult to fully engage with. I found myself feeling a little lost.

The night concludes with a trivia game, which is intermittently interesting but eventually sinks back into dense guitar-tech territory. Winners receive a free pair of slippers. The segment is somewhat derailed by persistent heckling and over-enthusiastic audience participation, culminating in one attendee being ejected. Brewis remains seated, looking slightly bewildered throughout.

The unexpected star of this section is a man dressed as Superman, the show’s “official dancer,” named Tony. This catsuit-clad gentleman is clearly having the time of his life, and his joy is infectious. I later discovered he’d actually paid for the honour, which only adds to the absurdity. Even funnier is the fact that Tony keeps his neon-orange trucker cap on for the entire performance.

And so the evening ends. Informative and entertaining, though more so for certain sections of the audience than others. The show would benefit from a dedicated Q&A, more industry anecdotes, or stories behind The Darkness’ songs. If Justin Hawkins’ YouTube channel is your bag and you eagerly await each new upload, this show is definitely for you. If, like me, you’re a long-term fan of The Darkness who enjoys their lead singer’s musings in smaller doses, perhaps less so.

Fingers crossed we get a new Darkness tour and album sooner rather than later.