GuilFest 2005. The Guildford Music Festival on 15th, 16th and 17th July 2005

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Artist: The Darkness [1] [2]
Genre: Rock
Performing: 4th July 2003 / Stage 1
Website Address: www.thedarknessrock.com

The Darkness appear at Guilfest only days before the release of their hotly anticipated debut album, Permission To Land. An ironic choice of title for a band who are currently riding high on their new-found fame, who've spent the last few months whipping the world of rock into something of a frenzy..

They've already appeared on the front covers of numerous music magazines, performed extensively across the UK, Europe and the US, not to mention strutting their resplendent spandex stuff at Glastonbury last weekend.

And how are The Darkness responding to all this attention? Inevitably, they're loving every second of it, lapping it up for all its worth. After all, attention is what Justin's outrageous leopard-print lycra catsuits and potentially spandex-splitting scissor jumps are all about. But what strikes me on meeting them is that despite their cock-rocking, arrogant facade, they're not taking any of it for granted. They're living for the moment, sucking in and savouring every experience that comes their way, and (unsurprisingly) performing at Guilfest is no exception.

Have you enjoyed yourselves here?
Justin: Yeah, it's been great. Quite busy you know, TV and stuff.

And you played Glastonbury last weekend, how was that?
Dan: Yeah, that was great, yeah, really, really cool.

How does it all compare - have you had as much fun today?
Dan: Definitely, yeah.
Justin: I think this is my favourite festival at the moment.

Really?
Justin: Yeah, I ain't shittin' you. I ain't shittin' you. Cos the way we've been treated and the way the crowd were, it's a different class.

And how are you feeling about the new album on Monday?
Dan: Excited, it'll be nice for everyone to hear the songs you know.
Justin: We've been doing live tracks and making an impact on the live scene for a long time now. It'll be nice to back it up with some serious kind of songs. When you get these great opportunities like today and play to a whole bunch of new people, you approach it as a multi-sensory attack really - you know you're visually stunning, you sound good, but you never really get to deliver songs in a way that's pure song. So this is the first opportunity for us to really have the product there, and for people to find out what we're about.

Have you played most stuff from the album live already?
Dan: There's only one song that we haven't ever played, and that's the last song on the album.

What's it called?
Dan: Holding My Own.

So there's an element of surprise then?
Justin: They think they know us like the backs of their hands but then they find there's still something new.

And where do you see yourself in the future - what would you like to be doing in a year or so from now?
Justin: Headlining this place would be cool, wouldn't it.
Dan: Yeah, it would be nice actually.
Justin: Yeah, I like this festival.

And what about if you could have your own festival, who would be headlining?
Dan: AC/DC are headlining. Urm, then I suppose Aerosmith would be second from last. Fleetwood Mac would be there. Reborn Queen, yeah, but with like a proper singer. Cos Queen have re-formed but they've got a shit singer. So if you could find someone that's really like Freddie Mercury, they'd be at my festival.