2004 05 MAY RAG - RAG Magazine

crowd hoorah anthems as well as three costume changes forJustin, the first being a black leather jumpsuit. His garb wassmirk-worthy – glittery, pink and formfitting. The wardrobeincluded everything from fur and leather to sequins and spandex.The front man’s color-coordinated fashions and sparkly guitarswere just as entertaining as the band’s flawless musicianship.Their live sounds were to studio perfection, and the lads wentto great lengths to display showmanship unlike any Americanbredacts. Silly antics and show-us-your-boobs rock clichéswere mainstays for the gig. Boobs were flashed and bras wereflung on stage. Even from his rock-god pedestal, Justinbefriended the audience. While playing guitar, he actually tooka stroll through the crowd atop a bodyguard’s shoulders.Justin’s crooked grin enhanced his outrageous and comicalbehavior (i.e. sniffing his armpits between guitar solos, doing atoe-touch and romping around in exaggerated glam metal glee).This was a band whose firework energy and dynamic flarewere far larger than their actual surroundings permitted. Fromstart to finish, the Darkness brought big arena rowdiness tothis smaller-scale amphitheatre and partied like it was circa1979.Do you enjoy your time in America? What do you like aboutit?Well, we are one of the biggest bands in Britain, or probably arethe biggest band in Britain – so we enjoy the new challenge ofcoming here and winning new fans, touring and seeing placesyou haven’t seen before. Yeah, I think we all enjoy touring inAmerica.I read that you were kind of an unhappy kid, and the guyswould say, “Ed’s got the darkness.” Is that true? Is that howyou came up with the band’s name?[Laughs, nervously] Where did you read that?On your Web site, actually.It’s not still on there is it?I think it is, yeah.Is that still on our bi-log on our Website?It was kind of insidejoke. Is it stillInterview: Monica CadyA few days before the Boca Raton show, Graham took a fewminutes with Rag Magazine to clarify rumors, discuss futureplans and to reiterate why he declares the Darkness to be thehottest band in Britain.You guys are already involved with your follow-up toPermission to Land, what can you tell me about that?That’s right. It’s probably new over here, but in the UK it’s beenout longer. So, yeah, we’re writing new material at the momentin between touring.Are you exploring anything new or is it like what you have outnow?It’s not radically different. It’s a little different. I suppose it’s nottotally different – just a slight development. I think even on ourrecord now – some of the subjects are fun and some of itsquiet dark. I think it will be the same as this.What is the biggest challenge being a band from England andpresenting yourself in America?Being successful in America is about being here a lot andplaying a lot. You have to be on a bus and tour. You have to putin the hours – tour the country. The last tour was on the otherside of the country, and this tour we’re doing this side andcoming back again. I think half of it is spending time here. Oneof the obstacles is getting through the each radio station. In theUK, if you get on Radio One, that covers the whole country. InAmerica, there are all sorts of radio stations and you graduallytry to win over each one.on our Web sitethough? I thought I told them totake that off.Yeah, it is still there.Well, it must be if you read it. It was just a joke. I can’t explainit that well.What bands do you listen to on a regular basis?Well, personally, I’m a music fan. I listen to everything, well, noteverything, I listen to a wide range of bands. It’s quiet difficultfor me to say because I listen to a wide range from one day tothe next.Would you say it’s more like classic rock versus modernthings?Yeah, I suppose I listen to a lot of ‘80s music. I listen to a lot ofclassic rock, but I listen to other stuff as well. I like Outkast.That’s probably the most modern thing I listen to. I listen toanything you know – AC/DC, Outkast, Johnny Cash, the Police,whatever. I listen to whatever I feel like at the time.Do you think that a lot of music on the radio sounds the same?Like nu-metal?It’s not my thing, you know, I don’t like it. There seems to beendless amounts of these bands. They do all sound the sameto me, or 90 percent of them sound the same. I don’t get it.RAG MAGAZINE • JULY 2004 • 19