Staff Editor on March 30th, 2018

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British rockers the Darkness kept things at full throttle — and in good humor — when they headlined the sold-out Fonda Theatre on Thursday night. It was the first stop on the band’s “Tour de Prance,” supporting their fifth album, 2017’s “Pinewood Smile.”

After overcoming some technical difficulties at the outset, frontman Justin Hawkins worked the crowd throughout the show, tossing out guitar picks, leading them in clapping and commanding them to spell out “D-A-R-K-N-E-S-S.” He chided fans for not singing along enthusiastically enough, deadpanning (in a good-natured way): “Your response ranges from apathetic. … I respect that. … I would be apathetic, too. [pause] If I were a c**t.” For the two-song encore, Hawkins came out in shorts and sneakers.

Setlist: Open Fire, Love Is Only A Feeling, Southern Trains, Black Shuck, One Way Ticket, Givin’ Up, All The Pretty Girls, Barbarian, Buccaneers Of Hispaniola, Friday Night, Every Inch Of You, Solid Gold, Stuck In A Rut, Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Growing On Me.
Encore: Japanese Prisoner Of Love, I Believe In A Thing Called Love.

Photos by Andie Mills