After Ultimate Guitar first broke the story of a discrete and official looking website last week, The Darkness have officially announced their reformation after splitting five years ago. With a new album being recorded and appearing high on the bill for Download festival, where did the idea for a surprise reunion come about?
It seems that false rumours of the band getting together became a self-fulfilling prophecy, as frontman
Justin Hawkins explained to Kerrang.
"A couple of years ago we heard the rumours that we were coming back and realised individually and collectively that that wasn't such a bad idea.
"The idea of playing Download terrifies us. We played in an early slot on the main stage in 2003 and we were frightened then. It's reassuring to know that nothing has changed. It's the most rockest of festivals and the perfect place for us to begin the next phase of our journey."
They will return with the lineup of Justin Hawkins, Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham.
Poullain previously left the band at its peak and wrote a tell-all book, and the Hawkins brothers were said to fall out. Coupled with a "£150,000 cocaine addiction", Justin left for rehab.
Despite a stint with former bassist Richie Edwards fronting the band, they collapsed and formed Stone Gods while Justin started Hot Leg. Both groups went on hiatus last year, setting off the Darkness rumours which seem to have brought the band back together.
UK tour in the cards I hope after the Download slot!
new recording and festival date.
I lol'd.