The Darkness - ‘Streaming Of A White Christmas’ Review.

The Darkness just released a brand new live album called ‘Streaming Of A White Christmas’. The recording was taken from the band's streaming Christmas show on the 18th of December 2020.

I struggle to understand these kinds of releases. Why? Two reasons:

1) The band has recently released their new album, Motorheart (click here for the video review, in case you missed it) and obviously no songs of the new album are in this live release. It looks already a bit old, isn't it?

2) The band recently released another live album, Live at Hammersmith, so this Streaming of a white Christmas is not essential. 

Saying that let's start talking about music, forgetting my usual ranting, and the music of this Streaming Of A White Christmas is great. The band is in a good shape and the setlist is great you can have a look at it at the end of the review. 

The concert starts with the "new" and beautifully weird Rock And Roll Deserves To Die and from there it will be a good mix of old classics and more recent songs. Of course, lots of classics from Permission to land like Black Shuck, Growing on me, Get Your Hands Off My Woman, the beautiful Friday night, well... almost the entire album, to be honest, I can almost name them all. 

Great execution of maybe my favourite song by the band, Barbarian, and new classics like Easter is cancelled (with a nice "streaming speech" by Justin Hawkins) or Roaring waters, Every inch of you. Another funny moment of the show is the beginning of Heavy Metal lover, another crazy song by the band, listen to the first part of the song and what Justin says. Considering that the concert was played around Christmas, not playing the classic Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) wasn't an option but the concert ends with another track from the debut Love On The Rocks (With No Ice), played in the usual extra long version with Justin presenting the band and a great solo section.

Justin and Dan Hawkins on "electronic guitars", Frankie Poullain on "electronic bass" and not new anymore Rufus Taylor on drums are a reality in the Hard Rock world and one of the best live bands around, combining great music and irony but without being a parody. Streaming Of A White Christmas is a very enjoyable live album, very well played, with some impromptu, with a very communicative frontman despite the fact the concert was with no audience. If you like the band, you will like it for sure.

Tracklisting:
Rock And Roll Deserves To Die
Black Shuck
Heart Explodes
Growing On Me
Japanese Prisoner Of Love
Barbarian
Roaring Waters
Easter Is Cancelled
Every Inch Of You
Friday Night
Love Is Only A Feeling
Stuck In A Rut
Heavy Metal Lover
Givin' Up
Get Your Hands Off My Woman
I Believe In A Thing Called Love
Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)
Love On The Rocks (With No Ice)