Welcome to the Darkness

Although I can't promise you groupies and TVs propelled out of windows, the documentary 'Welcome to the Darkness' is probably as close as most of us will ever come to being Rock Gods.

Hop on the tour bus with legendary Brit rockers 'The Darkness', who shot to fame in the early 2000's. Selling millions of albums, packing out stadiums across the world and lining their shelves with awards. Now, we join them starting their comeback tour.

You may know them from anthems such as 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love' and 'Love is only a Feeling', to name but a few. Not ringing a bell? No worries, an insightful backstory is provided for the uninitiated. You don't need to be a fan to enjoy the ups and downs of their successes and tumultuous relationships. Although not as violent as the Gallaghers, the Hawkins brothers (frontman Justin and guitarist Dan) have a tumultuous relationship that is touched on but never fully explored. As they seem to be healing, why would you pick at that scab. Possibly unrelated but they also manage to churn through more drummers than Elton John has wardrobe changes.

The humour from their music carries over into their day to day lives. Whether it's picking an outrageous outfit for the next gig or interacting with adoring fans, they never take themselves too seriously. Which would be hard to do when you have a lead singer who looks like he should be lowering a basket of lotion into a well - but man, he can hit high notes that would make the Gibb brothers proud.

This will undoubtedly be my favourite doco of 2024. With so much riding on this tour, the tension is palpable. Succeed and live the life of a rockstar or fail and get a proper job. It could go either way as disaster seems to be a fifth member of the band. However, their resilience, determination and self belief keep them rocking. Which is justifiable when you consider how much they have achieved. Find out if they can do it again in 'Welcome to the Darkness'.

Available to rent or buy on most Aussie streaming platforms from January 24.

FILM: 7.0 Diving into the documentary "Welcome to the Darkness," I found myself immersed in the journey of The Darkness as they reclaimed their spot in the limelight in 2015 after a hiatus. The lineup changes, especially the arrival of drummer Emily Dolan Davies, set the stage for a new chapter, though it's clear this iteration doesn't endure. Here our story begins.

Filmmaker Simon Emmett skillfully captures the band's ground-up reimagining as they transition from intimate pub gigs to the grandeur of stadium rock shows. The documentary delves into the band's tumultuous history, particularly the impact of their extravagant lifestyle on members like Justin Hawkins.

While it's no surprise that the documentary centres on Hawkins, the charismatic front man, it somewhat neglects other band members, leaving Frankie Poullain without a substantial story. Even the significant moment of Rufus Taylor joining the band is somewhat overshadowed by the focus on Hawkins' vocal health issues.

The exploration of the strained relationship between brothers Justin and Dan adds depth to the narrative, portraying an ongoing effort to mend their rift following the band's reformation.

Clocking in at 90 minutes, the documentary covers a significant chunk of history. However, a more extended look into the "quieter" band members could have enriched the narrative. Although small glimpses of performances are nice, a full song or two would have added musical substance.

Despite these critiques, "Welcome to the Darkness" provides an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the band's inner workings, making it a worthwhile watch, especially for fans eager to dive into The Darkness' journey.

FORMAT: Digital Screener

VIDEO: 7.0 1080/24p streaming presentation Detail level: Good Colour reproduction: Good Level accuracy: Moderate Encode: Good Master condition: Excellent

AUDIO: 8.0 Dolby Digital 2.0 streaming audio Dialogue reproduction: Good Soundtrack & effects clarity: Good Dynamics: Good Surround sound presentation: N/A LFE content: Moderate

MOOFIEMETER: 7.0.

This isn't really a documentary. It's a train wreck made by people with zero experience making movies. My research tells me the "director" has never directed a thing in his life. And it shows. He's a photographer.

The buzz over the internet is that the "producer" is incompetent. Considering this took six or seven years to be finished answers that question.

The movie is really a bore. There is no insight whatsoever. They gloss over Eddie's role in the band -- oh wait, they don't even mention him!

And they don't touch on how Frankie got fired -- you have to read his book to find out about that one.

Instead, the film uses really old clips of the band (which you can tell by the various ancient hair and mustache styles of Justin) chopped together in a haphazard way to try to hide the fact that little if anything new is added to the story after SIX years in the making.

Did I learn something? No, but the only telling thing for me is the acknowledgment that the band is there to make money so they can maintain the lifestyle they are used to, hence the meet and greets at each concert.

Thanks guys. Always knew Justin was all about the money. He's obsessed with it. And always has been. Only his voice is getting increasingly bad with every follicle he loses and soon he won't be able to perform.

It's really too bad. I've been a huge fan of the band. But these days they are more interested in making money than good music.

Oh, and no where that I could see did the makers of this travesty tell us this was a crowd funded movie. It was started when the Darkness was touring with Lady Gaga, but she's no where in this movie. Instead, the makers taking the phony line that the band is now trying to get back into arenas! They were playing arenas with Lady Gaga seven years ago!

But every movie needs a Hollywood ending and this one takes the ridiculous notion that the band is back to playing arenas! They always did but they aren't headlining anything except small venues.

Rabid fans of the group (most are from the UK and Italy) will likely dislike my review, but it's all true!

You can see better Darkness docs on Youtube! Don't waste your money.