Guitar & Bass Tabs
The Darkness
About The Darkness
The Darkness formed around 2000 in Lowestoft, England, as a four-piece with a fearless love for glam, hard rock, and bigger-than-life showmanship. Fronted by Justin Hawkins (vocals and guitar) with his brother Dan Hawkins on guitar, Frankie Poullain on bass, and Ed Graham on drums, the band built a reputation in clubs and indie circuits for their swaggering riffs and operatic vocal attack. The nights were loud, funny, and unapologetically flamboyant, a combination that set them apart in a period when indie rock reigned supreme.
Permission to Land (2003) propelled them to UK No. 1 and grabbed international attention, turning their anthemic hooks into global hits. The single I Believe in a Thing Called Love became an instant staple of classic-rock revival playlists, while Growing on Me expanded their audience with punchy groove and singalong choruses. The Darkness became known for their explosive live performances, tight musicianship, and a self-aware sense of humor that celebrated, rather than mocked, rock’s glorious excess. They followed with a string of records through the 2000s, navigated lineup shifts, and kept their high-energy, glossy-rock DNA intact even as they evolved.
Today, The Darkness remain a favorite touchstone for guitarists seeking big riffs, flamboyant energy, and catchy melodies. Their influence on modern glam and hard rock endures in the way they fuse ridiculously fun songwriting with precise, professional playing. For players, they offer a clear blueprint: bold riffs, confident rhythm, and the feel of a live show captured on tape.
🎸 Want to know what gear The Darkness used, their playing style, and fun facts? Scroll below the lessons!
Watch the Lesson
Growing On Me
The Darkness
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I Believe In A Thing Called Love
The Darkness
View Tab →Playing Style
The Darkness’ guitar-driven sound centers on big, punchy riffs, soaring leads, and stacking harmonies that give their songs a stadium-ready chorus. Justin Hawkins’s falsetto delivery is inseparable from the guitar parts, creating an air of drama that sits atop tight, clockwork rhythm. Expect prominent power chords, palm-muted chugs, and rapid alternate picking on riffs that snap from chunky to jangly in a heartbeat. The bass keeps a driving, propulsive foundation, while the guitar lines frequently ride the same melodic hook, creating the quintessential glam-rock sparkle that fans recognize instantly. Common techniques include tempo-driven rhythm with strong down-picking, octave leaps, and melodic accents that glide between punchy riffs and soaring solos. The result is a feel-good collision of retro swagger and modern rock energy.
🎸 Gear & Equipment
The Darkness’ roar is built on loud, saturated guitar tones and classic glam-rock stagecraft. Their sounds are typically pursued with high-gain, Marshall-style amps and humbucker-equipped guitars to deliver that thick, cheering rhythm and edge. On stage and in the studio, their rig often features overdrive or fuzz to thicken riffs, plus modulation such as chorus or phaser to add width to leads, and tasteful use of a wah for expressive solos. The overall vibe borrows heavily from 70s rock aesthetics, translating to a big, gleaming guitar tone that cuts through the mix with clarity and punch.
Why Learn The Darkness Songs?
Learning The Darkness on DadRock Tabs is a fast track to solid rock fundamentals. The two available lessons — I Believe In A Thing Called Love and Growing On Me — give players a practical, bite-sized path to bigger skills: powering through punchy chords, locking in tight rhythms, and delivering memorable melodic hooks. The material sits in the early-intermediate range, approachable for many players yet challenging enough to improve timing, palm muting, and dynamic contrast. As you work through these tunes, you’ll develop stamina for energetic chord progressions, hone your precision picking, and learn how to blend rhythm and melody into an infectious rock groove that translates to countless classic-rock tracks.
Did You Know?
- 1The Darkness formed around 2000 in Lowestoft, England, blending glam rock flair with hard rock sensibilities.
- 2Their 2003 debut album Permission to Land reached No. 1 in the UK and gave the world the hit single I Believe in a Thing Called Love.
- 3Frontman Justin Hawkins is renowned for his extraordinary falsetto and theatrical stage presence that helped redefine rock performance in the 2000s.
- 4The band became a fixture of the glam-rock revival, pairing retro aesthetics with modern production and relentless touring.
2 The Darkness lesson(s) available — Start learning today!
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