The Darkness – Egyptian Room, Old National Centre – Indianapolis, IN – September 16, 2025

Much to my amazement, this show will easily land in my top 10 concerts of 2025. Not that I expected anything less from The Darkness than pure entertainment—but what we got was phenomenal.

The best way to describe the night? A riot of rock ’n’ roll energy, punk rock undertones, thrift-store chic, and jaw-dropping musicianship. A Darkness concert is as much a spectacle as it is a show. There’s Justin Hawkins pulling off a handstand on the drum riser, Dan Hawkins unleashing guitar heroics with flawless tone and fire, and bassist Frankie Poullain reminding the crowd that style and stage presence are their own kind of instrument.

The set kicked off in dramatic fashion with “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy” from their latest album Dreams on Toast, immediately setting the tone that this wasn’t going to be a nostalgia-only night. From there, the band ripped through classics, fan favorites, and even some curveballs, like a cheeky snippet of Radiohead’s “Creep” (“We’ll play any request—as long as it’s in the key of G,” Hawkins joked). By the time the closing notes of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” rang out—with Justin commanding the crowd to put their phones away and just live the moment—the Egyptian Room had been transformed into a sweaty, euphoric rock temple.

Setlist:

• Rock and Roll Party Cowboy

• Growing on Me

• Get Your Hands Off My Woman

• Mortal Dread

• Motorheart

• Walking Through Fire

• Barbarian

• Love Is Only a Feeling

• Givin’ Up

• My Only (Rufus Taylor on vocals, tech on drums)

• Heart Explodes

• Creep (Radiohead cover, snippet)

• The Longest Kiss

• Friday Night

• Japanese Prisoner of Love

• Improv – “Jam in E” (instrumental)

• Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover, snippet)

• I Believe in a Thing Called Love

The Darkness didn’t just put on a concert—they put on a show that reminded everyone why live rock ’n’ roll is still alive, well, and gloriously over the top.