The Darkness and Foxy Shazam Bring Rock ‘n’ Roll to New York City

Hot off their recent Super Bowl commercial, the Darkness paid a visit along with Foxy Shazam to the home of the Super Bowl winning champs, the New York Giants, on Feb. 4 and Feb. 6.

The crowd at the Feb. 6 show at Irving Plaza was a strange mix of rugby-types, bartenders, awkward college kids and "Woah, is that Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins?! Oh wait, it's just a guy in a leotard with a cartoon villain tie-a-helpless-woman-to-the-railroad-tracks mustache."

After Crown Jewel Defense rocked through their opening set, Ohio glam / experimental sextet Foxy Shazam put on a hell of an opening act. Complete with hilarious banter, ridiculous use of instruments and an energetic and tight performance, Foxy Shazam really stole the show and proved to be a perfect complement to the unique entity known as the Darkness. To get an idea of what to expect from Foxy Shazam onstage, check out their awesome new video for the single 'I Like It' here.

The Darkness came out to a warm welcome, beginning their show with 'Black Shuck.' Frontman Justin Hawkins was wearing an awesome American flag-based leather getup, which complemented the flamboyant frontman perfectly. After finishing fan favorite 'Growing On Me,' Justin jokingly addressed the crowd, "Congratulations on winning the Super Bowls," which got the crowd laughing, but the crowd itself didn't quite match the energy of the Darkness.

The Darkness pumped out hit after hit in the first half of their set including 'One Way Ticket,' 'Get Your Hands Off My Woman' and 'Love is Only a Feeling.' The vocals were a bit strained at times, but the trademark guitar work from the Hawkins brothers was spot on and deserved a more endearing audience.

Although the band seemed frustrated with the lack of energy coming from the crowd, they made it through a tight set, which included the entire 'Permission to Land' album. The Darkness are all about having fun, not taking yourself too seriously and letting the guitars do the talking. However, without a fun crowd, the complete experience of the Darkness becomes diminished and lacks a thing called love. Something to keep in mind if you plan on catching the Darkness on their current tour.

Check Out Photos From The Darkness and Foxy Shazam Show in N.Y.

The Darkness Setlist, Irving Plaza 2/6/12

'Black Shuck'
'Growing On Me'
'The Best of Me'
'One Way Ticket'
'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us'
'Get Your Hands Off My Woman'
'Out of This World'
'Holding My Own'
'Love is Only a Feeling'
'Concrete'
'Friday Night'
'Everybody's Having a Good Time'
'Physical Sex'
'Is It Just Me?'
'Street Spirit (Fade Out)' (Radiohead cover)
'She's Just a Girl, Eddie'
'Givin' Up'
'Stuck in a Rut'
'I Believe in a Thing Called Love'

Encore:
'Bareback'
'Love on the Rocks With No Ice'