The Darkness' big breakthrough came with the debut album "Permission to Land" (2003), which quickly became a cult classic. With hits such as "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", "Growing on Me" and "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)", they received massive radio airplay and sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK alone. The album was awarded quadruple platinum status and won three Brit Awards in 2004, including Best British Group and Best British Album.
After the early success and a few years of intense touring, the band experienced a period of internal strife and change. In 2005 bassist Frankie Poullain left the band and in 2006 Justin Hawkins had to step down due to personal problems. Despite this, the band returned in 2011 with their third album Hot Cakes and resumed their live performances with the same energy and enthusiasm as before.
In September 2024, The Darkness announced that their eighth studio album "Dreams on Toast" will be released in March 2025. Experience the new album live in Poolen