The Darkness

Their first album, Permission To Land (2003), was made on the cheap in about two weeks but was wildly successful in their native UK, where it sold over a million copies and earned the BRIT award for Best Album. Their second album, One Way Ticket to Hell and Back, took a lot longer and cost roughly $2 million. It sold closer to 100,000 copies.

Before forming The Darkness, the brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins were in a prog-rock band called Empire with Dan, instead of Justin, on lead vocals. Justin became lead singer after he did Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in a karaoke competition at a millennium eve party. He acted out every line and did lots of star-jumps.

The Hawkins' brothers grew up in Lowestoft, Surrey. Drummer Ed Graham was in the same class at school as Dan, the younger brother. They met bass player Frankie Poullain, a Scot, whilst living in London.