The Darkness have announced a unique short tour of sets performed inside Rough Trade record stores this December, providing an exclusive live preview of their upcoming album Dreams on Toast. These performances, set to take place at Rough Trade locations in London, Nottingham, and Liverpool, offer a rare opportunity to witness The Darkness perform in close quarters ahead of the album’s full release on 28 March 2025.
The in-store tour will showcase previously unheard tracks from Dreams on Toast, marking the first live performances of the material. The concerts are scheduled for December 10th in London, December 11th in Nottingham, and December 12th in Liverpool. Rough Trade itself has recently opened a new store in the heartland of London’s music scene Denmark Street.
This initiative comes amid a broader album release campaign that has already introduced Dreams on Toast’s lead single, “The Longest Kiss’. The infectious track, which recalls the 1970s camp pop of Queen and Paul McCartney, pairs Hawkins’ signature falsetto and humour with jaunty piano and guitars. Hawkins has described the track’s inspiration in vivid terms, telling Clash that he credited the natural beauty of Nairn in Scotland, where he conceived the lyrics, with invigorating his musical creativity.
Hawkins’ promotion of the album has been characteristically theatrical. Reflecting on Dreams on Toast‘s creative process, he spoke of divine inspiration with tongue firmly in cheek. “You know that thing when God’s breath tickles your soul and tells you to create?” Hawkins quipped in the album’s announcement. “Yeah, makes me giggle too. But you can’t resist. God might not be the power she once was, but say what you like about her, she knows damn well that what the world needs now is rock sweet rock.”
Hailing from Lowestoft in Suffolk, the band’s explosive debut Permission to Land in 2003 propelled them to rapid fame, driven by the success of the single ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’. After sporadic releases for the next ten years, Dreams on Toast will mark the group’s third LP release in five years, as they continue to blend camp humour with heavy riffs and classic rock pastiche.
Following this brief in-store run, The Darkness will embark on a nationwide arena tour in March 2025, aiming to reach a broader audience and showcasing their latest works on a grander stage. The UK leg of the tour will encompass 17 dates, culminating in a final performance at London’s OVO Wembley Arena on 29th March. Notably, Northern Irish indie-rock band Ash, who supported The Darkness on their 2003 Permission to Land tour, will join them as the opening act. Tickets for the in-store shows and full UK tour are now available through Dice and the band’s official website.
