The Darkness’ Liverpool show evacuated after one song

The Darkness’ Liverpool gig last night (January 29) was evacuated after one song due to “an emergency in the building”.

The band were performing at the city’s M&S Bank Arena as part of their co-headlining tour with Black Stone Cherry when the evacuation took place.

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According to one gig-goer Cheryl Mullin, per the Liverpool Echo, the house lights came up after the first song of The Darkness’ setlist, ‘Growing On Me’. The audience was then told that there was “an emergency in the building” and instructed to “leave by the nearest exit”. Power to the band’s instruments and microphones was also cut off.

Frontman Justin Hawkins reportedly ushered the crowd, who Mullin described as “a bit bewildered”, out of the room from the front of the stage.

After 20 minutes, the audience was allowed to return to the venue – which is said to have been smoky – and the gig restarted. Back on stage, The Darkness joked that they had “blown the fucking roof off”.

The band made the same joke on Twitter following the show, writing: “Liverpool! We did it, we blew the fookin’ roof off the arena tonight and quite literally set the place on fire! You witnessed the true power of rock & roll. We LOVED it. Thanks for an amazing night, and rockin’ out with us.”

Liverpool! We did it, we blew the fookin’ roof off the arena tonight and quite literally set the place on fire! You witnessed the true power of rock & roll. We LOVED it. Thanks for an amazing night, and rockin’ out with us.

Glasgow tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/ebCulARRE6

— The Darkness (@thedarkness) January 29, 2023

 

According to setlist.fm, three songs were forced to be cut from the show due to the stoppage, including ‘Heart Explodes’, ‘Solid Gold’ and ‘Barbarian’.

The Darkness played: 

‘Growing On Me’
‘Black Shuck’
‘One Way Ticket’
‘Love Is Only A Feeling’
‘Japanese Prisoner Of Love’
‘Givin’ Up’
‘Get Your Hands Off My Woman’
‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’
‘Love On The Rocks With No Ice’

Earlier this year, Hawkins said he had been left unable to run due to a leg injury he sustained after attempting a “David Lee Roth-stye” split jump on stage. The musician revealed the injury in an interview, explaining he had “fucked up the hamstring in my left leg”.

“It was a great jump, with my legs over my head, but when I landed I went, ‘Uh-oh’,” he told Classic Rock.

Meanwhile, the star duetted with Eurovision contestant Sam Ryder at a special New Year’s Eve concert to close out 2022. The pair shared the stage during the two-part Sam Ryder Rocks New Year’s Eve, which aired on BBC One.

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