The Darkness are back and heading to Birmingham

The self-styled saviours of rock‘n’roll are on the road following the release in October of their fifth album Pinewood Smile. They will headline Birmingham’s O2 Academy tomorrow.

All The Pretty Girls is a glorious, hard-rockin’, autobiographical anthem intellectually examining the fact that when you’re a rock star you get a lot of attention from ladies and discussing the ethical conundrums that come with that.

As Justin Hawkins so eloquently sings with trouser-splitting vocal magnificence; ‘All the pretty girls, like me for who I am / All the pretty girls, when the record goes platinum / Plenty of action, massive attraction, when you’re selling out stadiums / All the pretty girls . . . and their mums’.

In addition to the cerebral treatise of All The Pretty Girls, the album boasts the swashbuckling Buccaneers Of Hispaniola, the expletive-strewn howl of frustration that is Southern Trains, the hugely emotional Why Don’t The Beautiful Cry?, the globally anthemic Japanese Prisoner Of Love and the ode to pumping out smash hit after smash hit Solid Gold, which finds The Darkness addressing the turbulent nature of the music industry and how they have enjoyed its flamboyant highs and spectacular lows.

It was written in Putney, recorded in Cornwall and produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse).

It also features the drumming and vocal talents of new band member Rufus Tiger Taylor, son of Queen legend Roger Taylor, who shares vocal duties with Justin on two of the tracks.

Meanwhile, currently in production is a philosophical, deeply personal documentary of The Darkness’ comeback, due for release in 2018.

The documentary is being created by filmmaker Simon Emmett.