― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:34 (twenty years ago) link
This is true, of course. Although I don't like Coldplay and still consider them pop, probably more than I do Jay-Z. But then again as I've mentioned I define current pop by what's on the shelves at Tesco's at any given time.
I can certainly see The Darkness playing the Smash Hits Pollwinners Party this year though.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:39 (twenty years ago) link
― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:40 (twenty years ago) link
I think Matt is pretty much OTM here. I think The Darkness are pop in the sense that they are drawing on the tradition of Queen through Def Leppard - which may be the most popular export (in terms of sales figures) British music has ever had? They are pop in the same way that 'Jump' by Van Halen is a great pop single.
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:41 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:43 (twenty years ago) link
Unfortunately, they are really bad pop. Really, my argument against them has little to do with how seriously they take themselves - it's to do with the fact that their music is just plain bad bad bad and lost what little comedy value it once possessed after approximately three listens.
― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:44 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:46 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:49 (twenty years ago) link
On a largely unrelated note jumping off from Stevie's point - have the Darkness released any records or played any gigs in America yet? Surely they have the potential to become more successful over there than any British act except possibly Radiohead in over 10 years?
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:49 (twenty years ago) link
Perhaps house=indie disco all along? god I hope not. I better grow my hair again.
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:50 (twenty years ago) link
― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:51 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:52 (twenty years ago) link
fatboy slim, housemartins, jacques lu cont, zoot woman, felix? well, felix.
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:53 (twenty years ago) link
― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:54 (twenty years ago) link
Curses it's a continuum, Ricardissimo is right.
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:54 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:57 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 13:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:01 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Keano (RickyT), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:04 (twenty years ago) link
I phoned Mike T and he agreed it was ridiculous.
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:08 (twenty years ago) link
I swear the next time I DJ it will be under this pseudonym.
― person#0 (person#0), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:17 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:22 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:31 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:31 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:33 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:38 (twenty years ago) link
― jel -- (jel), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:44 (twenty years ago) link
And if you're in any doubt as to the kind of music they play there...(and I quote): "youth club classics, disco trash, punk stompers, sleazy listening, racy retro, drunken anthems, exotic rubbish, and perfect pop". And bloody good fun it (still) is too.
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 8 August 2003 15:05 (twenty years ago) link
― m.s (m .s), Sunday, 10 August 2003 05:32 (twenty years ago) link
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd800/d832/d83258uakr8.jpg
And who thinks to cover Kiss in 1980? Too bad it was the best song on Sheer Greed
Hi, Jeff W!
― Arthur (Arthur), Sunday, 10 August 2003 15:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Sunday, 10 August 2003 17:52 (twenty years ago) link
― David. (Cozen), Sunday, 21 September 2003 20:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Sunday, 21 September 2003 20:51 (twenty years ago) link
The Darkness's album has now climbed back to the top of the charts, besting Starsailor's new release. Are they allowed to be pop music yet?
― stevie (stevie), Monday, 22 September 2003 10:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 22 September 2003 11:51 (twenty years ago) link
― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 22 September 2003 11:55 (twenty years ago) link
because they prefer it to 'your' pop. it goes no deeper than that. they just like it better.
no, hang on, they're wrong and you're right, because you're obviously cleverer.
i love this thread. the anti-darkness kidz, well, they're just so... rockist?
― stevie (stevie), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:37 (twenty years ago) link
i mean, that's the essence of your argument, isn't it? that's not very insightful, is it? where do you expect such a train of thought to embark?
― stevie (stevie), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:59 (twenty years ago) link
my point is, people like the darkness because, well, they like the darkness. they like the over-the-top glam, the ridiculousness, and the great and catchy songs. if you hate that, then by all means rail against it with all your erudite fury. but stomping around on your own little cloud whining "why do people not like exactly the same stuff as me" without even engaging the question of "why?" is absolutely and totally pointless.
i mean, isn't it obvious why people love the darkness? (and they do...)
― stevie (stevie), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:16 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:24 (twenty years ago) link
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:39 (twenty years ago) link
While The Darkness just seems like a no-brainer to me, I guess, squinting hard with my third eye i can imagine why some people might not be able to understand why others might like The Darkness. but my point is, surely we can raise the level if discussion above I completely fail to see why, when there is so much great pop around, people even bother about such fucking awful pop. Shit, most NON-pop is more fun, more catchy and less supremely irritating. (and i'm sorry for singling you out, Alex)... because that sentence is just so empty of any kind of insight beyond stating (and not actually supporting or exploring) subjective opinions - i hate this because i hate it - as to be an utter waste of words. that it's irritating or non-catchy are totally subjective statements that might define why Alex hates them, but are of absolutely no use in defining why they are popular, why other people are so moved by them. because the obvious answer is simply for the darkness fan to reply, "because they are NOT irritating, and because their songs ARE catchy". and really, does that get us anywhere?
Or am i just talking to myself here?
― stevie (stevie), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:41 (twenty years ago) link
― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:44 (twenty years ago) link