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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
9:20 AM 21st November 2017
arts

Interview With Frankie Poullain, The Darkness

 
The Darkness have recently released their new album, Pinewood and are about to head out on a UK tour which calls at the Leeds o2 Academy on Monday 27 November.

I caught up with bass player Frankie Poullain on the eve of the UK tour.

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE BAND'S FAME YOU NEVER SEEMED TO BE OFF TV?

Yes that's right, we were on the TV programme CD:UK a lot, it was on live - recorded on a Saturday morning, it was hard sometimes getting up early on a Saturday morning for a kid's TV show with a big hangover!

YOU HAVE SUPPORTED A LOT OF BANDS TOO, WHO HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE?

We did, we played the Download Festival many times at Donnington but one of the best was supporting Guns N Roses recently.

THE BAND SEEMED TO FIND SUCCESS EARLY ON, WAS THIS TRUE?

It might have seemed that way but success didn't really come that soon, we were touring a lot when the band were originally called Empire, we spent over 2 years struggling, it was always cash in hand in those days so we could continue to play gigs and survive.

HOW DID YOU COPE WITH THE PRESSURE OF SUCCESS?

In those days albums sold a lot so the record company tried to squeeze as much out of us as possible, there was always another tour to do, another album to make so the pressure was on there. It got to the point where we did not enjoy each other's company anymore. It had to be joyful and fun but with the success and constant touring that went.

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TOUR?

Yes definitely and looking forward to coming back to Leeds. It is going to be a mixture of old and new, we have a new drummer too. We have had some good gigs in Leeds. I remember the early gigs we did at The Cockpit. Yorkshire people get The Darkness and what we are about. I was saddened to hear that The Cockpit has closed down, so many bands have played there in the early part of their career.

THE NEW SINGLE SOLID GOLD ROCK HAS A LYRIC THAT IS VERY TONGUE IN CHEEK?

The chorus definitely is but the lyric is not serious at all. This time around is second time around for us but we look after our own affairs now, we were misrepresented in the past but now we are looking after ourselves we can't blame other people. We are all enjoying it again.

The Darkness play the Leeds o2 Academy on Monday 27 November 2017.