I LOVED the Darkness’ first album, Permission To Land.

Now ten years old, it was heavy metal for enthusiastic amateurs.

Nothing scary and loads of great pop tunes, like a love child of Queen and Bon Jovi.

So when it turned out the Darkness were coming to play the album in celebration of its tenth birthday, I was first in the queue.

It was much a show of two halves, the first consisting of lesser-known tunes from their equally lesser-known second and third albums, One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back and Hot Cakes.

The second half delivered what we’d all come to see, all ten tracks from their first, dare I say it, classic album.

Of course, the greatest reaction came when they played their stand-out hit I Believe In A Thing Called Love.

Throughout the show frontman Justin Hawkins commanded the crowd, designating the area directly in front of him, where the most enthusiastic fans reside, ‘the fun zone’ and inviting everyone else to join in.

As Permission To Land came to an end, and the band left the stage, it was clear what was about to happen.

Stagehands decorated the band’s instruments with fairly lights and a giant Christmas tree was placed in front of the drums.

The Darkness retook the stage and performed their 2003 festive hit Christmas Time, Don’t Let The Bells End.

We all danced, we all sang. And we went home happy, reminiscing about the good old days of the early noughties.