THERE was a buzz around Salisbury on Tuesday as many a music fan looked forward with great excitement to the visit of Brit Award-winners The Darkness.

The City Hall was full of festive cheer as the band walked on stage.

The show was poignant for drummer Dan Hawkins, who was returning to the city where he went to college.

Singer Justin Hawkins announced they would split the set into two parts.

The second part would be the album Permission To Land in its entirety and the first half songs from other releases.

It’s been ten years since The Darkness stormed the charts with their debut album and the crowd warmly welcomed the announcement.

However, it did mean that people began to become slightly restless waiting for the numbers they really wanted to hear.

As a band they play tighter than Justin’s spandex jumpsuit – the frontman’s voice hasn’t held up completely over the years, but he can still reach most of the highs – and the crowd were more than happy to join in.

As the second half began, the auditorium erupted when the group launched Permission To Land opener Black Shuck.

There was no need for song sheets as the audience seemed to know all the words.

I Believe In A Thing Called Love was an obvious high point, and Christmas Time injected everyone with a great festive feeling.

THOM BELK