Live Review : The Darkness + Mark Daly @ The Masquerade, Atlanta - Sep 2nd 2025

Chris Collett
6 days ago
3 min read

Atlanta got a heavy dose of rock and roll swagger when The Darkness hit Heaven at The Masquerade on September 2. The band is known for turning every show into a spectacle, and this night was no exception.

The evening started with Mark Daly, who wasted no time winning the crowd over. His set was filled with gritty, heartfelt vocals and songs that carried real weight live. You could tell plenty of people in the room had not heard him before, but by the end of his set the applause said it all. He left Atlanta with new fans and set the bar high for the rest of the night.

When the lights dropped and The Darkness walked out, the energy in Heaven shifted immediately. Justin Hawkins hit the stage like a lightning bolt. His falsetto was flawless, cutting through the room with ease, and his stage presence reminded everyone why he is such a magnetic frontman. He strutted, joked with the crowd, and kept the room locked in from start to finish. At one point he climbed onto the drum riser and held a full handstand, then later launched into his signature leap across the stage, both moves earning massive cheers from the crowd.

The band was as tight as ever. Dan Hawkins’ guitar tone was sharp and powerful, Frankie Poullain laid down basslines with swagger, and Rufus Taylor’s drumming drove it all home with precision. Together, they delivered a sound that was polished but never lost its raw edge.

The setlist pulled from across their catalog while mixing in fresh material from Dreams on Toast. The new tracks landed well, but it was the classics that shook the floor. “Growing on Me” and “Love Is Only a Feeling” drew massive reactions, but nothing compared to the eruption during “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” Before launching in, Justin asked everyone to put their phones away and just live in the moment. The room lit up with cheers, but after a few bars he stopped to playfully heckle a guy in the crowd who clearly missed the assignment. It was all in good fun, and once they kicked back in, the entire room was singing so loud it nearly drowned out the band.

That is the magic of The Darkness. They do not just play songs, they perform them. Every falsetto scream, every synchronized stop, every guitar flourish feels like a reminder of how fun live rock can be when a band goes all in.

By the time the final notes rang out, Atlanta had been taken on a ride that was loud, sweaty, and unforgettable. From Mark Daly’s strong opening set to The Darkness delivering pure spectacle, Heaven at The Masquerade once again proved why it is one of the best places in the city to catch a rock show.