http://www.ananova.com/entertainment...sm_867681.html

The Darkness slam 'boring' Radiohead

The Darkness have slammed Radiohead - their main rivals at this year's Brit
Awards - by calling them boring.

Guitarist Dan Hawkins told Netzeitung that Radiohead couldn't hold up to the
stage antics of his brother Justin.

He said: "Most of these modern bands are so unbearably serious they leave me
cold. Radiohead are totally boring.

"The world needs a showman like Justin who puts on his monkey outfit and
entertains people. I haven't bought anything by these modern bands in a
while. They're all wet rags."

Hawkins added: "Bands like Radiohead are great for our business, of course,
because there's been a total Radiohead-isation of the British music scene.
Coldplay, Turin Brakes, Starsailor - all of these groups have put together
their selection from the Radiohead menu."

Hawkins says he learned to play the Darkness's special brand of retro-rock
by practising to the old masters: "I always played along and practised to my
favourite bands. Again and again and again. For years. Always. I didn't have
a girlfriend for a long time, you know."

Dan Hawkins also revealed that his parents took out a mortgage on the family
house to help finance their first album, but the condition was "no sex".

He added: "We're good boys, really. That's the big difference between us and
the bands from the seventies. The condition for getting a loan from our
parents was: "No drugs, no orgies, no casual sex." Well, once we've paid off
our debts we'll have some catching up to do."

According to Hawkins, he and his brother's band is just what the music world
needs right now: "The world needs people like us. And we're ready."

And he dismissed early criticism from NME magazine, saying: "NME criticised
us when we weren't successful. Now we're the biggest band in England and
these s***s are making fools of themselves by trying to kiss our behinds."


Story filed: 13:22 Wednesday 18th February 2004

Here's an idea, how about you entertain people with your music you twit!

Cmon people, lighten up! This is great fun. These guys are just pushing buttons and trying to stir up a little press.

yeah seriously.. just like 2pac and biggie did... it's all in good fun..

I agree.

Not to derail the thread, but I was always under the impression that, while Tupac & Biggie weren't friends, the East vs. West stigma was the media's child. Or at least the media exacerbated it.

Apart from that, the idea that The Darkness and Radiohead will enter a feud the likes of East vs. West is silly.

Oh yeah, I just want to point out that this: is ridiculous because it assumes that bands should only exist for balls-out humor or antics. I'm not taking him very seriously though, so whatever.

I do agree with the notion of Radiohead-isation to some degree.

It really is about time that some fun rock music returned. We either have the pre-packaged crap that Clear Channel and MTV shoves down our throat, or the artsy independent stuff.

The Darkness just seem like a pretty fun band, with a pretty good sounding cd, and a good sense of humor.

I don't have anything against shitty "fun" bands like The Darkness, but I don't think they really have any room to complain about Radiohead or bands with actual substance if they themselves are making millions off of a gimmick. Radiohead and The Darkness probably aren't even competing in the same categories, or they shouldn't be at least.

Props to him. 2 years from now, when Radiohead's new song comes on the radio, he can tell the other waiters and cooks about that time he was quoted in the press, slamming Radiohead.

Radiohead are, for better or worse, an 'art rock' band. They really won't exciting in the same way as a band like The Darkness. I've seen Radiohead live, and they were fantastic, but fantastic in the same way an orchestra is fantastic (if that makes sense).

but Radiohead ARE boring... just kidding... wait, yes they are.

haha yeah they are I'd rather listen to The Darkness!!!

I cannot stand 'The Darkness', the song 'I believe in a thing called love' is downright annoying. However, I have nothing against these "fun bands", but complaining that other bands are too "serious" is absurd.

From Ginger's (of the Wildhearts) tour diary (they're on tour with the Darkness right now):

http://www.thewildhearts.com/articles/article15.shtml

Pretty funny if you ask me!

Yeah these guys are amusing and a good parody/nostalgia act with a decent sound. Spinal Tap with chops. Nothing wrong with a little arrogance to shake up the powers that be.

Radiohead is a great band, maybe Darkness is, but I never heard of them before this. However, trashing a good band that I enjoy is one way to ensure that I won't listen to them(The Darkness) even if I do get the chance.

Don't the British music press play up these slagging matches just to sell more papers? I guess circulation has dropped since the great Blur - Oasis wars of the mid '90s. Good times...

I like the Darkness. They're fun, like a more talented if less earnest Andrew W.K. (whom I also like). That said, I honestly can't take someone who doesn't like Radiohead very seriously.

Well, Radiohead has been boring since Kid A. But, The Darkness is just rehashed garbage.

Have to agree with Burnt also, Kid A was pretty good, but we all know Radiohead peaked with Ok Computer - I mean what can be better than 'Paranoid Android' and 'No Surprises'?

I'm a huge Radiohead fan, and I have to admit that the guy
from THE DARKNESS has a point.

RADIOHEAD has gotten a little bit boring, at least they seem like they're bored. Bring back some of that excitement we all had between OK COMPUTER and KID A.

"My Iron Lung" and "Street Spirit"

I don't see how he is criticizing bands like Coldplay and Starsailor or whatever British band by taking from the Radiohead menu when his band is basically a highly influenced 80's rock band that isn't doing anything that hasn't been done before.

"but Radiohead ARE boring... just kidding... wait, yes they are."

Radiohead IS boring. And that's after I went and bought one of there CDs to find out what all of the fuss was about. Thank goodness I bought it used. I get a kick out of everyone's idea that someone can't have an opinion on a band because X number of people think they are the cat's meow.

Then again, I've never even heard the Darkness so I can't comment. They maybe just as boring.