Easy Anglian rock behemoths The Darkness have released the latest single from their upcoming Dreams On Toast album. True to its title, Rock And Roll Party Cowboy is a livewire affair, kicking off with what sounds like a motorbike revving its engine before a classic, old-school riff powers proceedings towards the heart of Saturday night.
"Leather jacket, no sleeves," sings Hawkins. "Harley Davidson, yes, please!"
Hawkins then goes on to list the items an actual rock'n'roll party cowboy might accessorise with, including a Zippo lighter, Marlboro Reds and "sewn-on patches", and he's clearly speaking from experience.
"People recognise me as astronaut pirate movie star cool and that’s obviously accurate," advises Hawkins. "What they may have overlooked though, is that I am also Rock And Roll Party Cowboy cool… which is a good 15 per cent cooler! I think you’ll recognise that in the first listen."
Rock And Roll Party Cowboy is the follow-up to I Hate Myself, which was released in December, which was itself the follow-up to The Longest Kiss, which arrived in September.
The Darkness will celebrate the album's release with an 18-date UK tour which kicks off with a pair of hometown shows at Ipswich's Regent's Theatre on March 6 and 7. The schedule comes to a frothing climax at London's Wembley Arena on March 29. Support from Northern Irish rock trio Ash. Full dates below.
Dreams On Toast will be released on March 28.
The Darkness: 20325 Tour
06 Mar: Ipswich Regent’s Theatre
07 Mar: Ipswich Regent’s Theatre
08 Mar: Oxford New Theatre
09 Mar: Swansea Arena
11 Mar: Guildford G Live
12 Mar: Hull Connexin Arena
14 Mar: Liverpool Guild Of Students
15 Mar: Wolverhampton Civic Hall
17 Mar: York Barbican
18 Mar: Edinburgh Usher Hall
20 Mar: Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
21 Mar: Newcastle O2 City Hall
22 Mar: Manchester O2 Apollo
24 Mar: Bristol Beacon Theatre
25 Mar: Portsmouth Guildhall
27 Mar: Leicester De Montford Hall
28 Mar: Cambridge Corn Exchange
29 Mar: London OVO Arena Wembley
