DARKNESS bassist Frankie Poullain is in a good mood and quite rightly so.

The band has spent the summer supporting Guns n Roses on their European tour, their new album Pinewood Smile, released last month, went top 10 and now they are embarking on their own tour including a date in Blackburn next Saturday.

“It feels like we have re-established ourselves,” said Frankie.

The Darkness appeared on the scene in 2003 with their debut album Permission to Land which included the hit single I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Their blend of hard driving rock and roll, tongue in cheek humour and outrageous antics of frontman Justin Hawkins were a breath of fresh air on the music scene.

But after picking up three Brit Awards and Hawkins’ well documented battle with drugs and alcohol, their career stalled with some of the music press turning on the band.

“We are and always have been a rock and roll band,” said Frankie. “I think if you get to a certain level, then it can all blow up and that’s a bit what happened to us. But we don’t have any problem with that. We’re still making a living and doing things on our terms.

“We started off being unfashionable and then by some quirk of fate it all went mad,” said Frankie.

Now the band - with a fully rehabbed Hawkins back at the helm and new drummer Rufus Tiger Taylor, son of Queen legend Roger Taylor- are undergoing a major resurgence. That’s partly down to the quality of the songs on their new album which are pure, unadulterated rock and roll.

“We’re still equipped to deal with anything,” said Frankie. “We don’t take any of it too seriously and I like to think that we are in a lineage of bands who don’t care what people think.

“Let’s be honest we have always done it our way.”

But it’s live where The Darkness really come into their own.

“We have a lot of experience to draw on,” said Frankie. “If you’re on stage in front of 130,000 people like we were supporting Guns n Roses you have to put on a show.

“I’m not sure where it comes from. It’s as though this collective ego kicks in. We just want to entertain.”

Frankie believes part of the band’s attitude can be attributed to their upbringing.

“Oh we want to please our mums, we all had rock and roll mums,” he laughed. “They certainly weren’t indie, cardigan wearing ones. They loved bands like the Stones so perhaps something subconsciously rubbed off on us.”

Justin Hawkins remains a great frontman, although at times his on-stage antics can leave his bandmates a little nonplussed.

“It might seem like Justin is making it up, but it’s really rehearsed chaos,” said Frankie.

“I think when we’re on stage is the only time we get that true sense of fulfilment. You don’t get that same feeling in the studio.”

Songs from the new album will feature in the current show along with back catalogue favourites.

“Getting new songs ready for the live stage is where the hard work starts,” said Frankie. “But after a few rehearsals they just slot in.

“I think we might be playing four or five songs off the new album and maybe doing one or two things we haven’t done before.

“We’re just like anyone else, we all like a bit of job satisfaction and we certainly get that when we play live.”

The Darkness, King George’s Hall, Blackburn, Saturday, November 25. Details from 0844 847 1664 or wwwkinggeorgeshall.com