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Photo:Simon Emmett.
Last night saw the worldwide debut of The Darkness' new video for their single 'I Hate Myself.' The video was streamed live on frontman Justin Hawkins' YouTube channel, Justin Hawkins Rides Again.
On the stream Justin was joined by his brother and The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins, as well as the video's director, photographer, and filmmaker Simon Emmett.
During the stream we learnt that it was also going to be Dan's first look at the video. Justin and Simon had worked on the video without the rest of the band, so it was interesting to see Dan's first-time reaction. Dan said, "I thought I would experience it with the rest of the world for the first time. See where the money went."
The video itself is beautifully simple. A close-up of Justin Hawkins with a full-on head of long black hair, incredible "Spock-esque" eyebrows, and enlarged lips. The singer smokes a cigarette while singing the track in a 'piece to camera' style. Before showing the video, Justin said they were sort of going for a Sinead O'Connor Nothing Compares style. The video was shot in one take, and to be honest, I think there is a touch genius about it.
It is very difficult to watch at times. The eye contact from Justin with the camera creates an intimate and somewhat uncomfortable tension at times, but it is well worth the unease it creates, adding an extra dimension to an already fantastic song.
The reaction from the fan's reaction was suitably good-humoured, with a wide range of reactions from shock to delight. One fan, Jack, described the video as "giving wine aunt," as in an aunt who drinks wine all the time. Another fan, George, said, "This is not the real video, isn't it?".
Dan's reaction was positive, and he seemed to be happy with how it turned out, saying, "It's lovely," going on to say, "The weirdness level is off the charts, which is great, which is what you guys set out to achieve."
The video is polarising, and if you don't get it, you still have an awesome rock track to listen to, but for those who get it, the video is a masterpiece that really stands out from the crowd. Hats off to Justin and Simon Emmett for a memorable video.
'I Hate Myself' is one of the greatest rock tracks I have heard in a long time; it is from the band's upcoming album 'Dreams on Toast,' and the quality of the track bodes well for the rest of the album. Definitely one to look forward to, and for those lucky enough to have tickets for the band's tour, you are in for a real treat with the new material for sure.
The album is due for release in March, so be sure to preorder it by visiting their website.
On the stream Justin was joined by his brother and The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins, as well as the video's director, photographer, and filmmaker Simon Emmett.
During the stream we learnt that it was also going to be Dan's first look at the video. Justin and Simon had worked on the video without the rest of the band, so it was interesting to see Dan's first-time reaction. Dan said, "I thought I would experience it with the rest of the world for the first time. See where the money went."
The video itself is beautifully simple. A close-up of Justin Hawkins with a full-on head of long black hair, incredible "Spock-esque" eyebrows, and enlarged lips. The singer smokes a cigarette while singing the track in a 'piece to camera' style. Before showing the video, Justin said they were sort of going for a Sinead O'Connor Nothing Compares style. The video was shot in one take, and to be honest, I think there is a touch genius about it.
It is very difficult to watch at times. The eye contact from Justin with the camera creates an intimate and somewhat uncomfortable tension at times, but it is well worth the unease it creates, adding an extra dimension to an already fantastic song.
The reaction from the fan's reaction was suitably good-humoured, with a wide range of reactions from shock to delight. One fan, Jack, described the video as "giving wine aunt," as in an aunt who drinks wine all the time. Another fan, George, said, "This is not the real video, isn't it?".
Dan's reaction was positive, and he seemed to be happy with how it turned out, saying, "It's lovely," going on to say, "The weirdness level is off the charts, which is great, which is what you guys set out to achieve."
The video is polarising, and if you don't get it, you still have an awesome rock track to listen to, but for those who get it, the video is a masterpiece that really stands out from the crowd. Hats off to Justin and Simon Emmett for a memorable video.
'I Hate Myself' is one of the greatest rock tracks I have heard in a long time; it is from the band's upcoming album 'Dreams on Toast,' and the quality of the track bodes well for the rest of the album. Definitely one to look forward to, and for those lucky enough to have tickets for the band's tour, you are in for a real treat with the new material for sure.
The album is due for release in March, so be sure to preorder it by visiting their website.