If you had the pre-conceived idea that Justin Hawkins was a glam-rock show-off, then you won’t need much introduction to his new band, Hot Leg. After a two-year hiatus, you might think that Hawkins would return with some fresh ideas or a new take on popular music.

But The Darkness were successful, so isn’t he within his rights to stick to the same formula?

The man knows how to put on a show, sure. He constantly addresses the crowd, enticing chants of ‘Hot Leg’ and engaging in a scream-off with guitarist Peter Rinaldi to see who can reach the highest pitch. But what about the tunes? The Wayne’s World solos, epic drum endings and scream till you burst vocals are here, but do we need these in every song? No. It becomes tedious.

Nothing sticks in your head like ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ (which they play at the end to a huge cheer), and the distorted riffs blur into one-another to the point of being indistinguishable. Hot Leg may be unique amid the current music scene, but chart success could be beyond them on this showing. Then again, who honestly thought The Darkness’s Permission to Land would achieve five-time platinum status?

Joe Tyler
Pic: londontourpix