THE GUARDIAN INTERVIEW
What about this rumour of a The Darkness tribute band?
From El Penya
JH: There's The Lightness and there's also The Daftness. They have a girl doing me because they didn't know anyone with a high enough voice. Imitation, the highest form of flattery.
DH: Unless they are taking the piss.

While I got myself a drink I was told by a gentleman at the bar that I had missed a great first half especially their version of the Darkness song 'I believe in a thing called love'. Following an excellent second half they did a reprise of some the songs that were played in the first half, and I have to agree that Paul's vocals on the Darkness number were worth waiting for

THE LIGHTNESS
Paying tribute to rock music's latest sensation, The Lightness are the undiluted Darkness. With audacious rock operetta, sing along anthems, they make all other Darkness tribute bands look like puppy dog rockers that should be put down.
Their act is unique, and their tribute extravagant. These rock supremos are currently playing to sell-out audiences, and are fast becoming one of the hottest shows on the scene. The Lightness are unlike any other band currently out there. They have the balls, not to mention the cheek, to pull it off, and their success goes on and on. With pure rock satire and great entertainment, they steal the thunder from every band, and leave audiences reeling, cheering, and thrilled after many encores.
"Emulating classic songs from the hugely successful "Permission To Land," The Lightness gave a charismatic performance that displayed the very essence of classic rock. Adopting songs, such as the hit single, "I Believe In A Thing Called Love," with great enthusiasm and conviction." - Kidderminster Rock Festival 2004

BRIGHT young glam rockers from Kidderminster College are bringing a ray of light into the Wyre Forest music scene.
Darkness tribute band, The Lightness, have performed two sell-out gigs, including a set at last month's Disobey Rock Festival, since they formed and have more than 25 concerts at venues as far afield as Edinburgh and Swansea coming up in future months. They are also making an eagerly awaited return to the Talbot Pub in Bewdley on Thursday, April 15, and are playing at The Gainsborough Hotel in Kidderminster on Thursday, May 6, when they hope to be taken on to the books of Kidderminster-based agency, Upfront Entertainments. The band's catsuit-clad frontman and guitarist, Paul Balmer, 20, said: "We want to play all these gigs, practise loads and see what happens - we've only played two gigs at the Talbot and the Town Hall.
"But we've had a really good response - both sold out and you couldn't move in either of them." Twenty-year-old drummer, Andy Cains, added: "We had our first gig on January 29 and it went so well that we decided to carry on - we had thought we'd just play a few tunes but after the first gig we thought we could get more work out of it. "So we got ourselves a Kidderminster-based agent about a month ago and he's got us gigs all over the country." Meanwhile, Kidderminster bassist Mike Hayden is so confident the band will be a success that he has deferred his place on a music degree course at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne to enable him to concentrate on the band. "We had someone come up to us at The Talbot gig who said that if we wrote our own stuff then he'd sign us because we had got so much stage presence," he said, "and we've made a demo at Kidderminster College. "We've also written a Darkness-esque song of our own and if we get anywhere with it we might put it into our set." Former Weak13 bassist, Paul, who is on a B-tech course in popular music and performance at Kidderminster College with all the other members except rhythm guitarist, Steve Haycock, added: "The second I heard the Darkness's album I absolutely loved it and thought I've got to play this in a band.
"We've worked all the music out ourselves by ear, just by listening to the CD." Not content with the fluorescent flares he wears on stage, he added he had ordered his first Justin Hawkins-esque spangley pink catsuit. "We plan to conquer the world as men what do tribute rock, baby," he laughed. "There are quite a few people who are going to come back to our gigs because they liked us a lot." Mike added: "We're hoping to get on the books of Upfront because we want to do this professionally - it's hard work and we need all the time we can get to practise. We're hoping to get regular gigs and a steady income, so it will be a sideline if we do our stuff."
Paul said: "Hopefully, if people realise we're decent musicians and can play our own instruments, then they might hire us to do our own stuff as well."

Chestnut Tree Sheldon Heath Birmingham 01/04/2004
Ok, third night of our mammoth, on going, ever growing "Men what do tribute rock!" tour and Birmingham gets its first taste of Lightness fever.
Keith the gaffer at Chestnuts is a sound guy and looked after us very well.The audience soon began to file in and the atmosphere was building well. All of a sudden it was show time and as the opening power chord crescendo and thundering opening riff shook the foundations Birmingham knew The Lightness had landed. From there on it was familiar territory, all swagger and strut as Paul tried his hardest to keep his clothes on, much to the disappointment of the girls at the front. An encore of "I believe in a thing called love" left the crowd in no doubt that the lightness really are "Men what tribute rock baby"!

Stourbridge Rock Café 2000 11/04/2004
So it's us and "Nine Items or less" who were a superb act for us to follow. Jack skilton did a super job changing strings in the dark a generally helping out as much as humanly possible cheers matey! Andy and the sound engineer became best buddies as the night went on.
Show time came, and Stourbridge rocked. A tremendous night, almost sold out. A slightly re-arranged set sparkled from beginning to end peaking during the third encore when the band was joined on stage by a mass of air guitarists who posed, jumped, clapped and looked particularly silly!
Rock`n`roll… all good clean fun!

writes Melanie Nicholson.
If you're a fan of The Darkness but have never seen them live, then the next best thing is coming this way.
Tribute band The Lightness are heading to Norwich on Friday 28 May,
Tribute band The Lightness have been given permission to land at the Waterfront's Rock Club along with support band Den Of Iniquity.
Although Justin, Dan and Ed head back to Lowestoft occasionally to see their mums, they're not expected to play locally for some time yet. So if you love The Darkness, or all things that rock, then pop on your best spandex catsuit and head to Norwich.
The Lightness
The Lightness got together in 2003 when four lads from the West Midlands decided Justin and co deserved their own tribute band. Since The Darkness hit the big time, fans have been able to satisfy their thirst for rock with The Lightness. While The Darkness are busy in the US, their counterparts are touring the UK.
It will be The Lightness' first visit to the Waterfront, where their idols performed in April 2003

CLAIRE WALKER
May 25, 2004
LOWESTOFT lads The Darkness may be sunning themselves, drinking champagne and enjoy the fruits of their labour too much to headline Norwich this very second, but here's the next best thing.
That's right — you've only really made it when you can lay claim to a tribute act and here's all the proof you could ever need that The Darkness are right up there with the best of them.
Darkness tribute, amusingly called The Lightness, headline The Rock Club at the Waterfront this Friday, May 28.
And you'll pleased to know they have all the right moves and are nearly there on the outfits!

An extrovert Shropshire tribute act to glam rock band The Darkness is to bring its mixture of spandex and eyeliner to the county for the first time. The Lightness, which has performed alongside pop group Girls Aloud, will play its first Shropshire gig on July 15.
Members of the four-piece band, who only formed at Christmas, say that they are ready to woo Shropshire pop music lovers with their glittery catsuits and leather trousers.
The band is made up of drummer Andy, 20, singer and guitarist Paul Balmer, 20, bass guitarist Michael Hayden, 23, and 18-year-old rhythm guitarist Steven Haycock. Andy is a former student of Oldbury Wells School in Bridgnorth and Paul used to attend Lacon Childe School in Cleobury Mortimer.
The gig, at the Haygate pub in Wellington, Telford, on July 15, will start at 8.30pm.
The full version of this story appears in tonight's Shropshire Star