January 23, 2004 – If you owned a Geiger counter that measures rock-star energyinstead of radioactive ions (we have one: it's Japanese, andit's rad), it would pulse intensely in the presence of thefour individuals we've chosen to represent 2004's NextBig Things: the Distillers' resilient punk heroine BrodyDalle; Geoff Rickly of New Jersey emo saviors Thursday; JustinHawkins of witty British metallurgists the Darkness; and PaulBanks, the haunted voice of New York City post-post-punkersInterpol. Ifyou owned a Geiger counter that measures rock-star energy instead ofradioactive ions (we have one: it's Japanese, and it's rad), it wouldpulse intensely in the presence of the four individuals we've chosen torepresent 2004's Next Big Things: the Distillers' resilient punkheroine Brody Dalle; Geoff Rickly of New Jersey emo saviors Thursday;Justin Hawkins of witty British metallurgists the Darkness; and PaulBanks, t

November 20, 2003 – "Gimme a D!," Justin Hawkins implores the40,000-strong crowd at the Leeds Festival. "Gimme anarkness!" Onthis late-August afternoon, in a sprawling park nearly 200 miles northof London, Hawkins spends the next 35 minutes darting across the stage,blond mane flying, striking rock-god poses and attempting Diamond Davesplits off the drum riser. He's doing all he can to win anynonbelievers over to his band's peculiar and thrilling brand ofhyperbolic pop metal. A feathered boa and guitar drape over his bare,sinewy torso; his shiny white flares, previously hidden under a stripedunitard, are laced up the sides, revealing some skin and the fact thathe's going commando. It's only near the end of his band's triumphantset that he notices a rip in the seat and races backstage for a pieceof black gaffer's tape. At the moment, the Darkness are undoubtedly theU.K.'s biggest and cheekiest rock band.