Brian May and the Darkness recently joined forces for the soundtrack of the Masters of the Universe film, but it wasn’t their first encounter. Dan Hawkins remembers that time fondly.
It was back in 2011, as the classic rock revivalists were themselves revived after a five-year hiatus. The band were back on stage at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, and they brought out Brian May, Red Special in hand, to play the Queen classic Tie Your Mother Down.
It seemed May really got into the spirit of things. He and Dan Hawkins even played back to back at one point early on. It was high energy.
“I thought, ‘What is Brian doing?’” Hawkins remembers in conversation with Guitar World. “Then I realized he was doing the rock triangle. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’ve never done this before. If I move, he will fall over.’”
The song went off without a hitch, but it’s clear from the show’s video footage that May is far more comfortable. Hawkins, playing a burst Lest Paul, exudes trepidation; a fear of the worst.
“It was before he was a Sir,” Hawkins quips. “It would have probably been best if I killed him before he was a Sir. If he survived, he would have had me beheaded in the Tower of London. I think those are the sort of privileges you get.”
It was a night to remember as the band linked up with one of their foremost influences. The Queen cover was sandwiched between Bareback and their trademark hit, I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Before that last song, May took to the mic.
“I just want to say, how happy are we that The Darkness are back together and conquering the world again,” he beamed.
Back in March, May was making another guest appearance on someone else’s stage as he offered his services to Benson Boone, after a surprise tie-in at Coachella 2025. Hawkins, meanwhile, has shrugged off his public fallout with Yungblud.
Guitar World’s full interview with Dan Hawkins will publish online in due course.
