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"Generally our fans are into Christmas - anything Christmassy, we throw it at them and they like," The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins tells Gigwise. Indeed, ever since they dropped 'Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)', they've become as much a part of the Yuletide as sprouts, Noddy Holder's sideburns and drunk businessmen in karaoke bars.
As they gear up to wrap up the tour for their epic Last Of Our Kind campaign with some huge festive shows this weekend and their epic new track 'I Am Santa', we catch up with the band to talk about all things Christmas, traditions, presents, looking back on their year, what to expect from their 'hard and heavy' new album, New Year's Resolutions and what new bands are going to break through in 2016.
Don't let the bells end...
So with 'I Am Santa', was there always a clear goal to release another Christmas song?
"It was an accident, really. The label wanted new tracks to add on to the deluxe version of The Last Of Our Kind, and this was the one thing we had that was in the same vein as the last album - the next album is a lot more 'hard rock'. We wrote this Christmas song for a laugh, and it made sense. We're certainly not trying to outdo the last one!"
Having worked in various forms of retails before journalism came a'calling, 'Christmas Time' (Don't Let The Bells End)' is rinsed as much as festive classics by the likes of Paul McCartney and Slade during this time of year. Do you feel the weight of the legacy of the last one, with it becoming a Christmas institution?
"It certainly has, yeah - thank God. It's performed so amazingly well, better than we ever thought. It was only ever a laugh, and that's why it's worked. It's great having hits! You can get away with so much more."
Well, you guys have nailed it twice now - what do you think it is that makes a good Christmas song?
"It needs to be stupid. It's not a time of year to be serious, it's the party season and we're a party band. If it was down to me, we'd release a Christmas song every year - not as 'race to No.1', but it's fun, isn't it? You never know, we might have a Christmas album one day."
So you're more of a Slade guy than a John Lennon guy?
"I love both, actually - as much as each other. John Lennon is quite serious, but also quite playful in that Yoko is singing the chorus completely out of tune."
With you and Justin being brothers, do you guys get together and have any Christmas traditions?
"Well, as a group and crew we do secret Santa each year. That's always a laugh. We live in different countries now so it's quite hard to get everyone together over Christmas, but we tend to tour at this time of year so we tend to shoot up to Lowestoft and spend time with the parents. Then it's sitting around in ridiculous jumpers - the usual."
What's the worst secret Santa that you've ever been bought?
"Last year I got given some fake snow. Actually, it turned out to be alright - we had snowball fights and ruined the bus."
Good job you didn't have to try and take that through customs...
"I think if the bus had been checked, we'd have been pulled."
Which gift are you most proud of buying?
"I normally go for the crappest gift I can find. Not the cheapest, but the most useless. I once bought someone some custard shower gel."
What's on your Christmas list this year?
"Socks. I just like to get socks at Christmas. I'd either like more socks or an explanation as to where the other ones go. The best gift would be the return of the year's missing socks."
Any New Year's resolutions?
"Blimey, the big one is to get the next album finished and out before the end of next year. You always set these new targets for album releases, and they're always six months later than that. I really would like to get it done."
And it's going to be a hard rock affair?
"It'll still be Darkness and sound like us, I just think in terms of the sound, I want it to be really raw. When people come to see us live, there's no mistake that we're a hard rock band who can write songs, but that doesn't always come across on tape. Getting our true dastardly humour across as well would be a great thing to get across."
So more like 'Black Shuck'?
"Exactly."
Well with The Last Of Our Kind, your fans were so immediately on board - what do you think it is about what you did that just struck that automatic chord?
"We're incapable of not overperforming, maybe it's a nerve thing. We don't stop until everyone's involved in one way or another - even if that means abusing them sometimes."
And on the flipside, what do you think the greatest misconception about you guys is?
"There are a lot of misconceptions about us - a lot of people who have maybe seen a few videos or heard a few songs from the first record, I don't think they realise that we're serious musicians. You need to go to a gig to realise that."
And looking ahead to next year, are there any new and upcoming bands that you tip for big things in 2016?
"I'm hoping to produce this band called The River 68s - they're these two brothers from Glasgow. They do this West Coast, kind of 60s acoustic melodic thing. Really soulful but tuneful - that's my kind of thing. They're on tour with us at the moment. It would be nice to see Vintage Trouble break through a bit more. They're definitely worth, that's for sure. I'm curious to see what Eric Nally from Foxy Shazam comes out with next - he guested on that big Macklemore hit and the stage is set for him to come back and do something huge."
Any musical trends you'd like to disappear in 2016?
"On no! You need shit music so that the good ones sound good!
The Darkness' full list of remaining UK tour dates are below. For tickets and more information, visit here.
The Darkness will play:
19 December OXFORD, O2 Academy
20 December LONDON, Roundhouse
