The quartet, three from east England, one from Scotland, have become something of a phenomenon on the British music scene.

Dismissed by the few who had heard of them as a joke just a year ago, The Darkness snatched three of Britain's most prestigious music prizes at the glittering Brit Awards ceremony in central London on Tuesday.

"They came to us and asked us to do a record because they got turned down by every single major label in the country," said Ian Johnson, whose Must Destroy Records first worked with the band in 2001.

Less than three years later Johnson was recovering from overnight celebrations with the band after they picked up three Brits, for best group, best rock group, and best album.

Brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham have now played three sell-out tours and their first album, 'Permission to Land', has sold quadruple platinum — more than 1.2 million copies — in Britain.

"I think they're the brashest and best British band we've had for years," said Dave Everly, rock editor at Q, Britain's top-selling monthly music magazine.

Even in the notoriously tough United States market, the band have sold more than 200 000 records and sold out several US gigs in April and March.

"They are the fastest-growing band in America since the Spice Girls," said band spokesperson Andy Hart, adding that radio stations in Los Angeles and New York were playing them heavily.

While they unleash a noise not unlike heavy metal bands of the 1980s such as Def Leppard and Guns 'N' Roses, many feel the true secret to The Darkness's success is a "try anything" attitude reminiscent of the glam rock era.

Singer Justin Hawkins in particular has become known for his seemingly endless selection of skin-tight plunge-necked catsuits, a form of attire not witnessed on the global music scene for several decades.

The band have also been keen to flout their showmanship and sense of fun, a contrast to the somewhat po-faced attitudes of many modern rock acts which has also seen them dismissed in some quarters as a novelty act.

Everly described the phenomenon as glam rock with "21st century spin".

"I think they could spark up a lot of things, they are so huge at the moment. It's bound to give kids playing guitars in their bedrooms an idea," he told AFP.

"Dressing up is cool again and loud guitars, and ridiculous hairstyles are the way forward."

Glam rock, distinguished by outlandish costumes of the sort inspired by David Bowie's Martian-style space suits, emerged in the early 1970s and was typified as much by performers' attitude and stage acts as any particular musical style.

Well-known glam rockers included Gary Glitter, and the band T-Rex, led by Marc Bolan.

The Darkness may well spawn a whole new generation of glam rockers — according to music leaders, demo tapes are already flooding in which demonstrate the massive impact the band are having on young musicians.

Trying to lay his finger on what was special about the group, Johnson said they had not tried to copy others on the road to success.

"That's precisely what makes them what they are, because there was absolutely nothing cool about what they were doing, it was so unfashionable."

Apart from being amazingly talented musicians, "they have personality coming out of their ears," he said.

Despite courting fame, the band have remained true to their roots and played a homecoming gig last month in Great Yarmouth, on England's east coast.

"I'm in a band with my brother and my two best mates," 28-year-old Justin Hawkins said at the time.

This could all change if The Darkness become superstars, which would not now surprise many people.

"I think global domination is the only way forward for them," Everly said.

AFP