THESE days, outrageous British glam rockers The Darkness are as sober as a judge with a bout of arthritis.

The Darkness joined the fame game a decade ago when their squealing vocals, strutting guitars, and their tongue-in-cheek debut album, Permission To Land, soared to the top of the charts.

Now, after a six year hiatus, and with Lycra-suited singer Justin Hawkins back to full fitness following a spell in rehab, the original band of brothers have reunited for another voyage of guitar-slinging pyrotechnics.

“You can’t party every night, especially at our age,” laughed drummer Ed Graham.

“In the past, we were basically hammered every day.

“We were quite bad, actually.

“We partied far too much.

“These days we’re more likely to go to the gymnasium.

“Justin does a lot of running, takes plenty of rest and has a healthy diet. We don’t drink on tour now.

“It’s a very different experience.”

Graham, who battled health issues of his own when he was forced to hang up his sticks for several years after he was diagnosed with a blood disorder, added: “We did a gig in Inverness the other day, and had the afternoon at Loch Ness, seeing if we could spot the monster.

“We sat by the lake, enjoyed a cup of tea and a nice slice of haggis.

“When things were bad we’d be destroyed from the night before, and feeling like rubbish.

“Our soundman says we’re playing better now than we ever did.

“The thing is when you’re sober you notice when you make mistakes.”

After supporting Lady Gaga on her Born This Way Ball tour, their album Hot Cakes — including a collaboration with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson — kicked up a real storm.

Famous for hits I Believe In A Thing Called Love and Growing On Me, The Darkness can still deliver a thunderous performance.

“We’d not played live for five years and then they asked us to perform at the Download Festival, which was mega really,” added Ed.

“We did a couple of warm-up dates, but when we got there it was like, ‘Will anybody remember us?’ “It was a baptism of fire, but we got this incredible reception and it has continued on this tour. I think we are just an oddity, but it just seems to work.

“There was quite a bit of animosity when we split and we fell out.

“I went from earning lots of money to unemployment, debt and a serious health issue.

“But now we have re-kindled those friendships and we are back playing some of our best music ever.”

  • The Darkness, 53 Degrees, Sunday, December 1. Details from 01772 893000.