So it's Darren Hayes concert day today!
And tomorrow! So excited!
Here's a review of a concert I saw in
2007. March 23 to be exact. His album preview. Enjoy!!
Part 1
Too tired to blog. Feel so hungover though I didn't drink.
Am still collecting my thoughts about Darren. I've got a
book I have been jotting thoughts down in, and also took notes in the
show
As a special treat, here is the set list, that Darren said I could
have, but I had to argue for with the waiter-wannabe-bouncer.
It's the official set list, that didn't really exist. Tee hee.
1) Fear
2) Who would have thought
3) Carry on Amadeus (carry on dancing)
4) Unlovable/footsteps on the dancefloor
5) Step into the light
6) Time Machine
7) I like the way
8) Words
9) I want you
10) On the verge
11) Me Myself and I
12) Baby I am popular
encore
13) Void
Oh, he didn't full on pash me by the way. It was a reach
down from the stage and hug and kiss me on the face. I feel
very special. Tickets put aside by Darren. A great view
from the table and then from the dance floor. A 'my pleasure'
from him on the way in. And then the hug and kiss.
His new material is really good, lyrically and musically.
His older songs were reworked. Darren had a lot of energy on
stage. It was amazing. I can't think of a word yet to describe
it. Amazing will have to do for now.
More tomorrow.
Part 2
I'm going to post a blog about my Darren Hayes at Manchester Lane
expereince. An account of my experience rather than a review
because to be honest, I can't recall everything about the music due
to my overwhelming excitement.
Manchester Lane was to showcase some songs from Darren's upcoming
album 'This Delicate Thing We've Made'. The doorgirl said there
were about 150 people who managed to get in.
My friends and I got dressed up and waited outside the venue from
around 4:30 pm, hoping to see Darren before he went in for the
soundcheck. There were four girls and a bemused husband in our
group. L, J, T and her husband B. We all
looked stunning in our dresses (Brett didn't wear a dress though).
I've never seen Darren with full on fans before. We were all
excited, but I think I was physically by far the most enthusiastic.
We stood outside the door behind the barrier, and everytime a car
came in the alleyway, I'd run and peer through its window in case
Darren was in it. I think at one stage, a driver waved me off
because I was obstructing traffic.
We made friends with the security guard, Steve. I asked him
a million questions, and he took a photo of the group of us outside
the venue. I ended up making a documentary on my camera with
Steve, interviewing him about how he felt about Darren and the world
in general.
I also spoke to Troy, Darren's hairdresser, and commented on his
trousers. I called them a 'manafore' - meaning male pinafore.
(J deemed them a 'pantafore', which I think is a pretty cool
word). We conceded it's better than a mankini later at the bar.
We managed to see Darren very briefly as his car was up
against the door and the crowd of screaming girls (yes, including me)
was big. I did tell my friends that when it comes to Darren,
I am all for myself, and true to my word, I ran on my own to see him,
not looking if my friends were behind me. J and T
managed to come, but poor L missed out. Darren makes me
turn into a shrieking monster I think, because when he got out of the
car, I was shrieking and jumping up and down (the security guard told
me they need a screamer there!). I thanked him for the tickets
and he saw me, he said 'my pleasure' and then went into the sound
check. I got one picture, well, he's about 1/8th of the picture
and the stripey shirted security guard made up the rest of the
picture! Darren and co went inside for the soundcheck.
J saw Darren standing near the bar in the middle of their
soundcheck. I missed him, but spent a great deal of time with
T peering into the window and trying to hear if he was singing.
We were finally let in after 6 pm. Our table was near
the front, though there was about three people in front of us on
either side of the table. There were three tables long ways in
front of the stage. The meal was really good, especially the
dessert.
In the pre-show music, Angus and Julia Stone's Paper Aeroplane
song was featured, so i was very happy about that.
A caberet style singer called Antigone performed about three songs
before Darren came on. She wasn't my cup of tea, but she was a
powerful singer.
A short break before Darren came on and everyone was getting
excited. As there were no cameras or recordings allowed, I did
the nerdy journalist thing and got some paper out to take notes
with. I ended up jotting down some lyrics and things he said,
as well as part of the set list. I hope that doesn't contravene
Darren's recording and posting online requests.
J had warned me that his music was a bit techno, or at least,
a bit different to what I may be used to - she had been to the
Sydney show. I was expecting some Chemical Brothers type stuff,
but I was pleasantly surprised.
Darren wore a black suit with black sneakers. The jacket had
a strip of contrast trim down the front.
The music was very blippy electronic beat-oriented, despite the
use of guitars and drums.
His first song was 'Fear'. I can't recall too much of it, I
do apologise, because I think i was just overwhelmed with him coming
on stage. There was quite a fast paced lead up, and some fast
singing. Not 'I want you' fast,but fast enough to keep up with
the beats.
His second song, Who Would Have Thought has been stuck in my
head. One of the lyrics was 'who would have thought it could be
this amazing... I had to find you, I had to let you know...and bring
me back to you'... There are long verses and a lot of guitar.It
sounds like a radio hit, if he actually releases songs from this
album onto radio.
The next song, Carry On Dancing was impressive. I do like
the theatrics of this song, in its originality, and to hear it
live is always good. This version was quite rocky. The
setlist says 'Carry On Amadeus'. Excuse my ignorance, but I
don't know what Amadeus is. In this song I recall Darren
dancing around the stage and being very animated with his hands.
He introduced it saying 'this was my favourite song, when I was in
That Band'.
'Unlovable' was the next song, kind of acoustic but fast paced at
the same time. Unlovable has always hit me hard, especially
seeing the back graphics at his Big Night In show in Sydney last
year. This really made me stop and think. I know this
song is big for Tanya too, and she was listening with great intent.
He also mashed up 'Footsteps on the dancefloor' in the middle of
Unlovable.
Darren comented that the front crowd were quite chilled and
the back crowd was partying. he said 'it would be really cool
if we could get party and chilled to have sex' and then said
something about maybe causing a riot.
'Step into the light' was his next song. I can only recall
one lyric, 'I've never been so in love before'.
Darren also included some anecdotes in the show, they were
conversational and very funny. Not funny because he is darren
hayes and he should be laughed at during every funny thing he says.
But genuinely funny. He told a story of how he was in a vafe
with bad service and the waiter apologised saying that Kylie Minogue
was in before. darren said he's obviously not photographed
enough.
He asked people to put their hand up if they didn't know he was
gay, and he counted two people. He then said his mum did not
know, and the crowd let out a sympathetic 'awww', to which Darren
mocked us. "aww, poor thing, his mum didn't know he was gay'.
he said his clothes in the 1990s should have been a dead giveaway
about his sexuality.
He playfully commanded a setlist, which was already in front of
him, and did a funny charades type thing with Shave on keys about
what the next song could be.
The next song was How to Build a Time Machine, which was my
favourite lyrically. Darren introduced it as one of his
favourites, a song to 'try to drag some joy forward in some
way'. He mentioned his marriage and falling in love and the
crowd was extremely receptive for this, letting out a cheer. I
did write a lyric down which I thought was breathtaking, and reminded
me of Darren's incredible writing ability. 'I'll tell my
reflection it's not your fault'. Wow. There was lots of
guitar in this song. And two paces of music. Lyrically
the song was about recalling events in his past and bringing
something good from them.
He then sang 'I don't think you're ready for this jelly' before he
did a gorgeous acoustic of 'I Like the Way'. I'm not keen on
this on the album, but it was acoustic and the words were somehow
more powerful. There was guitar in this one too.
'Words was his next song - introduced as 'a song about when I've
spent all my anger and know I've done the wrong thing'.
I am thinking, as I type this, my notes paid off! It's good
and useful to be a nerd.
He told the audience of how he was thrown out of a Whitney Houston
concert because he was disruptive, on his seat, answering Whitney's
large calls for dancing to the crowd. He said the bouncer had
him a headlock and also felt up his sister's boobs.
The next song was 'I want you'. And he asked the crowd to stand up
and dance. I stopped taking notes here, and everything went to
a mushy state of euphoria because I ran up the front. I got
quite close to the stage, very close in fact. No one in front.
I want you was fairly traditional. I loved it.
A girl had a teddy bear and she showed Darren, he grabbed it and
tried to destroy it – jumping on it, pulling it, biting it.
He said he 'did everything but have sex with it, it's
indestructible'. In trying to destroy it, he let me tug on the
other half of the bear, he pulled so hard I fell onto the stage!
Later he apologised, saying 'sorry about before', I said no problem
and I pointed to the newfound set list, asking if I could have it, he
said 'of course you can'. Later I had to argue with the waiter
for the set list.
T and L ran up to the front during 'On the Verge'.
J couldn't make it through the chairs in front. B was
minding the bags at the table.
T was so excited. More excited than me at one stage.
She held my hand during the entire song On the Verge and we spent the
song jumping up and down and looking at eachother and Darren in
amazement. L was having a great time dancing too.
He then played 'Me Myself and I' and 'Baby I am Popular' (a mashup
of Prince's 'Baby I'm a Star' and 'Popular', but these are a bit of a
blur to me. He did wink at Tanya in Popular and she was
thrilled.
There was a short break and he came back to do Void. I
really like this song, and again it was powerful live. At this
point I was so happy with seeing him live I had tears in my eyes, and
my arms were folded and I was contentedly singing along. He
looked down at me which was amazing.
When he said his goodbyes, he leant down and gave me a hug then a
kiss. The hug was genuine and lasted a good ten seconds.
I can't recall much of it except the feel of his bristles on my
nose. I keep asking my friends who were with me whether it was
real. It was apparently. I was beside myself. So
excited. That meant the world to me.
And that was it. Goodbye Melbourne. Can't wait til the
album comes out in August.
After arguing with the waiter-cum-bouncer, I got the set list.
It has their hotel details on the back.
We ran outside to the car waiting to take the crew away.
Waited and waited. I kept on exclaiming how Darren is the 14
th
boy to kiss me.
Got no photos. Darren came out after Troy, he was bundled in
a scarf and jacket in 35 degree heat. He pressed his face up
against the window. Then the car drove off.
Oh what an excellent night.
I feel so honoured to have heard the music before the album
release, and also for Darren's affection. My friends were truly
appreciative too. We got an awesome table, thanks to Manchester
Lane, and also the generosity of Darren for putting tickets aside for
me when I was sick in hospital. So cool.
