Darren Hayes – The Sage – Newcastle – 21 Sept 2012 - For those who came for the hits….

The day started off not so brilliantly. I'd got a chest infection and was still suffering quite badly. Between the cough and the excitement I had hardly slept. I felt like death but was so excited.

I met Nat and we hopped on the train ride to Newcastle (via Newark and Grantham). It seemed like ages until we got to Newcastle, knowing the girls were waiting it was so exciting! The tour was here! 6 months of planning came down to these coming 10 days.

We stopped off at O’Neil’s for a quick drink (best make mine a coke because of the damn antibiotics) and there was a highly entertaining stag do, outraged they don't do shots until 4pm.  After checking in to the Travelodge and glamming up (the pink and orange tailored dress was today's choice) we headed to the sage via tesco for a sneaky chicken and stuffing sandwich (reduced to £1.03) and a lucozade orange acai. Don’t ask me why I remember that. As we left the hotel and walked down, I caught a glimpse of the sage between the buildings. I squealed. I think the girls would have quite happily disowned me.

We walked across the millennium bridge, past the dodgy busker (hey people! come see some real music!) and up the million steps to the sage. I was so happy (and bloody knackered by the time I got to the top lol). The sage was absolutely beautiful and I always have such a pull to the water, the Tyne looked lovely in the afternoon sun.

   

Inside we waited for the VIP check in to open. Kelly done some investigative stealing of a promo poster and we chatted to friends new and old. Was lovely to see Chris and Darcy again. Thank you so much Darcy for bringing me my killers CD all the way from America with you. I appreciate it so much! 

   

I checked in for our VIP tickets and I stood with the girls as I opened my envelope "Hayley Muir x4". Kelly had already held it up to the light and decided it was row A. I was so excited when we opened the envelope and saw 4 row A tickets. I've never been row A at a concert hall for Darren before. Thank you so much FC! I got half way up the stairs and was jumping up and down with excitement. Probably not the best idea I ever had but I was soooo happy.

We were lead upstairs to sound check and told to form a line. I decided I needed the loo and sure enough the line started moving and the girls were shouting me. I thought it was a wind up at first! We made it into the concert hall near the back and I sat beside Chris in awe of such a gorgeous venue. It looked beautiful. 

Newcastle sound check:

1. To The Moon and Back (Without d)

bass! :D

2. Cruel Cruel world

omg! Last time I heard this song of the house/ipod I was at the lp. Memories came flooding back

3. So beautiful

awwwwwwww!

4. God walking into the room

:D

"hello everybody see you tonight, I will have my show face on”

5. Rhythm is a dancer / insatiable :D. that is all.

6. Stupid mistake
rehearsing the screen part. LOVED it.

7. Hot tub blues

"bitch I cant hardly read, don’t judge me Newcastle". Well that Newcastle comment proves D was not miming!

8.two beds / I don’t know you anymore

Awwwww two beds :) I was so excited! I don’t know you anymore killed me.

"have a good show, I’m gonna make you all leave now so I can practice my g-string bit"

Absolutely stunning sound check - so blessed. Such a stunning venue!

   

we came out the sound check and headed up to the VIP reception, the sage is gorgeous, you can just sit and look straight through it's glass walls. We talked about anything and nothing (mainly how exciting the sound check’s spoilers had been) and got given our VIP packs. They were gorgeous. We pawed through the tourbook deciding we had to decipher the code when we got time.

The VIP music:
California
I can't ever get enough of you
I forgive you
I need you
ending before I begin
tiny little flash lights
tougher than the rest
sexual healing
bots remix
god is in the room
strange relationship

It was so exciting. I LOVED IT! 
Was that the Demo of I cant ever get enough of you? It was slaying it. SQUEEEEEEEEE! I need it in my life. Like yesterday.

   

We watched the most amazing sunset come down across the Tyne through the glass. It was a really blessed moment. I felt so excited and yet so at peace. 

We headed down to the HUGE merch queue (I haven't seen anything like it, shows just how gorgeous the merch is) and I bought pretty much everything LOL. skint but happy.

Time for The Candle thieves! :D
we headed into the venue to take our seats and watch the candle thieves. I love these guys. Tonight I just sat and sang (ok I was miming as I can't sing a note) to every song on the set list. Unfortunately I didn't write the set list down so I'm not sure what they played and it varied night to night.

There was 'flowers for Peggy' in which Scott had a massive wind up party popper that just wouldn’t pop. So he just stood on it lol. I Think 'The Sunshine Song' was in there. And 'sharks and bears'. Glock handed the blow up shark on the stage to Kelly, who passed in to me, I didn't know what to do with it (or that they wanted it to crowd surf) so placed if back on the edge of the stage lol. Eventually the shark was crowd surfing, it was the funniest thing I'd seen in a while, and it would make it about 4 rows back, disappear and then reappear in the air another 4 rows back. Looking around at the gorgeous sage I was excited for what was to come.

I remember going mental to we won't ever be rich (but we could be happy) and Scott seeing me and giving me a smile and nod. awww he recognised me :)

Pre show.
The girls went off to the bar/toilet and I stayed to look after the bags and coats. I set about writing down the pre-show music on my iPhone note pad and thankfully the first few songs I knew. I swear the girl beside me thought I was mental sitting there singing Taylor swift. I was HYPED.

These were my notes LOL:
pre show songs:
1.Jessie ware - wildest moments
2. “mmmmm mad man. when I look back at all the crazy fights we had, like some can of madness was taking control”
3. madonna? “magic - addicted to your eyes/lies?”
4. taylor swift - never getting back together
5. Carly rae jepson - call me maybe
6. “say my name – illuminous”
7. “say, hey!, ....?”
8. “prince???? mj???? daylight????? get your daylight/day right”
9. movie song?

I had a go at 'guess the set list' and failed:

it wasn't long before the lights went down, I knew this piece of music but it couldn't place it.

on walked the band, followed at the end of the music by D, with his gorgeous purple umbrella, tossing it aside and the song being god walking into the room. nice one mister: walking on stage to god walking into the room. LOL.

newcastle setlist:
1. God Walking Into the Room 
2. I Like the Way 
3. To the Moon and Back 
4. Nearly Love 
----chat----
5. Cruel Cruel World /So Beautiful/ Truly Madly Deeply 
----chat----
6. Casey
7. The Animal Song 
8. Black Out the Sun 
9. Stupid Mistake 
10. Pop!ular 
11. Hot Tub Blues 
12. I Don't Know You Anymore 
13. Affirmation 
14. The Siren's Call 
Encore:
15. Insatiable 
16. Bloodstained Heart 


The show.

1. God Walking Into the Room

D walked onto the stage, complete with his umbrella and tossed it aside before he started to sing. I don’t know whether the umbrella was just an element of the 2011 tour that was kept for the entrance of whether the song was important. To me it was D saying, I’ve made it though the storm and now here I am, god walking onto the stage and into the room.

I can’t begin to describe what it was like being front row. The stage seemed huge to me. I’ve always loved this song; it’s got such energy. It was strange not standing up immediately when D walked onto the stage. The live version of this song had so much bass, it sounded so good live. D held the long note perfectly. It was just amazing.

“you bring me love, you lift me up”

2. I Like the Way 
A high energy song. D beckoned everyone to get up on their feet and that was it. There was no stopping the party then. The first image it created in my head was of the 18 year old me, stood watching D for the first time on dark/light. The years fell away. That night in 2004, it was also a song close to the start of the set and a similar arrangement. D still has those sexy moves just like he did then.

3. To the Moon and Back 
This song was so surreal. A glitter disco ball lit the stage up with its pattern whilst the backdrop turned blue. Darren joked that ‘For those who came for the hits - that was a hit just then’. LOL. I love that man. I’ve missed that sense of humour. D was on his knees hamming it up to Owen’s guitar solo. Amazing.

4. Nearly Love 
D joked “Now that I’m 40, I have tea on stage”. This song was a surprise! I loved it! I was never really a big fan of the song on the record but live it took on a whole new meaning. It had crossed my mind that this song might be added to the set list at the expense of don’t give up and I was right. I absolutely loved don’t give up live.

----chat----

“I wrote this next song for my husband but it was also about you, as you stuck by me when the world didn't. It's called cruel cruel world”.

5. Cruel Cruel World / So Beautiful / Truly Madly Deeply (acoustic Segment)

Cruel Cruel World /
SQUEEEEEEEE. Gonna die. OMG. I love this song, always have. Always will. I remember the very first day I heard it at the listening party. It floored me. Still does.
This acoustic version was just the most beautiful thing ever. Awww emotional!

“The ONES that get me”

/So Beautiful/
Loved it. Gorgeous. This song got under my skin tonight. So emotional. It sounded absolutely beautiful. Acoustic really is where D shines. The long note at the end, just HEAVEN.

“I FOUND MY dirty old shoe that fits”.

/Truly Madly Deeply.
Straight out of so beautiful and into this song. D spoke afterwards and said “Sometimes you write a song you think you are writing for yourself and people take it to their heart, this song doesn't belong to me any more - it belongs to you”.
The crowd singing along was beautiful. D looked like he was about to cry. I was also about to cry. An acoustic version of a beautiful song. The most amazing acoustic segment of a show. EVER.


6. Casey
Casey!!! Such a surprise. Right after an emotional acoustic segment I think I was going to die in that moment. It reminded me of TTMT. It also reminded me of Soho and how far we've come since the first outing of the song.

I was listening to it on my iPod live from side 2 before the tour and wondering if it ever had a place on a set list now. I thought probably not, so it was a lovely surprise.“she's my meteorite".
D then asked of the crowd: "don’t make me cry"

----chat----
Darren pulled a face, which I wont attempt to describe, and said “That was my sex face, I mainly do it to friends. Everyone has a sex face, Alice doesn't need one as she's sexy and shave is clever so that’s sexy…”

7. The Animal Song 
D messed up a lyric at the start which was quite funny but it was amazing. This song will never ever be seen in the same light again. D sang it with random crotch grabs and sex face. It was so funny. It made me so happy. Highly entertaining! It was just soooooo good!

8. Black Out the Sun 
Awwwwwww. Still one the crowd loves.

9. Stupid Mistake 
The bandage was a pink-purple shade of colour and D had already taken it off before stupid mistake. I still love the Silhouette bit. Genius.

10. Pop!ular 
D was back with his blue glasses and cane. I love this version mixed in with “when will I be famous” and “vogue”. (The 2011 tour had D’s own take on vogue but this time they are Madonna’s lyrics). D pointed the cane straight at me at beginning of the vogue bit “Greta Garbo, and Monroe”. I just smiled. Well, grinned really. :D. D was doing naughty things to the cane, holding it up to his crotch and wrapping his hands around it and sliding his hands on it. Naughty D! I LOVED it. ;) Great technique ;)

11. Hot Tub Blues 
Zero was back with his drunken routine. Amazing! and this time ‘zero’ has learnt some new tricks since the 2011 tour. I distinctly remember the word Motherf**ker being used. D then acted as if tearing a packet open with his teeth, put the line of coke out on his left arm and sniffed it up. I loved how zero took a minute, as it absorbing the ‘hit’. Very well acted.

“I don’t WANT a dui”

“I said bitch can’t hardly read (Don’t judge me Newcastle)". I loved that little bit added in.

12. I Don't Know You Anymore 
Awwww emotional. I love this song. I always have. And it’s ALWAYS makes me emotional. D once again kept the acoustic element sat at his dressing room mirror wiping away ‘zero’s’’ make-up. It looked and sounded so good. Amazing.

13. Affirmation 
This song makes me so blissfully happy and always will. Love love love. I was so happy to see the light up purple heart was still apart of the 2012 tour. It looks so good.

14. The Siren's Call 
Awwwwwww. I still love this song as much as in 2011. I didn't want it to end. So sad. :(

Encore:

15. Insatiable/ Rhythm is a Dancer
D was singing insatiable and Alice was singing Rhythm is a dancer. I love this mash up and I love Alice’s voice but I wanted to hear D singing a few lines of snap like at NYE. Rhythm is a dancer is one of my favourite songs ever.

16. Bloodstained Heart 
“This is the bit were I say I don’t want to leave and sing another song anyway but I don’t want to go....I’m gonna go but I’m going to do one more”

This song is just WOW. It’s the most beautiful thing ever. To hear the crowd singing it back at the end always amazes me.

   

…and with that D and the band took a bow and off they went. Then there was a really drunk lady who tried to rush up onto the stage and follow them. She didn't get very far, I think she was probably too drunk to stand never mind run after D lol.

I really want to know what that song was that was playing as we were walking out the venue. Anyone? Shazam didn't like it lol.

I struggled to manage words after the show. It was Just STUNNING. D belongs on the bigger stage of a concert hall, his voice projects so well. 
Two words: SEX. FACE.

After the show.
The sage really was a beautiful venue, it looked beautiful all lit up and I didn't want to leave. I done a casual spot of poster pinching (with help of the now expert kelly) and we headed back across the millennium bridge. As we walked alongside the Tyne to our hotel a meteor flashed across above us and burnt out. It seemed so fitting and I felt so blessed. Buzzing. It definitely meant something. I'm so pleased I was with the girls to witness it, albeit a few girls missing. Casey then seemed to be even more special. It was beautiful. 

   

We got back to the hotel to discover Kelly’s water bottle had leaked all over her VIP merch and vinyls :(. I was gutted for her. We waved goodbye to Kelly and hils and I ordered veggie pizza with garlic dip. The power of the blackberry playbook: pizza right from the web to the Travelodge reception LOL. It tasted Sooo good.

Bedtime called as we had to be up fairly early to head to Glasgow. Stupid 9:30 train! It looked like we were in for a rowdy night, Newcastle Travelodge on a Friday night could get interesting. Nat and I waved hils off to her room, with the promise if either room was noisy our doors we open for each other. I didn't sleep very well, damn cough, sorry Nat! 

Next stop: Glasgow.