Darren Hayes - The Side 2 Tour - 11th Feb 2008 - Only the Harbour could know.
Bristol – Thelka.
Originally posted to Myspace 2/11/2009 5:01:00PM
Before The gig.
Monday started with getting up wayyyy too early after going to bed way too late. Sorry I never got my Manchester reviews up before I left. Shoot me! ;)! I got to the station on time (miracle!) and got on the train. Some woman had 3 kids with her and had the bee movie on a portable DVD player. I’m sure the brats loved it but the rest of the coach I don’t think was so keen! I read my magazine. Or at least tried to. I got off the train at Birmingham (thank god!) but not before telling the lovely old lady beside me about Darren. She’d lost her husband at Christmas and always went on holiday this time of year so was going to see her daughter. The woman sitting opposite me was on her way to London to see a theatre show. Turns out she loved theatre as much as I love gigs. It’s nice when you get talking to someone on the train, its kills time.
So anyway I got on my train at Birmingham and walked the whole way up to the board to discover the train to Bristol was the same platform as I’d just got off at! Platform 11. I got on the virgin train and I was so excited to get on train and had a phone charger socket, OMFG!! The first train of the tour with a charger! I was actually grinning as the virgin train pulled up. I plugged my phone in to txt lou and Kelly and couldn’t get a signal. I sat and watched skins, and then I listened to the songs Darren was going to sing tonight. Got all excited.
The train got to Bristol temple meads and straight away I spotted Kelly.
She asked:
Did you just get off that train? yes.
It was 10 mins early? Yes.
It stopped at Birmingham. Yes.
It was meant to arrive at 14:11. Yes.
It was the same train!
When I had txt her the night before to find out what time she was arriving and I did think it was a coincidence we both got to Bristol at the same time. Durr! What can I say? I am blonde after all. Turns out Kelly couldn’t be arsed finding her seat in coach C (60 something) so sat in coach D. which is how when I walked down 3/4 of coach C to get my seat I didn’t see her. But I would if she had been in her reserved seat. It really made me think about the movie sliding doors and how fate has this way of choosing if paths cross or not and then making it happen.
I spotted Louise and Hilary coming up to the station and as we walked towards the Thekla we all had a great chat. We spotted a dodgy chair and Kelly suggested we nick it for the queue. Hilary said they’d had the same conversation beforehand when they’d seen it on the way to get us. So we left the dodgy chair and headed to the Travelodge via the Thekla. No one was in the queue i.e. there wasn’t one single person. We saw the van pull up and we all thought Darren was in it but alas it was just equipment. I was so nervous. And my hair a mess as it hadn’t been straightened. Maybe just as well he wasn’t in the van lol!
Hilary came with Lou, Kelly and I to the Travelodge. Damn the building work! Damn banging! Kelly and I checked into room 219 and got ready. We left lou and hils to go off to queue with instructions to txt me if the queue got a bit big.
It was such a gorgeous day the sun was shining; I put my normal socks on
instead of my fluffy ones. I debated not bringing a coat because it was sunny
and hot but figured I would be cold later. When we got back to the venue later
there was about 10 people and Lou was just saying how big is big so I can txt
hails, then we arrived anyway! Well I can be a bit vague lol!
Kelly and I went off to find food. The mud dock had a private function going on. Maybe it was Darren’s crew. Maybe it wasn’t who knows (Someone said he’s been in Bristol hours when we seen him arrive at the venue about 5). The other restaurants nearby were expensive so we headed off in the direction to the town centre and by pure luck found a gorgeous pub just down the street from the venue. The Shakespeare. A gorgeous old pub my dad would have loved. We ordered food and out came my gorgeous homemade chips and burger. I LOVED it. Best meal of the tour so far. I did chuckle when I went looking for the loo as we were leaving and there was a sign that said “toilets are thataway, please wash your hands”.
I have to say how gorgeous Bristol is. The water, the buildings. The people. We walked back to the venue and there were about 15 people. We started to queue about 4:45pm. A few people arrived and said we will be back later to queue and went into the cafe on the boat. So at 5:30pm after we’d been froze for 45mins the rest of our group arrived. Maria, Janice, Doug, Joyce, Val and Gilly. No one had joined the queue before them! What a waste of 45 minutes! Was nice we all got to be together though. God job I brought my coat, turns out I would need it a lot sooner than after the gig! The sun had gone in, it was getting dark. And it was soooo cold at the waterfront.
We could hear Darren sound checking dirty. His voice (well the high notes anyhoo) bounced off the walls of the harbour side. We had a debate about what it is actually called. I can’t remember what we decided now. Quayside? I thought how funny it would be, if we were to be people walking past later and hearing that song as the gig was in full swing.
It got colder and colder, feet more and more sore. Maria was so sweet and offered her car to warm me up until we discovered she didn’t have the keys. She offered me her gloves. Was very kind of her but it wasn’t really my hands that were cold!
Darren came out about 6:40pm and got into the van. I few people called out and he waved over his shoulder. We presumed he went back to the hotel to get changed. The van arrived back just as we were getting let in. He didn’t get out but the band did. I presume he waited till we were all inside. Steve had to push his way through and smacked Lou’s leg with his guitar case lol. Once we got let in we talked about the difference between the stamps on our hands. Kelly and I got T’s written on our hands in blue marker pen. The people before us got stamps saying Thekla. The people after us got scribbles that looked it were meant to say something in a language other than English, possibly martian.
The air con was on when we got inside and it was working a little too well. Centre of second row but I was soo cold. I think we were all ready to put our coats back on. The stage was higher tonight, a bit more like at a concert stage than a club gig. You get less eye contact, mind you nothing can beat the first Manchester gig when there wasn’t really a stage at all just a step. We all chatted about our middle names and random stuff and after way too long it was 9pm. That pre-show song right before he comes on. Kate Bush. Something about a child. And I guess goodbye. No idea what song it is. I would recognise the lyrics if I seen them. Maybe I should just turn iTunes on and play through all the clips till I find it.
The setlist:
1. Hero
2. Bombs Up In My Face
3. Sense Of Humor
4. A Conversation With God
5. Random Blinking Light (Acoustic)
6. 100 Challenging Things (Acoustic)
7. Gunning Down Romance
8. Setting Sun (Just Shave And Darren)
9. Maybe
10. Mine (Acoustic)
11. Dirty (Drum Machine Version)
12. Casey
13. Sing To Me
------------- Encore --------------
14. Dublin sky
15. Unlovable
16. I Don't Care
17. So Beautiful (The Beautiful Mix)
The outfit:
The first thing I spotted when Darren came out was the neon bird badge of the left lapel of his jacket. The suit was a pin stripe, that gorgeous silver tie (the one Maria’s hubby has from Topman lol) and the red belt. As soon as Darren started dancing to hero I noticed that one of the belt loops had been safety pinned. I think he might have had too much fun putting his thumb through the loop and shaking his thing in Manchester the other night ;) There was one point when Darren put his foot up on the fold back to reveal his red socks. I don’t know why but I never imagined his socks would be red. Maybe it matches the belt ;)
1. Hero
Those moves!, that’s all I’m saying ;)
Love the way he just launches into ‘outside….’
2. Bombs Up In My Face
Darren sung more of the words planes and trains, more like a harmony. Darren made his fingers into a gun and pointed at Steve. Steve just kinda looked at Darren and grinned, you know that awkward kinda what do I do now kinda grin?
I don’t trust the media
like to get a suntan - Darren rubbed his hand down his side like presenting himself to us.
it moves my boddage, it moves my boddage, Darren moves away from Steve a bit and started jumping up and down. LOVED it!
fuck forever endlessly..but you don’t but that ok *raises eyebrows* the rest is better anyway ;)
Darren wiggled to the word scuba and pretended to get a golf ball out of his pocket and golf it.
H didn’t pull a face to the words same sex union he just looked at bloke in front of me.
Darren pointed to shave and said youth, then pointed to shave and said beauty.
Love how it ends, those high notes. I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. Full stop.
3. Sense Of Humor
And I will be the shit. Yes you are! You will like my sense of Humoooooorrrrr :p
Darren asked to dim the light between songs
4. A Conversation with God
I still love this beat and the way the music literally sounds like its moving along. I like it more live. Darren pulled his arms to his sides like drawing someone close to you. Like him pulling the enemy close. The way he throws his hands up ‘my hands fly off the steering wheel. I do adore this one. Turn my light, their running up that road, be running that hill, be running up the building. I love how Darren can act this song out so well. Shaking his fist to the words I scream at god.
ummmm ummmm oooooh oooh oh..we’re driving…
no more linger-riiiii-ng
I hear it THIS voice of god
sarcasm in your HAAAAAAAAAAAND. such a beautifully held note.
After convo with god:
Darren joked he was trying to get someone to turn his fan on, “my fan turned my fan on”. I have to be careful because last week I asked or some fans and some of you got invited up here. That was a BAD joke. In our house that’s called dropping the funny egg and you have to pick it up and give it back. (He did motion of picking something up and held his hand out).
The Darren asked If we’d noticed the boat was leaning to one side - I hadn’t actually! People were screaming that he was about to knock the water bottle over, the stage was deep but not very wide and it was a bit cramped up there for putting bottles and cups down. He joked he didn’t have time for Question time as he was trying to sing to us as he hadn’t heard our pleas to not electrocute himself or the band. After the place was half flooded Darren said he needed a towel as he’d knocked over his water bottle *pauses and look at shave* it looks like shave peed himself.
Darren joked he had visions of playing on a cruise, he joked the room seemed quite normal and asked us ‘this is quite normal right?’. We all agreed. Then Darren joked can everybody just move to the left (to counter balance it, it was our left too not his, well done D I’m impressed!). I was concerned before (then he broke out in song) ‘rock the boat baby, don’t rock the boat over’- complete with the hand spinning from MMI. It was so funny!
Yes I was aware of the strange notion of it being a boat but the room itself didn’t remind you it was a boat. The toilets did when you had part of a boat like an old light, or window or something above the cistern. That was a bit weird. As soon as I discovered Bristol was a boat I knew I had to go. I wanted new fandangledness of a boat. How many people can say they have seen Darren Hayes play on a boat? (It was rocking a right bit when we were all trying to leave though! Eek!).
5. Random Blinking Light (Acoustic)
you’ve got good intensions. I’m beautiful in a ugly kinda fucked up way but I’ve got good intentions
so full of love. Darren hold the note for ‘love’ for longer than on record
thoughts without the words- that line grabs me EVERY night.
Darren Held the note at end ‘you are’ just beautifully.
100 Challenging Things STORY
This was a MASSIVE story and a half tonight, but soo funny in places but also so sad.
Darren joked he doesn’t normally read reviews but there was a few funny ones. He said he had been doing press in Malaysia and the last time He went to Malaysia he was involved in a police escort thing it was in the 90â’s and he had big hair and sold a lot of records. He asked us what it was called and people shouted out cavalcade. He explained the car he was in run some police man over so they got out to help then he was talking about the press asking ‘do you realise that a lot of this record talks about that your GAY?’ (I love how he said gay in a provoking kinda tone), why did you make a record that was so GAY? (said gay in a provoking kinda tone again). Darren asked if he did and said he didn’t know he had but that there was this one line. I was stood for ages trying to work it out … listen all you people!
Darren said the interviewer kept saying he was so controversial, do you purposefully live your life so controversially? and then he said he couldn’t even get arrested then paused and said, well I can get arrested but the point is in general in when I’m not being falsely accused I’m kinda boring.
Then he proceeded to tell a story about when Richard and him first started going out and he was holding richard’s hand, my boyfriend’s hand, I still can’t say husband but we’re married (held his ring up to the audience to much screaming) and the paps all run past after kate moss and he thought there was somewhat of a story but thought fuck it I don’t really care.
Shave started the song and Darren asked if he had started it yet as he was just mentioning GAY! and everyone was making a big deal out of it but he wasn’t.. irony. I love it! (Darren started it! The whole room I was laughing!)
Darren paused, he’d lost his train of thought...he said and the reason I told that story was to bring up Richard, and the fact he was the son of a coal miner, thank god I’ve found my train of thought! (did phew kinda motion with hand wiping forehead). He said he was being criticised for how he knew anything of the mining strikes and he what he knew was that he had met and fell in love with someone affected by it.
He explained that Richard’s dad was afraid of the Dark but worked for a better life in the sun and that richard’s mother was Austrian but when they got to the sun his mum passed away and his dad got cancer, but how Richard didn’t play on the sadness of it and he was so full of energy and positivity and at a time when Darren was so low he wrote this song about not having the luxury of parents. Then Darren quipped he will have a shorter story at the next gig (laughing!)
Kelly and I went off to find food. The mud dock had a private function going on. Maybe it was Darren’s crew. Maybe it wasn’t who knows (Someone said he’s been in Bristol hours when we seen him arrive at the venue about 5). The other restaurants nearby were expensive so we headed off in the direction to the town centre and by pure luck found a gorgeous pub just down the street from the venue. The Shakespeare. A gorgeous old pub my dad would have loved. We ordered food and out came my gorgeous homemade chips and burger. I LOVED it. Best meal of the tour so far. I did chuckle when I went looking for the loo as we were leaving and there was a sign that said “toilets are thataway, please wash your hands”.
I have to say how gorgeous Bristol is. The water, the buildings. The people. We walked back to the venue and there were about 15 people. We started to queue about 4:45pm. A few people arrived and said we will be back later to queue and went into the cafe on the boat. So at 5:30pm after we’d been froze for 45mins the rest of our group arrived. Maria, Janice, Doug, Joyce, Val and Gilly. No one had joined the queue before them! What a waste of 45 minutes! Was nice we all got to be together though. God job I brought my coat, turns out I would need it a lot sooner than after the gig! The sun had gone in, it was getting dark. And it was soooo cold at the waterfront.
We could hear Darren sound checking dirty. His voice (well the high notes anyhoo) bounced off the walls of the harbour side. We had a debate about what it is actually called. I can’t remember what we decided now. Quayside? I thought how funny it would be, if we were to be people walking past later and hearing that song as the gig was in full swing.
It got colder and colder, feet more and more sore. Maria was so sweet and offered her car to warm me up until we discovered she didn’t have the keys. She offered me her gloves. Was very kind of her but it wasn’t really my hands that were cold!
Darren came out about 6:40pm and got into the van. I few people called out and he waved over his shoulder. We presumed he went back to the hotel to get changed. The van arrived back just as we were getting let in. He didn’t get out but the band did. I presume he waited till we were all inside. Steve had to push his way through and smacked Lou’s leg with his guitar case lol. Once we got let in we talked about the difference between the stamps on our hands. Kelly and I got T’s written on our hands in blue marker pen. The people before us got stamps saying Thekla. The people after us got scribbles that looked it were meant to say something in a language other than English, possibly martian.
The air con was on when we got inside and it was working a little too well. Centre of second row but I was soo cold. I think we were all ready to put our coats back on. The stage was higher tonight, a bit more like at a concert stage than a club gig. You get less eye contact, mind you nothing can beat the first Manchester gig when there wasn’t really a stage at all just a step. We all chatted about our middle names and random stuff and after way too long it was 9pm. That pre-show song right before he comes on. Kate Bush. Something about a child. And I guess goodbye. No idea what song it is. I would recognise the lyrics if I seen them. Maybe I should just turn iTunes on and play through all the clips till I find it.
The setlist:
1. Hero
2. Bombs Up In My Face
3. Sense Of Humor
4. A Conversation With God
5. Random Blinking Light (Acoustic)
6. 100 Challenging Things (Acoustic)
7. Gunning Down Romance
8. Setting Sun (Just Shave And Darren)
9. Maybe
10. Mine (Acoustic)
11. Dirty (Drum Machine Version)
12. Casey
13. Sing To Me
------------- Encore --------------
14. Dublin sky
15. Unlovable
16. I Don't Care
17. So Beautiful (The Beautiful Mix)
The outfit:
The first thing I spotted when Darren came out was the neon bird badge of the left lapel of his jacket. The suit was a pin stripe, that gorgeous silver tie (the one Maria’s hubby has from Topman lol) and the red belt. As soon as Darren started dancing to hero I noticed that one of the belt loops had been safety pinned. I think he might have had too much fun putting his thumb through the loop and shaking his thing in Manchester the other night ;) There was one point when Darren put his foot up on the fold back to reveal his red socks. I don’t know why but I never imagined his socks would be red. Maybe it matches the belt ;)
1. Hero
Those moves!, that’s all I’m saying ;)
Love the way he just launches into ‘outside….’
2. Bombs Up In My Face
Darren sung more of the words planes and trains, more like a harmony. Darren made his fingers into a gun and pointed at Steve. Steve just kinda looked at Darren and grinned, you know that awkward kinda what do I do now kinda grin?
I don’t trust the media
like to get a suntan - Darren rubbed his hand down his side like presenting himself to us.
it moves my boddage, it moves my boddage, Darren moves away from Steve a bit and started jumping up and down. LOVED it!
fuck forever endlessly..but you don’t but that ok *raises eyebrows* the rest is better anyway ;)
Darren wiggled to the word scuba and pretended to get a golf ball out of his pocket and golf it.
H didn’t pull a face to the words same sex union he just looked at bloke in front of me.
Darren pointed to shave and said youth, then pointed to shave and said beauty.
Love how it ends, those high notes. I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. Full stop.
3. Sense Of Humor
And I will be the shit. Yes you are! You will like my sense of Humoooooorrrrr :p
Darren asked to dim the light between songs
4. A Conversation with God
I still love this beat and the way the music literally sounds like its moving along. I like it more live. Darren pulled his arms to his sides like drawing someone close to you. Like him pulling the enemy close. The way he throws his hands up ‘my hands fly off the steering wheel. I do adore this one. Turn my light, their running up that road, be running that hill, be running up the building. I love how Darren can act this song out so well. Shaking his fist to the words I scream at god.
ummmm ummmm oooooh oooh oh..we’re driving…
no more linger-riiiii-ng
I hear it THIS voice of god
sarcasm in your HAAAAAAAAAAAND. such a beautifully held note.
After convo with god:
Darren joked he was trying to get someone to turn his fan on, “my fan turned my fan on”. I have to be careful because last week I asked or some fans and some of you got invited up here. That was a BAD joke. In our house that’s called dropping the funny egg and you have to pick it up and give it back. (He did motion of picking something up and held his hand out).
The Darren asked If we’d noticed the boat was leaning to one side - I hadn’t actually! People were screaming that he was about to knock the water bottle over, the stage was deep but not very wide and it was a bit cramped up there for putting bottles and cups down. He joked he didn’t have time for Question time as he was trying to sing to us as he hadn’t heard our pleas to not electrocute himself or the band. After the place was half flooded Darren said he needed a towel as he’d knocked over his water bottle *pauses and look at shave* it looks like shave peed himself.
Darren joked he had visions of playing on a cruise, he joked the room seemed quite normal and asked us ‘this is quite normal right?’. We all agreed. Then Darren joked can everybody just move to the left (to counter balance it, it was our left too not his, well done D I’m impressed!). I was concerned before (then he broke out in song) ‘rock the boat baby, don’t rock the boat over’- complete with the hand spinning from MMI. It was so funny!
Yes I was aware of the strange notion of it being a boat but the room itself didn’t remind you it was a boat. The toilets did when you had part of a boat like an old light, or window or something above the cistern. That was a bit weird. As soon as I discovered Bristol was a boat I knew I had to go. I wanted new fandangledness of a boat. How many people can say they have seen Darren Hayes play on a boat? (It was rocking a right bit when we were all trying to leave though! Eek!).
5. Random Blinking Light (Acoustic)
you’ve got good intensions. I’m beautiful in a ugly kinda fucked up way but I’ve got good intentions
so full of love. Darren hold the note for ‘love’ for longer than on record
thoughts without the words- that line grabs me EVERY night.
Darren Held the note at end ‘you are’ just beautifully.
100 Challenging Things STORY
This was a MASSIVE story and a half tonight, but soo funny in places but also so sad.
Darren joked he doesn’t normally read reviews but there was a few funny ones. He said he had been doing press in Malaysia and the last time He went to Malaysia he was involved in a police escort thing it was in the 90â’s and he had big hair and sold a lot of records. He asked us what it was called and people shouted out cavalcade. He explained the car he was in run some police man over so they got out to help then he was talking about the press asking ‘do you realise that a lot of this record talks about that your GAY?’ (I love how he said gay in a provoking kinda tone), why did you make a record that was so GAY? (said gay in a provoking kinda tone again). Darren asked if he did and said he didn’t know he had but that there was this one line. I was stood for ages trying to work it out … listen all you people!
Darren said the interviewer kept saying he was so controversial, do you purposefully live your life so controversially? and then he said he couldn’t even get arrested then paused and said, well I can get arrested but the point is in general in when I’m not being falsely accused I’m kinda boring.
Then he proceeded to tell a story about when Richard and him first started going out and he was holding richard’s hand, my boyfriend’s hand, I still can’t say husband but we’re married (held his ring up to the audience to much screaming) and the paps all run past after kate moss and he thought there was somewhat of a story but thought fuck it I don’t really care.
Shave started the song and Darren asked if he had started it yet as he was just mentioning GAY! and everyone was making a big deal out of it but he wasn’t.. irony. I love it! (Darren started it! The whole room I was laughing!)
Darren paused, he’d lost his train of thought...he said and the reason I told that story was to bring up Richard, and the fact he was the son of a coal miner, thank god I’ve found my train of thought! (did phew kinda motion with hand wiping forehead). He said he was being criticised for how he knew anything of the mining strikes and he what he knew was that he had met and fell in love with someone affected by it.
He explained that Richard’s dad was afraid of the Dark but worked for a better life in the sun and that richard’s mother was Austrian but when they got to the sun his mum passed away and his dad got cancer, but how Richard didn’t play on the sadness of it and he was so full of energy and positivity and at a time when Darren was so low he wrote this song about not having the luxury of parents. Then Darren quipped he will have a shorter story at the next gig (laughing!)
6. 100 Challenging Things (Acoustic)
that’s why I loved you oh ohhh oh’ those oh notes, held so beautifully each night
she never saw her son on OUR wedding day
the pain in Darren’s voice was so obvious at this point:
The sacrifice.
Dreams overrun.
Hopes for a future for her son in Ollerton.
ollerton- 2 breathes but second one is more technical, has more twiddly bits than on cd. oller-toooooo-oooooo-oooon
Each night this song was so beautifully harmonised by Steve.
Darren held two notes at the end, both for AGES and both just that resonance in his voice and the pain in his voice that gave me shivers- held note at end = massive praise/cheers/applause
After 100 challenging things:
Darren just casually said ‘you where rocking with your cock out there Steve’. Darren joked Steve was rocking with his cock out and he liked his *pauses* Rock! I didn’t see this but apparently Steve’s flies was undone and he was looking like he was desperate to check and then he wasn’t even subtle with doing his zip back up he just pulled his guitar out the way and pulled his zip up, he could have done zip up behind his guitar!
that’s why I loved you oh ohhh oh’ those oh notes, held so beautifully each night
she never saw her son on OUR wedding day
the pain in Darren’s voice was so obvious at this point:
The sacrifice.
Dreams overrun.
Hopes for a future for her son in Ollerton.
ollerton- 2 breathes but second one is more technical, has more twiddly bits than on cd. oller-toooooo-oooooo-oooon
Each night this song was so beautifully harmonised by Steve.
Darren held two notes at the end, both for AGES and both just that resonance in his voice and the pain in his voice that gave me shivers- held note at end = massive praise/cheers/applause
After 100 challenging things:
Darren just casually said ‘you where rocking with your cock out there Steve’. Darren joked Steve was rocking with his cock out and he liked his *pauses* Rock! I didn’t see this but apparently Steve’s flies was undone and he was looking like he was desperate to check and then he wasn’t even subtle with doing his zip back up he just pulled his guitar out the way and pulled his zip up, he could have done zip up behind his guitar!
7. Gunning down romance
how you feeling so far? Good?
Darren did rock thing with index and little fingers
The whole place just singing ‘love I beg you, love don’t leave me, lift me up in to that privileged point of view, the world of two’
‘its on the brink’
‘I console myself that hallmark cards are true, I really doooooo. Hey!’
‘Hey! I’m gunning down romance’
The aggression in his voice, I’m gunning down romance. It never did a thing for me. Except tragedy and misery. The whole place was singing along too. The way Steve has this way of emphasising the notes to Darren’s voice.
‘Love don’t leave meeeee-eeee’
‘Hey! I’m gonna take this broken wings, and learn to fly away, learn to fly, learn to fly away, ooohhh, heyyy, ohhhhh, hey..’
He almost smacked his head on the speakers, he put his hand to his head and kinda made a phew expression and rolled his eyes, we were just saying before the gig we LOVED the red tape for the edges.
Steve so beautifully held the note at the end
Before setting sun:
‘I console myself that hallmark cards are true, I really doooooo. Hey!’
‘Hey! I’m gunning down romance’
The aggression in his voice, I’m gunning down romance. It never did a thing for me. Except tragedy and misery. The whole place was singing along too. The way Steve has this way of emphasising the notes to Darren’s voice.
‘Love don’t leave meeeee-eeee’
‘Hey! I’m gonna take this broken wings, and learn to fly away, learn to fly, learn to fly away, ooohhh, heyyy, ohhhhh, hey..’
He almost smacked his head on the speakers, he put his hand to his head and kinda made a phew expression and rolled his eyes, we were just saying before the gig we LOVED the red tape for the edges.
Steve so beautifully held the note at the end
Before setting sun:
“someone tried to give me the dodgy stool and I’m not
having it!” *takes steve’s stool* Riiiiiiiiiiiight!!!! sorry about that steve!
- What was so funny was that he wasn’t sorry at all, it was hilarious!
Darren introduced Justin and joked he’d met him because his last keyboard player left in the middle of the tour “you could say because he pushed someone down some stairs”. Then he joked Justin shaved the day. Lol! Darren said Justin impressed him because he wasn’t trying to impress him and he was saying how Shave had the okkam and he was just doing his thing and Darren came in and was like “hey im Darren Hazzzzze. Darren Hazeeeee. The GAAAAAAAAY. I wasn’t gay back then”. (Much laughter! He’s got the cutest giggle and then in a gruff voice said : ‘I turned gay. I turned!’
Darren introduced Justin and joked he’d met him because his last keyboard player left in the middle of the tour “you could say because he pushed someone down some stairs”. Then he joked Justin shaved the day. Lol! Darren said Justin impressed him because he wasn’t trying to impress him and he was saying how Shave had the okkam and he was just doing his thing and Darren came in and was like “hey im Darren Hazzzzze. Darren Hazeeeee. The GAAAAAAAAY. I wasn’t gay back then”. (Much laughter! He’s got the cutest giggle and then in a gruff voice said : ‘I turned gay. I turned!’
Darren said he was kidding and was impersonating his dad
then said actually his dad was lovely. He explained he thought shave had a bit
of an attitude to start with but managed to play everything Darren threw at him
really well.
Once again Darren lost his train of thought and asked where he was going..
Darren put on an hilarious voice: ‘can you play this with your keytar?’ why have I become silent bob?’ Darren explained he became fascinated with shave and they became friends and made the album. Darren explained that one day they had what was like a casio keyboard with all the sounds in (the keytar) and Darren tried to mimic it, it was really funny. He joked he couldn’t beat box. He’s right lol. He said how they had found the keys for the sound for setting sun and that shave was going to play it with just one of his ten golden fingers.
8. Setting Sun (Just Shave And Darren)
I love the clapping we all do, to that beat it has. It’s a song I NEVER loved on the cd but now I do. Live these songs transform before your eyes (and ears) and you can never listen to it the same again. I love its vibe. I love watching shave get really into it. The passion in Darren’s voice and the need for the audience to jump up and down, such a dance song!
Everyone singing. I really need to to find a way back home - Ho----ooooo-meeee
Shave was moving to the song and brushing the water bottle with his backside, he was actually leaning against it when the cries of people were heard and he stood up the bottle with a look of relief on his face (and puzzlement on Darren’s lol) and moved across and bit
Darren puts his hand out like someone washing their car bonnet and waves hand across and back to the beat
He did that same moment with moving his neck to one side and back to the ‘urgent-cee-ceee-eeee’
There’s an urgent-ceeeeeeeeeeeee held note.
I’m coming down.
Down down down
Woah!
so low
I love how low a note to the ‘so low’ bit is too though
I love how it just ends. Just like that. Over.
Darren went over to hug shave and them embracing each other so tightly, pressing against each other with the keytar in the middle played a funny little tune, if you could call it that. It was really funny..but it was never as funny at gigs on a later date when they deliberately tried to do it!
9. Maybe
this is a song called maybe…
love this one, love love love it!
that gorgeous resonance in this voice at the end holding the note.
Once again Darren lost his train of thought and asked where he was going..
Darren put on an hilarious voice: ‘can you play this with your keytar?’ why have I become silent bob?’ Darren explained he became fascinated with shave and they became friends and made the album. Darren explained that one day they had what was like a casio keyboard with all the sounds in (the keytar) and Darren tried to mimic it, it was really funny. He joked he couldn’t beat box. He’s right lol. He said how they had found the keys for the sound for setting sun and that shave was going to play it with just one of his ten golden fingers.
8. Setting Sun (Just Shave And Darren)
I love the clapping we all do, to that beat it has. It’s a song I NEVER loved on the cd but now I do. Live these songs transform before your eyes (and ears) and you can never listen to it the same again. I love its vibe. I love watching shave get really into it. The passion in Darren’s voice and the need for the audience to jump up and down, such a dance song!
Everyone singing. I really need to to find a way back home - Ho----ooooo-meeee
Shave was moving to the song and brushing the water bottle with his backside, he was actually leaning against it when the cries of people were heard and he stood up the bottle with a look of relief on his face (and puzzlement on Darren’s lol) and moved across and bit
Darren puts his hand out like someone washing their car bonnet and waves hand across and back to the beat
He did that same moment with moving his neck to one side and back to the ‘urgent-cee-ceee-eeee’
There’s an urgent-ceeeeeeeeeeeee held note.
I’m coming down.
Down down down
Woah!
so low
I love how low a note to the ‘so low’ bit is too though
I love how it just ends. Just like that. Over.
Darren went over to hug shave and them embracing each other so tightly, pressing against each other with the keytar in the middle played a funny little tune, if you could call it that. It was really funny..but it was never as funny at gigs on a later date when they deliberately tried to do it!
9. Maybe
this is a song called maybe…
love this one, love love love it!
that gorgeous resonance in this voice at the end holding the note.
10. Mine (Acoustic)
Darren explained that Steve was going to give us a drum loop and that this was one of his favourite old songs and that it originally on the first savage garden album but the Americans took it off (boos) but that he still thinking of mine as a big part of that record.
‘in the cover of darkness I can make believe’
Darren sings ‘you could be mine’ Steve sings backing on this song ‘just a twist in time’
I love how the music soars ‘I’ll bear all the crucifixes you can provide’
Note at end = wow!!! Before he goes into Leona lewis. “keep bleeding, I keep keep bleeding in love I keep keep bleeding in love”. I love how it still has the drum loop of mine going on. It sounds awesome. Darren added more of bleeding love than Manchester.
11. Dirty (Drum Machine Version)
someone shouted “Go Darren” and Darren asked ‘Was that a thekle heckle? I’ve been dying to say that all night’.
What followed was one sexy medley! Even Darren declared
it was kinda funky and asked if we were having fun. erm? You had to ask? ;) This
one is STUNNING - like a good chardonnay ;)
come on shave, give me a beat!
if you know how to party say yeah! YEAH!
If you know how to party say oh yeah! OH YEAH!
God I'm running out of words but you know what I mean... The way Darren Held the word ‘mean’. Incredible!
‘I can be dirty too, and do the dirty things you do’.
(He did sing the word ‘down’ the first time but put his hand over his open mouth feigning shock and horror instead of singing the word ‘down’ the second time)
I’m going down to alphabet street
I’m gonna crown the first girl that I meet
Im gonna talk so sexy
She’ll want me from my head 2 my feet
Yeah, yeah, yeah
ummmm-ummmm!
Then could someone make the clock of time stop? - *yes please!*
All you got is this moment
The 21st Century's yesterday
Baby I'm hot just like an oven
I need some lovin'
And baby, I can't hold it much longer
It's getting stronger and stronger
And when I get that feeling
I want Sexual Healing
Then Darren Joked ‘we’re available for weddings, Bar Mitzvahs..’- I remember thinking that song might not go down so well in some places!
I txt Kelly a few days after this gig and said 'was a dreaming or did he sing sexual healing' nope he really did. I remember being in complete shock! That was the first time I’ve ever really questioned my memory! And I like how I didn’t even remember about it until 2 days after the event!
12. Casey
‘I was never gonna fit in’
Darren said they were recording it, and then made the mistake of saying ‘if you want to be in it, just sing along and you will be, this is Casey in Bristol’ and now he’d given himself stage fright but you could download it from www. Somethin somethin something and he didn’t understand the technology! There was times when I could hardly hear Darren but that sense of unity was an incredible feeling. I remember singing SO loud tonight. I could just feel it. Afterwards Darren said it was the best yet and had a massive grin on his face. He truly felt loved, happy, comforted by the song. As did I. I Adored casey tonight.
13. Sing To Me
Darren said he’d done the big tour and he wanted to do a little thank you and he didn’t expect the club gigs to sell so well and someone shouted I love you and Darren said I love you more!.
Darren fucked up the song and started again and said ˜this is a tiny little club gig, blah blah blah and the Malaysian lady said GAY! the he just started to sing. “they tried to make me go to rehab, trying to sing without my song” what was the funniest thing was when he restarted the song he still got the words wrong. He was kinda looking a bit vague to start with, the first time its curtain not landslide ;)
Darren looked my way during sing to me, it don’t think it was me though, I think his eyes went over me and it was someone behind me.
What I adore most about this song is the entire room screaming “maybe it’s just meant to be, maybe you’d find a way to haunt me, come back and sing a melody to me”.
------------- Encore --------------
Darren hid his cup before he left the stage, he gave it to guy standing just off stage behind Steve.
14. Dublin sky
A woman behind us kept screaming sing so beautiful and Darren joked “What you asking for? Invisible? Hunni that wasn’t me”
Darren shouted shave! Wait! Poor shave didn’t know what was going on and neither did we then Darren whispered in Steve’s ear and the notes started. All the while I was thinking OMG OMG but not quite placing the song. Darren decided last minute to do it. They hadn’t rehearsed it but it was incredible.
My god this was awesome at Bristol. I thought I wouldn’t hold it together but to my amazement I was ok. I expected to get emotional about it but I didn’t. That was a relief! I haven’t heard this one since dark light way back when, were it all began, my first gig, and now 3 1/2 yrs later I got the shock of my life when I heard the opening lines.
“I've been down a lonely street tonight
And I don't know what's wrong with me
I don't know what's wrong with me”
I was thinking omg I know this one, OMFG its Dublin sky. It took a while to sink in. never thought I’d hear this one again live. At least not in Bristol last night. It was a dream come true. I knew there was a reason why we went all the way down to Bristol ;)
Steve got a bit lost and Darren joked 'it’s a middle 8 steve'!
It still sounds as awesome now as it did back then. Only now it is broken down, acoustic and awesome! I didn’t think it could get much better before this song!
I’m sure Darren pointed in lou’s direction when he sung the line “holding hands you promised me”
come on shave, give me a beat!
if you know how to party say yeah! YEAH!
If you know how to party say oh yeah! OH YEAH!
God I'm running out of words but you know what I mean... The way Darren Held the word ‘mean’. Incredible!
‘I can be dirty too, and do the dirty things you do’.
(He did sing the word ‘down’ the first time but put his hand over his open mouth feigning shock and horror instead of singing the word ‘down’ the second time)
I’m going down to alphabet street
I’m gonna crown the first girl that I meet
Im gonna talk so sexy
She’ll want me from my head 2 my feet
Yeah, yeah, yeah
ummmm-ummmm!
Then could someone make the clock of time stop? - *yes please!*
All you got is this moment
The 21st Century's yesterday
Baby I'm hot just like an oven
I need some lovin'
And baby, I can't hold it much longer
It's getting stronger and stronger
And when I get that feeling
I want Sexual Healing
Then Darren Joked ‘we’re available for weddings, Bar Mitzvahs..’- I remember thinking that song might not go down so well in some places!
I txt Kelly a few days after this gig and said 'was a dreaming or did he sing sexual healing' nope he really did. I remember being in complete shock! That was the first time I’ve ever really questioned my memory! And I like how I didn’t even remember about it until 2 days after the event!
12. Casey
‘I was never gonna fit in’
Darren said they were recording it, and then made the mistake of saying ‘if you want to be in it, just sing along and you will be, this is Casey in Bristol’ and now he’d given himself stage fright but you could download it from www. Somethin somethin something and he didn’t understand the technology! There was times when I could hardly hear Darren but that sense of unity was an incredible feeling. I remember singing SO loud tonight. I could just feel it. Afterwards Darren said it was the best yet and had a massive grin on his face. He truly felt loved, happy, comforted by the song. As did I. I Adored casey tonight.
13. Sing To Me
Darren said he’d done the big tour and he wanted to do a little thank you and he didn’t expect the club gigs to sell so well and someone shouted I love you and Darren said I love you more!.
Darren fucked up the song and started again and said ˜this is a tiny little club gig, blah blah blah and the Malaysian lady said GAY! the he just started to sing. “they tried to make me go to rehab, trying to sing without my song” what was the funniest thing was when he restarted the song he still got the words wrong. He was kinda looking a bit vague to start with, the first time its curtain not landslide ;)
Darren looked my way during sing to me, it don’t think it was me though, I think his eyes went over me and it was someone behind me.
What I adore most about this song is the entire room screaming “maybe it’s just meant to be, maybe you’d find a way to haunt me, come back and sing a melody to me”.
------------- Encore --------------
Darren hid his cup before he left the stage, he gave it to guy standing just off stage behind Steve.
14. Dublin sky
A woman behind us kept screaming sing so beautiful and Darren joked “What you asking for? Invisible? Hunni that wasn’t me”
Darren shouted shave! Wait! Poor shave didn’t know what was going on and neither did we then Darren whispered in Steve’s ear and the notes started. All the while I was thinking OMG OMG but not quite placing the song. Darren decided last minute to do it. They hadn’t rehearsed it but it was incredible.
My god this was awesome at Bristol. I thought I wouldn’t hold it together but to my amazement I was ok. I expected to get emotional about it but I didn’t. That was a relief! I haven’t heard this one since dark light way back when, were it all began, my first gig, and now 3 1/2 yrs later I got the shock of my life when I heard the opening lines.
“I've been down a lonely street tonight
And I don't know what's wrong with me
I don't know what's wrong with me”
I was thinking omg I know this one, OMFG its Dublin sky. It took a while to sink in. never thought I’d hear this one again live. At least not in Bristol last night. It was a dream come true. I knew there was a reason why we went all the way down to Bristol ;)
Steve got a bit lost and Darren joked 'it’s a middle 8 steve'!
It still sounds as awesome now as it did back then. Only now it is broken down, acoustic and awesome! I didn’t think it could get much better before this song!
I’m sure Darren pointed in lou’s direction when he sung the line “holding hands you promised me”
…counted to 3, and counted on his hand.
15. unlovable
Darren just said “the other one Steve, I wouldn’t be that cruel”
Darren said thanks for coming to the love boat…
15. unlovable
Darren just said “the other one Steve, I wouldn’t be that cruel”
Darren said thanks for coming to the love boat…
he explained that unlovable was a break up letter he wrote
in his email that he didn’t send and it wasn’t panto and we weren’t meant to
say no, “it was really sweet but I wasn’t asking you, I was asking me”
I was just in heaven when unlovable was played. I doubted if it would be if Dublin sky was.
16. I Don't Care
I love this one! It’s probably my favourite each night, rivalled with setting sun. Considering sing to me and maybe are my favourites on the album, live they all work differently.
The woman behind us was still screaming for So beautiful and Darren just Tapped his wrist like a watch then he turned and whispers for fuck sake. What I was thinking exactly Darren!
17. So Beautiful (The Beautiful Mix)
I ADORE this dance-y remix live. Just the whole crowd jumping, Darren frowned at only wanna see your frown bit. It was so cute. I loved how he just pointed to the floor when he sung ‘dirt designing stars’. He looked around the stage and then just shrugged and walked off. It was funny!
After the gig.
We waited to say a quick hello to Darren, watched as they loaded his stuff onto the street, including his laptop before someone rescued it! It was lovely to finally meet Michelle briefly :) Then we all went in search of some food, we found a Weatherspoon’s that wasn’t serving food and eventually a takeaway. All was going ok, I was trying to be good. looking after the door card to the room so put it in my wallet for once but forgot to bring the bit with the room number on. Luckily we managed to guess which one was ours by the layout of the floor.
12 Feb. 2008. The Day after Bristol.
So I’m sitting on the delayed, last minute platform altered train. Never had a platform alternation before. When I said I hated Birmingham station, as it was so big and scary, I wasn’t joking. When I say platform altered I mean it was meant to be 9B but they changed it to 10A only for us to get there and 10A be a different train. We asked the bloke and he said it was 10B. There was an announcement the train now approaching 10B is for Nottingham. Well that was cutting it fine.
I’ve had a ball the last 2 days. I feel sad I’m not seeing Darren again till Sunday. I’m listening to I don’t care again. Man I love this song! Reminds me so much of the gig. Takes me back to right then when he was singing it.
Kelly and I spent today with the lovely Lou in her home town. It was the most fun. I took lots of piccies, looked like a right tourist but I had the most fun! I adored seeing all the sights, the cathedral, the wetherspoons. Thank you Louise for an awesome time around Bristol. It was so great to finally spend time with you and so great to see your beautiful beautiful city. Kelly and I got on the same train back to Birmingham. Probably the best txt conversation ever: As I got up too soon to get off the train.. “well you shouldn’t have been a sheep then”. Nah it was funnier at the time when sleep deprived.
Then Kelly rung me, she’s got stuck at Derby because of a loose wire on her train’s line. I’d left her when I got off at Birmingham only for that train to stop at Derby which the train I was now on was going through and I could see her on the other side of the platform. She had seen my train approaching when it said train now approaching pt 3 is for Nottingham and guessed I was on it. She’d said all weekend it was easier to fly easyjet to Bristol than get the train. I txt her and said: “just listening to GDR, ˜learn to fly. ok its not funny sorry! X” I got a reply that said no not funny. When I got in a rung Kelly and read her Darren’s blog and she proceeded to scream about the bus being stupid. I’ve never heard her so mad. She had every right to be. I’m soo over having to talk to people on msn again, was so nice to just sit and watch crap tv with Kelly and chat face to face. I miss that after the tours!
Onward to Birmingham on Sunday! Bristol was one of the best gigs and worth the horrific cold I now have!
These are a few of my best pics from our day off around Bristol:
and here is a pic of a very happy me in the lift up to my flat when I got home:
I was just in heaven when unlovable was played. I doubted if it would be if Dublin sky was.
16. I Don't Care
I love this one! It’s probably my favourite each night, rivalled with setting sun. Considering sing to me and maybe are my favourites on the album, live they all work differently.
The woman behind us was still screaming for So beautiful and Darren just Tapped his wrist like a watch then he turned and whispers for fuck sake. What I was thinking exactly Darren!
17. So Beautiful (The Beautiful Mix)
I ADORE this dance-y remix live. Just the whole crowd jumping, Darren frowned at only wanna see your frown bit. It was so cute. I loved how he just pointed to the floor when he sung ‘dirt designing stars’. He looked around the stage and then just shrugged and walked off. It was funny!
After the gig.
We waited to say a quick hello to Darren, watched as they loaded his stuff onto the street, including his laptop before someone rescued it! It was lovely to finally meet Michelle briefly :) Then we all went in search of some food, we found a Weatherspoon’s that wasn’t serving food and eventually a takeaway. All was going ok, I was trying to be good. looking after the door card to the room so put it in my wallet for once but forgot to bring the bit with the room number on. Luckily we managed to guess which one was ours by the layout of the floor.
12 Feb. 2008. The Day after Bristol.
So I’m sitting on the delayed, last minute platform altered train. Never had a platform alternation before. When I said I hated Birmingham station, as it was so big and scary, I wasn’t joking. When I say platform altered I mean it was meant to be 9B but they changed it to 10A only for us to get there and 10A be a different train. We asked the bloke and he said it was 10B. There was an announcement the train now approaching 10B is for Nottingham. Well that was cutting it fine.
I’ve had a ball the last 2 days. I feel sad I’m not seeing Darren again till Sunday. I’m listening to I don’t care again. Man I love this song! Reminds me so much of the gig. Takes me back to right then when he was singing it.
Kelly and I spent today with the lovely Lou in her home town. It was the most fun. I took lots of piccies, looked like a right tourist but I had the most fun! I adored seeing all the sights, the cathedral, the wetherspoons. Thank you Louise for an awesome time around Bristol. It was so great to finally spend time with you and so great to see your beautiful beautiful city. Kelly and I got on the same train back to Birmingham. Probably the best txt conversation ever: As I got up too soon to get off the train.. “well you shouldn’t have been a sheep then”. Nah it was funnier at the time when sleep deprived.
Then Kelly rung me, she’s got stuck at Derby because of a loose wire on her train’s line. I’d left her when I got off at Birmingham only for that train to stop at Derby which the train I was now on was going through and I could see her on the other side of the platform. She had seen my train approaching when it said train now approaching pt 3 is for Nottingham and guessed I was on it. She’d said all weekend it was easier to fly easyjet to Bristol than get the train. I txt her and said: “just listening to GDR, ˜learn to fly. ok its not funny sorry! X” I got a reply that said no not funny. When I got in a rung Kelly and read her Darren’s blog and she proceeded to scream about the bus being stupid. I’ve never heard her so mad. She had every right to be. I’m soo over having to talk to people on msn again, was so nice to just sit and watch crap tv with Kelly and chat face to face. I miss that after the tours!
Onward to Birmingham on Sunday! Bristol was one of the best gigs and worth the horrific cold I now have!
These are a few of my best pics from our day off around Bristol:
and here is a pic of a very happy me in the lift up to my flat when I got home:
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