Darren Hayes - The Side 2 Tour - 17th Feb 2008

Darren Hayes - The Side 2 Tour - 17th Feb 2008 - It was Genius!

Birmingham - Carling Academy.

Originally posted to Myspace 2/17/2009 3:57PM

So Birmingham was a year ago today and this is the review I never posted then: 

Apologies for the shorter length of this review, I'm sick and I just have the energy to write a massive long. I seem to get dopey when I'm sick too, so I don't remember as much as normal.

I’d read all the reviews from Brighton and it sounded like an awesome night! Balls mwahaha. Strange relationship was always one of my favourites I really hoped I got to hear it thrown into dirty. If not I already felt so lucky I got to hear Dublin sky and sexual healing. Songs that go wayyyy back, songs that I thought I never would see live. This tour has just been so completely awesome, Darren just keeps getting better, I don’t know how he can top it in Birmingham but I know he will and I can’t wait.

Ready to head off to birmingham:

I was waiting for Kelly at the station and I bumped into Hilary and asked who she was waiting for. I remember saying words to the effect of “fancy seeing you here” lol! It was only after she had said Anna that it sunk in. Anna’s Myspace status said she was plotting but then it dawned on me what! :)

Kelly and I met in Birmingham and set about making our way to the Birmingham Central Travelodge. I remember it being a gorgeous sunny day as we walked past the war memorial and I stopped to be a tourist and take a pic of the symphony hall:

Inside those walls was one of the best gigs I have ever seen Darren do. Fun times! We found the Travelodge pretty easily. I remember there being so faff about at the reception but I can’t remember what about. The door key?

I got our door key and went up to our room. I remember sitting down on the bed and just collapsing in a heap and Kelly was lying on the sofa and we turned the TV on for a bit. We were in no rush today. I was sick and just felt so lifeless. I put the kettle on to make my blackcurrant lemsip and left it to stand on the window sill. Damn me who do I see standing outside the pub (O Neils?) than Ade. If the window had of opened further I would have been leaning out it screaming hello lol. Turns out he was waiting for Maria and Olly to arrive, the sat nav had directed them to the car park alright... but the car park wasn’t sign posted so they thought they were lost but they actually weren’t!

I remember refusing to get ready as it wouldn’t take me long and Kelly reminded me I always take the longest. Sure enough as we both got ready I was the last to be ready (again!) and as always declaring I was coming about 20 minutes before I was actually ready to leave.

 

We went down to the reception to ask for directions to the carling academy and the receptionist said it was too far to walk. I had already looked up the distance online and it wasn’t far. The receptionist seemed really keen we taxi it (they are probably on commission) but I asked for a map and headed outside and worked it out for ourselves. We got into the surrounding area of the academy and started to look for TGIs. After a while we didn’t find it so I rung Ade (after asking the bin man lol) and there isn’t one. KFC it was. I just didn’t have the energy or want to eat but managed to polish off most of it as I knew I would be hungry later and we went to queue. I counted about 50 people in front of us including the lovely Heidi. It was good to see her and catch up a bit. I went off the say hello to Mr Pop!ular, a.k.a Ade but he was just heading off for a coffee with his folks so I had a quick hug and went back to see him a bit later on. Damn doesn’t he give the best hugs? I was sad when I got sick that I wouldn’t get hugs but apparently he didn’t care. We caught up with Natalie when she joined us a bit later on.

I don’t know what happened as when we got inside Ade, Charles, Kelly and I all ended up together anyhoo! I thoroughly enjoyed the pre-show tonight. Normally it is hell with sore feet just hanging around waiting but tonight we all laughed like it was the only thing we knew how to do. Ade would start telling a story and I’d start dying with laughter because I knew which story he was going to tell and then I would start telling a story and he would start dying laughing as he knew was I was going to say. It was uncanny and it made my stomach muscles hurt but it was so much fun. Kelly, Natalie and Charles seemed to look a bit confused as to what was so funny most of the time. Ade and I just hugged. We got it. We understood. It was just that connection we have. Indefinable. Precious.

Ade was funny. He was telling Charles the last 7 years was a mistake and he was running off with me. Charles was a bit drunk and was funny, some of what he was saying made little sense, much like me after a few ;). You know like when you go to the loo and you tell your friends you’re going but to everyone else you just say excuse me? Well Charles was telling EVERYONE he was going for a pee, even strangers because Ade said make sure they know you're coming back. It was funny when Charles said he was going to the bar and Ade said “don’t you won’t get back” so Charles decided to go anyway and then Ade shouts over his shoulder “get me a pint” LMAO!


Before Darren came on there was an announcement tomorrow’s gig would be in a bigger room (the password was DHTSTT for tickets). This was much to Ade’s amusement and screaming “that’s genius!" As it stood for ‘Darren Hayes The Side Two Tour’. Immediately I made a decision to go. If I could I would. I never thought about not going if it was possible to. The rest of the time of the pre-show was spent buzzing and wondering, plotting if tomorrow was possible. Can I get a train? Can I afford it? What do I wear? Tonight I had my sparkly purple top on that I wore to the RAH, tomorrow was going to be jeans and a T-shirt... who cares? Would it be worth it? Hell yeah.


I just love how the gig starts. Kate Bush’s song, shave holds that note and then Darren, on stage. Lights on him.


The outfit:

Black Suit, silver tie, red belt, don’t forgot the red socks. ;)



The set list:

1. Hero
2. Bombs Up In My Face
3. Sense of Humour
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 (mash up)
12. Casey
13. Sing To Me
------------- Encore --------------
14. Unlovable
15. I Don't Care
16. So Beautiful (The Beautiful Mix)


. Hero

I’m running out of things to say about Hero. It is an incredible song to open the show with. Especially the opener of a gig that will be one of the last for a while.

‘I don’t want to be your Hero’

2. Bombs Up In My Face

What I adore about is its defiance. Especially live. The way certain words are emphasised. Or sung more than others.

3. Sense Of Humor

‘you will be addicted to my playful childlike smile, and I will be the shit’.  There is no such thing as WILL BE the shit. Darren Hayes IS the shit.

4. A Conversation with God

This has become one of my favourites live. I first noticed that fact in Manchester. It is beautifully haunting. Darren portrays through hand gestures and the emotion in his voice what the song is saying. This is a song that definitely shows of the power and emotion Darren can put into his voice. Sadness and Anger. But portrayed so beautifully.

5. Random Blinking Light (Acoustic)

‘You’re beautiful in an ugly kinda fucked up way’. The emphasis Darren places on the words fucked up gets a gasp every night. I’ve always felt beautiful in the unconventional way. I see it in a lot of the people I’m friends with too. Beautifully flawed. That is what I love.

6. 100 Challenging Things (Acoustic)

You all know the beauty story. And the Beautiful song. Dare I say anymore.

7. Gunning Down Romance

Darren: Steve give me a loop
Steve: no it’s not that song...

This song never was one of my favourite songs. It took on another life on side 2. It was rock. It was Steve. It was today but yet yesterday as well. It was old but new. It was LOTS of fun.

‘love don’t leave me....’

8. Setting Sun (Just Shave and Darren)

Darren introduced Justin as the guy who co-wrote and produced his last double CD. “We were in the studio one day and found this patch. It was meant to be part of a song but I said lets write a song...well when we weren’t making videos of puppet sex!”

I remember almost dying laughing.

Setting sun IS shave and it is so much fun. It’s such a get up and dance at the party kind of track.

9. Maybe


Darren: Steve give me a loop
Steve: nope *shook head*

This was always always one of my favourite songs from this delicate thing. Live it just took on another direction, one where I loved it more than I did originally or thought I ever could.

I love how the words are sung ‘oh oh oh oh understaaaaaaand’

10. Mine (Acoustic)

Darren: “Steve give me a loop.. Thank god! I think I need to wear glasses all the time, apparently that happens as you get older”. *Lots of people yelled yes in agreement*. His set list was at his feet but I think to be honest it was just that it was low lighting.

I love how the word naked is sung na_aa_ked.

11. Dirty

I almost died and went to heaven. Not only was there the usual all around me, dirty, I want you and me myself and I but also Madonna’s vogue and Prince’s kiss thrown in for good measure. Dirty was becoming funkier. And longer each night. What started off as Dirty was becoming a jamming session and I loved it! Darren sure seemed to be Enjoying it too. Really getting into it ;)

Ade..I’m going to kill him. “If you want to you can be dirty too, Don’t ya Hayley”. I ALMOST died again. Ade rubbing my head, pissing himself!

12. Casey

The room was jam packed with people and they were all jumping. Certain people decided it was a good idea to shout over the top of Casey just to be heard. I thought it was childish and uncalled for.

Darren introduced the song and joked "I spent enough money on the bird to buy a house, does anyone want to buy a rather large bird? What am I going to do with it?"

I’ve decided the song of the minute reminding me of the gigs is Casey. It was never one of my faves live until Bristol. I hadn’t actually noticed how much on an anthem it was. Well I kinda had on TTMT but not to this extent.

13. Sing To Me

This is THE anthem live. It's one of those songs everyone can sing along to. and they do. The whole place singing along....

'I’ll be alright if you could sing to me'

------------- Encore --------------

14. Unlovable

Darren was really sad it was coming to an end I think. He left the stage early after sing to me and took ages to come back and did look like he had been crying when he came out for the encore. Darren said 'thanks for making my dreams come true, this last year had been the best and the hardest'. Then he paused to breathe, practically in tears and said 'I promise you I will always come back'. I think a lot of people where particularly emotional tonight. That made my night, and then he launched into an electric guitar version of unlovable. It sounds more raw and emotional on electric guitar. Ade bless him looked over my shoulder, got me to look at him and made sure I was ok.

15. I Don't Care

All I know is that live, in that moment, When Darren is singing I don’t care, it was one of my favourite moments each night on side 2 and I just loved jumping up and down to it. It was the way it was so beautifully harmonised tonight and then launched straight into so beautiful. Darren was on fire tonight, a massive grin on his face, jumping up and down on the spot. I Don't know where he gets his energy from.


Ade was a complete gentleman. He asked if I could see and I said no so he let me stand in front of him so I could see. There so wasn’t enough room for both of us in that spot though, we were literally AGAINST each other dancing to I don’t care. t'was funny, all I could feel was Ade’s chest on my back, it was a little bit awesome. So there we both were in a space meant for one, both trying to dance, much to the expense of his toes... sorry Ade!



16. So Beautiful (The Beautiful Mix)

The audience was all jumping. So was Darren. Literally jumping on spot. At that moment I could really feel Darren’s energy. His passion for the song. Darren bowed and left the stage. Darren was just so Full of Energy and that 110% tonight. I loved it. I adore this version of so beautiful. it's version with a dance vibe, you can jump, you can dance, you can even hear part of Madonna's get together mixed in. One of my favourite ever songs.

'Can we get together?
I really, I really wanna be with you
Come on, check it out with me
I hope you, I hope you feel the same way too'


After the gig we made our way outside to wait for Darren. I took a pic of the venue. It was so great seeing Darren's name in lights. I'd never seen that before.

We headed down to where everyone was gathering in a rather orderly queue to see Darren. I remember thinking it was strange it was so organised. We hung around, we chatted, we chatted some more and then a woman asked us if we were in the queue for the car park. Suddenly it all made sense. You know the single file queuing was for the ticket machine! Doh! We headed back down to the loading area and Darren hopping into his van and off he went. I had a feeling he wouldn't hang around tonight. It was cold and it was one hell of a show he put on.

We decided to stop off at a local chip shop just down from the venue and get some chips. Kelly kept slipping in her shoes but was alright. She slipped again and this time her chips went flying... straight into Natalie's handbag. We all laughed really hard. It got to the point where I had her arm interlocked in mine so that if she slipped again, I had her. We both almost ended up on our arses a few times. I considered letting go LOL.

We took a rather interesting detour home. As we approached the palisades we thought the shortcut we had used getting to the venue was locked so we walked around and up the spiral open stair case (I'm afraid of open steps and more specifically spiral ones as I don't like heights)... only to get to the top and it lead us where we thought was locked. grrr.

We got into the Travelodge and the lift made for 8. That is 8 people if they are about 7 years old. It wouldn't move. Apparently there was too many of us in there. Some of us got out and shouted through the doors as they closed what number are you? 308. OMG we are 305. Our partners in crime. Literally opposite us.

When we all got upstairs we converged in 308. We had brought our cups with us but didn’t think when we waited for the world's tiniest kettle to boil that we could have brought our kettle too! We all sat on the floor and chatted and had tea, or coke, and soon it was 2:30am. My cough was getting worse. You know it still feels weird I’m part of a group of friends. I’ve never had that and I certainly don’t have it around me every day. But on tour, my with Darren friends we are on big happy family. I miss them all like mad when I’m at home. Especially Ade as Birmingham is his home town.

I can't wait to see if it all works out again tomorrow.

xx