Darren Hayes | Brighton Dome

On the 29th September 2012, hubs and I went to see my favourite singer…Darren Hayes perform for his ‘The Secret’s Out Tour’. We’d already been to see him on this tour earlier in the week at London’s IndigO2, and was super excited to be seeing him again! As it turns out, it was bitter sweet concert, as it’s since been announced that his fan club is to close for the time being whilst he takes a break…and that makes me feel pretty sad.

But, oh, the memories I have of so many Darren Hayes’ concerts will keep me smiling and like it was meant to be, I *finally* met my idol after the show ♥

I’m going to be sharing the photos that I took at the concert – it seemed to me that as long as the flash was turned off, we were allowed to take photos – actually, that’s what a steward said to us as he was telling people to make sure the flash was turned off on their cameras. So compared to the earlier concert, I had a lot more photographs from this evening, and I’m so glad of it, because they are a great aid to memory for me.

One thing we didn’t do, was take any video…when we were handed our VIP tickets, it turned out that we were in THE FRONT ROW! And I said to my hubby, there will be plenty of videos on YouTube,just really enjoy this concert. (Bless him, he always takes videos for me!) I am looking to YouTube to share videos from that night that other people took – thank you to all of them!

This tour was an expansion of his pre-album launch tour last winter, called ‘The Secret Tour’, which we also went to; so some elements of the concert were the same, some songs were out, some different songs were in. The concert opened up with Darren walking onto the stage, holding a blue-lit umbrella, and the song he sung? ‘God Walking Into The Room’, I smiled at this song choice, and waited for the introduction to lead him into the first lines…

From the moment he started singing, to the moment he took his final bow, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I’ve been privileged over the years to have great seats at all his gigs, but being in the front row was something else…I couldn’t contain my emotions, and my eyes started to well up – a combination of joy and sadness. Joy because his music and voice and lyrics move me in a way that I can’t describe, and sadness because I knew it was the last night of the tour, and wouldn’t know when we (his fans) would be seeing him in concert again.

Darren pours his heart and soul into every performance that he does, but there was something about this night in Brighton that was extraordinary. There was SO much love in the room – from his fans directed at him, and from him directed at us.

The next song on the playlist was ‘I Like The Way’ from his album ‘The Tension and The Spark’ (one of my personal favourites). The poster of the following video apologies for the shake lol, but the sound is good! This was from another night of the tour in Glasgow. I love the beat of this track, a great choice from this album.

As soon as you hear the intro from this Savage Garden classic ‘To The Moon and Back’ you know that the audience is going to go wild for it! At the end of the song he started to mash it up with ‘Take These Broken Wings’ (a Mr. Mister song from the 80s, which I happen to love!), and it sounded so good. Darren also unwrapped the strap from around his wrist and gave it to a lucky fan a few seats down from me – he wrapped it around her wrist and gave her a kiss – I’m sure it made her year!

The next song was ‘Nearly Love’ from his newest album ‘Secret Codes & Battleships’ another one I really like, and the crowd really sung along on this one. Although, I think we all sung along for the whole set! This video for this song is from the Glasgow night of the tour.

Next came an acoustic medley including ‘Cruel, Cruel World’ which certainly had me in tears when he spoke to the crowd before singing; ‘So Beautiful’ ♥ and another Savage Garden song ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’, which for some reason, I lost it with, and cried my eyes out to…it may have been the moment that he just stopped singing and all you could hear was the crowd.

The owner of the video below has recorded what Darren said before hand…so glad to hear that all again…he always seems so humble and gracious of his fans, and dedicated this song to us.

‘So Beautiful’ comes in at about 1:40 in the next video…I LOVE that song.

‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’

Another Savage Garden song came next, in the form of ‘The Animal Song’. I always have a laugh at it, because, even though one of the lines is “I want to live, like cannonballs”, I always sing “I want to live, like pineapples”. I’m giggling now! I love the story he tells before the drumbeat launches for this track (which is awesome!)

A newer track ‘Black Out The Sun’ was next. Such a powerful song.

He then goes onto sing another powerful track, that I didn’t immediately like, but really grew to love ‘Stupid Mistake’

At the end of this track, Darren disappears behind a screen and transforms into a character that he calls ‘Zero’, to launch into a mash up of ‘Pop!ular’ and Bros’ ‘When Will I Be Famous’, a very tongue in cheek song and mash up, as you’ll see from the video and photos. The video of ‘Stupid Mistake’ above, shows the transformation, and the person who took the video must be sat behind me somewhere as this was my angle of the gig!

The next song ‘Hot Tub Blues’ is a lesser known one of his – before this tour I had never heard it…it’s a weird one! And yes, that is his voice!

After that powerful, and very emotional part of the show, it was time to slow things right down, take that make-up off and hear ‘I Don’t Know You Anymore’ from Savage Garden’s ‘Affirmation’ album. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him sing this live (in person) so this was a real treat for me to hear. It’s such an emotional song, and [another] favourite.

He departed the stage, and I knew what was coming…I only have to hear the rumbles of the intro from ‘Affirmation’ and it sends me in a tizz. Darren walked back out on stage wearing a jacket with a flashing purple heart. Hands went up in the air forming a heart shape with fingers, and the crescendo and momentum grew for this, my favourite Savage Garden song! Every time I hear this in concert it sends the crowds nuts, and this was no exception!

The final line he sung of this “I don’t wanna let you go”, just made me want to cry…I’m sure, that as much as his fans love him, he loves us all right back. As the song closed out, and the cheering and clapping continued into the opening bars of the next song ‘The Siren’s Call’, Darren blows us all a kiss and mouths ‘thank you’. Seriously, it’s why I love this man! The above video includes the aforementioned track.

And with a peace sign and a wave, Darren exits the stage, with the crowd wanting more…a quick change into a white suit, and he’s back where he so deservingly belongs – centre stage with a room full of adoring fans!

A familiar intro begins…but not for a Darren Hayes song…Snap’s ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ starts to play, and Darren jumps down and walks along in front of the first row. He did this earlier in the concert too, and it was at that point that it was my reaching hand that he grabbed, and for a brief moment in time, I had my idol’s hand in mine! And crazy fangirl me, didn’t want to let go! And it made me squeal with delight! I know, it’s quite sad for a woman in her mid-thirties! Then familiar lyrics were sung in the form of ‘Insatiable’ from the album ‘Spin’. Not a particularly favourite track of mine, and I don’t think it went too well with the mash up. But in the moment of a concert, you cheer and clap and sing along!

Darren then performed ‘Casey’, a song he wrote for his sister, and a firm fan favourite. He didn’t sing it in London, nor, I learned, at any other night, other than the first night…and now on the last night too. It comes from the epic album, ‘This Delicate Thing We’ve Made’, a double album, that takes you on a journey. I am so glad we got to hear this song.

And then, the moment had come…the last song of the concert, of this tour, of this era…a song which blows me away every time I hear it, that touches so many emotions, I can’t even begin to describe how I feel when I hear ‘Bloodstained Heart’.

Darren told us, that he wrote this song [also] for his sister, but tonight, was dedicating it to us, which brought many cheers from the crowd, and the reason? Because we’ve never given up on him *sobs* Just watch, and listen…this song is just amazing.

This final picture I took at the concert, I shared on Darren Hayes’ wall on Facebook, with the following words:

Thank you Darren for last night’s amazing show…I’ve seen you so many times now, but last night in Brighton just floored me. So, SO much love in that room! Felt so lucky to have that front row experience, and I shed several tears of varying emotions through the show…having felt like the last fan on earth not to met you up close; to meet you and speak to you (about my nails of all things!) after the show, was a moment in this fan’s life that will never be forgotten!

Thank you for the music, the memories and YOU. ♥ ♥ ♥

I’m sharing this photo, (one of several I took) and although out of focus, just shows the elation on your face at the end of the show! – Me

As I watched Darren and his band take a bow, and then leave the stage, I made a beeline (with my hubs of course) for the exit. It was rumoured that Darren would be at the stage door that night to meet fans and sign autographs, and I felt like it was my one chance to meet him! I know, I know, but having met so many fans over the years who have met him, and hear them say what a lovely man he is, I just wanted to know that feeling of meeting him!

We quickly paced around to the stage door, and waited. And waited…and waited. We were positioned right at the front, then all of a sudden, a staff member came and told us that Darren was over on the other side! OMG, I RAN (and I don’t run lol) round, and there was a huge crowd. Some how, I managed to squeeze past a motorbike that was positioned near the railings, and I was right at the front again. He was already there, signing tickets, and records and photographs and chatting to fans, and I (we!) waited as patiently as an over-excited fan could.

His PA hovered in our direction and I asked if she could ask Darren to sign my ticket. She asked what my name was and I told her, and she went and gave it to him. I remember muttering to her – please don’t lose my ticket – I was front row! (how naff!), and when she said to him, this is for Michelle, he said “well, where’s Michelle?” and spun round and said “how you doing” or words to that effect, I can’t even remember what I said, but I do remember telling him about my nails that I had painted and shared on Twitter with him…and he said “Yes! I saw them! Wait, don’t tell me….” he shut his eyes and said “they’re purple with little hearts on them” Wow, fangasm!! He saw and remembered my nail art!!!!! I always knew I would say something quite crap when I met Darren, but it didn’t feel too bad!

I asked for a photo, but sadly, his PA declined, saying that if one person has it, everyone will want it…and that was understandable.

With my signed ticket back in my grasp, I said goodbye, and squeezed my way out of the crowd so others could have a chance. And where was hubby in all this? Taking photos for me!

And with that, that is my amazing night at the final night of Darren Hayes’ “The Secret’s Out Tour” 2012…the night where I got to stand in the front row, got to hold my idol’s hand as he walked by on the stage, and ultimately, got to meet the man himself.

I was always worried about meeting him, mainly because I have him up on this pedestal, and that he always comes across as such a nice guy, what, just what if when I meet him, he isn’t that nice guy and my illusions are shattered? I can safely say, he is the LOVELIEST artist out there – as much as his fans love him, he loves them right back, and for that, I love Mr. Hayes even more. ♥

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