Darren Talks to Rosie
Rosie: Back with Darren Hayes from Savage Garden and the new CD Affirmation is out today. Thank you for singing on my Christmas CD.
Darren: You know, I loved it for two reasons: it was for a children's charity, which I think is an amazing cause, and Elmo was on it and I had to be on a record with Elmo! (waved his hand in the air)
Rosie: Exactly!
Darren: Exactly!
Rosie: It's a beautiful song that you sang, George Michael did it originally right?
Darren: Yeah, I was a big fan of Wham and I think he's an amazing (someone in the audience claps) Yeah, he's an amazing singer (talking to the audience)
Rosie: He really is an amazing singer. And you sort of remind me of him vocal quality, you know?
Darren: Well that's a big compliment coz he's a great vocalist.
Rosie: Have you met him?
Darren: You know, I've never met him and I hope he likes this song coz otherwise, you know, maybe he won't wanna meet me. (laughs) I think I've done him justice.
Rosie: I think you did. It sounds very very nice.
Darren: Thank you.
Rosie: And you're also gonna be appearing on my Christmas special on the seventh.
Darren: I'm doing it. I'm there. I'm doing it for Elmo!
Rosie: You're doing it? There you go Darren. Thank you very much for that, that's very nice. Now you and Daniel, this is your second CD here in the States. Did you have other CDs in Australia?
Darren: That's it. This is the second album.
Rosie: This is the second one? And you guys met through a want ad in the paper.
Darren: It sounds quite romantic doesn't it? (looks at the audience) it's not. At all. He was in a band that needed a singer and I was one of about 20 people that auditioned. Did you ever see "Little Shop of Horrors"?
Rosie: Yes of course.
Darren: There's this whole line in one song called "Skid Row" and there's a part that's actually made for a female soul singer and I sang that very badly and my voice split and somehow I got the job.
Rosie: No kidding?
Darren: No kidding.
Rosie: Can you sing a little of it now?
Darren: Do you want me to do it?
Rosie: Yeah, come on, come on!!!
Darren: This is what I did. I'm just doing it coz I love you. I went um (he starts laughing) I can't believe I'm doing this. I was like, (starts singing really well).
Rosie: I'd hire you too if you sang like that!!!
Darren: But, I didn't sing it like that.
Rosie: You didn't sing it like that?
Darren: I sang about three keys higher and my voice split about halfway through but I think through sheer courage I got the job.
Rosie: Really. I love that "Little Shop of Horrors". (sings) Suddenly Seymour, that's my favourite song from that.
Darren: That's really good, yeah.
Rosie: Do you like musicals?
Darren: Love them.
Rosie: Darren, you and I could be such good friends!!
Darren: Well how come you never call me?
Rosie: Coz you don't give me your number!!
Darren: I was here for a whole year!
Rosie: You were?
Darren: I was here, I was living in New York, I was living in Union Square and I can tell you, I was living on East 15th Street between 3 and 4. I'm telling you that because I don't live there anymore.
Rosie: Exactly. Yeah, coz, you know, the fans get a little crazy for you guys.
Darren: Our fans are pretty cool. We have all these people on the internet that are very supportive and you know, if there's a radio station that's not playing our song they get about a thousand phone calls from our fans (pretends to scream at his hand, which is a phone). Death threats.
Rosie: Exactly, you got your little whole lobby there, the Savage Garden lobby. But I think it's great when you tell your fans not to bring you gifts.
Darren: You know, we earn a lot of money. I get paid way too much to do this. I love what I do, I would do it for free. Don't tell the record people that. You know, I'm someone that used to sing I the bathroom and all of a sudden we're selling millions of records and fans love you and they come to your shows and they throw toys on stage or they know I'm a fan of Star Wars and they buy me all the Star Wars toys. But I've got 'em all. And we often tell our fans on the net and stuff,""Don't buy us any gifts," because you know, we have enough money. Donate some money to charity, or send me a letter and say "I donated one dollar to a children's charity." Rather than give me a soft toy, give it to a children's hospital.
Rosie: Right. That's a wonderful thing. It really is. And they're doing it, as well. Is it true that you're clumsy on stage? My friend went to see you in concert and said that you fell. Is this true?
Darren: (In Dr. Evil voice) The details of my clumsiness are quite inconsequential.
Rosie: (laughs ).
Darren: I am very clumsy.
Rosie: You are?
Darren: I fell off the stage in my hometown. I was like playing to a sold out crowd of about 20,000 people and, there's a catwalk here (motioning with his hands)and there's supposed to have this glow-in-the-dark tape on the stage and every other night they had it there but this one night they didn't and I'm (pretends to be singing "I Want You") boom, and I fell off. And I hit my knees, I couldn't walk for a week. It was very embarrassing. (Rosie's laughing) But to this day I still pretend that it's a very rock-n-roll thing to do.
Rosie: Yeah. You were diving into the mosh pit.
Darren: I was Michael Hutchence, I was Jim Morrison
Rosie: Yeah!! Darren Hayes you are delightful. Affirmation is the CD. Go buy it.
