Blog posts

• 

  Jul 07, 02:06 PM

  The Mix Tape

  
  
  I was asked to write some thoughts on 'the mix tape' for an interview/article that the Independent (a wonderful London paper) was doing on 'The Mix Tape'.
  I've no idea if my comments or thoughts were used in the eventual article.. but here
  is the piece I submitted.
  
  Love to hear your thoughts on the 'mix tape' (and it doesn't have to be on a 'tape'..lol)
  
  ---
  
  I've always said the most accurate indication of romantic compatibility is music.
  Primarily for two reasons. Firstly, you can tell what someone is like in bed by how
  they dance. Fact. Secondly and perhaps most importantly you can find out what
  someone is really like by the music they listen to.
  Hence the value of exchanging mix tapes.
  
  If you think about it, our record collections used to be the ultimate window to the soul.
  Flicking through your new friend's vinyl (then CD and sadly now iPod) used to be
  the ultimate quick study.
  
  The inner monologue whilst browsing through a stranger's music collection might
  go something like this :
  
  Radiohead. Ok they have some taste or at least want people to think so. Check.
  
  Dirty Pretty Things. Ok so this person really cares what people think of them.
  
  The Best of E.L.O. Interesting. Was I meant to see this? It looks well played.
  The mind races and decides this is a guilty pleasure and one I thoroughly approve of.
  My potential new friend has an uncool side and this crosses over into my music
  collection. Verdict? We will be friends for life.
  
  All of my relationships have begun and ended with a mix tape.
  The most successful of which resulted in no less than a box set of 5 CD's given to me
  by my now Civil Partner Richard. He had a collection simply entitled 'Dirt under the fingernails'
  and it included songs that became my first introduction to bands like 'Dogs die in Hot Cars' and
  'St Etienne'. It also included my favorite ever Kate Bush song and that ever elusive E.L.O song
  'Mr Blue Sky' which sealed our fate as lovers.
  
  Even my relationship to my audience is in some way a massive mix tape exchange.
  The pre show and post show music at every tour I've ever done has always been
  a collection of subliminal messages or at least a window into my mind at that point of my life.
  The last big show I did was at the Albert Hall in London last year, but most tellingly was
  the music I played audiences on a tiny club show in February of this year. I planned to
  go away for a while and reconsider my place in the music industry.
  This was the tracklisting
  
  1. Goodnight Lovers by Depeche Mode
  2. Can't get it out of my head by ELO
  3. Cry by Godley and Creme
  4. Why not smile by REM
  5. Watching the Wheels by John Lennon
  6. Don't falter by St Etienne
  7.Heart's a mess by Gotye
  8. Let down by Radiohead
  9. Sailor song by The Gadsdens
  10. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
  
  Darren Hayes London July 1 2008
• 

  Jul 04, 08:57 PM

  Ooooh Lookie!!

  
  
  It's the shiny brank spankin' first in the world viewing of the standard edition of the Time Machine Tour DVD.
  I have about 3 boxes of 'em sitting in my living room.
  I'm thinking of building a house out of 'em!
  
  This little sucker comes out EVERYWHERE on July 22nd.
  Ooh look this is what it looks like inside..
  
  
  
  Some people from quirky countries with names that aren't America or England keep asking me if it's coming out in their country . . Strictly speaking, it will only be in shops in the UK, Australia and the U.S on July 22nd but you can get it online no matter where you live..
  You see, it's coming out on the internets ie hmv.co.uk amazon.com and dot co and dot uk and any other domain name you can think of.. that is.. you can find it online in any country you want because all you need to know is if you are u.s format or rest of world.. and click away.
  This little green sucker isn't 'region coded'.. so hope that answers your question(s)
  
  Oooh look here's another picture of inside the booklet
  
  
  
  In other news I freakin' love all of your pictures of yerselves with yer copies of the deluxe edition.. I'll be choosing the best entry in a couple weeks.
  
  Love and inappropriate affection
  
  xD
• 

  Jun 27, 03:39 PM

  Win Stuff!

  Today the first copies of the deluxe edition of 'The Time Machine Tour' DVD started arriving in people's mailboxes and Darren and his team are thrilled. We've thought of a way to extend the excitement and it is by the means of giving away a prize. Not just any old prize, mind. But first the challenge. For those who've got their copies, we want you to change your profile pic for a week to a pic of you holding your copy. Respond on  myspace {HERE} with yer pic and in a couple weeks Darren will pick his favorite and the lovely admin people will send you this :
  
  
  
  'Tis a very rare Taiwanese promo of 'This Delicate Thing We've Made' teaser featuring 'verge..' and other remixes and previously unused/unseen shots of Senior Hayes.
  They sell on Ebay for ridiculous amounts but we've got one for you for freebles.
  Don't forget the standard edition of the DVD comes out July 22nd and I think there may be a few more copies of the deluxe one at WWW.DARRENHAYES.COM
  (certainly cheaper than those being flogged one Ebay that's fo sho!)
  
  
  
  
  Good luck and thanks to everyone for such wonderful feedback.
  
  Admin
• 

  Jun 20, 04:06 PM

  More stills from ’This Delicate FILM..’

  
  
  
• 

  Jun 20, 04:06 PM

  The Day After

   

  
  

   

  
  

  
  
  So now I know why I don't drink much!
  It is safe to say I am nursing quite the sore head today after a wee bit too much
  celebrating last night. I've included a picture here that Jane (one of the fanclub winners) took of me at the meet and greet after. This was before drinking but strangely this looks like how I feel today!
  
  We had a private get together for band and family around 5pm at the Soho Hotel
  in London - and at 6pm we screened 'The Time Machine Tour' for an audience of 100 people. It was 50% invited guests and 50% you lovely folk and I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say we had a great time.
  
  I was particularly struck by just how lovely a lot you are!
  It's a lucky job this one, I know, and particularly a fortunate one where the people you meet day to day are more like friends than an 'audience'.
  Everyone was so kind and generous and we were so happy we could involve you all in what was a triumph for us as a band and crew.
  
  So once again thank you to everyone who entered the competition to come to the screening and thank you for making our night so special.
  
  Much love
  D
• 

  Jun 20, 04:05 PM

  This Delicate FILM We’ve Made

   

  
  

  
  We can finally reveal more details about a very special release expected for November 2008 : 'This Delicate FILM We've Made'
  
  That's right, film.
  Not just any film. An animated surround sound version of Darren's latest album
  featuring specially commissioned animated music video pieces for 13 of the songs from 'This Delicate Thing We've Made'
  
  As well as the ground breaking previously seen videos for Casey, Who Would Have Thought, Step Into The Light and Words are a further 9 brand new and never before seen pieces of moving art.
  
  Each song has been remixed in 5.1 surround sound and then remastered to deliver a completely new experience of the music. Each video piece has been painstakingly put together over the last 12 months by animator Richard Cullen and onedotzero's Damian Hale.
  Featuring cutting edge visual techniques there's even one video that requires the viewer to wear 3D glasses provided (seriously!)
  
  
  
  This is the be all and end all of collectables.
  
  Packaging is still being finalized but early buzz tells us this limited edition DVD will feature in a hard cover book with prints lifted from the incredible and breathtaking visuals in each of the 13 mini movies.
  
  The final tracklisting is as follows.
  
  A Fear Of Falling Under
  Who Would Have thought
  Waking The Monster
  How To Build a Time Machine
  The Future Holds a Lion's Heart
  Setting Sun
  Maybe
  Neverland
  Step into the light
  Casey
  A Conversation With God
  Words
  A Hundred Challenging Things A Boy Can Do
  
  
  
  Stay tuned to WWW.DARRENHAYES.COM for more details as they come to hand.
• 

  Jun 20, 04:05 PM

  The Slips and Cristel’s Dirty Dirty Ehems

   

  
  

   

  
  

  
  
  Went to see friends of mine The Slips at Madame JoJo's last night.
  They were fantastic.
  Rich and I got to hang out with our dear friend Cristel and he and her made
  up a song called 'Stupid Dirty Boobs'.
  You had to be there.
  But it had us in stitches.
  
  I think Rick Nowels and I wrote a gorgeous song.
  You never know until you have space from it.
  It is called 'Perfect'.
  And I love it and I love him.
  He challenges me, which is a brave thing to do.
  I wonder who'll end up recording it.
  Or if it will end up gathering dust somewhere?
  
  In other news I managed to get an advance copy of the Coldplay
  album and it's sublime.
  
  Awright Ya'll.
  I'm gonna catch some sleep.
  
  Big hugs
  xxD
• 

  Jun 20, 04:04 PM

  Summink about nuffink

  I wanted to write a little update as to what I've but up to as opposed to some abstract rant
  about how I've become a grumpy old man (did you know there is a program in the UK
  called precisely that?) I decided after watching and enjoying it last night that I am too young
  to become that grumpy. So I'm just mildly annoyed. :)
  Well this year, since I didn't want to make an album (more on that later) I thought I'd take
  some time off. But there is no such thing really as taking time off being creative. The
  live DVD has taken up so much time that I haven't really had a break. But maybe it's good not to have too much
  time on my hands. I also know that I really can't switch off this year until the work on the animated DVD
  is finished. It is such a long and ongoing project that I'll be overseeing that for most of this year.
  
  One thing I have started to do, is do some songwriting for other people.
  It's something I've never really consciously done before.
  Any songs of mine that have been covered by other artists have always been by
  accident to be fair.
  
  But my friend Rick Nowels is in town from L.A and we decided to pick up on our promise
  to write together for other artists.
  
  We've done a couple of days, and it's hard work!
  I'm keeping a totally open mind about it. I'm 50% liking it as much as not!
  I think the biggest thing for me is that usually when I write, it's just an expression of me.
  When I'm in the headspace of making songs with no fixed address obviously it's not as personal.
  And maybe that's not a bad thing. But that's the thing I am finding I need to adjust to.
  The upside is that It lets me explore melody and styles that I would NEVER record hehe.
  But I must admit, I get to have a hand in the making of a guilty pleasure song and it's fun.
  Though in saying that, today we worked on something that was deeply emotional.
  As opposed to yesterday's song which was pop on speed.
  
  The reason I'm doing it, is primarily to distract myself from making another album too quickly!
  I knew that if I sat around with time on my hands I'd end up in a studio. And that if I didn't make
  some rules about what I was doing in there, I'd end up making another album without much
  perspective or thought : just the desire to crank something out because that's what I 'do'.
  
  That's not at all what I want to achieve. I explained it a bit after my last gig in February.
  I don't want to bring new music out until I've got something new to say.
  I want to make sure that all my albums are the result of a kind of creative pregnancy and that
  idea is king.
  
  Having said all this - I've been liaising with The Shave a little bit.
  God I love that man.
  I truly think he's a genius and it's likely I'm going to tackle him later this year and force him
  to join me on my quest to not make an album this year.
  Maybe he and Steve and I can all not make an album together.
  For other people.
  
  Right here's my quick list of reactions to things in the pop stratosphere.
  
  *Indiana Jones and the attack of the 50 foot martians - disappointing.
  George Lucas I can finally say it out loud. You sort of ruined the Star Wars trilogy
  with the new films and you've almost succeeded in doing the same with Indy.
  You make me want to promise in blood that I will never re-record or re-shoot anything
  from my past no matter how dodgy I think it might appear. History is history.
  
  *Cyndi Lauper - has managed to make some of the most brilliant dance pop songs I've heard in years. I love 'Into the Nightlife' 'Lay Me Down' and 'Rain Down on Me'
  from her new album.
  Genius.
  
  *I'm seeing Yazoo! in concert in London and I can't freakin' wait.
  Alison Moyet was the first concert I ever went to so this will be serendipitous.
  
  *I just can't get into Candy Shop. Miles away is lovely though
  
  *I'm utterly astonished at how beautiful the song 'Viva La Vida' is.
  
  *I have started listening to BBC London on long car drives. Does that make me sad?
  
  *I think that Bon Ivor are amazing.
  
  * I think that the Cut Copy record is lovely
  
  * I think London is lovely at this time of the year
  
  
  x
• 

  Jun 20, 04:03 PM

  Glamour at any price

   

  
  

   

  
  

  I'm referring to our society's obsession with wealth.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  I am not sure if it makes me a grumpy old man (my obsession lately) or a hypocrite (crimes against fashion and recent mellowing out aside) but where better to look at what a society values than at those it has placed at the top.  
  
  The Celebrity for example.
  
  Our famous people seem to be walking advertisements for luxury items.
  
  The name dropping of brands is obvious and is the most noticeable indicator.
  
  But on a fashion level – it seems that most 'STAR' images are just the result of having a deep pocket.
  
  I know I've spoken before about the irony of the rich and famous wearing free designer clothing to a red carpet even though they are probably the only people in the world who can afford them.
  
  Yet the world looks up to them and wants to own that bag, shoe, dress, shade of lipstick.
  
  It used to be that what separated a star from the rest of the world was individuality.
  
  When Madonna first arrived on the scene she used to wear cut off lace gloves and rubber bands as bracelets.   She made her own clothes because she didn't have money to buy them.   But her choices in clothing defined her.   There are other examples of course.   Bowie used makeup.  Boy George used that and more..   Bruce Springsteen simply wore a check shirt and beat up denim.   But what all of those stars had in common was that they carved out a niche that ultimately only they could carry off.
  .

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Today, it seems anyone can dress like a celebrity with the right amount of money.
  
  Or lack of imagination.
  
  I guess the question I'm asking is – have pop stars always epitomized wealth?
  
  Or have they always toed the line?  Dressed inoffensively?
  
  Or was there a time when they represented individuality?
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Or rather, was rich always better?
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  I'm thinking of seminal 80's films like The Breakfast Club.
  
  In the midst of the so called wealth obsessed era of the 1980's, the good guys were always the under dogs.   The assholes were in the Armani suits on Wall Street.
  
  And that was in the decade of greed.
  
  In music, to stand out you used to have to make an effort.   You used to have to be unique.
  
  You used to have to be rebelling against something.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Rock and Punk weren't the only genres of music that had an audience with a chip on its shoulder.  Dressing like a Goth or wearing eyeliner was something you did which your parents didn't like.   And as a teenager, this was something you wanted to be reinforced.   You were not your parents.   You were an individual.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  
  

  What are today's youth rebelling against when they are wearing two hundred dollar trainers and saving up to buy a diamond encrusted watch?  Are they rebelling against their class?   Or are they just helping to reinforce it?
  
  I know there'll always be a rocker who wears vintage clothing or takes something old and makes it new.   But more often than not, we seem to care more about amassing 'things' than we do about being individuals.
  
  Do you think maybe it's cyclic?
  
  Ie are we due a 'grunge' period soon?
  
  I love Glamour.
  
  I always have.
  
  But not at any price.
  
• 

  May 14, 12:58 AM

  Birthdays make me think . .

  Myspace Original Blog
  
  

  Birfday was lovely.
  Extended I guess you could call it.
  Got taken to New York and had 4 days of fun fun fun.
  Went to the Met, the MoMa, saw a movie, saw dear friends.
  Got to sleep in, stay up and disconnect from work stuff.
  Strange that I should say that considering I'm 'on a break' but work never really stops does it? Like the DVD's coming out – we literally only just put the 'approved' stamp on the Time Machine Tour (the deluxe one is near to being sold out!) one and we're knee deep in packaging ideas and concepts for the animation DVD coming later this year.
  
  Just those two projects mean that leaving my lap top at home is risky!
  I came home to a barrage of 'urgent' emails that needed answers – but gosh it was nice not to have the seductive beckoning of the internet to lure me away from, well, living.
  
  It's funny how dependent I can feel on being available online, but it was also very freeing. You realize you are given time off from being marketed to.
  
  On the way home from the airport – we were crawling in morning traffic and I couldn't help but notice the various billboards for albums. Both of the ones I saw were for male artists, who's albums were advertised as 'The Number One Album!'
  And I couldn't help but feel cynical. There is always a new artist, who is fawned over when they first arrive – only to be discarded second time out of the gate.
  There's a couple of UK artists I'm thinking of here in particular – who were the absolute darlings of the press and radio with their first albums. But the follow ups are sort of ignored.
  My point is, I looked at these two artists and just thought 'You wait until next time'.
  Is that sad or honest? I'm not sure. But it's a very fickle time we live in.
  
  Now bear with me, but this started me off thinking about the cultural temperature
  We live in.
  
  In some ways, I think of our generation as one I'm not too proud of.
  We are obsessed with celebrity and we have a memory of a goldfish.
  We're determined to stand out but we all look the same.
  It used to be that when a fashion craze swept the world – it expressed itself as everyone wearing the same jeans. Now everyone has the same boobs and hair extensions.
  We're given these role models who are famous because they wanted to be famous.
  They have little intelligence but massive exposure and so contribute to the dumbing down of society.
  
  Wow I'm all grumpy aren't I? hehe.
  
  And I continue! So these people, these 'celebrities' sell us things.
  Straight up, before anyone accuses me of hypocrisy – I'm aware I'm selling you my music and concert tickets. I'm honest about that. In fact it's a hands on approach I decided to make when I went independent. If I don't sell records I literally can't afford to make records. Simple as that.
  
  No the stuff I'm talking about is the selling of luxury.
  One massively successful hip hop artist has one of the most beautifully presented blogs and websites on the planet – and uses it to tell his readers how much he loves and wants various designer objects.
  The irony is, he can afford them.
  And gets them.
  
  But the people reading the blog obviously can't.
  
  Don't get me started on red carpets.
  And the question 'What are you wearing?'
  The truth? 'I'm wearing an extraordinarily beautiful and hideously expensive designer outfit that I am wearing in exchange for publicity. I would never pay cash for this. But the designer is hoping you will'.
  
  It's very weird for me to be in a business like this when I feel so out of place with the
  Shallow nature of it all.
  
  I guess this is what happens when I'm in between albums. ;)
  I start to think a lot and question it all.
  Which can only be a good thing, right?
  
  To end on a happier note (please! hehe) I wanted to say thanks to all of those who sent birthday wishes - and how touched I was that some people made donations to the Trevor Project instead of spending money on me.
  I've said it a gazillion times before, but I don't ever want presents nor do I expect anyone to donate - but for those who insist, it's a very kind thing to take your generosity and put it to a better use than my ego.
  
  Much love to you..
  xxD