From the looks of the last blog, it has been since February 2006 that I last posted something and from the looks if it, the posts were totally unrelated to me and totally not personal.... just news bulletins from other people's fansites!
Well, that's all gonna change!
This blog is going to be about me and things affecting me in my everday life! A bit of a diary, as blogs were made to be methinks!
Firstly, and most recently then is the concert I went to on Sunday. I went to see DARREN HAYES at the Lowry in Salford, Manchester, and had a wonderful time. It would also not have been possible with Kathryn buying the tickets (and that she will gladly arrange a payment plan for me to repay her).
The show was really brilliant though. It was quite modest, obviously due to budget and tour scale, which is an absolute shame. But as one review said, if there was any justice in the pop world then Darren's latest album,
This Delicate Thing We've Made, should have outsold someone's like James Blunt's ten fold! The album itself is a myriad of sounds, styles and emotions.... all created in this time caspule of Darren's mind and heart! It is set over two discs with some really interesting stuff!
My stand out tracks have to be....
How To Build a Time Machine (a concept piece that can be likened to Kate Bush - where Darren is stepping into his past, the start of his journey to find out whether to try and change his past or learn from it),
Casey (swooping synth and soaring emotion - never fails to give me goose bumps),
Step Into the Light (Darren's acceptance and realisation of real and strong love in his life),
Bombs Up In My Face (reflection of today's throw away culture and society not dealing with issues in the world that really matter),
Neverland (Darren's child mind dealing with an abusive father and innocent ways of trying to cope or help his mother and family - very moving),
Setting Sun (driving and throbbing - there's a real urgency in this song),
Words (my favourite of them all - a piano ballad referring again to his love, but with the security of it comes anxieties about it too),
Tuning of Violins (another one of my favourites and the finale of the 2 disc set - it really encapsulates the underlying positivity in the album.... but makes in explode in sound!).
So if you do get a chance to listen to the album, take a listen at these and lemme know what you think and if you agree with me! :D
So back the The Time Machine Tour! The setlist was based on songs from the new album, his two previous solo albums and a couple of crowd pleasing classics from the famous Savage Garden days! I think there were really a couple of missed opportunities to do some performances from the new album live, but what we got really was excellent regardless.
Highlights of the performances are topped off with
Me, Myself and (I) which was mashed up with Prince's
Baby I'm A Star from the
Purple Rain album. It sound out of this world and really got the adrenaline pumping! The whole show couldn't keep Kathryn and I in our seats (unlike the entire tier in which were seasted *hmph*), but this song got me in a frenzy! Other personal highlights were
Darkness,
Step Into The Light,
Neverland and
Who Would Have Thought? Casey would also have been on the list, because the visuals would have really took it to a new level... that would be if the mechanical origami bird had not malfunctioned. At the height of the song, the bird should have been open, burst into light Darren singing atop. But sadly, it didn't happen. Kathryn and I were happy to scream along to the highly catchy and personal lyrics (it's our new song).
The dramatic opening!
Delving into his past with Neverland
The unsheathed malfunctioning bird lol
Boogie shoes on as the show comes to an end!
Labels: Bradley, Darren Hayes, Kathryn, Manchester
