Reviews of the London & Ipswich Shows *SPOILERS* edited

Janie DP · April 29th, 2006, 12:55 PM

Reviews of the London and Ipswich Big Night In Tour Gigs [img]smile.gif[/img]

On Wednesday 26th, I met up with Donna and Sian outside the Apollo, and we checked into our hotel which was very nice indeed. We went back to the Apollo at about 3pm to check in for the soundcheck and VIP reception. Darren only did one song at the London soundcheck which was Chained to You. We were then escorted to the VIP reception for drinks and nibbles and given our VIP gifts which consisted of a personally dedicated signed tourbook and monogrammed dressing gowns and slippers! It?s all very tongue in cheek with the theme of enjoying a night in round at Darren?s place.

The show itself got off to a show stopping start with Darren escorted in through the back of the auditorium Rocky style complete with red silk dressing gown and hugging and kissing people as he made his way towards the stage. Once on stage, he threw that off to reveal a very dapper Paul Smith suit. The show kicked off with Darren doing a cover of the Regurgitator song I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff (again all very tongue in cheek) and then the show sparked into action with a rousing rendition of Affirmation. Next came a fantastically rocking version of Chained to You. The show then slowed down with a beautiful rendition of The Lover After Me which is the first time that I?ve heard this song sung live since I never made the Affirmation tour.

Then there was a little break in which Darren introduced the band and the fan interactive part of the show began. A guy was picked out of the audience and invited up on stage. He was then handed over to Troi who then proceeded to give him a makeover PMSL!! Darren than sang Creeping Up on You and after that there was a slightly game show feel when Darren invited the girls in the audience to text in their names and seat numbers for a chance to have dinner on stage with the guy! I could tell Darren was really enjoying this part of the show and make some quite risqu? comments which was all in very good fun. During this selection process, he sang Love and Attraction. Next three girls from the audience were chosen and invited up on stage. Darren then read out their profiles which of course he?d made up and one of the girls was chosen to have dinner with this guy. After that he sang Strange Relationship.

Next came a beautiful version of To The Moon & Back and then came the hauntingly beautiful new song I Just Want You to Love Me. OMG this is Darren at his very best and he followed that by an accapella version of I Knew I loved You because the voice changer that he was intending to use had gone wrong. It worked during the Ipswich show though and was a very interesting concept to use on stage. During both those songs, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I don?t think I?ve ever heard him sing more beautifully than during those two songs. It was a truly magical moment. Next came Void and then Darkness. Darren changed the ending of this song to include the lyrics of These Arms Were Made for Loving and OMG he ended up on his knees during this highly charged emotional performance of this song. It reminded me of the way he used to sing Mine on the FOED tour when he sank to his knees.

Up next was the incredibly brilliant version of Break Me Shake Me that he performed on the Dark Light tour which had the remix of NIN?s Head Like A Hole in the middle of it. I can tell you that song went down an absolute storm! He followed that with Unlovable during which there was a video backdrop which was filmed at Home House in London where I believe Madonna and several other artists have used this location for video shoots. He ended the song with these words ?I grow back like a starfish?. I'm wondering if Darren has taken and used some of the lyrics from this song by Antony & the Johnsons?

Cripple and the Starfish

Mr. Muscle forcing bursting
Stingy thingy into little me, me, me
But just "ripple" said the cripple
As my jaw dropped to the ground
Smile smile

It's true I always wanted love to be
Hurtful
And it's true I always wanted love to be
Filled with pain
And bruises

Yes, so Cripple-Pig was happy
Screamed " I just compeletely love you!
And there's no rhyme or reason
I'm changing like the seasons
Watch! I'll even cut off my finger
It will grow back like a Starfish!
It will grow back like a Starfish!
It will grow back like a Starfish!"

Mr. Muscle, gazing boredly
And he checking time did punch me
And I sighed and bleeded like a windfall
Happy bleedy, happy bruisy

I am very happy
So please hit me
I am very happy
So please hurt me
I am very happy
So please hit me
I am very very happy
So come on hurt me

I'll grow back like a Starfish
I'll grow back like a Starfish
I'll grow back like a Starfish
I'll grow back like a Starfish
I'll grow back like a Starfish
I'll grow back like a Starfish
I'll grow back like a Starfish
I'll grow back like a Starfish
Like a Starfish...

I think that the force of love is such that it is regenerating and breathes new life into something or someone that was once previously thought to have expired. It's a really beautiful and clever analogy to illustrate the rejuvinating and restorative powers of what unconditional love can achieve.

Next came a wonderfully emotive Crash & Burn. He ended with Truly Madly Deeply and then there was a film montage of Darren which is echoed in the tourbook photography.

Of course he came back on stage for an encore dressed in a very suave evening suit encrusted on the lapels, collar and cuffs with rhinestones complete with sunglasses for a very upbeat Pop!ular and then followed that by the coolest medley of Violet, Tears of Pearls and I Want You and that ended with Bow Wow Wow?s I Want Candy mixed into it all. The show came to a close with the most gorgeous rendition of So Beautiful.

I felt this was truly a celebration of the last 10 years of Darren being in show business and it had a very celebratory feel to it. I felt he was paying tribute to the work he had done in Savage Garden and he has said himself that there are some songs that he will always want to perform because of that wonderful legacy he had with the group. It was a very upbeat show and you could really tell that Darren is a very happy man in a very happy place in his life right now. I actually enjoyed these shows more than the Dark Light tour. He was absolutely fantastic in London but seemed just a little nervous because the press were there to document it and take press photos but he was simply on fire at Ipswich!

I would like to thank Donna and Sian for giving me such a wonderful time over the last couple of days and to Denise, Niki and Sue whose company I really really enjoyed. Donna, you are a total sweetie and OMG I don?t think I?ve laughed so much in ages as on Thursday night after the Ipswich show. I was literally rolling around on the bed with tears almost, clutching my sides from giggling! I?m so glad you got to meet Darren outside the Regent at Ipswich and got your SB CD signed by him. He seemed very shy then didn?t he? He?s a very gracious man and very friendly too. Also it was really lovely to meet up again with Laurie and all the girls over from Canada and some from the USA.

I will be posting some pics but I have over 300 to go through and the Ipswich ones came our rather better than the London ones. I just haven?t had time to upload and post them yet.

Here is the complete Set List

I Like Your Old Stuff
Affirmation
Chained To You
Lover After Me
Creepin' Up On You
Love & Attraction
Strange Relationship
TTM&B
I Just Want U 2 Love Me
IKILY
Void
Darkness
Break Me Shake Me
Unlovable
Crash & Burn
TMD
Popular
Violet/Tears Of Pearls/I Want You
So Beautiful

[ May 01, 2006 12:43 PM: Message edited by: Janie DP ]

**twizzle** · April 29th, 2006, 01:24 PM

That's a great review and I'm so glad that you (and the others) had such a wonderful time. [img]biggrin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/girl_hug.gif[/img]

Janie DP · April 29th, 2006, 01:45 PM

Thanks hun [img]smile.gif[/img] *slaps head* OMG I forgot to say that Donna's friend Sian was one of the girls who was invited up on stage in London! [img]eek.gif[/img] LMAO her and Donna had been quietly getting rat arsed while I was at the VIP reception on Vodka and Red Bull and Sambucca shots! [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/devil.gif[/img] By the time they arrived at the Apollo later on, let's say they were very merry indeed! [img]graemlins/angel.gif[/img]

Hehe, the next day Sian goes up to Darren when we saw him outside the Regent in Ipswich and apologised to him for being so pissed on stage! LOL Darren said he hadn't noticed a thing! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

**Ms Wiz** · April 29th, 2006, 02:08 PM

I wish I could remember it all in such detail Janie!
Reading it has brought it all back though!

Wasn't I knew I loved at Hammersmith just brilliant?
Jan xx

Janie DP · April 29th, 2006, 02:47 PM

OMG wasn't it just Jan! He really is an incredible performer live [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

**BarbT** · April 29th, 2006, 10:53 PM

Wow Janie, thanks for such an excellent review! Thanks also Jan for the thread with your review. I'm glad you all had such a wonderful & memorable time [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/girl_hug.gif[/img]

I was almost moved by this review to thinking this is a must see show, however, then I remembered how much I disliked the Max Sessions [img]frown.gif[/img]

***Ann*** · April 30th, 2006, 02:16 PM

Ipswich was great. [img]cool.gif[/img] I've been in London since so haven't been able to post about it. Best bit was the whole section of IKILY up to Crash & Burn. I thought IKILY worked really well, even though I normally hate that song. The blind date stuff was hilarious, the bit at the end where they had the guy's face singing Popular was a bit disturbing though!! All in all I think it was the best Darren show I've seen. And also the camp-est!!

The only bit I didn't love was the new song - perhaps I need to hear it a few more times, but on first listen my reaction was "ugh, bland bland bland."

I bought a new T-shirt and a programme - ridiculously overpriced of course, but at least the T-shirt is nice and the programme is funny this time. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

Originally posted by BarbT:
I was almost moved by this review to thinking this is a must see show, however, then I remembered how much I disliked the Max Sessions [img]frown.gif[/img]

Really? Can I ask, why didn't you like them?

**sharonlk** · April 30th, 2006, 02:25 PM

I've just got back from Bristol and had a wonderful night. I didn't think that Darren was having to make such an effort at this show, especially compared to TCFC - what I mean by that is that he seemed more relaxed than ever on stage, more comfortable in his own skin. There weren't as many showy moments, although the entrance was great, and the game show, although I imagined it would be a bit too idosyncratic, was actually very funny and showed what an all-round entertainer Darren is.

I'm really glad Janie put the set list up, because I couldn't remember it at all! I did love the new song, it gave me goosebumps in the way that Dublin Sky and Darkness have always done. Dublin Sky was one song which it was a shame wasn't performed, and surprisingly, neither was the ever-popular Hold Me or Insatiable. But we did get a fabulous version of TTMAB, and the vocoder IKILY. Still not sure what I make of that... There was a great remix of some SG faves - I Want You, Tears of Pearls and Violet. I know some people don't like to hear the SG given a 'Darreny' spin, but I think it fits so well with the style of his other music. And to be honest, I don't think I'd want him to replicate the SG sound note for note without Daniel's input - better to appreciate that time by watching S&C I think! Having said that, the version of C&B was very close to the original anyway. I think he pays homage to those times every time he performs the songs. Like Janie I loved the irony of 'I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff'. I don't think many artists out there would be so willing to take the p*** out of themselves, and I have every respect for the man for acknowledging his critics!!

Highlight for me was probably Darkness, as it still has the ability to make this girl cry buckets. Heartfelt, emotional, utterly beautiful. Hearing 'So Beautiful' for the first time was also great, having the benefit of Darren's live voice and performance to bring it to a new emotional level. He's in love and after the pain that was apparent on the D/L it is definitely a change for the better. Voice wise it was as flawless as ever, and brings me back to the age-old question of how the hell can artists such as James Blunt be such huge sellers when their talent pales next to Darren's. Weird.

As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, apart from the embarrassment of having our camera confiscated. I don't know why exactly, as the bloke immediately in front of us was also filming! So I haven't got that many good pics, but will sort them later!

We hung around after, as for the first time we were staying overnight, just for the fun of it. Most of the fans were waiting by the side doors, where Darren usually comes out, while we were stood by the main doors. Eventually there was a rush of security guards and who should walk down the main stairs but the man himself! I managed to get a glimpse of him shortly before the rest of the crowd realised he was there, and surged forward. I'd forgotten how slight he looks up close.

It was just the tonic I needed right now!

[ April 30, 2006 11:31 AM: Message edited by: sharonlk ]

**milkyway** · April 30th, 2006, 03:06 PM

What a wonderful review [img]smile.gif[/img] thanks so much for taking the time to do it [img]smile.gif[/img]
Makes me want to see him now but I cant oh well I will just have to wait for a dvd I hope he does one [img]smile.gif[/img]

hugs
Dee

**sharonlk** · May 1st, 2006, 03:02 AM

I forgot to say that the tour book is fantastic. I bought a book for a friend with the intention of having a quick peek, and the pics were so nice I had to get one for myself.