Here is Lanas latest from
Darren Hayes Fan Club
Portugal
So I?m at a beach in Portugal with keyboardist George Muranyi. As we go to leave, he trips up a step. I laugh. He near-collapses. Unbeknownst to me, half of his toe has practically dropped off and rolled into the sand like a forgotten fun-sized party-sausage. Panicked, I run along the beach screaming the word ?doctor?. People look at me as though I need one myself. A ?special? one.
After a time, an ambulance arrives. They place a condom on George?s toe and rush him to hospital.
At this point, you may be asking several questions.
What was I doing in Portugal with George Muranyi?
Was George?s toe ever surgically reattached?
And what the hell does any of this have to do with Darren Hayes?
Please, allow me to elaborate. We were in Portugal on business. Obviously. I mean, why else would I have been sunning myself at the beach?
It was the eve of a performance by Darren at Casa do Leao, a castle overlooking the city of Lisbon. He was set to showcase the new single ?So Beautiful? from the forthcoming Savage Garden collection to record company executives who had flown in from every corner of the globe. If you?re having trouble picturing the scenario, try imagining a United Nations? bash minus Kofi Annan, but with a rock n roll twist and with the addition of Darren Hayes as the night?s entertainment and you?re, well, probably no closer to imagining the scenario at all.
So let me try again, from a different angle.
Fast forward to minutes before said performance. Seated at restaurant tables, nobody from the record company knows that Darren is set to perform, being that he?s the ?special surprise artist? of the evening. So alone, George quietly enters the castle?s restaurant and limps to a piano stool. 300+ record company eyes bore into his soul, post-first course.
What?s with the limping guy?
In the meantime, Darren hovers outside the restaurant. The city of Lisbon spreads out behind him, hazy, bathed in a late-afternoon sunset. Although quietly confident, he?s understandably nervous. I mean, very few have heard ?So Beautiful? since its inception. And now, it?s as though it?s about to be put before a judicial panel. Darren sips on a cup of tea. I mop his brow, forever the faithful servant.
We hear inside an introduction being made by a Sony BMG executive, full of statistics concerning multi-million Savage Garden album sales.
?And ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce ? (pause) Darren Hayes.?
A collective ?Aahhhhh!? reverberates off castle walls.
Darren and I look at one another. This is it.
?Do you want me to take that cup of tea??
?No, I?ll walk in with it. It might make me appear more ?casual?.?
Darren begins a laid-back stride through the doors, his teacup clattering.
?Second thoughts, can you take it??
I?m handed the teacup.
What happened next was something barely expressible. As Darren launched into ?Insatiable? and a ?Truly, Madly, Deeply / I Knew I Loved You? medley, all were reminded of his incredible vocal capabilities. And then, the intro to ?So Beautiful? began. People watched on expectantly.
Darren plunged headfirst into the song with what can only be lamely described as a heartfelt delivery. But it was so much more than that. It was delivered with pure heart and soul. And as the song built in intensity, Darren took it ? and the audience ? to another level. Before the song had even finished, people took to their feet. As in every single person in the ENTIRE restaurant. As in every record company representative. As in a standing ovation. I know you?ll think I?m exaggerating when I say there were some who even shed tears, but that?s precisely what happened.
Now guys, I know I?m sounding like some kind of super-hype machine, but in all my years in the music business, which, believe it or not, are considerable and have occasionally extended beyond vacuuming studio floors, I?ve never before experienced anything quite like this, and nor had many of the record company folk. This was one of those rare moments where a perfect melody and pure talent melded to genuinely affect people. As you know, Darren has a certain knack for this.
?So Beautiful? is a killer. It?s the track you?ve been waiting for. You?ll find it on the upcoming Savage Garden collection in the coming months. It won?t be long until you get all your favourite Savage Garden tunes and get to experience ?So Beautiful? all for yourself.
Lana Penrose
PS. Stay tuned ? photos to come!
PPS. For the record, today George Muranyi and all of his digits are in perfect working order.
^^^^ wow I think thats a pretty gutsy thing for him to do.. In front of all those record executives. Sounds like it was a magical performance. I get the feeling they are going all out to impress and get recognition with this song and album. Bout time those record execs gave him a standing ovation.. that voice of his deserves it IMO.
I cant wait to hear the whole song in full now.
Kat
