Truly, madly, deeply popular
MATT TAYLOR

It was hot last Tuesday evening. My bedroom window was ajar 
and my fan was blowing over me on highest setting. I’m waiting
on a call. The interview is Darren Hayes. The man who this week
is hotter than any central Sydney weather could belt down. This
weekend Darren is performing at The Sydney Gay and Lesbian 
Mardi Gras Party as the lead performer. Thousands of hands
will rise before him in elation and pride. The Aussie boy’s track
‘Popular’ went to number 1 in the US charts last Tuesday 
and he is ready to have it celebrated with us. It’s a long 
way from Woodridge, Brisbane. We two 32 year olds have
a chat about that journey.

From a housing commission suburb to the biggest pop-star
in the US and major celebrity status is no easy step, nor
is it any accident. Growing up with childhood memories 
of Paddlepops, lollie bags from the corner store and bike 
rides may seem quite standard. However, Darren was 
raised in a low-income, high-conflict home, dressed and
entertained by hand-me-down clothes and toys and who
was known as the unpopular ‘art fag’ at school. A child,
later in adult life, will either turn out the same or be
motivated to the other extreme. Money, fashion, 
happiness and popularity are certainly something 
Darren has no concerns for any more. His unfortunate
circumstances gave him the power of intention to 
achieve pop success.

“As a kid all my music was handed down from other adults. 
While some kids were listening to Michael Jackson, I had 
old Motown albums, like Diana Ross,” said Darren. “I 
would listen to them and sing along for hours. My talent
as a kid was that I could imitate extremely well. When 
I’d sing I would sing female vocals just like a woman. 
This is originally how I developed this particular well-known 
falsetto vocal style.”

Through high school Darren was an articulate, bright and
artistic boy. Not the sort of attributes highly valued in 
suburban Brisbane’s rugby league loving, working class 
communities. His passion for performance in high school 
musicals and left-of-centre dress sense combined with a
flamboyant personality could have easily been destroyed
in this environment and almost was.

“I was pushed into doing an Education degree and enrolled
into Queensland University. In my heart, I wanted to be 
a rock star. I was singing tunes and humming before I 
could speak and performing plays since I was three or
four,” said Darren. “I auditioned for a performance college 
and I gained successful entry into every course. My 
girlfriend failed her entrance auditions. So, I didn’t go 
because she didn’t get in and I didn’t want it to break
us up.  We broke up three months after the course began.”

Darren’s passion to perform led him to sing with a mediocre
cover band. One member of this group was Daniel Jones. 
Daniel was unlike Darren. He was goal orientated, business
like and a straight shooter. The combination of the two men
became Savage Garden. The optimistic, celebrational and 
heart-felt sound was to bring these two boys hit after hit 
around the world. 

“After Savage Garden, I started my solo career. I was
still very unsure about myself, tortured and had a lot of 
things inside me I wanted to discover and express. On
the outside, however, I appeared to have a massive
ego, wear very artillery-like clothes and walk around 
with a sense of indestructibility,” said Darren. “In my
solo career I wanted to open up, bleed, be brave about
who I am, and at the end of the day, I just want to 
be happy.”

This is the sentiment in which he approaches his current
work and Darren adds, “I decided not to be a faker.
I want to experiment. I don’t want to give a
shit about what people think. I want to open up.”

In his solo career Darren began to work with artists, 
producers, song writers and remixers who helped this
to happen. One of whom was DJ and producer
Wayne G, currently residing in Sydney. 

“Wayne’s remixes are amazing. I didn’t expect that
he would work with me or respect my work. He
was awesome and very supportive. The performance
I did at Heaven nightclub in UK was one of my
proudest moments. I owe a lot of my success in
the UK to Wayne,” said Darren.

Darren’s two reasons for his Australian visit are to
visit an ill friend and to perform at Mardi Gras. When 
asked to perform he said an almighty, “Yes!”.
Darren will sing two songs at the Sydney Gay
and Lesbian Mardi Gras; one of which is a special 
remix by Wayne G.

“I know when you perform for a gay audience 
you have earned your stripes. They are quite
skeptical about talent and can stand in front of 
you thinking, ‘does he want our money or does
he get us?’ and you have to work to be considered
worthy,” said Darren. “I know if I can get them to 
shake their arse, if I can be in the moment and if 
I can emotionally suck the marrow out of the song, 
I’ll have done a good job.”

For a man who was never popular as a child, 
he has made a damn fine career out of it. With
more singles and an album on the rise, his 
popularity is about to evolve. While a fan is just 
keeping me cool, for Darren Hayes, a fan mends
a wound.

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