Positive Spin
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| Darren Hayes wants to crush his old image. Its not about the hair, it's about the music, says the singer from Logan who once ruled the charts in Savage Garden. Debra Aldred reports 'I talked to Kylie about it, how she handled those years of ridicule. Some of my favourite performers get writen off every second week' IMAGE problem? What image problem? Former Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes believes ``image'' is one of the most overrated elements of a music career. When he said goodbye to Savage Garden and partner Daniel Jones in October, he thought nothing of changing his looks completely and returning to his natural blond curls which respond so well to the humid climes of his native Brisbane. Many Savage Garden fans (and some pop insiders) were desperate to drag Hayes back into a hair salon for a quick colour and trim. After all, his first solo album, Spin, is a hit in Europe and England where a soft curl must constantly battle the dank overtures of a soggy day. But Hayes turned 30 this year, and he has started to look at life, even on the bleakest days, with an unusual optimism. ``Everything that could possibly involve change has occurred during my 30th birthday,'' Hayes says. ``And I am not just talking about the obvious change with Savage Garden splitting, but physically the way I look is changing, the way I view life is changing, my music, what I'm interested in, and it's a really good thing. ``It has been a status symbol to get to this age and feel proud of the choices I've made and the career I have. I am completely compulsive, I like it -- I do it. I had a hair cut. I am not attached to my image, it's not important at all. ``Now I am famous for being compulsive.'' But Hayes is not immune to criticism which peaked with the lacklustre performance of Spin in the US earlier this year. It reached number 21 on the American charts and failed to take number one spot on the Australian charts. Spin launched in third spot on the Australian Record Industry Association charts in March, behind Kasey Chambers and Bris-band George. This was followed three months later by reports that Hayes was no longer an A-list artist with his American record company, reports which were later denied by Columbia Records. ``It was very difficult to deal with the personal criticism and I had a week where I felt sorry for myself,'' he says. ``And then I said that this is part of being a celebrity and it's my turn to face these trials.'' He turned to his close network of friends and family, which includes Australia's much-scorned pop queen, now ``diva of cool'', Kylie Minogue, to rise above the criticism. ``I talked to Kylie about it, how she handled those years of ridicule, and some of my favourite performers get written off every second week,'' Hayes says. ``At the end of the day, you keep doing what you're doing and your talent will shine. People will eventually forget about those years. I will always remember it but everyone has to go through it.'' Hayes has a new single, Crush (1980 Me), out on Monday and his first Australian solo tour Too Close for Comfort begins at the end of the month with a performance at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 7. Hayes refers to his first solo album, Spin, as his third album and his solo tour will include hits from his two previous Savage Garden albums. ``I had an incredible chemistry with Daniel and that was one collaboration,'' he says. ``I have new interests now, and I will make a completely different record again. I get bored with music, I want to change, experiences make you change.'' Jones is now living in Brisbane and managing Brisbane duo Aneiki which will perform support spots on Hayes's Australian tour. And there may even be room for a spot of spontaneous performance in some favourite Fortitude Valley haunts after the show. ``Prince has always done that,'' Hayes says. ``And there will be cities in this tour where I may want to do an impromptu tour, where I am reconnecting with the audience in a smaller and more intimate surrounding and there are a couple of really cool places in The Valley.'' In his personal journal which is updated regularly (www.darrenhayes.com), Hayes gives the impression he is opening his soul to his fans, however, there is a private side he closely guards. ``I learnt about this from Bono (U2) who has really separated the public from the private person. ``The place where the two collide is in music. You do sacrifice a lot to have this fantastic job, and you need the balance,'' Hayes says. Besides returning to spend time with family in Logan City, south of Brisbane, Hayes finds great solace in his second home in San Francisco on America's west coast. ``It is one of the countries in the world where I don't feel famous. Nobody knows who I am. I don't have to be `on' all the time.'' It is here he leads a quiet life which includes healthy doses of the outdoors either scuba-diving or hiking, and for relaxation, yoga. ``A lot of people are concerned about being famous,'' Hayes says. ``I don't necessarily need more money, I need to create and entertain and evolve. ``I appreciate high expectations but mine have been fulfilled. Now I am at the beginning of a solo career and I am selling records.'' Darren Hayes's Too Close for Comfort tour. Supported by Specificus and Aneiki. Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Saturday, September 7, from 7pm. $59.90. Bookings: 131 931 Hayes's new single Crush (1980 Me) out on Monday through Sony |