ecadence

April 08

JUST LATELY
Darren would have you believe that as
soon as the Side Two Tour ended he
downed tools and took a complete
break. Well that is what we all hoped
for, but of course that is not quite
what happened. The Time Machine
Tour DVD has taken a reasonably
large chunk of his time. Micro
managing such a large task has
gobbled up a lot of his attention in the
last few months.
DarrenHayes.com will be selling a
limited deluxe version of the DVD and
it will also be available in standard
versions in the UK, Northern America
and Australia. The Deluxe Edition will
be released on July 1 (pre-sale much
sooner than that) and internationally
on July 31.
The deluxe version is going to be
lush. Jane Wallace has once again
designed beautiful packaging that you
will all love. It will include over 300
images that will not only be included
in a booklet in the deluxe packaging,
but we will also upload the images
onto the net for purchases of the
deluxe edition to view in a much
larger format. Hopefully soon I can
show you images of what it will look
like.
We intend to have a screening of
sorts in London before the release
date, so keep an eye out for a
members competition.
Decadence 01

Index
01 Just Lately
04 The Side Two Tour
06 This Delicate Thing Weve Made
10 USA Photo Special
14 Interview With Richard
18 Wally
19 Casey Video Shoot
20 Competition

JUST LATELY

Of course it hasnt been all work for Mr Hayes. He

managed to come back to Australia for two weeks
relatively unnoticed. He stayed with Mum and her
deliriously insecure Chihuahua called Honey. Darren
always misses Wally when he travels so to have Mums
dog to lavish attention on was great.
He still worked on the DVD project while he was here
with Richard and him sending files backwards and
forwards across the Atlantic everyday, but most of the
time he just hang out with family. Our routine while he
was here was to go to lunch somewhere not too far
from where we live, and then go and pick the kids up
from school at 3pm. Then take my kids to afternoon
tea.
Now picture this, Darren hired a car so he didnt have to
rely on us to taxi him around everywhere (a rather wise
move considering the driving skills of both Mum and I!).
Normally he hires a large SUV and that is exactly what
he did however the SUV was less than quality. It was
brand new, and from the outside looked gorgeous. It
was when he got in it and put his foot on the accelerator
that the car showed its inferior breeding stock. It would
SQUEAL like a crappy old car driven at 150 km an hour.
The problem was he was only driving 60 km an hour.
Every time he tried to accelerate faster than your
average 80 year old it would start squealing.. I dont
think I can convey how bad this car was in writing. At
first Darren was mortified, professing to return it to get
another until he realized the comic appeal it had with my
kids.
We would pick them up from school in the afternoon,
then head straight to Gloria Jeans for coffee (Gloria
Jeans is Australias version of Starbucks) En-route
Darren would hunch over the steering wheel like a little
old man and put his foot down, accelerate to say 30 km

Decadence 02

JUST LATELY

an hour and the car would react with

its usual temper tantrum.

he lost his breath. Darren giggled

uncontrollably.

The combination of the sound of the

engine and the posture and faces
Darren would be pulling made my kids
laugh their heads off till we arrived at
our destination. The whole old man
driving the car routine became a
persona Darren adopted immediately.

I was laughing too till I looked at her.

She had this look on her face that I
had never seen before. Later she
confessed she had been considering
the consequences of walking off and
pretending she didnt know us. The
worst was yet to come. As we pulled
out into the traffic Darren revved the
car again loudly and waved at the
deputy head mistress all with a
mischievous
grin on his face.
Mortified is the only word I can use to
describe how Sara felt. Poor child,
and you all thought it would be all
roses being related to Darren.

Now my daughter Sara has just

started High School and as much as
the car routine was funny, she was
secretly mortified till we got out of the
school grounds in that car. She had
been teasing him all week about how
awful she thought his choice of car
was. Karma came back to bite her
though when he turned up one
afternoon to pick her up. He was in
one of his naughty gremlin moods..
you know the one. Where he morphs
into a cheeky little monkey. He pulled
up beside her and promptly put the
car in park and revved the hell out of
the motor then beeped the horn.
BEEP BEEP VROOOM VROOOOOM..
Hysterical.. My son laughed so much
Decadence 03

On the last day in Brisbane, Darren

fell down the stairs at Mums house.
Her bottom stair is a bit odd and just
about everyone does it at times, but
not everyone is carrying a huge
suitcase. He tore all of the ligaments
and tendons in his foot. His injury

was so severe that he is still

undergoing physiotherapy to try and
heal the damage. He is tough though,
he still managed to make his flight
home.

We have a new set of Patches

coming. The Casey Patches have
been incredibly popular and so we
thought a set of Tour patches would
be a great idea. I noticed a recent
forum thread asking where folks had
put their Casey Patch and thought it
would be cool to actually see where
you put them so feel free to send up
in your Patch pics.. You never know
they might end up in the next zine.
Till next time,
Love
Tracey
x

THE SIDE TWO TOUR

UNITED KINGDOM
Sunday February 3, Bar Academy Islington, London
Monday February 4, Bar Academy Islington, London
Wednesday February 6, Studio, Manchester
Thursday February 7, Studio, Manchester
Monday February 11, Thekla, Bristol
Friday February 15, Barfly, Brighton
Sunday February 17, Bar Academy, Birmingham
Monday February 18, Bar Academy, Birmingham
Sunday February 24, Academy Islington, London

NETHERLANDS
Thursday Februrary 21, Amsterdam-Marcanti, Amsterdam

Decadence 04

THE SIDE TWO TOUR

Decadence
Decadence0505

THIS DELICATE THING WEVE MADE

PREMISE: The following item is the
document Darren gave everyone
who was to work on the album.
From stylists and radio promotions
people to his team at powdered
sugar.
What would you change if you could change your History?
I had a dream a few years ago that Id traveled back in time. And
when I woke up, in that half asleep half awake state for a few
seconds I couldnt quite tell if it was real. I was visiting my family
in Australia and it was summer. I could smell the aroma of freshly
cut Queensland grass and immediately I was transported back to
a moment when I was ten years old. Back then I hadnt traveled
the world or made a fortune. Back then I was the son of a violent
alcoholic living in a tough neighborhood and wishing my way out
of poverty.
It was just a dream, and I eventually woke up. But the thought
stayed with me for years.
What if it had been 25 years ago?
What if I could have walked out of the room and gone back and
changed the things that made me who I am today?
Fast forward to 2006 and Im a happily married Gay man living in
England of all places. My years of sadness behind me my years
of angst and longing a distant memory. Married to a man who
doesnt have the luxury of blaming his parents for all of his
problems. Im married to a man whos parents both died when he
was young. That fact alone was a catalyst for me to take stock of
my own life.

Decadence 06

In the past 4 years Ive buried someone, Ive given birth to

someone, Ive married someone. Ive seen my parents divorce.
Ive divorced myself from a record company. Ive seen a best
friend waste away from cancer. Ive seen another one triumph
over it. Clearly I have some life perspective.
This moment is my moment to make my BIG RECORD.
The first thing I did was buy a Fairlight Synthesizer. The one Kate
Bush used on her record Hounds of Love. This was going to be
my time machine.

THIS DELICATE THING WEVE MADE

For me, growing up the way I did was the first destination I
set my sights on. So many of my muses were always painful
ones. From unrequited loves to vying for the affection of a
father I was terrified of. From a desire to escape my working
class poverty to dealing with my very self hatred and realization
that I was gay. My childhood was one of escapism.

most records these days tend to be a collection of unrelated

songs strung together in an attempt to pacify programmers and
satisfy fickle research from the most casual audience feedback.

These themes colored what I wrote about for the past two
years.

I wanted to present a record that was absolutely clear in its

intention both thematically and stylistically. Against the tide of
top 40 but ultimately something that will succeed because of
its unique approach.
A real talk piece and the Opus of my
career. I WANTED it to stand out from the noise. I WANTED
it to be hard to pigeonhole.
What sets me aside from the
mainstream is ultimately what will define me.

Thats why so many of the songs on this record deal with the
point of view in the past.. looking back with wisdom. I talk
about my Sister being my savior in her old beat up Holden HQ
Station Wagon (Casey). I talk about a ten year old boy who
fantasizes about killing his Father (Neverland). I talk about the
miracle of finding someone who finally put up with my bullshit
(The Only One).
Growing up and looking at my accomplished life 25 years later,
Im grateful for just surviving. Im grateful for my love. And I
finally feel strong enough to tell a story. Some of it hiding
behind the colorful foolishness of Jules Vernesque concept,
Some of it raw and in your face. But all of it my autobiography.

Its as if weve lost our nerve..

Two Visual Catalysts to Tell a Story

Dont call it a Concept Record

Its Grand. Its Epic. Its Colorful. Its a Double Album.

Because of record company paranoia and media ownership,

Decadence 07

This record is conceptual. No doubt. It delves musically and

lyrically into the past and tries to meld this point of view with
the future.
I started with two images as muses. An Origami
swan and the Fairlight Synthesizer.
Looking at the bird created from a single sheet of folded paper
I am suggesting that every moment is really an object made
up of all the steps taken to get to the end of the journey.
Love, like this simple Japanese paper ornament, can be seen
as either a miracle or a matter of circumstance. Either magical
timing and consequence or merely chance. The complexity
of love and relationship is an act of faith.

THIS DELICATE THING WEVE MADE

One either sees the bright red bird as a real object or one sees a
series of folds in a piece of scrap paper. The choice is ours. In
some ways, unfolding the object destroys it. In accepting it, one
accepts a miracle of sorts. The Fairlight Synthesizer was as
much an attempt to find some of the magic on my favorite
records, as it was to have a talisman for storytelling.
I started referring to the ancient keyboard as a time machine.
The veteran of hard disk recording device that defined artists
like Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush as pioneers of their field in the
mid 80s as a lens through which to examine my life.
An
emotional deciphering device if you will.
The concept of
going back in time was really a device to allow me to go back
and drag the happiness, wonder and emotion from a past that
so far has been documented only by sadness and drag it to
the cold light of the present day. In doing so I could finally hold
up this thing we call living and examine it from all angles. The
Delicate Thing, if you will.
I asked myself, if I could go back in time..

Judge the Book AND The Cover The Power of Visuals

to an exploration of the past. Sometimes Im speaking in purely

fantastical terms, sometimes Im being entirely literal. But Im
always examining the fragility of life.

The places from which I drew visual inspiration are

schizophrenic. But its a very defined world. Its a mish mash
of debris from The mind of Kate Bush, the disgruntled nephew
of H G Wells. Numerology. Astrology. I was influenced by
everything from Jules Verne and Jack Kerouac to my young
family life and that of my partner.
From wonderings of a past
life in Victorian England to my very real roots in suburban
Australia.
All of these devices that relate somehow to the
telling of a tale that is not at all fiction. This is my most personal
record.
And my most imaginative. And it is through these
colorful metaphors that I reveal.
What this record looks like is as important as what it sounds like
Richards Cullens contribution is vital.
Hell be collaborating
with me to produce a series of interconnected visual shorts that
are as much a visual accompaniment to the music as stand
alone pieces.
A combination of animation, live action and
motion graphics. Two or three will be planned to be able to be
pulled as music videos.

The visual metaphors in this record are crucial to delivering the

intention of the piece. Almost everything on the record is in the
past tense - whether describing my heart before happiness, my
childhood growing up in Woodridge or putting myself in the
shoes of a family in the middle of the coal miners strike of 1984
in North England. All the tales both sonically and literally relate

Decadence 08

The idea would be that you could put this disc on and listen to
the record and enjoy visuals in the same way you would at a live
performance. Or watch it in its entirety as an extended music
video. Many of the visuals will be pulled as still artwork and will
later become a part of the live show.

THIS DELICATE THING WEVE MADE

The Sonic Shock and Awe

The arrangements, the lyrics and the pure madness of some of

the song structures are unlike anything Ive ever done before.
Amidst the collection of 25 songs there is a 4-song mini Opera
about Time Travel. Even the more traditional songs will take a
beating electronically and with symphony. Although in the
middle of production the gate has been blown wide open in
terms of how far I can take this. One day I hope it will find a
place in the West End for a short run and possibly in other parts
of the world.

Touring and Promotion

Working with Willie Williams again (the designer and director of

my last two tours and world renowned u2 and We Will Rock You
fame).. I hope to create a theatrical presentation in the round.
Part live theatre and part performance art. But always centred
around my voice.
I plan to be completely adventurous and
cutting edge with the presentation. This record could have been
a musical. Live, it almost will be.

Decadence 09

This Delicate Thing Weve Made

Side One
The Unfolding Of A Moment..
1. Fear of Falling Under
2. Who Would Have Thought?
3. Waking the Monster
4. Casey
5. On The Verge Of Something Wonderful
6. Step Into The Light
7. The Only One
8. Words
9. A Conversation With God
10. Neverland
11. Sing To Me
12. The Great Big Disconnect
13. Glad To See You Back Again
Side Two
All the Moments That Came Before
1. The Future Holds A Lions Heart
2. How To Build A Time Machine
3. Lucky Town
4. A Hundred Challenging Things A Boy Can Do
5. The Sun is Always Blinding Me
6. Song For The Disenfranchised
7. Maybe
8. Bombs Up In My Face
9. I Just Want You To Love Me
10. Me, Myself And (i)
11. Walk Away
12. Tuning A Violin

USA PROMO - PHOTO SPECIAL

Darren spent some time in the US just before Christmas in support of This Delicate Thing Weve Made
and his beautiful friend Myrna Suarez tagged along. Myrna is a photographer and documented the trip
purely for fun.
These images were never intended to be for public consumption however we loved them so much we have used them for next years
calendar that will be available towards the end of this year.
Here are some of the pics that didnt make it into the Calendar.

Decadence 10

PHOTO SPECIAL

Decadence 11

PHOTO SPECIAL

Decadence 12

PHOTO SPECIAL

Decadence 13

INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD CULLEN

As you know, Darren tends to like to do the odd interview via email or instant message. We wanted to interview
Richard Cullen regarding his work on both the Time Machine Tour DVD and a special project coming soon.
Darren volunteered to do the questioning and in this issue he managed to convince his partner Richard to take
part in what can only be described as equal parts fascinating interview and typical Darren jibing and silliness. I
guess it gives you an insight into what it's like to sit opposite Darren at a desk 9 to 5! But we also get to find out
a little bit more about what exactly goes into the creation of the wonderful visual elements of Darren's music. So
here it is in it's entirety - Darren interviews Richard Cullen.
Hello Richard

What's Darren REEALLY like?

hello mysterious interviewer

lol
He's a joy
really
in every way

I'll bet you're thrilled to be doing an interview, A. When you are in the
middle of work and B. seeing as though it is I asking you the
questions. Are you annoyed yet?
i'm on an 8
On a scale of annoying to that guy who hosts the T.V show Grand
Designs, you're at an 8?
Right
(he sniggered across the dueling computer screens btw reader)
O.K so .. let me start with the simple stuff
good
simple is good

Decadence 14

I wish you could read into the deadpan emotionless express on your
face as you typed that.
Seriously, you've been suddenly thrown into full time animation/
editing/film making bitch pose for the last year - and the most recent
thing you've completed was the live DVD. So very simple what was
the worst thing about that? The live DVD in terms of what you had to
do.
Or perhaps I should say the most challenging aspect of it. Because it
wasn't easy was it?
I think the biggest thing was just getting my head around it. it's the
largest piece of work that I've done. All the film work that I do tends
to last for the length of a song so it's easy to keep an overview of
what you're doing, what the shape of it is and with work for the

INTERVIEW

RICHARD CULLEN INTERVIEW PART 2...

stage, you build it up gradually so for this - a two hour long show the big challenge was just getting to look through all the footage,
trying to remember the overall look for any given section, and
trying to keep the emotional shape of the show in mind
Now just so people are aware, you sat with the live director prior to
shooting and had a pretty good idea of what the footage was
going to look like, but you had how many cameras of footage?
How much time in total was there to sift through?
There were eight cameras, in various positions. So that's about 16
hours worth of footage. We had talked it all through beforehand, in
general terms, But you never really know what you're going to get
until you've got it!
I think I pretty much gave you free reign over the edit. I'm not sure
if you're aware, but as a control freak I allowed you that. However
it was interesting for me to see the show from other eyes. I saw
the show in my head I guess the way I saw it from stage. Did this
edit look to you, how the show looked to the audience do you
think?
I hope so!
That was the 'way in' to how to make the whole thing look.
There were a couple of decisions made at the filming process that
had an impact on the feel of the edit.
First, there we no cameras on stage - or at least no cameramen.
Which I believe you felt very strongly about.
And the lighting wasn't altered for the recording. Normally when a
show like that is recorded the amount of lighting goes up about
500% for the cameras
well the last time there were cameras on stage one of the men
knocked out a plug and ruined the Sydney Opera House show lol.
Plus, I wanted it to look 'real'
But those two things combined - lighting and extra bodies
wandering around the stage - can sort of ruin the experience for
the people who are actually THERE. So it became, from an artistic
Decadence 15

point of view, a case of capturing the show that people actually

saw, rather than turning it into a super-glossy 'live music video' which is the direction that live shows tend to go in at the moment
And I certainly bore all that in mind with the edit. I tried, as much
as possible, to just follow the show very naturally, getting into the
psychology of the audience as much as I could - what would they
be feeling, where would they want to look next, where the main
focus - rather than imposing an editing style on it.
If you've something to say to me, say it via I.M
(We've been having a discussion as to Richard's method of
answering
you see
he uses
the return key
a
lot
OK so here's my next question and it's a serious one. As a stage
director and as someone who is editing a live show - how do you
decide what the audience 'sees'
Let me explain that a bit more.
In a live show, the eye follows what the eye follows.
So how do you try to retain that in a film edit?
It's partly instinctual, though there is a methodology buried in there
somewhere. If you, on stage, turn to look at Pete the drummer, the
audience, of only for a split second, will look in the same place. If
Anna and Ian, sing a refrain while you aren't singing, we'll look at
them. If there's a lot of movement everywhere, our attention
expands out, to try to take in the whole, if there little movement
(physically and in terms of the music) then our attention tends to
move in and become more concentrated. It's partly something I
learned as a theatre director, the fact that you CAN lead to focus
of the audience, and it's an idea that crops up in graphic design
and in editing for film. Of course, in a live show, not everyone is
going to be looking in exactly the same place at the same time,
but you can get a feel for generally where the focus of the
audience is. And then you just have to hope that someone was
pointing a camera in the right direction at the right time!

INTERVIEW

RICHARD CULLEN INTERVIEW PART 3...

So your part is over, the DVD is off somewhere in a factory being
made - but you're not free. I've got you working on 'This
Delicate Film We've Made' - which is essentially a surround
sound animation showcase really of songs from the album. Is
that how you'd describe it? What IS it?
I'm not quite sure what it is yet!
It's still something that's emerging from the dark place where
things like that come from. Essentially it's a visual interpretation
of the music. But I've taken some poetic licence, partly because
it's my response to the music in many ways, but also I'm aware
of some of the inspirations behind the songs that aren't
necessarily obvious to a casual listener, so there's a whisper of
that in there too. It's also a bit of an experiment. The individual
animations related to each other, and there is a sort of narrative
that links them together, and there are certain visual motifs that
tie them together, and make them one thing, but it isn't obvious.
Sometimes you animate a story I've got. I'm just trying to think
of examples. I guess 'Who Would Have Thought' is sort of a
yarn of mine. But things like 'Maybe' where you've come up with
a narrative which is in itself a whole new take on the song but
I'm amazed it has exactly the same intention. Are you aware of
that when you're going off on a tangent that it must adhere in
some way to what the song is about or do you say 'fuck it he'll
never notice' lol
LOL
Each one is very much it's own thing. Even in terms of style I'm
trying to make them 'look' like individual pieces, although you
can never quite see beyond your own style. But to answer your
question... I don't think I ever really go off on a tangent! There
are some animations that we've worked on together, and some
where we haven't - but I think (I hope) that they're always a
pretty direct response to the song, even if they're quite a way
from what you might expect them to be. It's funny that you
mention 'Maybe' - in some ways I think its one of the closest to
my original response to the song. Of course, it's not finished yet.
So who knows what it'll end up like.
Decadence 16

INTERVIEW

RICHARD CULLEN INTERVIEW PART 4

I think it's my favorite
it made me cry

I wouldn't want to be compared to

either of them

and that was just the storyboard!

You are English and you are a film

maker and I am a control freak. I
don't, however, have an interest in
shooting clay pigeons.

My other favorite one is waking the

monster and that's not even
finished yet.
Waking the Monster is killing me
If I had to describe this to people I'd
say that it's like Pink Floyd's 'the wall'
or even 'Fantasia' in a sense
Yes
It partly an interpretation, partly a
response
So I think we're just about done with
our interview. Was it weird to be
interviewed by me the LOVE OF
YOUR LIFE?
(let the record show you sniggered
again)
It went just like every conversation we
have
haha! haha!
Well right now the readers think you
are Guy Ritchie to my Madonna.
eesh
What are you going to do to change
that perception? Tell me to fly like the
wind as you pat my bottom as I head
for the stage?
Decadence 17

You should pop off to the Kabbalah

centre, and I'll go and be grumpy and
make a disappointing new film
And I could perhaps make the front
cover of my new album essentially me
in my underpants.
But anyway I'm off to do something, I
don't know what, since my new role
as stay home pop star is already
getting old. I think I'm going to go to
Whole Foods and get dinner. And you
will continue working on wonderful
amazing things. Thanks for talking to
the world at large Mr Richie.
mwhaha
you just need to include the phrase
'tick tock tick tock' and rhyme
'waiting' with 'hesitating' in every
other song you write
Thank you for speaking to me, Mr
Madonna
Now now.. big love and all that
xx
can you get me some Chocolate
Oatmilk?
xx

Darrens View Of Richard When Hes Working

WALLY HARD AT WORK GUARDING LA

MAISON DE HAYES AND CULLEN

Decadence 18

DARREN ON THE SET OF

THE CASEY VIDEO
SHOOT
BRAY STUDIOS 2007

Wearing the Casey patch available from the

store at www.darrenhayes.com

Decadence 19

COMPETITION
Your Chance To Win A
Rare Promo CD!
Click HERE to enter our latest
competition for your chance to win
a
highly collectable Taiwanese
copy of This Delicate Thing Weve
Made which includes a rare bonus
10 track Promo EP. Competition
closes 30 June 2008
Competiton is only open to members of
Delicacy, Darrens Official Fanclub.

When sending letters, emails or faxes, please help us by

including your full name and username. When replying to
emails we have sent you, please include the message we
sent you as this will jog our memory as to what we were
discussing.
All this enables us to give you a prompt
response.

Decadence 20

Contributors
Darren Hayes, Tracey Webb
Photographs
Myrna Suarez, Darren Hayes, Richard Cullen, Maggz Appleton

www.darrenhayes.com
2008