INDEPENDENCE DAY

Thanks to Barbara for sending in this article.

Darren Hayes is ready to silence his critics once and for all.

LAUREN McMENEMY reports.

GOSSIP and rumour seem to follow Darren Hayes like a bad smell these
days. Since the former face of Savage Garden went solo, it's been one
thing after the other - the "acrimonious split" rumour, the hair
allegations, the record company rumbles - all unfounded. And through it
all, he's held his head high.

"I have to state that all of those things you mentioned are completely
untrue, and really pissed me off. It really did", Hayes says, obviously
sick of being asked the question. "I'm at the point in my career now
where I'm going to start answering with attorneys because, I mean, when
it gets to the point when it's actually affecting my career, that's when
I'll get nasty.

"I had my own mother ring me up from Australia in the middle of the
night to say did you lose your record deal? Of course I didn't lose my
record deal, that's ridiculous. I'll be dead before I get out of my
record deal, and it pisses me off, but I think for me it's a test. It's
a trial through fire, and unfortunately, being Australian, it's what we
do. People will judge me for how I get through this period . I will
respond through sticking around."

His tour - the first time he's stepped out as Darren Hayes, and not
Savage Garden - could be seen as Hayes proving himself. "Responding to
criticism in a way" is how he prefers to see it.

"Music and fashion - it's a lottery in many ways, and careers involve
highs and lows," Hayes says. "But the thing I do feel confident about
is my ability to sing and to write songs. That's why I'm excited about
this tour - you'll either love it or you'll hate it but you won't be
able to ignore it."

Hayes says he wants to get the focus back on his music.

"This is intentionally a theatre tour. I didn't want there to be
another distraction, and hopefully people will leave the show talking
about my voice and not my hair, even though I can assure you my hair
will look fantastic," he says with a laugh.

And as for those persistent rumours? "I think that once I've gone
through this tour then that's a far better response than any press
release I could put out or a video showing the real Darren," he says.
"Look, the real me is about to come through your town. Check it out"

Darren Hayes plays with Aneiki at the Thebarton Theatre tomorrow night.