SAVAGE GARDEN
Darren Hayes/ Daniel Jones
April 14,1998
Darren Heaven
We got to the NBC box office in Burbank, CA around 8:05am. There was already a line forming. I stood in line in front of my sister and mom. Today’s guests were NYPD Blue’s Dennis Franz, 11-year old Jack Johnson, and of course the reason I went SAVAGE GARDEN, with DARREN HAYES! Once I got my tickets, I went and sat down to wait in line. I wanted to be first. People didn’t start coming to way after 12:00pm. A lady came around 11:30am, and sat right next to us. After we had lunch, coincidentally to be "Piccadilly Circus" Pizza! Well time just flew by. Many ladies came up to me to admire my shirt. I had designed it just for this special day. We shared our stories when was the first time we met the Guys! Well I had a very interesting conversation with a popular 78 year old lady named Dottie. She was a close friend to Jay, and counseled him 4 years ago when his parents died. I found out that Jay has 60 cars, 20 motorcycles, and no kids! Jay and his wife made an agreement not to have kids. Well Dottie was among the popular, she even gave me hints on how to meet Jay. It seems that Dottie has been going to the Jay Leno show for the past 4 years, except for a 5 week interval where she was in the hospital. Well my dream came true because I got to sit front row, last seat to the left. Right in front of where the band was going to perform! I was 3 feet away from Darren, and about 5 feet away from Daniel. Jay came out in jeans, and a white shirt, and kind of gave us some direction. He asked if we had any questions, and my sister blurted out "Jay!!!" then I followed her lead. He invited us up to the stage. While I was heading that way, Jay asked us where we were from, and I told him "Fullerton" then he said "What did you do stop at The Gap before you came?", then everyone laughed. Me and my sister kept the audience laughing! He saw my Savage Garden shirt and asked "so you like Savage Garden?’, and I told him "yeah, I really want to meet them." I told him I went to college, and what I was majoring in, then he said "So what are you going to do after college?…Work with the tokens…" People started laughing. Then he asked my sister "So what are you doing?" She said "I’m looking for a job" then he said "are you going to try the fast food thing?" She said "I already did at Little Caesar’s" Jay said "Oh real" Sharon said "yeah, I quit 3 times," "Quit 3 times?" , then I said that I was the assistant manager, then Jay goes "You fired her three times!?" Then I said "No, she’s my sister" Then Jay said "It’s like a Jerry Springer show." People laughed, then he replies ‘That’s a little bit too much information I needed to know!" Then we took a picture together. When the show started the people in the front row had to go shake his hand, so even though we were at the side, we went up to get on television. So we got to shake his hand again. He remembered us and said "You too again." Then we smiled and did crazy cool things with our hands. We sat back down, yelling and clapping once in a while. Then about 10 minutes before 6:00pm, Savage Garden was announced. The curtain raised, and the there was Darren! Straight in front of me! He looked like a porcelain doll. A very beautiful MAN! Of course they sang "Truly Madly Deeply", which by the way was an awesome performance.
Once the second verse was finished, and it was going into the chorus, Darren finally saw me waving at him. He smiled, then I smiled even bigger, and he did too, I began to laugh, like it was a game. He then closed his eyes, and started to sing. He seemed very concentrated. When the song was over Jay came to shake hands with them, and I was yelling "Darren" along with my sister. They were told to go up stage with Jay. So they were going up, meanwhile I had a lot of workers, and securities next to me. Jay had Darren and Daniel sign this card, he told them it was for a fan. Darren shook his head and gave the impression that he said "all right." Then Daniel signed it. He passed it back to Darren who then gave it back to Jay. My eyes were in Darren the whole time. I saw his eyes moving towards my direction, and then I realized that those autographs was meant for me. I said "Thank you, can you give this to Darren?" Jay said "I can’t" and was going back to his seat. Meanwhile security was by me at all times. Darren saw that I wanted to give him something. He wanted to come and get it, but he remembered he was already plugged in to the microphones, so he gave me the signal with his right hand that after the show he’ll come to me, so I smiled and said ok with my nod. Well the show started again, and after my screaming, and clapping Jay asked them how long they were in town for. Before he got to finish the sentence my sister yelled "Happy Birthday Darren!" then I immediately yelled. Darren slightly looked, and noticed that we new his birthday was coming up. So the mini interview was over, and Darren took off the microphone, and wanted to get off stage. Daniel exited towards the left, went passed me, and security was still near me. I was being warned by this lady who looked like Ricki Lake. Then when Darren was going down the stairs, they were giving him instructions just to keep on going, then he turned to them and said very serious "No, I have to go, She is my fan!" Everyone there around him gave him the disappointed look like "please listen" He broke away from them, and began to look for me, then I waved at him, and he walked toward me. Both Smiling, I then stood up, security was finally gone. Then I told him that this notebook I made for him was for his birthday, he said, "Oh, Thank you" He gave me this full on hug, and I held tight, then he kissed my cheek, and I felt the brush of his little mustache which was so adorable I thought. Then my sister came and also received a hug and kiss. I told him that I made that with all my love, and he said "You are so sweet, this is so nice" then I told him "I love your music" He said "Thank you, so much" Meanwhile he was holding my hand. He was trying to find it, before then I grabbed his soft hand against mind. I smelled his perfume, and it was so good, he had previously said it was Dulce Gabana. I still have the scent on my shirt. I kept looking at his light blue-gray eyes, and he looked at me too. My sister began to say that we had met him before at Knott’s Berry Farm, then he said "I have to go, I only have a few seconds" I told him, "ok, bye, thank you." He said "Thank You" squeezed my left hand, and left. That was so nice of him. He is very friendly. I was very happy that I got a lot of attention that night. I turned back to see exactly how many people were looking at me, and a fan of Darren was looking at me through jealous eyes, wishing it was her. She told me "He kissed you" then I said "I know!" and I told her "He held my hand." I was so happy. All lot of people were looking at me, it was the greatest. I never wanted to let him go.