BBC Radio 2
Lady - We caught up with the multi million selling duo Darren and Daniel during their sell out UK tour and convinced them to turn their back on arena's for an evening and put on an exclusive performance for Radio 2 competition winners in the intimate surroundings of the Talk of London Theater.  I managed to have a chat with lead singer Darren backstage minutes before his performance and asked him about how he felt about tonights show

Darren - This is very much like how we started off, actually as I was saying during soundcheck that this reminds me of our first ever pub gigs, very much like that and eh you get a bit spoiled.  Sometimes I'm guilty of having a certain way in a certain persona on stage which is catered toward you know 12, 13 thousand seaters and 350 people tonight so eh we'll see what happens.  But its good......its honest.

Lady -
Will it limit you slightly as to what you're able to perform?

Darren -
Um, you know its difficult, I mean we choose a selection of songs that we thought um fans would want to hear live on the radio.  Um no I think it challenges you when its a live audience because you can't pull out any of the little tricks you know there's no big lighting queue's and there's no darkness to hide into, you're there in front of them and you have to have it or you might as well go home.

Lady - I'm a little diappointed cause you're not in gold lame tonight

Darren -
Yes, I know on the tour um I've been spotted wearing a bit of gold lame in the encore um which I continuously tease myself about, its ridiculous, its a funny part of the show.  No tonight I'm going to look like a regular old chap!!

Lady - Daniel and you are just so successful here in the UK and there aren't that many Australian bands that have crossed what do you think that it is?

Darren - You know I've been really surprised by our success story here because its been a slow coming our success here.  The UK tour I mean you know we played some pretty big venues.  I know um we did a show in Manchester which was actually the largest amount of tickets that we've ever sold to one of our shows.  We've played to bigger audiences at festivles but you know it was amazing to sit there and see 14 000 people who had purchased tickets and that was the second show we did in that city and um it has blown me away, I think that you really understand maliety, I think that its one of the few places in the world that our audience really is quite diverse its not just young girls, its people my age, its families, its dates.  You know people came out to see a show as apposed to see their idols or someone they wanna pin up on a bedroom wall and um I think that's why its been a success here.....patience and eh a pretty smart audience

Lady - You're very calm for someone that's about to go on stage in about 15 minutes

Darren -
You know what I am?  I'm exhausted!!!!!! (Laughing)

Lady -
Are you? That's what it is!!!  Cause its the last date of the tour tomorrow, isn't it?

Darren -
Yeah, we have been touring since March.  We started off in Japan, we toured Australia, we did 46 shows in America, we played in South America, um we played all over Europe and we're just about to head to South Africa

Lady - There are so many people that relate to the lyrics of Affirmation and I guess that proves that you believe in all those things you sing about

Darren - You know ofcourse I do.  Its funny not all of the statements in that song are ment to be taken as gospel.  I mean they're the arrogance of my opinion and I get to say it in 3 minutes of a pop song, but eh the first sentence is something my mother taught and um some of the things are things I read on the streets in New York.  Some of them are just things that I believe about life.......but um they're all me

Lady - You actually moved to the States didn't you to write this.  It was written in a very different way cause Daniel was in Australia

Darren - I think because of the personal nature of this record it was really so much easier for me to be in another part of the world where I wasn't famous.  You know, I wasn't that guy from Australia, I wasn't the guy with the number 1.  Um I could write songs that were really, really personal and eh I didn't edit myself and I would send them back to Daniel and without fear of you know critisism or rejection.  I just sent them out into the post, he would send me tracks, I would record melodies and lyrics, send them out and I wasn't really editing myself and um he called me up one day and said I really like these songs.  I like the fact they're honest and personal and they're simple and I'm glad that i could do that, you know it gave me privacy to write such personal songs

Lady - Darren, thank you so much for talking to us, I know that its very close to you going on stage

Darren -
(laughing) Its ok.  Your welcome

Lady -
It is a DELIGHT that you have decided to perform for us here at the BBC

Darren -
Well its a thrill, I appreciate the fact that you play our records and eh you know we're gonna go away for a while so this is a bit of a thank you to the fans and I guess we'll see you real soon!!

Lady -
I'm gonna go find my seat now......

Darren -
Take Care