Savage Garden Concert Reviews

Radio City Music Hall - By Amanda



Hi everyone! It's 1230am and I've been home for about.. oh, 30 minutes. You'll have to forgive me if this email is incredibly incoherent. I'm dead tired, my throat is hoarse, my feet hurts, my ears are still ringing, and I've just HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!

As you all know, my Radio City day revolves around two beloved SAddicts - Cindy & Lori. I picked Cindy up today from the train station and we walked to Lori's hotel, passing Radio City on the way. There in the beauty of mid-Manhattan - the marquee is reading all around, SAVAGE GARDEN - SOLD OUT. We both took pictures, but Cindy took about... TEN. She had to get a shot from EVERY ANGLE (sign of a TRUE SG fan - lol). Then we went to Lori's room where we started chatting and gossiping, and Cindy iro ned her cool shiny pants. Then we met up with 2 other Internet fans, CY & Pete (aka spiky blue hair boy from Today Show). Pete had 2 other people along, so the group of 7 of us headed over to the RC stage entrance at around 2, 2:30. We were standing around waiting, talking and complaining about dripping air conditioning ducts, when around 330, a dark blue van pulled up near us. I wasn't paying attention but I happened to look up from my conversation and saw Ben walking toward ! us. So we said, "Hey Ben!" and he smiled and said hi back, and Lori and Cindy started talking to him, so I looked back at the van for Daniel. Lee was walking with a vid camera taping the RC marquee, so we said Hi Lee! and he smiled and said hi, and th en I said hi to Elisa and Angi (who didn't look very happy until I said hello), who were wheeling little travel packs with them like stewardesses (so cute!). Then we saw Daniel, so we went over and said hi. Pete asked for a picture, and Dan smilingly obliged. Dan was in an incredible mood. After Pete, I asked for a picture, and Dan said "Sure!" and, I thanked him for talking to CY & I yesterday ("Ah, it was no problem"). Then Lori took a picture with Dan, but she wasn't sure if the flash went off , so Dan said, let's take another one, so I did. Cindy was standing behind me, so I asked Dan if he was familiar with the Internet sites, especially the one with all the radio stations. He said he wasn't familiar, but he had heard! of it, so I stepped back, pulled Cindy up and said, well, this is Cindy, CinSavage, she's the one with the site with all the radio stations promoting for you guys, so he immediately thanked Cindy and hugged her. They took a picture together. Dan sign ed a few things for everyone, and then he had to go in, so we waved bye and wished him a good show. You do not realize how good Dan looks. I mean, I was swayed back to Dan-love yesterday, but after this afternoon, he was all I could think about. Around 4, maybe 430, they had blockaded the entrance to form a path, so it was fairly obvious that Darren was arriving soon. Susan, the assistant tour manager was outside, guards were standing around blocking off spaces, I look down the street, and Darren, Leonie, Lee (the tour manager) and some other people were crossing the street over. It's my one goa l to have a picture with JUST Darren, but unfortunately, I did not have that opportunity. I was at the WRONG end of the barracade, Pete and Lori and Cindy were at the end closest to Darren, so they got pictures. In fact, Lori was taking a picture with Darren when Darren recognized Cindy and immediately pulled her over for a hug with Lori stuck on his arm still. Lori had to pull Darren's arms off her and slip under Darren's arm to get out of the hug! Darren kissed and hugged Ci! ndy, publicly declared her an angel, and they took a picture together. Since he was coming down the barracade, I figured I'd have the chance for my picture, but he started taking so much time with other people (being the sweetie he is) that when he got to the person next to me, Lee kept bugging him because he was 45 min late for soundcheck. So he hugged the person next to me, and I asked for a picture but he said "I cant but how about a hug instead?" What can I say? We hugged and then he turned ar ound, and dealt with the other fans (and took a pic with someone in a wheelchair- very sweet), and then finally he got inside. I should mention that while Darren was down at Lori's end, Leonie was right in front of CY & I, so we talked to Leo. I asked her to confirm where the butt was naked or not, and LEONIE said it was definitely clothed and that the people on the BBS needed to lighten up because it was a joke. I told her it *was* funny and that I was laughing hysterically. She told us that Darren would come out again later afte r the soundcheck. We got to hear a little bit of it (a lot of Karl drumming) and then we hea rd a strange version of Lover After me, but by then it was 5 and we had dinner plans with other people, so we couldn't stick around.

We had dinner which was fun and went by so fast. After dinner, we went back to Lori's room, about 12 of us, and 4 of us had to change into our concert clothes. At around 745, we left to go to the concert, all thrilled out of our minds because 6 of us were second row PIT. I sold my extra ticket, and then we went inside. Radio City is absolutely amazing as a venue, and as I walked by where I had sat last time for Oasis, I started freaking out because we started walking further and further down... in to the pit that was sectioned off... MY SEAT WAS RIGHT DIRECT CENTER!! I was second row, but there was NO space between the seats and the stage, so I was about 8 feet from the center mike. The pit was absolute homey. I knew everyone in my row from p revious encounters, and some of the people behind us and the people off to the side which included the lovely Claudia (hi sweetie! Nice bras! roflmao!), and of course Jorja who was in the front row in front of Lori and Cindy. Kin! a was the opening act and she was good. I liked her, she was a lot like Macy Gray, maybe a little less funky, but still kickass. I wanted to get some water because I knew I would need us, so I made my friend Donna go out with me to grab something... a s we walked out of the pit, we were getting DIRTY looks from people in rows AA and BB. I felt SO bad but hey, I EARNED my seats! When we got out of the seating area, we ran into my friend Michelle whom I'd met a few weeks ago with Carla. We started t alking, and when we came back with my water, Michelle and I started looking for Leslie, who was another fan that we'd met with Carla.

When the show finally started, I was completely BLOWN away because I was RIGHT in front of Darren. I'll save the setlist and what happens during the show for those who havent witnessed it yet, but I'm not easily impressed but tonight, I was insane. CY and Pete can vouch for that because I was dancing and singing up a storm. The greatest parts were, Dan and I made eye contact a few times and he recognized me. At one time, we met eyes and he nodded his head down to his setlist and gave me a look lik e "Do you want it?" so I nodded and mouthed back "yes!" Then he smiled and nodded, so I knew that I was in for something later. Another time, I was watching Elisa and I had met eyes with her before, but I hadn't realized she was probably looking (and l aughing) at me a lot during the show, because at one point, I finally waved to her and she immediately waved back. I was 2nd row, but the women in front of me never got up and never moved in her seat. During Affirmation, Darren ma! kes the crowd go through hand signals, and the first one is to make your hands into the shape of a heart. Of course, I had my hands up there in the heart shape, and after awhile, Darren and I met eyes, he grinned and motioned with his own heart-shape, and raised his eyebrows and smiled. I nearly died, because for a brief moment, we shared a moment of appreciation.

Other highlights from the show - after the acoustic set, Darren went and got Daniel a bottle of water and wiped Dan's forehead with a towel. Later on, at the end of the IKILY remix, Darren hugged Daniel and I think Claudia (who was RIGHT up by the stag e) threw rose petals on them which both of them started grinning at. And guess who got the drumstick from the IKILY remix?! CIndy and Lori went right up to the stage and Darren was coming down from getting the drumstick, saw Cindy immediately, went over, handed her the drumstick and kissed her cheek. I watched Cindy ac cept it, and then sort of MELT onto Lori's shoulder. It was SO CUTE. And guess who was the Hold Me girl?! (not me) When Hold Me started, I was like, hold on, that's the chorus and he hasn't picked anyone yet - maybe he won't do it - and then I saw Darren smile and motion for someone. I turned around and MICHELLE was coming down the aisle. The guard and Darren help ed her onstage, and Darren took her hand and continued singing. Then he got on his knees and sang to her for a verse, and then he sang the chorus and hugged Michelle a BIG squeezy hug right after he sang the "hold me" part. Then he started motioning t o us to take pictures, so he pulled Michelle close, we started taking pictures, Michelle pulled out her camera which was in her back pocket, and Darren took a picture of Michelle WHILE holding a mic and singing, and then Michelle held the camera away fr om her as she and Darren took a picture together. Then he took her camera and motioned for Michelle to go to Daniel, and then he took a picture of Michelle and Daniel (who was still playing the guitar). Then Darren hugged and kiss! ed Michelle, and let her get off the stage. As soon as she was down, Claudia grabbed her and hugged her. I was absolutely thrilled for Michelle.

And if anyone asks about that blow-up doll- that's Carole Ann's. She had it up waving in the air which got a laugh and a LOOK from Dan, and a LOOK from Elisa during IKILY. When they were taking their bows, Dan took the doll and took his bow with it.

After the show, I waited for Lindsey to come over. Donna and I had talked to Lindsey before the show, and Donna had asked for Dan's setlist and I asked for Dan's guitar pick. When he came over after the show to clean up Dan's equipment, I asked him fo r the pick, and he was looking around to see if Dan had dropped any. He couldn't find one, and he was taking the setlist off the ground so he offered it to me instead but since Donna had already called it, I told him to give it to her. I wanted the pi ck, so Lindsey reached into his pocket and gave me one... and then he found a lot in his pocket so everyone started crowding around reaching for one. I told him Donna, CY and I were going to be at Boston, and he said that's great and I told him to look out for us and he said he would.

Much later after the show, we were waiting in the RC lobby, and there was just chaos of everyone leaving, and fans crowded around trying to buy merchandise. CY had gone to get me and her a tourbook, and she came back and said, Karl's over there. He wa s talking to 2 other people, so I went over and asked for a picture so we took one together.

The only complaint that I had (which I only voiced in my head) was that I was so close, whenever Darren and Daniel weren't standing right next to each other, I couldn't get both in my field of vision. I had to concentrate on either Darren or Daniel, an d guess what - Daniel won out. He looked absolutely gorgeous, especially in all white, and since we have "history" (LOL!) now, I was in pure heaven to just gawk at him. I did give Darren plenty of my eye but he rarely looked at the people directly in front of him.

I'm dead tired now, but that concludes the crazy day that Savage Garden took Radio City by storm. Every time I turned around from my seat, the audience was going crazy, glow sticks were waving, people were dancing and having a ball. I think it's safe to say that Savage Garden ROCKED the house, and from the grins on EVERY member of the band's faces - they had an absolute amazing time playing at RC.



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