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re: Darren Holden version of Surfs Up - see link in intervierw

Posted by:
Space_Monkey 06:26 pm UTC 01/21/07
In reply to: Darren Holden version of Surfs Up - see link in intervierw - Jacqueline 10:15 pm UTC 01/19/07

It's good... but it could have been better had he dropped it down a key. Sounds painful in parts. Maybe that's the point of the song; "How hard, how hard do I gotta try?" probably conveys the emotion better sung by someone who sounds like they're about to keel over due to the sheer enormity of, well, their erection I guess.

It's grown on my (the song, not... oh, never mind). I like it.



> At just sixteen years old, Irish-born singer, songwriter
> and stage performer Darren Holden toured the U.K. as the
> frontman for his own band. Some years later, he’s still
> rocking – Holden has played some 1,000 performances as the
> Piano Man in the national tour of Movin’ Out, which wraps
> in Birmingham, AL on January 21st.
>
> As the Piano Man, Holden - a successful recording artist
> who made his Broadway debut in Riverdance in 2000 -
> provides the melodies, memories and emotions that drive
> the characters of Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s hit dance
> musical collaboration. Perched above the dancers and
> backed by a 10-piece band, Holden performs the classic
> Joel songs accompanying a tale of Long Island friends and
> lovers whose relationships are strained – and lives
> scarred - by the Vietnam War.
>
> Holden, whose newest album “Roadworks” is now available,
> recently discussed Movin’ Out and his career as a
> singer/songwriter in an e-mail interview.
>
> MC: Congrats on the success of the Movin\\\' Out tour, and
> on the release of your new album! On January 21st,
> you\\\'ll be playing your final performance as the Piano
> Man in Movin\\\' Out. What has been most rewarding aspect
> of your experience with the show?
>
> DH: I think it has been the way critics and audiences all
> over the USA and Japan accepted and praised my
> interpretation of Billy’s songs. I never wanted to do an
> imitation of him as there is only one Billy Joel, and
> thankfully, after he heard me for the first time on
> Broadway, he told me to just take his material and make it
> mine. He was very cool like that.
>
> MC: You\\\'ve played more than 1,000 performances in the
> role, on Broadway and on tour! How did you keep your
> performance fresh and spontaneous, particularly in the
> last few hundred performances?
>
> DH: I would do subtle changes vocally and musically every
> other show, and the boys in the band would follow me and
> if it worked, we would keep it in for a few months until I
> did something new. That’s what I loved about the Movin’
> Out band - they were always up for a challenge and always
> met it! Also, you never lose sight of the fact that every
> show is like opening night and has to be as fresh as the
> first one.
>
> MC: Also, did you gain any particular insights into Billy
> Joel\\\'s music and lyrics that you didn\\\'t have when
> you first started as the Piano Man?
>
> DH: I learned that Billy’s lyrics speak to people of all
> walks of life. Rich, poor, black, white. He has a
> magical way of making the listener believe that the song
> is just about him or her. That’s very rare these days.
>
> MC: Did you work very closely with Twyla Tharp when you
> first started in Movin\\\' Out? In what ways did she
> guide you with song interpretation and in bringing the
> Piano Man - whom the audience only sees singing and
> playing the piano - to life?
>
> DH: Twyla was present at my final audition with the band.
> She really drove me hard asking me to play a certain song
> and then change to a different song. I must have gone
> through 12 songs - I guess she wanted to be sure I knew
> them all! I believe she was happy with the preparation I
> had put into the role on my own. I would rehearse 8 hours
> every day and then go watch the show every night for a
> month before I started. She was very complimentary. I
> still have the little note she left me from opening night
> of the tour in Detroit.
>
> MC: The Piano Man doesn\\\'t have direct interaction with
> the dancers. How were you able to successfully establish
> a dynamic between the performers dancing below you and
> yourself?
>
> DH: I started to make eye contact with them early on in
> the tour, and become more involved emotionally with the
> characters they were playing. If they were going through
> a rough scene in the show, my expression would mirror that
> and I think it connected me to them more so than just
> being the guy above them singing for two hours.
>
> MC: You performed on tour in Japan, as well as in the US
> and Canada. The show, which is set during the Vietnam
> years, concerns a very turbulent era of American history.
> Were there any ways in which audience response differed
> from country to country, particularly in relation to
> Movin\\\' Out\\\'s political themes?
>
> DH: Audiences all over were universal in their praise of
> the Vietnam element in the show. There was never a night
> when we wouldn\\\'t get a huge roar of approval after
> “Goodnight Saigon,” or see people wiping away tears during
> “Elegy.” Audiences realized that this is a part of
> American history that won’t go away and in order for the
> show to succeed, it needed to be in there.
>
> MC: Prior to Movin\\\' Out, you made your Broadway debut
> singing in Riverdance - another dance-heavy show that,
> like you, has an Irish heritage! Do you have any favorite
> memories of that experience?
>
> DH: Ah yes, indeed. Without Riverdance, I would not be
> where I am now. I am forever grateful to Bill Whelan,
> John McColgan and Moya Doherty for the great opportunity
> they gave me and for believing in me enough to make me
> lead vocalist. I guess my most special memory is the
> first day I performed the lead role and as I turned to the
> audience during \\\"At the Edge of the World\\\" I spotted
> my mum. Her face told it all.
>
> MC: Did you learn any step-dancing along the way?
>
> DH: Believe it or not, I was a silver medal step dancer in
> Ireland when I was 13 years old! I did a bit of dancing
> at the start of Act Two, but thankfully no more than
> that!
>
> MC: Let\\\'s talk a bit about your new album, “Roadworks.”
> You wrote its songs over the course of two years while on
> tour with Movin\\\' Out. What\\\'s the concept behind the
> album, and how do you feel it expresses you as an artist?
>
> DH: “Roadworks” was recorded in hotel rooms around the US
> and Canada while on tour with Movin\\\' Out. Fans wrote
> into my website over and over, asking when the new album
> was coming out. My collaborators - Movin\\\' Out
> saxophonist Bryan Steele and guitarist Denny Blake - and I
> sat down and whittled about 60 songs down to 10. Two of
> the songs were written by Billy Joel\\\'s bandleader and
> guitarist Tommy Byrnes who also produced three tracks. So
> far the CD has been selling extraordinarily well and I am
> hoping for a major label release later this year. I like
> to write about everyday situations like life, love, loss,
> happiness.
>
> MC: You\\\'re known for performing everything from pop to
> country. Who are some of your songwriting influences?
> I\\\'m guessing Billy Joel would be an obvious one!
>
> DH: Absolutely! Also, Elton is another. Brian Wilson,
> Richard Marx, Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne, Barry Gibb. The
> list goes on and on. But for me, one man stands head and
> shoulders above all others, and I hope to one day record
> an album of his material - Jim Steinman. Check out my
> demo of the Steinman classic \\\"Surfs Up\\\" at
> www.MySpace.com/officialdarrenholden.
>
> MC: \\\"Through Hell and High Water,\\\" released as a
> single, was written in honor of the victims of Hurricane
> Katrina. Was writing and performing that a very emotional
> experience for you?
>
> DH: Yes. I, like millions of others around the world, was
> horrified by what I was watching on the news in the
> aftermath of the tragedy, and one of the women who
> survived the ordeal said that she had been \\\"Through
> Hell and High Water.” I think I had it written in 5
> minutes and Bryan Steele put the finishing touches to it
> and did a wonderful production. Every time I sing it, it
> stirs up painful emotions.
>
> MC: You\\\'ve been performing since your teens, and
> started a rock band at the tender age of 16, I read! Has
> the transition from a successful rock singer and recording
> artist to a stage performer been an easy one?
>
> DH: I guess as a kid growing up, my parents instilled a
> love of all genres of music in me, whether it was Elvis,
> Glen Campbell, Mario Lanza, or John McCormack. I had some
> stuff to learn about being a stage performer for sure, and
> I am glad of that. Now I am very disciplined and know how
> to look after myself as a singer. To be honest, this has
> been the best period of my career.
>
> MC: Do you plan to do more theatre, or to focus more on
> singing and songwriting?
>
> DH: I hope to do all three, if possible. I would love to
> do more theatre, and I am hopeful that somewhere out there
> is someone with a great concept for a show that I would be
> perfect for. I am open to all ideas.
>
> MC: Finally, you\\\'ve performed in front of George W.
> Bush and Laura Bush as well as in front of over 70,000
> people at a San Diego Chargers game. Which brought out
> more nerves for you?
>
> DH: To sing at the White House for the President was
> beyond words, to be honest. A magical moment that will
> stay with me always. To sing the Anthem in front of
> 70,000....exhilarating!! It was the greatest moment of my
> professional career. And yes, that made me more nervous.
> I mean, what do you do if you forget the words in front of
> that many people!!
>
> For more information on Holden, visit
> www.darrenholden.com. For more on the Movin’ Out tour,
> visit this link.


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Previous: Darren Holden version of Surfs Up - see link in intervierw - Jacqueline 10:15 pm UTC 01/19/07
Next: Bugger you beat me ;o) - Pudding 11:17 pm UTC 01/19/07

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