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