Hi Everyone,
I'm sitting in a dressing room at NHK Hall in Tokyo, Japan and we have been here for about 8 hours waiting for Savage Garden to perform on one of Japan's biggest tv shows, it is called POP JAM. They are the only international act performing with the rest of them being local Japanese acts. I don't know if I can stand waiting around in the dressing room for much longer... I am about to suffocate from my own boredom. Television performances and video shoots typify the saying - 'Hurry Up and Wait!'. We all rush to be on time, I inadvertantly yell at Darren because he is taking too long brushing his teeth and applying his moisturiser, my stress rises to an unheard of level because he doesn't care that I'm yelling at him to hurry up (note: he completely ignores me), we then rush down to the lobby and pretend that our clock was slow so as to avoid any anger from the record company and management, I try and smile sweetly while all the while whispering about Darren behind his back and putting the blame entirely on him and telling EVERYONE that he is just IMPOSSIBLE and I can't control him (which of course is so untrue), we then get to the tv station.. only to find ourselves languishing for hours on end in windowless rooms with all the fluorescent lighting in the world to make us feel happy and healthy.

.......but I digress......

So, here we are..... it is January in the year 2000, and, as far as I know, not a head exploded at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve, as Daniel had predicted. I was fully prepared for just such an occurrence (which was why I was seen sporting a full faced motor bike helmet all night), and was slightly upset that nothing.. not an iota of Y2K activity happened. There were no nuclear disasters, no earthquakes, no electricity and water shortages, NOTHING... what was all the fuss and Nike advertising about!!!! I guess it did serve its purpose, we all thought this was going to be the biggest New Years Eve of our lives and we all wanted a story to tell our grandchildren. Well, I can tell you that Savage Garden were asked to perform at a number of functions in Sydney on the big night, but declined all of them so that they could spend the New Year completely away from Savage Garden. Darren spent his night at home in San Francisco, and Daniel spent the night with a few friends watching the fireworks from a hill that overlooked Brisbane city. I, on the other hand, spent the night at a massive party on a pier just 50 metres from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.. it was fabulous.. and although my head DID NOT explode, it most certainly felt like parts of it had been removed during the first couple of days of the new year.

OkayOkay.... how EXCITING.. what wonderful news... which Savage Garden fan did not get excited when they found our that I KNEW I LOVED YOU went to Number 1 on the American Billboard Charts?? Did you know that this went to number 1, 2 years, almost to the day (just a few out) that Truly Madly Deeply went to number 1? When the guys found out we were all in a car together driving to Star FM in Los Angeles for a performance they did on the show. It was such great news and I know both Darren and Daniel felt that, as songwriters, it was an amazing achievement. I mean, let's face it.. .. who wouldn't feel that? For my part, it just made my job all the more braggable... 'Oh yes, oh yes indeed, I DO work for the band that currently has the number 1 single on the American Billboard chart'. Believe me I have been getting some mileage out of THAT ONE this week!
Highlight of last week.. The American Music Awards. What a complete buzz!! And what a wonderful performance of I Knew I Loved You! Am I gushing?? Hmmmm.. not too sure... whatever, I was very proud. Darren and Daniel had the opportunity to finally meet Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics before the show. Annie is apparently everything you could want in an idol. Not only is she talented, but she is a very warm, friendly person. I do suggest that you all go out running and screaming to buy some of their music, I couldn't recommend which album to buy.. but I know that Darren's favourite album is called SAVAGE (no pun intended). It has this wonderful song on it called 'YOU HAVE PLACED A CHILL IN MY HEART'. Sometimes I like to sing it really loud and pretend I'm Annie. Darren tells me that I sound just like a musical angel. I believe him when he says things like this.

Daniel was looking very cute at the AMA's (which is code for 'American Music Awards'... obviously only the movers and shakers in the music industry, and I knew what this stood for!). His cuteness was propelled to new levels due to the fact that all the chicks (ie. his stylist) forced him into a singlet for the performance.

It became such a hit with the females around him that we all convinced him once again to wear one for the video. Now that I have written this, he will probably never wear one again.... Darren opted for the complete rock star attire, wearing a gorgeous black leather jacket.. which I would have loved to own.

We were in Los Angeles for 12 days! It was great to be in the one place for a long period of time, although we were staying in a hotel that is currently under construction (ie. we were required to wear hard hats when sitting by the pool, the elevators were barely operational and the builders worked from 7.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Sunday, and to top all that fun off, the UCLA medical helicopter landed every two hours outside my window, and the church bells from the cathedral.. also outside my window.. went off every hour on the hour... aside all of that it was very very relaxing).

LA was the first time we were all together (including the band) since a few weeks before Christmas. Everybody looked healthy, happy and rested and it was a treat catching up again. Of course, we all know that the healthy and rested part will be fleeting.. but you do need to hold onto these things while they last.
Now... I wasn't going to bring this up to any of you. But.. well... I felt it WAS necessary to clarify the 'Jay Leno' situation and the tragic turn of events that transpired due to the fever that was coursing through Darren's veins. I doubt that any of you were really aware of the level of his illness that day. The morning of Jay Leno I had to take him to a doctor because he felt like he had been hit by a train ( I did notice that some of you said it looked like his wardrobe had also been). What can I tell you? He saw the doctor. It seems he has some kind of long term virus that typically makes you exhausted..have an inflamed throat and well...makes you dizzy and 'confused' sometimes. The doctor told him that he HAD to cancel the tv show... but being the trooper that he is.. he refused to.. and instead took a steroid injection to numb his swollen throat, allowing him to at least make some sound. I don't know if it was the steroid injection, or the fever.. or just the thrill of being back on national tv in America again... but something happened that for my whole life I will never ever have an answer for..... After the doctor I took Darren shopping in Beverly Hills to help him pick out a few outfits for his current promo schedule. Understand he is standing there in a cold feverish sweat.. and the store assistant and I are handing him the floral red and white shirt he wore on Leno and we are saying "FABULOUS!!!" I mean... you have to look at it my way.... I just wanted him to feel happy.... I didn't want to upset him prior to his first tv appearance for the year 2000.... I just couldn't help myself.. I really did lose control of my mouth and the words FABULOUS and YOU LOOK GORGEOUS just kept falling out of my mouth.....

Well, you can safely say that I HAVE been fired as Fashion Advisor to Mr. Hayes....

I actually contribute all of the above to his confused state of mind, because it really was quite obvious to me that Darren's fever still hadn't broken the next day because we went to see 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and he decided that he needed to have his hair dyed the same colour as Jude Laws'. As always, I was there for him and we spent 10 hours in a hairdressing salon as they bleached and rebleached his hair to bring it down to blonde. We left the hairdressing salon before they finished the job as he was needed on the set of 'Politically Incorrect'. There was a brief moment on the way to the tv station that he asked the question 'You don't think my hair looks orange do you??'. To which his hairdresser, Clyde, and I replied 'NOOOOOO!!! (all the while thinking 'He's going to kill us when he realises we let him go on television with ginger hair'. Yep...we are DEFINITELY the sort of employees that have no fear at ALL telling our boss the ABSOLUTE truth.... ha don't try and call me a 'YES' person!)

Anyway.... the rest, as they say, is history... this one television appearance will go down in history as the only time that anyone (at least for the time being) will see Darren with blonde hair. By the time we got back to the hotel, he decided that he should remain black. I stood by him for another few hours, trying to dissuade him from this, as I really liked the new blonde him.. but, alas, when I woke up in the morning he was back to jet black.. and the previous day was nothing but a dream. For those of you that taped 'Politically Incorrect', I would save it as this appearance could become a Savage Garden Collectors Item only ever to resurface in the forthcoming home video "Darren Hayes: My hairstyles and me... A stroll down memory lane .... the sequel".

Our last day in LA was spent in a soundstage shooting the new video for CRASH AND BURN. Yariv, the director of the video, came up with an amazing concept, that when it is complete, will be a beautiful piece of film, full of different vignettes about the art of communication. Most of the footage was shot with extras the day after Darren and Daniel left, but I have managed to get a couple of photos of the set they performed on for their part of the clip. You will also see a mini movie of Darren learning sign language. For one part of the video he stops singing the chorus and instead performs it with sign language. I was highly impressed with the speed that he picked up this skill. I'm sure you will all love the clip when you finally see the finished product.

Well.... I am still sitting in NHK Hall and time is ticking by so slowly. I think this has been the longest day of everyone's life and we still have a few more hours left!

Next up after Japan is a trip to Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. We then have a week off before heading to Latin America to do some promo and then..... ta da... we will be holed up doing band and production rehearsals for the AFFIRMATION WORLD TOUR. This tour is due to commence in Japan in April, then onto Australia, New Zealand and Asia in May, the USA and Canada in July and August, South America in September and Europe in October. Watch this space for further tour details and competitions and all that sort of exciting stuff.

OOOOhhhh.... large time lapse here...

We are currently in a car speeding from Kuala Lumpur airport to our hotel.... It is a one hour drive so I thought I would finish this update...

We have just spent the last two days in Taiwan and we stayed at the most amazing hotel....... Darren and Daniel both had their own 24 hour butler. I found this rather international and was constantly trying to insinuate myself upon Darren's for the duration of our stay. Actually... I just pretended she was OUR butler and not just his... but she didn't really get this and constantly ignored me when I asked to get my clothes ironed as well....... I couldn't work out what she was meant by the sudden appearance of an iron and ironing board in my room.

Last night the band performed at TVBS TV station for an audience of 500 prize winners. They played seven songs and I became a wild and crazy photographer. I STILL didn't get the perfect photograph.. I'll get there one day, but there are a couple here for you. I did, however, get a great little mini movie which captured the start of AFFIRMATION which was the final song of the song. We like to refer to this mpeg as my 'finest steadycam moment yet'.

Look.. I have to let Darren write a message to you now as he has said he wants to say hi.... I'll be back with the rest of the Taiwan stories after he has finished with you all.....

Alrighty..so let me tell you a few concerns about Leonie that I have....firstly that she consantly portrays me as this kind of fashioniably challenged egocentric meglomaniac. Which of course I am. But that is besides the point. The deal is she too has her fair share of weird and 'interesting qualities. Like for instance she has this constant need to publicly broadcast her inner monologue. You know that voice in your head that says all those things you shouldn't really say to people.. or the feelings you have in a, crowded place that you really should keep to yourself. Here's an example. In a crowded elevator with no air conditioning Leo will be the person to very loudly yell 'WHOA.! DO YOU THINK THEY COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS HEAT????". That's fine right? But it doesn't stop there. In the car just now she said.."I've got Nun hair. When I don't blow dry it, it turns into Nun hair.". Now...this is interesting information but do you think our driver from Malaysia really needs that kind of specific detail about out girl? Bless her little heart. I've stressed her out so much this week. I've gotta go.. she's getting paranoid. Bye!
Oh... I'm back...

We are currently in a convoy. Daniel and our tour manager, Peter 'Sneaky' McFee, are driving behind us. We keep telling our driver to speed up to see if they can keep up with us. Boredom is obviously starting to set in.

I am digressing again.. I HAVE to tell you about the arrival inTaiwan. So.. we get off a 13 hour flight from Japan. Everyone, as you would expect, was looking their most attractive. I believe that Taiwan is one of the few countries in the world that allows news cameras and photographers into the immigration arrival area. So... we get off the plane and Darren and Daniel walked straight into a barrage of cameras. We had them following us for the ENTIRE walk out to the front of the airport. All I can say is THANK GOD I thought to apply just the slightest hint of lip gloss before I got off the plane!! You may not be aware of this, but both the guys are not comfortable with this sort of public attention... so they thought the best way to 'lose' the cameramen would be to get onto the moving walkway. This turned out to be a mistake and as Darren was becoming more uncomfortable with the situation, Dan just (surprisingly for him!) told him to keep smiling!

Well, I'm winding down now (and also getting a little car sick). We are in KL for three days, where the band are performing another showcase and doing the obligatory press, then we go to Singapore.. then it is home for a one week break before we go to South America. No doubt we will speak again when we are in Brasil.

Until then...

Bye!
Leonie

P.S. Actually... I HAVE to do this........ I am posting a photo of my nieces - Shannon and Kristy and my nephews, Tyson and Matthew. They posed for me for this shot and I PROMISED THEM I'd put it on the internet so they could have a look at it. So, here it is..... hope you guys don't mind!