Savage Garden Concert Reviews
July 10, 1998: Los Angeles: The Greek Theater
From: Savage Garden Dismal at Greek
By someone who didn't like the show... Reuters/Variety
Australian popsters Savage Garden have managed
to peddle here in the U.S. an astounding 4 million copies of their self-titled
Columbia debut album, but very little of whatever charm or talent sold
all those records makes it into the duo's concerts. Correctly gauging that
their audience wouldn't expect much from them, the pin-up pair (singer
and resident heartthrob Darren Hayes, guitarist and keyboard player Daniel
Jones) and their embarrassing backing band gave a half-baked performance
that left even loyal fans bewildered. "I don't even like them anymore,"
said 17-year old Kristi Singer of Woodland Hills after the 90-minute moonlit
show. Things got off to a bad start, as a prerecorded violins-into-disco
segue during the introduction drew reaction only from the Griffith Park
crickets. And it all went downhill from there. Notwithstanding the convincing
denial that Hayes posted to the group's Web page, it was clear that an
ample portion of the program was on tape. Or else drummer Karl hands (as
was apparently the case during the botched big-rock ending of "I Want You"),
and guitarist Ben Carey has mastered the art of playing two different parts
at once. But the evening's biggest hack was the handsome but inflated and
charmless Hayes, whose weak Diesel outfits and George Michael-wannabe schtick
was grim to witness. As for his very-suspect vocals, either they were helped
a great deal by samples, or the man is completely bereft of spontaneous
musical inclination. Most of the 5,500 or so attendees quietly sat firmly
planted in their seats, waiting for the two or three hit songs that they'd
recognize from top-40 radio. What was left of the underwhelmed crowd at
the end of mega-hit "Truly Madly Deeply" made an immediate mad-dash for
the parking lot, as if to quickly put this one behind them. Presented by
Nederlander. Band: Darren Hayes, Daniel Jones, Ben Carey, Lee Novak, Karl
Lewis, Anna Maria Laspina, Nicole McIntyre.
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