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Kinda Love
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Incredible
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Dive In
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Kinda Love
Live Twice
Hunky Darius Danesh wore a kilt to a new telly show and caused chaos as fans threw knickers at him.
The Popstars heart-throb didn't get the chance to sing a tune because ga-ga girls in the audience were desperate for a glimpse of what was lurking underneath.
Frustrated camera crews had to do take after take because - in classic Tom Jones style - lusty lasses were hurling undies on stage.
Obsessed
Producers had to step in and halt filming to calm down a 200-strong crowd of girlies in the invited audience who kept making a grab for Dazzling Daz's kilt.
One obsessed 18-year old screeched:"Darius I love you. I want to kiss you. You're so gorgeous, but let me see what's under there. Give me a flash. You're my dream man, but what's under your kilt - can I have a look?"
Stunned Darius, on the verge of singing his hit Colourblind, smiled nervously, but looked shaken by all the furore.
The besotted teenagers were told four times by Granada TV crews to keep clear of the stage as Darius sang for new show Record of the Year.
Eventually, he got through the number, then left with minders fending off kiss-hungry fans.
"It was complete and utter mayhem," said a Granada telly source.
"Darius just didn't know which way to turn"
"He won the hearts of the nation when he performed the Tom Jones song It's Not Unusual on Pop Idol, but I don't think he imagined he would get a similar reaction as his hero."
Around 12,000 people packed into Old Market Square last night to see Pop Idol Darius strut his stuff at the big Christmas lights switch-on.
The strapping Glaswegian - best known for losing out in TV's Popstars and coming third in Pop Idol - performed his number one hit Colour Blind and his latest single Rushes for the screaming fans.
And he told the Post: "The atmosphere here tonight was absolutely amazing."
He said: "Nottingham is one of my favourite cities and I'll definitely be coming back again.
"I was looking out of the window earlier and listening to the noise of the crowd and it was just wonderful.
"The people here just make me feel so welcome and supported."
Fans waited for more than three hours to get the best views of the concert, which was organised by Nottingham City Council and 96 Trent FM.
Lisa Gardner, 15, from Aspley, arrived at 4pm, and bagged a top spot at the front.
She said: "I've loved Darius since he was on Pop Idol. He's really good looking, and he's a good singer, and he writes all his own songs as well."
The lights were turned on at 7pm by Lord Mayor, Coun Des Wilson, Panto star Joe Pasquale and Nottingham schoolgirl Sarah Russell, who has been fighting cancer.
Darius was joined by popstars Blazin' Squad, Busted and garage supremo Romeo from So Solid Crew in the show, hosted by Evening Post columnists and Trent DJs Jo and Twiggy.
Also performing was fellow Pop Idol contestant Sarah Whatmore, who said: "It was absolutely wicked out there tonight.
It was really cold but I was dancing so much that I stayed warm.
I've been to Nottingham before but performing here tonight was just an amazing feeling."
Darius tells how cloak and dagger deal came off
John Dingwall Daily Record 21 November 2002
DARIUS DANESH was forced to hand over a briefcase containing £10,000 in cash to a London barber in return for a dance remix of his No.1 hit Colourblind.
The Scots singer was told to leave the five-figure sum in a briefcase and that he would never discover the identity of the secretive production team who promised to deliver a killer version of the song in return.
Darius then spent a tense weekend with his label boss, Mercury Records MD Steve Lillywhite, as they waited to find out if they had been victims of an elaborate sting and had just kissed goodbye to the cash.
Darius said: "Steve Lillywhite got a phone number for a great remix from this team called 8 Jam.
"He had heard that they were very good but asked around and found out that nobody had ever met them.
"He had just started as MD at Mercury and phoned a New York number to ask 8 Jam if they would do a remix on spec - which meant they would only be paid for the production if we liked it.
"It was a New York mobile number, but it diverted to Brixton and it was answered by someone with a c**k ney accent, which threw Steve off. The guy told him I had to put the money in a briefcase and leave it at a barbers in Brixton that Friday night.
"The remix would be there on Monday at nine in the morning.
"Steve thought it was a joke at first. He said, `No, you don't understand. You have to come in for coffee and we'll talk.' But the guy said: `No, you don't understand' and just hung up.
"When Steve phoned back up he told the guy, `It's Steve Lillywhite here. MD of Mercury', But the guy said, `I don't care who you are'.
"In the end, we decided to go for it. At five in the evening I arrived with £10,000 in cash at the barbers. Monday morning came and I went to pick up the CD. But there was nothing there. An hour later I was still waiting and getting worried.
"Then a courier turned up with the briefcase and inside was the CD which is possibly the best dance mix of the year."
The 8 Mile remix is an extra track on Darius's new single Rushes, which is out on Monday.
Darius, 21, added: "It's incredible. There's a whole mystique about it, but I think 8 Jam are just a couple of white teenagers who have set up a home studio in Brixton."
The incident is just one of several bizarre encounters Darius has experienced since shooting to fame.
A regular in some of the trendiest hotels and bars in Los Angeles, he says the events of the last few months have helped him to grow up.
He says he doesn't recognise himself as the goatee-beard-sporting wannabe who faced ridicule on the original Popstars series and went on to challenge for the Pop Idol crown.
Darius said: "I was very insecure about myself when I was performing on Pop Idol and Popstars.
"I was in the process of growing up and I did it on TV. I've watched one Popstars: The Rivals. I thought it was wicked seeing Pete Waterman doing his stuff but I didn't recognise what I was seeing. My head is not there. It seems like five years ago since I was on that show."
With a debut album of self-penned songs due out on December 2, called Dive In, Darius oozes confidence.
But the recordings were almost lost during a blackout at one of the studios.
He said: "The album is for anyone who has an appreciation of a songwriter that ranges from David Gray to Craig David to Alicia Keys to Dido.
"They will hopefully appreciate that it is original and has its own sound. I'm very proud of the songs.
"But we lost a lot of information on the guitar parts for all the songs and the backing vocals for three of the tracks the night before the album was due to be pressed up. There was a power cut in the middle of the night and the tracks hadn't been backed up. So we had to redo them.
"The engineer was pulling his hair out. The palms of my hands were sweating and my heart was racing. But the adrenaline helped. It was a rush in itself."
Clearly enjoying being back in Scotland, Darius hopes the new single Rushes will show people that he is no one-hit wonder.
But he adds that he isn't expecting his second single to do as well as the first.
He said: "The second single is an opportunity for me to show that I'm not a one-trick pony.
"That's not to say I'm not a one-hit wonder. Maybe I am and maybe this won't hit the Top 10 and it will be the third and fourth singles which do well.
"Rushes was a song I used to sing to myself when I was 16. It's a song I forgot about. It was a song for a girl who knocked me off my feet. But she left the country.
"I never told her, but I was singing the song unaccompanied as I was walking along the street.
"Rushes is not a commercially viable song because it is complex. I think I've crafted an exciting pop record which won't be in the top five.
"I am launching at a time when Craig David, Will Young, Robbie Williams and U2 all have records out."
Darius has denied that he delayed the release of Rushes because he feared a chart battle with Will Young. He said: "I personally didn't feel it would make much sense when Will was contributing to Children In Need for me to take away from a charity record. It could have been anyone who was singing that record but as soon as I found out from my label that we were scheduled for the same week I asked for it to be changed.
"I'm doing things for Children In Need but Rushes isn't a charity record and I wouldn't want people who might buy Will's song to buy mine and thus deprive the charity of funds.
"So if the people who have supported me can wait an extra week, it will allow me to feel better about the release."
Darius's claim is given credibility by the fact that he would have been hotly tipped to go to No.2 behind Will had he released this week.
As it is, he will be competing with Ronan Keating, Lulu, Enrique Iglesias, Ms Dynamite, Atomic Kitten, George Harrison, Liberty X and S Club.
Darius added: "To release the following week is worse for me commercially. If you look at the release schedule, I'm up against at least four acts who have had No.1 singles in the last year.
"It's a saturated market in the lead up to Christmas.
"It would have made sense from a marketing point for me to wait until January to release this record when all these big hitters were out of the way. But I couldn't wait to let people hear what I am doing."
By SIMON WHEELER, Showbiz Reporter The Sun 20 November 2002
POP Idol loser Darius Danesh has copped off with a Bond girl — trouble is, she’s only a SHADOW.
The 21-year-old singer got touchy-feely with a sexy blonde at the glittering party that followed Monday night’s 007 film premiere.
Later it emerged that the girl appears in the blockbuster movie Die Another Day...fleetingly. She crops up in the title sequence as a gyrating silhouette.
Even Darius admitted: “She’s gorgeous — but blink and you’ll miss her part.”
Kilt-clad Darius and his date, known only as Jacqui, were surrounded by a host of glamorous guests at the London bash, including stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry. But they had eyes only for each other.
A fellow partygoer told how the singer, who also missed out on Popstars, left with the blonde after they chatted all night.
The guest said: “They were very close. Darius was clearly proud he was there with a Bond girl — well, a sort of Bond girl.”
POP idol Darius is coming to Glasgow to play a free gig as a thank-you to his hometown supporters.
The Bearsden singer, whose first single Colourblind went straight to No1, will thrill fans on December 6, at the new music venue Jumpin’ Jaks in the former ABC cinema on Sauchiehall Street.
Venue manager Chris Callaghan said: “Our aim is to get the very best in live pop music for the people of Glasgow – and Darius is one of the biggest names at the moment.
“Fans can get much closer to their heroes here than they would if they went to see them in a big arena.”
Darius’ first album, Dives In, is launched next Monday. It includes Colourblind and his second single, Rushes.
He will appear on stage after a special one-off appearance by 70s soul legend Edwin Starr.
Jumpin’ Jaks has yet to release ticket details for the event.
Pop star Darius Danesh brought Christmas spirit to Bristol on Saturday as thousands gathered to watch the heartthrob flick the switch on the festive lights.
A finalist in TV's Pop Idol, Darius joined one-hit wonder Chesney Hawkes on stage and officially brought the Christmas lights in the city centre to life.
Screaming fans braved the cold and the rain to catch a glimpse of their pop favourite at the Orange Christmas Spectacular.
Darius, the guest of honour, treated the crowd to a rendition of his new single Rushes.
Speaking in front of his fans he said: "It is a great crowd here in Bristol and the last time I was here I had a really great time so I wanted to help light up the town. "The Bristol crowd has given me such a rush of adrenalin. It is a cold night but we are going to warm everybody up."
Saturday's festive show also saw singer-songwriter Chesney Hawkes deliver a dazzling performance, as well as local youngsters singing Christmas songs.
Mum-of-two Rachel O'Sullivan, of Fishponds, said the show had something for everyone to enjoy.
"Both my children really like Darius because we all loved watching him on Pop Idol - he was really funny but now we think that his music is really good, " she said.
"I prefer Chesney Hawkes because I can remember him and I know who he is. But all round it was a good show even though it rained a bit.
"I loved the primary school kids who got up on stage and sang. I think that they are very brave to do that."
Bristol City Deputy Lord Mayor Helga Benson said she was honoured to see so many people turn up to the show and wished everyone a happy Christmas.
She said: "We are very proud to unveil the new Christmas lights and I am sure that we will all enjoy them very much."
Darius Danesh did the right thing last week when one of his fans passed away.
The Pop Idol loser comes in for a lot of stick - much of it well-deserved, but credit where credit's dur.
A Middlesbrough youngster, who had bombarded Darius with letters and met him several times, lost his battle with cancer during the week. The star then cancelled all his appointments to attend the funeral. A source said: "As soon as Darius heard about the funeral he said he wouldn't be doing any TV and radio slots because he wanted to go and say goodbye. He went to Middlesbrough to pay his respects to the boy's family."
Fair play to you, Darius.
SEEING STARS
POP idol Darius is planning a surprise Christmas gift for his Scottish fans.
The hunky star will stage a special one-off concert as a thank you for their support over the past year. And the best part is - all the tickets are free.
Big-hearted Darius is determined to show his gratitude to those who backed his attempts at pop glory.
The exact date and venue are yet to be revealed but it promises to be the hottest date on the Christmas calendar, with just 800 tickets available.
"I can't wait to perform in Scotland again," said Glasgow-boy Darius. "It's always amazing playing on home soil. This is my way of saying thanks to the fans who've made this year one of the best of my life."
Darius has teamed up with the Sunday Mail and Scottsih Radio Holdings stations' Clyde 1, Forth 1, Tay FM, Northsound 1, MFR, Radio Borders and West FM to stage the gig.
Full details on how to get your hands on the tickets will be published only in your Sunday Mail next week.
Plus we'll have information on an extra-special competition that no Darius fan will want to miss.
A record company spokes-man said: "It's going to be an amazing night. The only dates he's done this year have been festivals and big arenas, so playing a smaller gig will be quite an experience for him.
"What a way to round-off an incredible year.
"Tickets will be like gold dust because you won't be able to buy them anywhere. They'll be given away free and once they're gone, they're gone."
Darius is taking time out from a hectic promotional tour plugging new single Rushes to perform for his Scots fans.
Rushes is due out next week and is tipped to follow debut release Colourblind to No.1.
His self-penned album, Dive In, is scheduled for release on December 2 - but for a sneak preview, don't miss next week's Diary column.
SCOTS popstar Darius Danesh has revealed how he penned the lyrics for his new single on the back of a bus ticket at the age of 16.
Darius told This Morning presenters Fern Britton and Phillip Schofield that he wrote the song after becoming obsessed by a girl on the school bus.
He explained how he jotted the words to new single Rushes during a school run journey in Glasgow.
The 20-year-old singer said on yesterday's TV show: "I wrote it in response to a crush I had on this girl who used to get the bus home from school.
"It was the No.18 and two stops from my school this girl would get on.
"She wasn't the prettiest girl on the bus, a bit like the dog who won the ugliest dog competition, but the girl had something about her.
"So I started writing these lyrics on the bus ticket. By the end of the week I had five bus tickets and this song."
Darius, from Bearsden in Glasgow, told how when he finally decided to speak to the object of his affection, the girl had moved away.
He said: "I found out she had gone to Germany. Her father had moved jobs and I never saw her again."
Rushes is out on November 25.
Pop Idol Darius Danesh is scared of flying and was nearly sick when he had to take a helicopter between gigs after his car broke down. New boy band D'Side offered Darius a lift in their chopper to Butlins in Minehead. Band member Dane Guiden said "There was loads of turbulence and even we were terrified." They linked hands and prayed the journey would go well. As Darius might say, "Feel the love in the room."
Its all kicking off in the pop world this week. And who would have thought the instigator would be the nicest man on the planet, Darius?
Talking about the fact Gareth's much-hyped debut album WHat My Heart Wats To Say has been beaten to the Number One slot by David Gray last week, Darius left us in no doubt he thought the best man had won. "Its time the major labels stopped pumping out half-decent tracks, sending them over to Swedish production teams and then filing up the album." he said before adding, "Gareth's great but the difference between us is that I'm a songwriter."
Despite coming third in Pop Idol, Darius, whose own debut album Dive In is about to be released, has been his own man right from the start. He turned down Simon Cowell's offer of a deal with BMG (Gareth and Will Young's label) because he wanted to write his own material and went on to have a Number One with self-penned Colourblind in August.
To be fair, Darius isn't having a go directly at Gareth, he's just expressing his opinion. And with the Number ones singles under his belt, we're sure Mr Gates isn't unduly worried. But its reassuring to hear Darius a formerPop Idol contestant standing up for his views ata time when Reality TV shows such as Fame Academy and Popstars: The Rivals have come under criticism forproducing manufactured pop puppets.
Maybe a Darius and Gareth duet could still be in the pipeline yet."
SINGER Darius is ringing up another musical fortune - without singing a note.
The Scots star's first single, Colourblind, has made it on to the list of this year's mobile phone top 10 ringtones.
Darius, of Bearsden, Glasgow, will cash in on the royalties because he wrote the tune.
A spokesman for Darius, who bounced back from being a Popstars and Pop Idol reject, and whose new single Rushes is out soon, said he was "over the moon" to have made it in the ringtone
BY PAUL ROBINSON
Yorkshire Evening Post 8 November 2002
HE'S gone from pop zero to hero in the space of a dazzling few months – but last night even chart-topper Darius was put in the shade.
The heart-throb Scot was in Leeds to do the honours at the turn-on of the city's famed festive lights. He joined forces with celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott and children's favourites Bill and Ben to start the countdown to December 25 in front of thousands of fans on The Headrow.
And before flicking the switch that turned the city into a sea of twinkling colour, Darius confessed that what he really wants for Christmas is…a cleaner.
He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Whenever I get home, I just dump all my stuff out of my bag, but then I'm off again before I get chance to tidy it up.
"I could certainly do with a bit of help clearing up the mess!"
Darius then proved he has put his infamous take on the Britney Spears hit Baby One More Time on TV's Popstars far behind him with a storming show that included his number one smash Colourblind.
He then made the day of 10-year-old Jessica Hall, plucking her from the crowd and whisking her on stage. Jessica, from Ossett, near Wakefield, got the biggest cheer of the evening when she told her idol that what she wanted for Christmas was HIM.
Earlier Ainsley Harriott had been in exuberant form, treating the crowd to a rendition of Santa Claus Is Coming To Leeds.
Nine miles of illuminations and 40,000 bulbs burst into life, accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display
Gareth Gates didn't look too bothered about a bitching by Darius Danesh this week as he strutted about in his Elvis-style jacket.
Maybe the poor lamb doesn't know that the mild-mannered Scots hunk said something slightly controversial. Simon Cowell also came under fire when Darius gave his fiery response to being told David Gray's album sold loads more than Gareth's.
Shocking - but even more shocking is the fact that Darius has finally learned to say boo to a goose. He stormed: "Whenever you hear one or two good songs on the radio, you'll go and buy the album. Soon as you get the album, you find the only two good songs on it were the singles. It's time the major labels stopped pumping out half-decent tracks, sending them over to Swedish production teams and then filling up an album. Gareth's great but the difference between us is that I am a songwriter."
Of course, Darius' forthcoming album will be great
SCREAMS, screams, whistles and a few more screams, proof positive that the Smash Hits tour was in town.
When Abs took to the stage it was clear the crowd weren't lamenting the demise of Five. Next up were Blazin' Squad, the screams were deafening and their No1 Crossroads was barely audible over the noise.
H and Claire's playful pop went down well and Dannii Minogue looked like she might finally step out of Kylie's shadow with her new funkier sound. Dannii's energy was a contrast to The Sugababes who coolly shimmied their way through recent No.1s Freak Like Me and Round Round.
Hometown boy Darius was saved for the finale, but he couldn't leave his former cheesy image entirely behind him, gushing to the audience: "This one's called Incredible, because, Glasgow, you are incredible."