Darius World

Darius spills the Beans about Finding Love on the Underground

I get offered drugs all the time
Now Magazine 27 November 2002

Darius Danesh says that while he may "live clean but party dirty," he'll never let anything threaten the music career he's worked so hard for.

Darius Danesh knew that fame has a dark side, but nothing prepared him for the amount of drug peddling that goes on behind closed doors on the showbiz circuit.

"I could've been tempted so easily," he says, wide-eyed. "Yes, I've been offered drugs loads of times, but I've always turned them down. Things like that just turn my stomach."

Often working through the night to finish his self-penned debut album Dive In, Darius says it opened his eyes to how easy it would be to turn to cocaine to combat sleep deprivation.

"I didn't sleep for days and I didn't know that my body could humanly cope. So many people would've been taking coke to keep them going, but it's just too easy to turn to drugs. I was awake for 48 hours, but the excitement of working on ky songs kept me going - not coke."

He adds: " I owe it to myself and, more importantly, to my parents, who've supported me throughout my whole life. The public gave me the opportunity to show them what I'm capable of, so why abuse my body?"

Darius says that watching his own pop idol, Robbie Williams, abuse his body was a fierce reminder of what can go wrong.

"Robbie's an artist I respect a lot. He was someone who had both a No 1 single and album at the same time, but he abused his body with drugs and alcohol. He was on a career high, but he was having a miserable time in his private life. People have talked about him, making a comeback but, for me, he never really went away. He's a fantastic singer and songwriter."

But while Darius might look like the clean-cut guy you'd be proud to bring home to your mother, he admits that he has a dark side. "I live clean but I party dirty," he says wickedly.

The last bash he threw was in his hometown of Glasgow a few weeks ago. The guest list included Will Young, So Solid Crew's Harvey, the Sugababes, Sarah Whatmore and former Five singer Abs. Darius grimaces at what went on that night. "people were dancing on the tables, spraying each other with champagne. it was a riot. Loads of the guests had passed out on the floor by the end of the night."

It's been an extraordinary year for Darius and his five-album deal with Mercury Records was undoubtedly the icing on the cake. He's aware that things could've been different had he signed with BMG Records like Pop Idol winner Will Young and runner-up Gareth Gates.

"I feel relieved that I have creative and business control over my career. It's a far cry from the route I could've taken if I didn't have my head screwed on. But by the end of Pop Idol, i understood how the music industry works," he says.

His busy schedule means that he hasn't had the chance to watch the current series of Popstars: The Rivals or Fame Academy, but he guesses that the contracts have caused problems for certain contestants. Darius is hesitant to reveal how restrictive the contrracts were, but he does say: "They'll be strung up so tight they won't be able to budge sideways. I caused Simon Cowell loads of problems because I wouldn't sign a lot of things. Luckily, I had my mum and dad looking through contracts with me."

"As soon as the public gave me a second chance, I realised that I didn't have to accept what was being offered to me. I wasn't prepared to just sign my life away."

He didn't sign on the dotted line and now he's reaping the rewards. His single Colourblind hit No 1 and his debut album threatens to be a runaway success.

Darius is pleased that he wasn't picked to be part of the ill-fated Hear'Say. He quietly comments: "Myleene [Klass] seems to have been carving out a solo project for some time judging by the amount of individual press she's been doing recently"

Despite his new-found fame, Darius has made a point of keeping his feet firmly on the ground. He even shuns the luxury of chauffeur-driven cars in favour of public transport.

In fact, he met his last girlfriend - a student called Amanda - on the London Underground. His album track Sliding Doors is dedicated to her. "Looking back, it was just like the Gwyneth Paltrow film. I jumped on the train just as the doors were closing and saw this gorgeous girl who was too busy reading her newspaper to notice that the idiot sitting opposite her was completely in awe," he says. "Before I had a chance to speak to her, she'd got off the train. I made a mad dash after her, but it was a crowded station and I'd no idea whether she was going to get on another train or if she was heading for the exit."

Luckily for Darius, Amanda had sensed he was interested - she tapped him on the shoulder as he stood bewildered on the platform. The pair dated for a few months before she went travelling.

Far from being the playboy he's made out to be in the Press, he insists that things have been pretty quiet on the romance front. meanwhile his music career is storming ahead. He may be on course to realising hisdream of having a platinum album before he's 35, but Darius insists thaat he has a long way to go. For now, though, he's enjoying every minute of it. "I've wanted this for so long and now it's finally within my reach."

By Selina Julien