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Darius Danesh Interview
QMU Interview Glasgow University 07 November 2004
Finally the moment I had been waiting for had arrived, after years of anticipation. As the doors open, I would be able to watch as his tall dark form moved towards me and he would announce to the whole room, “Mhairi, you are my girl on the moon, your kinda love makes me crazy, you are incredible, you are amazing! Come and live with me in Bearsden!” To which I’d reply, “Well, thanks Darius, I’ll have to think about it? Is there a bus to Uni Avenue from there?”
Funnily enough, it didn’t happen like that, in fact interviewing Darius in real life was nothing like it. When I first heard that Darius was available for an interview by qmunicate, I was absolutely ecstatic – a chance to meet the man of my dreams at last. I’ve sung along to all of the songs with my mum for years, now I could get my very own personal concert.
After I got over the initial shock (and the jibes I got from friends), I set to my task. What was I going to ask the most handsome Scot in pop? Like, “Where is your ideal honeymoon destination?” I didn’t dwell too much on this however; I was far more concerned about what I should wear when I met him and when I could get my hair cut.
But despite all of my eager preparations the interview just didn’t seem to happen. Hours turned to days, days to weeks. It seemed that Darius wasn’t as bothered about meeting me as I was him. My enthusiasm gradually faded away and I began to think about other things, like the whereabouts of Michelle McManus. Just when I had lost all hope, it was all on again, however there was one disadvantage. My dream encounter was now a ten-minute phone call to his tour manager’s mobile. But beggars can’t be choosers, and my mum was still jealous.
So the moment arrived. Darius barely left time to breathe as he told me all about his exciting post-Pop Idol life, from his album ‘Dive In’ going platinum and supporting Shakira on her world tour, to promoting his book about his “persistence in the face in adversity”, his struggle with writer’s block, his father’s fight with cancer and how it helped him rediscover his creative genius – need I go on?
At the rate the words flowed from his mouth you’d think he was a professional talker rather than a professional singer. Just like us students, when Darius is away from his home he misses the “simplest, silliest things, like doing the washing up”, but most of all, his mum’s cooking. And he also misses his leading lady Lorraine Kelly. “I am her biggest fan,” gloats Darius “we should set up a mutual appreciation society!”
Soon our wee chat has to come to an end. We say our goodbyes and Darius promises to call me soon (I wait in hope). Although this interview didn’t happen quite as it had in my dreams, he came across as a really nice guy who has studied the music industry so hard that he just knows exactly what people want to hear, talking in carefully constructed and ruthlessly edited snippets and sentences, ready to cut and paste as necessary. Which is a shame because it rather ruins the sexy mystique that all those pouty photographs suggest there ought to be.
Darius persists through time, being the tall, dark and handsome stranger of pop that says exactly what your mum wants to hear. What lies beneath the polished pop facade? Perhaps we’ll never know. And me? I’m off to find a bus to Bearsden.
Mhairi Wilson