Darius World

Heavenly Creature

Western Mail 9 May 2003

He Was Pop'S Biggest Joke But Since Ditching The Goatee, Darius Danesh Tells Karen Price How His Career Has Soared, The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of Wales

DARIUS Danesh is flying. He once crowed about having a double platinum-selling album by the age of 30. His debut effort went platinum and he's only 22.

Now he's selling out a UK tour whereas the pretenders to his reality TV throne (Girls Aloud, One True Voice) are having to can their ambitions of touring.

Darius has succeeded so far because he's personified the motto - if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. In fact, the award for Miraculous Reinvention just has to go to Darius Danesh - the once proud owner of a goatee beard and ponytail and utter pratdom of Popstars - and now the proud owner of multi-zillion record sales, trendy sticky-uppy fringe and designer stubble.

Darius, (like Madonna, he appears to have ditched the surname), himself agrees that the `there's a lot of love in the room' image was a mistake. He says it made him look like a cross between a Quentin Tarantino baddie and a Spanish waiter.

Darius said he invented that character because he thought it was what was wanted. "Anyone who saw me on Popstars didn't know who I was. They saw this cocky absurd caricature of a tough young guy. I cringed at the time, but I laugh now when I look back because I have hindsight. I realised I was trying to be something I wasn't."

Perhaps his tacky appearance would not have been so bad if he had shown he had the other ingredients required to help make him a famous pop singer. Darius has a wonderful Vegas, throaty, rich voice. But his excruciating performance of Britney Spears' hit, Baby, One More Time, had people stuffing the cotton wool in their ears. What was that all about?

"I was very naive," he says. "The last two and a half years have built up my understanding of what the music business is like and what is expected of the artist."

So, with the belief in the true quality of his voice - okay, minus the falsetto of the Britney vibe - the half-Iranian, half-Scottish 22-year-old went back on TV screens, this time auditioning for Pop Idol, but with his new image which he describes as `less is more'.

Since coming number three to Will Young and Gareth Gates there's been no stopping him. Within months he had topped the charts with his debut single, Colourblind, and he now has a platinum selling album, Dive In, under his belt, which means he's well on his way to achieving his ambition of having a double platinum selling album by the time he's 30.

Yet, in a style which the goatee Darius wouldn't recognise, he's down-playing his success. "This is just me taking my first step," he says. "I feel like a baby in the business. This is my debut album and I've got a five-album deal with Universal, so it's the first of many steps and stages that I want to move forward on. It's not moving forward on the same line, it's also about moving diagonally a bit. It's great to be moving and not always to be static."

Darius is now embarking on his first arena tour of the UK. He has already performed two concerts in Rhyl and tomorrow he comes to Cardiff. He is not unfamiliar with the Welsh capital, having switched on its lights last Christmas (there's fame for you).

Before hitting the road big-time, Darius told us how he feels about everything from goatees to Gatesy.

Darius on...

The best thing about it is that I get fast-tracked when I'm at the airport so I get to mess about in Duty Free for longer. So fame definitely does have its bonuses. But seriously, the real bonus is being able to use your position in the public eye to raise awarenesss of worthwhile causes like children's charities and cancer charities. When I was a student I would organise events to raise money for charity but it would take a year to raise Ł10,000 - I managed to do that last year in one night.

Achieving his dream...

I told Nasty Nigel (Popstars judge) that my ambition was to have a double platinum selling album by the time I'm 30. I am really lucky that my debut album has gone platinum and I'm 22. For people to give me that kind of support is amazing - it shows they like the songs. I still find it all very surreal.

Will Young and Gareth Gates...

They are wicked. I have not seen them since just before Christmas. They are living their dream and I am living mine. It's great that in pop music there's room for so many different people. I wish them the best of luck in their careers. I think Will has got one of the truly great voices and I was very supportive when he won. Gareth has what he wanted - to become a teen idol.

(and his cringe-worthy performance of her hit, Baby, One More Time, while he auditioned for Popstars)...

So many times we do and say things we look back and laugh about and that's one

Britney Spears of those things. It's good I was able to put that to rest by coming third in Pop Idol. I later beat Britney to the top of the charts (his debut hit Colourblind went to number one, keeping Britney's I'm Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman off the top). But I think Britney's great.

The goatee and ponytail he sported during Popstars...

It was a part of growing up. I am a different person to the guy at the Popstars' auditions. At the time, I was 19, young insecure and cocky. I looked like a cross between a Quentin Tarantino baddie and a Spanish waiter. But now I feel very comfortable with where I am and who I am.

Winning the award for Best Dressed Male at the Smash Hits poll winners party last December...

I was very flattered - it's a really nice accolade to get. Clothes are important to me. I am no longer restricted by the shoestring student budget as I was before. I'm not really a big shopper. I like to wear things I feel comfortable in. I often get denims from second-hand shops and team them with a nice designer shirt. I respect men like David Beckham and Jude Law for their dress sense.

Turning down an offer to screen test for a Hollywood film on a recent trip to LA...

I am focusing on music at the moment. Music videos are like mini movies - you get to go spinning round in downtown LA, which is great fun.

His fans...

Without them I would not be here. I feel very glad that I have such loyal and supportive people. I'm very lucky.

I split up with my girlfriend before Christmas and am now dating a string of very attractive young ladies. But I am single, I am on tour and meeting girls at gigs, so I don't want to be tied down. I would like to get married and have kids but right now I am young and a bachelor.

I was really surprised when I heard that Girls Aloud and One True Voice had to cancel their tour due to a lack of interest.

I thought Pop Idol was more entertaining than Popstars: The Rivals.

Darius will be at Cardiff International Arena tomorrow.