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2010 Aug 16
QUESTIONS ANYONE? I put this in my last mailout.... "I'm in the middle of the usual bizarre period of interviews, confessing to strangers my innermost thoughts and feelings. After a while it can get a bit abstract as you answer similar questions over and over. I thought it might be nice if you guys have questions I could answer? If you do please email info@flippinyeah.com with the subject line "A QUESTION FOR DARREN" and I'll try and answer them over the next month and post the answers on my website somewhere. Just put your name and where you live." 2010 Aug 12 MEET THE BAND We've got a band together! We'll be traveling to a town near you to play you songs for the new album 'I Will Love You at All'
Come along and say hello.
2010 Jul 20 DIORAMA-RAMA I've gone craft crazy and built a Diorama of the new album cover. It even has interactive buttons: push them and see what happens. I had many visits to Jaycar Electronics to learn about wiring. Go and see it: Polyester Fitzroy in Melbourne until the 22nd aug Fish Records Newtown in Sydney from 23rd-29th 
2010 Jul 04 HANGIN' IN THE RECORD STORE I'm doing a couple of instore solo sets for the launch of this new album. Here's the details: MELBOURNE Polyester Records Friday 16th July 6PM SYDNEY Fish Records Newtown Sunday 25th July 2PM 2010 Jul 04 SHOOT THE PLAYER Here's some songs I played live in Portland, OR earlier this year whilst there recording the album: SHOOT THE PLAYER 2010 Jul 01 Management says this: To get instant news updates follow Darren on Twitter. 
2010 Jun 11 RAGE THIS WEEK The 'All These Things' music video, directed by Natalie van den Dungen, was granted "Indie Clip of the Week" by RAGE on the ABC this week. Can be seen Friday night and Saturday morning. 2010 May 26 NEW DATES UP ON THE TOUR PAGE Most dates and ticket links are now up on the Tour Page section of this website. The Australian album launch tour will take place throughout the month of August. All shows will feature Portland's Shelley Short as support act. Friday 6th POMONA Majestic Theatre tickets HERE 8PM all ages Saturday 7th BRISBANE Globe Theatre tickets HERE 7pm Sunday 8th BANGALOW A and I Hall tickets HERE 7.30pm Wednesday 11th ARMIDALE The Armidale Club tickets HERE 8pm Thursday 12th NEWCASTLE Gallipoli Legions Club tickets HERE 8pm Friday 13th SYDNEY Factory Theatre tickets HERE 8pm Saturday 14th CANBERRA Tilley's Devine Cafe tickets HERE 7pm Sunday 15th KATOOMBA Clarendon Guesthouse Wednesday 18th BULLI Heritage Hotel Thursday 19th HOBART Rebublic Bar Friday 20th MELBOURNE Thornbury Theatre tickets HERE 7pm Saturday 21st FREMANTLE Fly By Night tickets HERE 8pm Sunday 22nd ADELAIDE Jive Bar tickets HERE 8pm 2010 May 25 NEW SINGLE ON AIR TONIGHT 'All These Things' the first single off the new album is being premiered tonight (tuesday 25th) on Triple J during the Home and Hosed show from 9pm.
Every drop in the ocean...
2010 May 24 NEW ALBUM...COMING SOON There's a new album finally. I recorded it in Portland earlier this year. How would I describe it? Well, thanks for asking....firstly it's called 'I Will Love You at All.' I'd say it's my most stripped back and lyrically direct collection of songs thus far. There's some great players on it from the local Portland area. Piano tinkler Cory Gray is there of course. As well as Rachel Blumberg, indie rock drummer extraordinaire. A duet with Shelley Short. In fact her vocals, along with Alia Farra, give the album a lot of it's character. It was a pleasure to sing with them both. I really am happy with it...for now. Give me a month and it'll pain me to listen to it ever again. That always happens though. Ultimately I'm not supposed to like it. The main thing is that you do! So, do you want to preorder a copy now? You'll get it a week before the shops. (16th July) There's two versions. One is a limited fans edition. I'll be honest it's the same songs but with nicer packaging (embossed, no less!) plus a signature from yours truly. Follow this link HERE 
2010 May 24 USA RECORD DEAL I'm so happy to have been invited to be a part of the Yep Roc record label in America, starting with my new album 'I Will Love You at All.' Business has been kept fairly grassroots my whole musical career so it's exciting to be part of a new family with the likes of Apples in Stereo, Paul Weller and Billy Bragg! Follow this link YEP ROC 2010 Apr 01 PORTLAND, EASTER SATURDAY Farewell, the Great Nth West. I'll leave you and your free organic supermarket samples to fly home with a new album under my wing. Before that though, I'll play an intimate house show this Easter Saturday. No PA, no microphones. Just voices, guitars and piano keys. Details: Saturday 3rd April Davids house, his living room 131 N Roselawn St Portland 7PM by donation 2010 Mar 10 NY this week A few facts about my visit to NY this week. Tomorrow night I'll be playing at Town Hall with the Magnetic Fields. Claudia just told me they're releasing about 15 more tickets to the box office if you missed out. So then on Sunday 14th I'll be playing my own solo show at Bruar Falls in Williamsburg with A Classic Education From Italy, as well as The Electricians. To cap it all off the day after (monday 15th) I'll be hosting an Australian film afternoon at Barbes in Park Slope from 3-7PM. I'm hoping to serve vegemite on toast if I can locate some in this city. I think I'll play 70's classic 'Wake in Fright' and another to be decided. 
2010 Feb 22 ...MORE IN PORTLAND Just playing a small impromptu show in Portland tuesday night (23rd) at a place called Valentine's with some friends. INFO! 2010 Feb 12 IN CASE YOU LIVE IN PORTLAND Here's a little night I'm hosting in Portland this weekend. Perfect thing to do on Valentine's Day; watch a serial-killer trucker film followed by Australian Kung Fu. If not the Julia Roberts one opens that day too... 
2010 Jan 30 NEW DVD I'm so happy to present the DVD featuring Eli Wallach in the music Video for 'I Wish That I Was Beautiful for You.' Seven years in the making it also includes a 23min doco on the lead up story, with scenes of Eli and I chatting about his movies (me sounding like a know-it-all nerd) and the unlikely tale behind how it all came to be. Some really touching moments too I think. This is being released in the US later in the year as a bonus disc to 'Pointing Rayguns at Pagans' but we wanted to have it available to all you good people who've already bought it. It's exclusive to the website and not available in shops. If you don't already have Pagans you can get the same bonus deal off the site too. Here's a bit from the official blurb: "...Many Years ago Australian musician Darren Hanlon wrote a simple Pop song about his favorite actor 94 yr old Eli Wallach, star of many famous and historical films. This is the story of the unlikely chain of events that lead to the two meeting and working together on a music video. Even though Eli had no idea of the concept of a 'music video' his enthusiasm and eagerness for the project is apparent. As is the touching relationship between the two. Eli is an insatiable raconteur and Hanlon an eager listener, and any fan/hero awkwardness fades into genuine friendship, the common ground being their love of film. Over the course of one wintry day in NYC the Music Video is made, Hanlon even guest staring in a scene with his idol. Other poignant moments involve Wallach pointing out cast members from a photo of Marilyn Monroes last film The Misfits that he also starred in. He names them all off and reveals "They're all gone now. Except me." In another scene the nervousness on Hanlons face is obvious as he plays a new recording of his heroes namesake song. Wallach is visibly moved..." find it HERE! or with Pagans HERE! 2010 Jan 30 THE LIFTED BROW At the end of last year I was asked to write a story for biannual literary journal 'the Lifted Brow.' This issue (#6) represents an atlas of the world in writing and comes with 2CDs of songs. My piece is called 'International Cinema' and relates two different experiences seeing movies in Denmark and France. Read about it HERE! 2010 Jan 17 New York with The Magentic Fields I'll be supporting the wonderful Magnetic Fields again, this time in their hometown of New York this March. I'm told it's nearly sold out so get tickets now! Details on the MF's homepage....HERE! 2010 Jan 12 ELECTRIC SKELETON - RAGE TOP 50 Thanks for voting! And so it is written: Electric Skeleton came in at #27. But hey, Nat did all the work. I just wrote the silly song. 2010 Jan 12 Secret Show in Adelaide I'm having a little sojourn in Adelaide before heading back to the US. Gonna do an unannounced support set for the Handsome Family while I'm there, at the Grace Emily hotel. For Gods sake don't pay $35 to see me. But they're worth it for sure. Wednesday the 20th 2009 Dec 15 SOLD OUT XMAS SHOWS We've been getting heaps of emails regarding the xmas shows. Sydney and Canberra pre sale have sold out and the others are close behind. There maybe a slight chance we can squeeze a few more on a list to pay $25 at the door for Sydney and there will be tickets on the door for Canberra at $30. 2009 Nov 27 NY this weekend 
2009 Nov 20 I've been instructed to tell you I'm now connected to Twitter. Although I'm told it's good that you join I want you to know that it's not ME twittering. I don't understand it and don't want to. I know I said that about the mobile phone (Then they started coming with built in Tetris. Oh for Petes sake, give me one then!). If it sounds like me then it's probably my cheeky manager Matt pretending it's me. Apparently it's so you can get updated with stuff I'm doing INSTANTLY in a short and pithy phrase. I promise if I ever do write anything it will be in Haiku form. playing somewhere true, there is a cover charge a moon glistens twitter.com/darrenhanlon 2009 Oct 27 USA TOUR DEC 2009 I'm traveling to the US in a few days to basically TCB and while there I'll be making a few appearances here and there. Dates are up in the gig guide on this very website. Hope to see you 2009 Oct 23 XMAS 2009 Has it REALLY been a year since the last Christmas tour??? Well no it's been 10 months. But in 2 months from now it will have been a year. Just 5 shows this time. As always it will just be me, myself and I. Hopefully I'll be able to rope some others into singing a song or two as well. All shows will feature Missincat as support, all the way from Germany Wednesday 16th ADELAIDE The Grace Emily tickets $20 presale from HERE $25 on the door Friday 18th MELBOURNE Northcote Social Club tickets $22 presale from HERE $25 on the door Saturday 19th SYDNEY St Stephens Anglican Church, Newtown tickets $20 presale from HERE $25 on the door ALL AGES Sunday 20th CANBERRA Tilleys Devine Cafe tickets $26 presale from HERE $30 on the door Monday 21st BRISBANE The Troubadour tickets $20 presale from HERE $25 on the door 2009 Aug 20 PEOPLE POWER FOR PERFECT DAY I hate to ask you favours but... After the positive reaction of the song 'the Perfect Day' from airplay on RRR in Melbourne we realize it seems to strike a chord with people. It's sent listeners scrambling into Polyester Records looking to find the song after hearing it. We're now trying to get it a few spins on JJJ to bring it to an even wider audience. Generally that station won't play songs that've been out for a while but if enough people request it they might give it a try. You might think it odd I'm trying to promote a cover song with all the originals to choose from, but that particular recording feels quite magic to me and I think it comes across that way on radio too. Here's the link: MAKE A REQUEST Or you can call Rosie after 6PM weeknights on 1300 0555 36 But seriously only do this if the song means something to you. Don't just do it for me. Don't say if the announcer says: "Why did you request this song (insert your name)?" "Cause Darren says on his website I should do it. I don't even know the song." "Oh..." DEAD AIR That would be embarrassing for everyone. 2009 Aug 11 ADIEU LUCKSMITHS This August my old label mates the Lucksmiths are playing their last shows ever. It's thrown up a lot of memories of episodes throughout my whole musical life. I saw them first at the Punters Club in Melbourne when their singer Tali was still a dreadlocked hippy. They only had a cassette for sale so i bought that and played it till I'd worn off the magnetic coating. Since then a friendship and record label was forged that had us touring and playing many shows together over the years. I was sad to hear they've decided to finish up. I'd planned to not play so much this year but couldn't give up the opportunity to be a part of some shows with my friends before this happens. I'm happy though to add that these will be the first shows I've played with Bree Van Reyk in over 2 years. We'll do em as a duo (except in Hobart I'll be solo) Here are the dates: Friday 21st Sydney, NSW Factory Theatre Saturday 22nd Canberra, ACT Tilleys Sunday 23rd Brisbane, QLD the Zoo Thursday 27th Hobart, TAS Brisbane Hotel Saturday 29th LUCKSMITHS FINAL EVER SHOW Melbourne, VIC Corner Hotel (SOLD OUT) 2009 Jun 20 PAINTING ON AUCTION Here's a link to a painting I did with Swedish singer Lykke Li at last years Falls Festival. It's being auctioned off as part of Faster Louders 'Paint Like No One Is Watching' series. The money is going to a good cause so if you have some wanton wallspace: GO HERE I'd also like to add in case you think my contribution to the piece is lame, that we were the last to do our work of art at the festival and by the time I was handed a brush there was only a little sad looking half-squeezed tube of white paint left. 2009 Jun 01 DENMARK IN JUNE I'm in the UK en route to the Danish town of Aarhus to play as part of their summer festival 'Sculptures by the Sea'. As there's a possibility Frederick and our own Mary will be attending I will be minding my Ps and Qs. In a rush to pack I've only brought my hand-me-down jeans with the hole and my Dunlop volleys. I'll have to go shopping.
Here's some info if you can read Danish
2009 May 18 NEW MAILING ADDRESS My PO box has now changed for anyone who needs to get a message across in real ink. My mother, the busiest woman in south east Queensland, has been bugging me to give her a job just so she can help me out. She thinks I look stressed. And since I'm now adrift again for God knows how long she'll collect my mail. So send all tactile correspondence to: PO box 821 Gympie, QLD 4570 AUSTRALIA 2009 Apr 08 DANIEL KITSON AND DARREN HANLON ONE OFF SHOW SOLD OUT There will be very limited tickets available on the door on the night for $35 Daniel Kitson and I have decided to play an intimate show together at the Belvoir St Theatre in Surry Hills on Monday 27th April. Daniel is out in Australia for the Melbourne Comedy Festival so this will be his only Sydney show. Kitson will perform a Work in Progress geared towards a new stand up show he'll be taking to Edinburgh later in the year. As for me this will be the exclamation mark to end this past month of shows. I'll leave you all alone for a while after this. Promise. A short set from Portlands Carcrashlander will open the night. You might have seen him play keyboards and trumpet for me over the last month. doors at 7.30pm There will be very limited tickets available on the door on the night for $35 2009 Apr 03 EXTRA BALL After all the bulk of the Pagans tour has ended and Jeffrey Lewis heads home again the trek will now continue. Cory Gray who has been playing keyboards and trumpet doesn't go home for another week so I decided to show him some other parts of the country. So now we have an EXTRA BALL section of the tour! This probably means nothing to a lot of you as we're going deep into the outback of NSW. A few of these towns have never had an original band play before so please call any friends or relatives you might have living out there. Safety in numbers... we're slightly scared of lynchings. Friday 17th COONAMBLE Bucking Bull Hotel FREE, 8pm Saturday 18th BOURKE Gidgee Guesthouse $25 at the door. Food available 7.30pm Tuesday 21st WHITE CLIFFS White Cliffs Hotel/Motel FREE, 8pm Wednesday 22nd TIBOOBURRA Tibooburra Hotel FREE Friday 24th BROKEN HILL Bells Milk Bar $10 at the door, 8PM ALL AGES Saturday 25th DUBBO Commercial Hotel FREE, 8pm Sunday 26th CANOWINDRA Taste Canowindra show only $30 show only, $70 with meal bookings here 5pm 2009 Apr 02 New Music Video for Electric Skeleton The new music video for Electric Skeleton has been chosen as "Indie clip of the Week" on Rage. Conceived and Filmed in about 6 hrs by Natalie Van Den Dungen and her buddies in a Melbourne warehouse she's just moved into that day.
When we took out the fridge we realised Celeste could fit inside it and the incubator idea was born. Paul had earlier that day turned his green screen walls into crazy silver walls as part of a recording he was doing, which added to this idea perfectly. Whilst loitering in the kitchen I picked up some kind of washing machine piping, white, which happened to look like hips and legs and that was how we came about making the skeleton out of kitchen utensils and other white household goodies. Once we had the idea on paper we started building the sets and collecting items for the costumes. Celeste designed the skeleton and painted necessary skulls on fridges and masks. Steve helped gaffer tape on the skeleton parts after kindly going home to collect more goodies for the shoot. We started filming around 1am, but I can't be sure, and went until 5:30am to the point where our brains started to melt. We had a lot of fun making it and I hope you have as much watching it. Ohhhh." myspace.com/natvdd 
2009 Mar 19 Electric Skeleton on Radio Our dear little friend Electric Skeleton has been added to rotation on various radio stations around Australia. We're very proud.
2009 Mar 13 Interview On NZ Blog read it here: www.acatonthewall.com/ 2009 Mar 06 New Compilation Album Released...Pointing Ray Guns At Pagans The latest record is now available for you to buy and spin at will. Get it now from Flippin Yeah.
Not one for pouncing on an opportunity it's taken him 4 years to finally release the song properly as part of the b-sides, rarities and unreleased song collection Pointing Ray Guns at Pagans. A melange of disparate tracks cherry picked from the whole period of his 9-year career as a solo performer. Some of these have proven live favourites despite not ever being part of an official album. "I finally felt there was enough content of unofficial material to constitute a descent body of work. I tend never to have much excess material but out of the 25 or so tracks I had lying around I narrowed it down to the best 15 so it wouldn't be a kitchen sink glut. I would hope this album sounds as cohesive as any of the other ones." Entries include his first ever recorded song, 'Funpark Fugitives' to the most recent limited-edition single 'Electric Skeleton' as well as unreleased versions of 'Pinball Millionaire' and 'Eli Wallach' which has a surprise guest vocal from the Magnetic Fields Claudia Gonson.
2009 Feb 12 MARCH TOUR FOR NEW Album I thought it prescient to let you know about the tour we'll do in March/April where we'll be demonstrating the songs from our new rarities album "Pointing Ray Guns at Pagans" live. Although a short tour in duration we're trying to pack in as many shows as possible. I'll be bringing a small ensemble featuring Cory Gray from Portland OR and Evelyn Morris (otherwise known as Pikelet) from Melbourne. All shows will be supported by the NYC anti-folk hero Jeffrey Lewis. Details on the tour page 2009 Feb 09 New Zealand I've just escaped from Camp A Low Hum during which i played my first NZ shows ever. Many great bands discovered (the Broken Heartbreakers, the Teacups, Little Pictures) and reaffirmed (Pikelet, Alex and the Ramps, Crayon Fields). Such a bummer i missed the surprise performance of Neil Finn as I had to get the hire car to Auckland in time. I was instead trying to sleep in a haunted motel somewhere in the middle of the North Island where the old night manager brought 2 beers and potato chips to my door at midnight and asked if I wanted to watch 'girly films'. I assume he wasn't talking about Steel Magnolias. I'll be around for the rest of the week and have a few more shows on both islands, the details of which are in the gig guide section of this very site. 2009 Jan 07 LOW KEY in NYC Here's a couple of free shows I'm playing in New York this month if you're around... Jan 13th Googie's Lounge (above the Living Room) 154 Ludlow St NYC 10:30 i'm doing a short set before Joe McGintys Keyboard Karaoke www.livingroomny.com Jan 14th the Bell House (front bar) 149 7th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) Parkslope with Graham Smith (Kleenex Girl Wonder) 8pm www.thebellhouseny.com 2009 Jan 04 XMAS SHOWS 2008 I'm Just sneaking down the chimney for only a few Xmas shows this year. Sorry I''m not making it the full way around this time but I hope to get out of the house a little more often in March. For my lack of mileage though I'm making up for it with....innovative venue ideas! Well, in two places at least... Sydney: If anyone has ever lived in the inner west of Sydney then maybe they've had a late night temptation to embrace their inner goth and jump the graffitied walls of St Stephens Church in Newtown. Beyond lies the spooky colonial graveyard, along with other miscellaneous headstones relocated from the graves they once marked in the greater part of the cemetery after it was covered over and turned into a municipal park and playground. I approached the resident minister and he was open to having a live performance inside the beautiful old sandstone church there. The show will be late afternoon on Saturday 20th, December and we encourage you to come early and have a picnic or throw a frisbee in the park. Try not to disturb what lies beneath, I'll be nervous enough as it is. This will be all ages. there will no alcohol and minimal bad language. Brisbane: I've been driving past The Old Museum in Brisbane for years and imagined dusty shelves full of shrunken heads and specimen jars with baby Thylacines behind it''s stately Romanesque facade. Now we'll all get to see for ourselves. Apparently it's been hosting music for years starting way back in 1891. The good people at Mammoth have commandeered a room inside and will be hosting the xmas show for me. Like St Stephens this show will be all ages although alcohol can be purchased too and all profits go to charity. Bring the family if they''re not annoying you. Now all this is not to say that the East Brunswick Club in Melbourne isn't exciting and interesting too. I'll do my best to make it seem like you've stepped through a portal and arrived in a yuletide fantasia. I plan to do this with tinsel. Also, on invitation from the good people at Happy Yess I'll be bringing the Xmas show to Darwin for the first time, and experiencing December in the tropics first hand. I'll bring gills so i can breathe out doors. As always all shows will be solo and hopefully intimate in atmosphere. Bring your own mug. I'll make some mulled wine. 2008 Aug 22 STOCKHOLM DATE MOVED the Stockholm date has now jumped back a day to: WEDNESDAY 27th, AUG Still at: Landet, Telefonplan 50kr info at: www.landet.nu It seems there will be no shows in Gothenburg and Berlin after all. Something may happen in Oslo Monday night so come back to this spot over the weekend to see if there are any updates. 2008 Aug 18 SHOWS BEFORE HEADING HOME The tour with the Magnetic Fields was as wonderful as anticipated. Historic ornate theatres; acoustically engineered spaces that made my $300 pawn-shop guitar sound fit for philharmonic. For me, half hour sets!...all killer no filler. For them, 2 hour sets that I had the pleasure of enjoying each night. There are not many bands that bare such repetition. Also they seem to attract the same crowd world-wide; attractive, well dressed, well mannered, erudite, attentive lyrics appreciators. What more could I ask for? So since it's finished I've been brought kicking and screaming back down to earth. I have to fend for myself again. So I'll be playing a few scattered shows in Europe before I return home. So here are the dates locked in; AUGUST FRIDAY 22nd Bergen, Norway Hulen (the cave) with Professor Pez 100kr SATURDAY 23rd Kamerad and Spelemann Festival NorDan industrihall, Moi, Norway with Sufjan Stevens, Ladybug Transistor, Wovenhand and others... Darren is playing a short solo set more info Kamerad and Spelermann myspace FRIDAY 29th Jonkping, Sweden Chinabion with the deirdres (uk) & casp casp! SATURDAY 30th Malmo Popfest Malmo, Sweden Debaser with/ The Deirdres (UK) and many others 60kr SEPTEMBER FRIDAY 5th Lisbon, Portugal Maxime info at the venue website SATURDAY 6th Coimbra, Portugal Salão Brazil MONDAY 8th Hove (Brighton), UK The Brunswick venue website show will finish in time for last London train THURSDAY 11th Manchester, UK The Roadhouse supporting Mark Kozelek/Sun Kil Moon info at venue website SUNDAY 14th END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL Larmer Gardens, Dorset , UK with/ Akron/Family, Bon Iver, Calexico, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Dirty Three, Kimya Dawson, Mercury Rev and many more info at End of the Road Website MONDAY 15th London, Earls Court The Troubadour if you want to come you can buy tickets here venue info here $7 presale $8 on the door (tickets selling fast!) 2008 Jul 15 More European Dates I've been added at the eleventh hour to various festivals and shows around the place. Keep checking the tour page for updates if you're interested. There are plans afoot for my own headline shows in London and Brighton soon too. 2008 May 23 Flippin Yeah! It's been so long in the making I can hardly believe it's true. We're just now putting the finishing touches on the shop connected to my website. It's calling Flippin Yeah Industries . I even carved the masthead out of wood myself! it's now nailed above the doorway of my house. I've always anticipated having my own record label releasing other stuff I'm into but for now being slightly distracted I don't have the time to do a good job of it. So the site will remain a glorified shop for the time being. Although each month in the Flippin Yeah Presents section there'll be 20 copies of a specific album put out independent or otherwise of friends and colleagues from here and abroad. This is a way to have other music available on the site as well without official 'signings'. Kind of like an Oprah Book Club. Available at the site are all my past albums previously sold through Candle Records. If you've got all of those you might be interested in a Poster or Commemorative Spoon? Hmm, tempting. T-shirts coming soon.... It's also a place where tickets will be on sale for Australian shows and tours. Go to; www.flippinyeah.com or the merchandise section of this website. 2008 Apr 30 Magnetic Fields European Tour So my reflective album writing year has just turned into a summer fun tour of Europe with the Magnetic Fields. I'm having trouble sleeping I'm so excited. All the details of the shows are up in the tour section. For ticket info go to: houseoftomorrow.com There's more dates coming too. See you there friends... 2008 Feb 19 Daniel Kitson the Video Star We made a music video for the song Fingertips and Mountaintops late last year. It starred Uk comedian Daniel Kitson. Daniel, myself and the director Nat had different ideas as to the plot but in the end we mashed them all together. Over the course of 3 minutes you can witness one mans personal journey from repressed private school lecturer to sweet-toothed, adventurous bicycle thief, all played out on the streets of Melbourne. Daniel was quite the gentleman and kept everyone entertained on set. The catch phrase "be careful, I burn lenses!" was heard often. The only moment that came close to a leading man tantrum was when the behind-the-scenes camera crew failed to capture him solving the Melbourne Ages "target word" in under 15 seconds. (We recreated the moment later for the cameras) Anyway, if you haven''t heard of Daniel before you really should see about rectifying that situation. He's a guy you feel you could hang out with and swap CD's. His comedy hits your funny bone and thinking bone at the same time. Here's the clip... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqIO4RA_7IU also another clip that we couldn''t put up is here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7itrqtMs1qY And lucky for you he''s back in Australia! His tour dates are at his site: www.danielkitson.com 2008 Jan 07 hottest 100 "Fingertips and Mountaintops" has been nominated in this years JJJ Hottest 100. if you have nothing better to do and your boss is not looking cast your vote here: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/vote/ 2008 Jan 03 Sydney this Weekend for those kids living in the Emerald City there's a few things happening this weekend i thought you might be interested in. Firstly, on Saturday 5th I've been asked to participate in the opening of the Sydney Festival for a free gig in the Domain. Myself, Angie Hart and others are singing songs written by various children from around the country. we'll be accompanied by the Sydney youth orchestra and choir so it'll sound lush i expect. the songs themselves are pretty cute and in one i'm supposed to be a ''bruised banana''. Anyway, it kicks off at 5pm and soon after Brian Wilson is playing. That's right I say, and for free! We worked out the other night that you could finish any sentence with "and then Brian Wilson is playing" and people will be suitably impressed (take note anyone who has to tell their parents they failed last semester...break the news this Saturday). The next day on the 6th my friend Stef (Architecture Records Boss) and I are hosting one of our underneath the Clothesline events at 2 frederick St, Petersham. It's $5 and Joel Plaskett (Canada singing guy) and Sui Zhen (amazing sydney performer who sang with me at my xmas show) are playing. It kicks off at 4pm... 2007 Dec 14 Fingertips + Mountaintops Clip on RAGE. The new clip for Fingertips + Mountaintops starring UK comedian Daniel Kitson is hitting the screens tonight on RAGE around 12:20am, and should be repeated over the coming weeks. Be a Rage cheat and check the ABC website beforehand. 2007 Dec 10 CHRISTMAS 2007 I'm happy it''s xmas. there's nothing like a good old ritual to bring folks together. This year went past like a comet. I almost had to avert my eyes to see it. I started playing intimate shows for Christmas a couple of years ago and now it''s also something I look forward to in December. I rarely play completely solo so it feels equally scary and exhilarating to be alone with no band members to blame mistakes on. This year I've decided to take it to some other cities round Australia for the first time, in Adelaide, Perth and Hobart. Some of the shows will allow underage humans in if accompanied by an adult (please check with the venue first) so i encourage you to bring your family. I know I've been threatening to stop playing and have a break from touring now for some time. I feel like a carpet shop that has a closing down sale and then reopens a month later. I can't help myself. So who know's, this time i could actually mean it. Need some time to make up new songs. So hope to see you at a Christmas show near you. If not, at midnight mass... Wednesday 12th Mojo''s, Fremantle $18 on the door Sunday 16th, Grace Emily, Adelaide $15 presale over the bar, $18 on the night Tuesday 18th Toff in the Town, Melbourne with Pikelet www.myspace.com/ $15 from Corner Hotel, Polyester Records, Missing Link, Metropolis $18 on the night (selling fast) Wednesday 19th Backspace Theatre, Hobart with Pikelet $15 from Theatre Royal box office $18 on the night Friday 21st Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba with Sui Zhen www.myspace.com/suizhen $20 show only, $50 with dinner tickets from the venue at 02 47821322 Saturday 22nd the Vanguard, Sydney tickets from the website: www.thevanguard.com.au (almost sold out) Sunday 23rd the Troubadour, Brisbane With Sue Ray and friends www.myspace.com/sueray $15 from the website: www.troubadour.oztix.com.au $18 on the night 2007 Nov 22 FORGIVE ME NEWCASTLE so sorry i had to cancel my show at the Gallipoli Club on this last tour. it''s the first gig i ever had to cancel. lost my voice completely. spent the day moping around with a packet of butter menthols in my pocket, dreaming of the steel city. promise i'll be back next year.... 2007 Oct 26 springtime 2007! Firstly i wanted to thank all the lovely people who came to shows over the past few months on the world tour. I had the best time since sliced bread and hope to be back over again next year. And now it's time to travel again on native soil. To start off we''re playing some theatre shows with Sarah Blasko and Kristin Hersh in WA and Tasmania. The details for these are at http://www.sarahblasko.com/. I apologize to all our friends in the Apple Isle, I know we haven't done our own show down there for a while but i promise it'll happen sometime before the next blue moon. Afterwards we'll though be doing our own shows in familiar places and some new ones too. Traveling for the first time to Geraldton in WA and performing in some 100 year old stone building. Also The Famous Spiegeltent has invited us to play inside it as part of the Melbourne festival. I realize that the ticket prices are a little higher than usual but I'm told that's the way it goes with old historical tee-pees so i promise we''ll wear the most expensive clothes we have if that helps. This tour also marks the first ever show proper in my home town of Gympie. The show in the Heritage Hall at the Gympie Civic center will be the first time i've trodden those boards since reciting "the man from snowy river" for the esteiddfod in highschool. Rumor has it my grandmother has started baking already. Making up the band on this trip will be Portlands own Cory Gray on piano/trumpet and the wonderful Pikelet on drums who'll also be supporting with her solo act at most shows. Pikelet and i met for the first time in Europe a few months back and did 2 weeks touring together and had an amazing time. I'm so happy to bring her on the road with us here. This will be the first tour in many years without Bree Van Reyk who's taking time to concentrate on work with Holly Throsby so we wish her the best with that. So here''s the official spiel: DARREN HANLON BACK ON THE ROAD IN SPRINGTIME With the stamp ink still drying in his passport after an adventure around the globe, Darren Hanlon returns home to play a run of shows on his native soil to make sure Australia hasn't forgotten him. Over the last three months his journey took him to such exotic locales as Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Italy, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland and the USA. Playing to audiences of anywhere between 10 and 1000 in clubs, book shops, cinemas, churches and even the odd living room, Darren regaled people with his songs and confused them with his thick South East Queensland accent. "I really needed the adventure", he confesses, "the shows themselves fell in categories from bizarre to joyous or just plain character building." It was also a good time to perform with old friends David Dondero, Don Lennon, Leader and Dear Nora as well as share the stage with musical heros Jeffrey Lewis, Kimya Dawson, Deerhoof and Daniel Johnston. Throughout the European leg of the tour Darren was joined onstage by Melbourne's angel-voiced, multi-instrumentalist Pikelet. They had so much fun together the partnership will continue for this Australian tour with Pikelet filling in on drum and vocal duties. Pikelet will also double as the support act for most of the dates, which will be very pleasant. This will be the last chance to catch Darren before he takes a break next year to work on the follow-up to his most excellent record of 2006, Fingertips and Mountaintops. DATES AND VENUES Oct 20 Bootenal Family Tavern, Geraldton Free! Oct 27 Jade Monkey, Adelaide Tickets from CIB on 08 8231 0824 or www.venuetix.com.au or 08 8225 8888 Oct 28 and 29 The Famous Spiegeltent, Melbourne http://www.spiegeltent.net/index.php?action=productcatalogue&prodcat_id=1771&prod_id=14237&pageID=4633§ionID=0 Oct 30 ANU Bar, Canberra Tickets available from Ticketek - 13 28 49 or www.ticketek.com.au and ANU Union (02) 6125 2446 Oct 31 Factory, Sydney Tickets available from The Factory website, the Factory Box Office phone number on 9550 3666 and also in person at 130 Enmore Road, Newtown. Website: http://www.factorytheatre.com.au/events/2007/10/31/darren-hanlon Nov 1 Galipolli Legion Club, Newcastle Tickets available from the venue on (02) 49612430 Nov 2 The Top Pub - Uralla Tickets available from the venue and Black Dot Music Armidale Nov 3 Bon Amici - Toowoomba Tickets available from the venue on (07) 46324533 Nov 4 Gympie Civic Centre Tickets available from Gympie CD Centre (07) 5482 2615 Nov 8 The Globe, Brisbane Ticket available from OzTix on 1300 762 545 or www.oztix.com.au Nov 9 Riverstone, Bellingen Tickets at the door, enquiries Riverstone Shop on (02) 66559099 2007 Jul 21 Song Title Competition (Just letting you know i've picked 2 titles out of the huge list i received. Thanks for all the suggestions! stay tuned for the tunes) So while all this website stuff is getting sorted out i thought i might set myself an assignment. It's been a while since i left school and I miss it sometimes. people are always offering ideas for songs which never works. I think I write better to song Titles so this is the competition.... please send any song title ideas you have to slimsings@hotmail.com along with your name and mailing address. I'll choose 2 and write songs for them. if i get them done in time i'll have them pressed onto vinyl for the next Australian tour coming up later in the year. Of course there''ll be a prize and a ''Song Title'' writing credit for your resume. Not sure what the prize will be but lets just say its value will be somewhere between a Porsche and an Iced Vovo. 2007 Jul 21 USA tour 2007 Dates have gone up for the US tour starting in Athens on the 9th of aug. Of course more will be added over time so please keep checking. 2007 Jun 20 European Tour Imminent so the European tour has almost begun and i haven't told anyone about it yet. so.... here goes. i'll be traveling to Norway and Estonia for some festivals and then making my way to the UK. i''m sorry that i haven''t had time to look for more shows. if anyone has any ideas please email ''slimsings@hotmail.com.'' i have my guitar and banjo and will travel. i'm up for an adventure. when i get to London i'll be meeting up with a great drummer called Pikelet who'll be playing with me as well as supporting at some shows. so if you're around please keep checking the dates page as i'll keep adding to them over the next few weeks. and US tour dates will go up soon too. man, too much information! HOPE TO SEE YOU!!!!! JULY 3rd Bergen, Norway, Summerpop at Garage with Jeff and Jack Lewis www.garage.no 6th Egersund Folk festival, Norway www.egersundvisefestival.no 7th Schilling Ilusa Muusika Festival, Kilingi-Nomme, Estonia www.schilling.pri.ee 10th Riga, Latvia, Club Depo www.klubsdepo.lv 18th London, UK, Gramaphone www.thegramaphone.co.uk 22nd Brighton, UK, Joogleberry Theatre Juuksur www.svenskamusikklubben.se www.joogleberry.com 27th Hamburg, Germany, Gruener Jaeger www.gruener-jaeger-stpauli.de AUGUST 1st SVMK@ Debaser, Slussen, Stockholm Sweden www.svenskamusikklubben.se 3rd St Petersburg, Russia TBC 4th Tallinn, Estonia, Juuksur 5th Helsinki, Finland, TBC 2007 May 24 Touching Elbows tour I just had this interview today and the interviewer informed me that it's impossible to touch your own elbows together. i tried it and i'm sure it worked, at least on the side bits. anyway.... just wanted to tell you that we've planned a little trip around this country of ours that someone a long time ago named 'Terra Australis' which was then modified to save ink to 'Australia'. this trip in particular is to celebrate the release of the single Elbows , which if you look at the history of popular radio hits doesn't really fit the catchy, instant category. for a start it's over 5 minutes long. i thought about lying like Phil Collins did with 'something in the air tonight' but with the advent of digital technology and with it the CD player time counter i didn't think i'd get away with it. thankfully our friends at triple j and other community stations have seen fit to play it anyway. I've heard it described using adjectives such as charming and poignant but i think when you consider that it's about a drunk person staring at a beautiful actress it's also a bit creepy. Anyway, i'll be joined on this trip as always with Bree Van Reyk on drums. Cory Gray is also visiting again from Portland to lend his old world piano stylings. Simon Wooldridge is taking a break from editing Rolling Stone magazine to play some bass and drink our rider. so if you're in the area, this is where we'll be: Wed 6th June Brass Monkey, Cronulla Tickets from www.brassmonkey.com.au or call (02) 95443844 With Laura Jean Thurs 7th June Gallipoli Legions Club, Newcastle Tickets from (02) 49612430 With Laura Jean Fri 8th June - Factory Theatre, Enmore Tickets from www.moshtix.com.au or call (02) 92094614 With Laura Jean Sun 10th June - Livespark @ Powerhouse, Brisbane Tickets from www.brisbanepowerhouse.org or call Powertix (07) 3358 8600 or in person at the Powertix Box Office at the venue With Special Guests Wed 13th June - Ruby''s Lounge, Belgrave Tickets from over the bar, after 5pm Tue - Sun or call (03) 9754 7445 or through Moshtix link through www.rubyslounge.com.au/gigs With Laura Jean Thurs 14th June - East Brunswick Club, East Brunswick Tiickets from www.eastbrunswickclub.com or call (03) 9388 9794 With Laura Jean Fri 15th June - Jade Monkey, Adelaide Tickets from (08) 8232 0950 With Laura Jean Sat 16th June - Mojos, Fremantle Tickets from the venue or phone (08)9430 4010 or at Galaxy Entertainment, Jumbo, Planet Music and Mills Records www.moshtix.com.au/Outlets.asp With Laura Jean Sun 17th June - Mojos, Fremantle Tickets from the venue or phone (08)9430 4010 or at or at Galaxy Entertainment, Jumbo, Planet Music and Mills Records www.moshtix.com.au/Outlets.asp With Laura Jean Fri 22nd June - Heritage Hotel, Bulli Tickets from the venue or call (02) 4284 5884 With Special guests Sat 23rd June - Tilleys Divine Cafe, Canberra Tickets from www.canberraticketing.com.au or call (02) 62752700 Sun 24th June The Lane, Alice Springs Tickets from the venue or call (08) 8952 5522 Tuesday 26th July -Live at Peko Park, Tennant Creek With supports Tableland Drifters and Band Nomadic. Thurs 28th June - Happy Yess, Darwin Tickets at the door. With supports The Bionic Hearts Hope to see you but if not take care, Darren 2006 Sep 05 new album finished! ''Fingertips and Mountaintops'' has finally landed and is now available to pre-order from the Candle Records website www.candlerecords.com.au There's also a limited edition bonus live version available. Recorded over the last few months, from Portland to Pomona (Qld) and featuring a core band of Darren and Bree with Cory Gray on piano and the Lucksmiths Mark Manone on bass. Other special guests who dropped in were Jesse Sandoval from the Shins who played drums on the first single ''Happiness is a Chemical'' and some spellbinding vocal performances by Katy Davidson from Dear Nora and Decoder Rings Lenka on other tracks. 2006 Jul 27 Daniel Johnston tribute On the 27th July Darren will be performing a half hour set following the Sydney premier of the ''the Devil and Daniel Johnston'' the beautiful documentary on all things Daniel J. (There are rumors that there may be an appearance of Darrens new side-project band Break-up Tape....) The event also marks the reopening of the Chauvel Cinema which is good news for Sydney film buffs. the film starts at 8:30 and information is available at www.chauvelcinema.net.au Also playing on the night are Laura Imbruglia and the Tucker B's 2006 Jul 17 youth group tour support Darren will accompany friends Youth Group on their national Casino Twilight Dogs tour in August. There are a few new places he hasn't been or played before which is always a bonus. He is also excited that New York based singer Don Lennon will be coming along too on his first trip to Australia. He has many questions about this country that need answering.... So hope to see you people on the night wherever that may be 2006 Jun 12 overseas tour cancelled unfortunately due to what doctors have vaguely described as a ''rare tropical virus'' and naturopaths have diagnosed as ''ancient chinese condition'' darren has had to cancel the whole overseas tour planned for this july/aug. he plans to spent the time recuperating and finishing off the new album and hopes to get back out playing shows later in the year. 2006 May 06 your space or mine? Darren has caved to popular trends and now has a myspace account. set up by his travelling buddy and myspace luminary Cory Gray it contains nothing that this website doesn't already have but hey, you can't argue with the kids. visit at; www.myspace.com/darrenhanlon 2006 Apr 25 new album on its way Thanks to all who frequented the shows on the last Autralian tour, and for listening patiently to the new songs. Now that it's all over darren is back in the studio putting the finishing touches on the new album that was recorded in the Magestic Theatre in Pomona, QLD. If all goes well it will be released in Australia in early September and elsewhere after that. 2005 Jul 28 Welcome to my website Hello to the peoples peering into the screen in front. I thought I'd come to the door and welcome you in. You''re welcome to hang out whenever you want and if I'm not here the key is under the mat. So I finally entered the cyber age, a place where most people have been living for some time. A suburb I thought I didn't really belong in, like St Ives. People tell me that I'm a terrible emailer. For Gods sake, I still even struggle to leave a message on a telephone answering machine. So I can't promise anything. Now this is the place you go to find out when we're playing and how to get there, and to hear music. And I'm told I should write some stories down too; just pretend it's my old portable junk store typewriter. I'd like to thank the guys at the Boompa office who punch in to work each day at an austere, but haunted 1900s office building in Vancouver city (the very one where the 13th floor superstition originated). For Erin who built this, and her boss Rob Caulder who 8 months ago downed chopsticks and eyed me across a tray of sushi: quote what, you don't have a fucking website? unquote And as always my gratitude goes out to Crouchie the steersman at Candle Records who's pushed it all along. And of course to all of you who've bought our records and come to see us play and then even come back again. Man, I forgot I gotta go and see a Russian about some borijst, meet you later. You can let yourself out. |
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