FORMER Savage Garden frontman, Darren Hayes, has cultivated quite a following and they were out in force as he played to a packed hall at the Civic.

His emergence into a stage set that was half modern trendy apartment, half recording studio, provoked screaming and squealing, that hardly let up all night, as the faithful revelled in the company of their idol.

He, in turn, fed off the adulation to deliver a flamboyant performance, although he had his work cut out trying to quell the audience's exuberance as he appealed for calm during the slower, more thoughtful numbers.

The overall mood, however, was one of celebration as the now solo artist was reassured he had kept his following despite the demise of Savage Garden.

Standing at that delicate career stage where he is trying to gain acceptance for his new musical direction, he made sure he did not let down the fans who still wanted to hear the Garden favourites. Insatiable and Strange Relationship, from his first solo album a couple of years back, got the evening off to a good start before he invited the audience to select favourites in his "Ipod karaoke" section.

Among those requested were the balladic Crash and Burn and Truly, Madly, Deeply, as well as the plaintive Two Beds and a Coffee Machine and the passionate I Want You.

In the interval between the main set and the encore, Hayes performed an impromptu costume change cum striptease - in silhouette behind a curtain - before emerging to end with the recent single, Popular, and Affirmation, at the end of a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

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