19th June The Basement Sydney NSW

[CarlaM]

Poor Damien must have been so worried and nervous all day knowing how sick he was and knowing it was going to be filmed but I swear, you would NEVER have picked that he had been sick.

He didn't even look nervous...AT ALL!

As I said previously, he owned that stage from the second he walked onto it. You could even tell before he came on that it was much more enthusiastic audience and Damien definitely does feed off a good audience.
I must say too....the sing alongs were great....not as out of tune as some I have been to!

Oh Shims, Indi got is SO wrong, Erics side was SO much louder and better than Damien's side!
Even Damien thought we had won. I think she liked you all better cos she was on your side!

[Mysterri]

Absolutely brilliant reports ladies! I can feel your excitement jumping through my computer. I was so worried about Damien's voice last night and it's so good to know that he nailed it while the cameras were rolling. I can't wait to see the show in September and, like everyone else, I'm so hoping for the release of the DVD.

[Roxy]

Wow thank you all for your reports ladies, so glad last night was amazing for the filming. Phew! such a relief for everyone, and I'm sure Damien was thrilled and relieved more so.

Did the cameras zoom into the crowd? sorry if someone has mentioned this already, I've been out all day, and just got on for a few minutes.

I can't wait for the show now too, and the DVD

[princess1]

What fabulous reports ladies, I'm so glad you all had the best time and its great that Damien was on FIRE and ROCKED the Basement. I'm smiling like ;D just reading how your night went. I'm so excited for all of you, its fabulous, THANKYOU ALL for sharing
I am really looking forward to seeing this show air in September to see the magnificence that you ladies saw and if there is a DVD

[KrisLovesDamien]

WOW!!



The reports are magnificant ladies!!, i was smiling from ear to ear reading all of them ;D
Thats the incredible thing about Damien, even though his sick he still performs at his very best!! and you can't tell at the slightest inch that he is unwell. That to me is beyond amazing as a performer, so unique and special everytime you see him
and that's why D is the best!!

Oh and Damien's jokes throughout the shows are an absolute crack up, he really is funnier then he thinks!!

[12ktina]

I must say that over the last few weeks I've become accustomed to reading gushing and glowing reports , but these reports seem to indicate that this show was taken to a different level altogether!!
Which is F A N T A S T I C ! ! ! I'm so pleased that this show was recorded, and all those people out there who don't know about Damien will be converted!!

And ladies, I hope those sore hands have recovered!!!

The Basement looked really crowded from the photos, the tour is obviously selling well!!!




Thanks so much for sharing your stories, I feel so excited reading them!!

[rivers]

How lucky the people that went to the show.. i wish i could have been there cause whilst the shows I have been to (Gaels, and Blacktown RSL), were brilliant, the Basement Thursday 19th seems EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA special. Not sure how you improve on perfection, but it sounds like he did!

Waiting waiting waiting for that DVD! Knowing my luck, i will miss the show on TV.

[astrokath]

Fantastic reports , and so glad we will all get to see this one .

*begins pacing knowing she has 3 weeks to wait for Adelaide*

[thebraff (Braffy)]

;D

Hi guys, this is really late from me. Sorry.

There is not much that I can add other than to agree with Carla that our side was the best.
I handed the rose to Damien after he sang Vincent. Initially, I was going to give it to him after the piano pieces but I went shy (who me??) so I held back. I am really pleased that I did though. Damien gave his usual open admission about the lyrics to Vincent and how he went to a source that you could rely on ......the internet for the correct lyrics and he ended up with flaming floors instead of flaming flowers . As the others have mentioned, he got a rousing applause (well from all at DLO anyway) when he sang the correct lyrics and then when he finished I stood up and handed him the rose. I said to him 'this is a flower not a floor'. I don't think that he heard what I said though. He then said something to me but I was ;D ga ga and teh comatised so I don't know what it was. I know he was thanking me but I have just realised. This will probably be on the DVD (unless it is on the cutting room floor)
If it does stay on at least I will find out what was said.
He was also warning the people at the front tables (ours from the night before) - that they are soooo close that they will probably be covered in spit etc. We were on the table behind them.
Damien's jokes are always funny. He usually says the same thing but he always varies it and makes it sound funny each time.
The Sydney wall has never had so much publicity
You could tell that this show was special even an hour and a half before Damien was due on. The noise in the venue was buzzing. It was so loud I was wondering if people were going to be quiet when Damien was performing. I shouldn't have worried. They all realised that they were in a room being entertained by a brilliant musician.
I so hope that this goes to DVD and that there were people there last night from the industry to finally find out what we have all known for the last 18 months - just how fantastic Damien is in a live setting and that he gets the proper respect that he so justifiably deserves.

I so wish that I was going to the Doylo, Revesby and Rooty Hill too. I never get tired of listening or watching Damien.

A TRUE ENTERTAINER - THANK YOU

[shimmery]

Great to see your report and that you are back safe and sound Braffy! I loved reading all your stories, there were so many funny moments weren't there!

- and LOL Womby, Nuffy and I will issue the strongest protests defending the singing our side of the room - (the winning side )


I'm very excited too that at last with this tv special a very big audience will be able to share how wonderful one of Damien's shows are and what a consummate entertainer he is, and so amazingly unique! Such wonderful audience rapport as well as performance, it's all such a fabulous blend!!


Edit - oh sorry Roxy, meant to answer too about the filming, whether they zoomed to the crowd - I never noticed if they did, I think Womby or Nuffy mentioned at one point they noticed the cameras moving over the crowd. There were free standing camera people moving around the stage during the show, and a camera on a tracking device up the back and another big camera on a tripod by the bar - I remember as I was scared each time I walked past of knocking the tripod leg in the crowded situation and was being careful of it So all these cameras will mean that the show must have been captured beautifully from many angles!


I also agree about the buzz in the room that night, even before the show - it was much noisier even before Damien arrived than the night before and we all got a sense that something special was in the air. Was there ever!

[Nuffy]

Yoohoo! Braffy!...

After you gave the Braffy... I noticed the camera on your front side following you right back to your table

And yes, there was a bit of panning but since we were on Damien's left side I'm not sure if we occasionally got caught in his background too - like the lurkers and stalkers that we are... NOT!.. uh okay, yes we are ... well some of us anyway

Concur with Shims. Damien's side won fair and square (even if we had the easier part)

Eric was so cheeky to sneak in Celebrate ahead of Wicked Game... then Damien made all those jokes about his Idol performance of Celebrate - but he must have been thrilled by the audience response when we convinced him to sing it (with Eric's egging on ). Cause as Damien sang the chorus the whole audience was singing so enthusiastically with him. Just like when he was in Idol. No-one was laughing at the performance. We were just so into the fun of it. THAT's why it was so GREAT on Idol. He led us and the crowd loved it. The audience was the best judge (as usual).

[shimmery]

Couldn't agree more with you Nuffy about the enthusiasm for Celebrate - Damien reclaimed it totally and on film - and the audience got into it so much because everyone got it - it's not his usual thing but that time on Idol he gave it his all, and it's his passion for giving it a go that I think also makes him so loved in this country even apart from his beautiful voice and character. Everyone was into the FUN of it on Thursday night - not laughing at it but laughing with joy because of how much fun it was and wow how great was it with everyone belting out that chorus Just loved it!

[shimmery]

Just came back because in all my posts about such a brilliant show I don't think I remembered to mention "Catch the Wind"!!!!! Damien opened the show with it, and it was just so so fabulous I must mention it, the best I've heard it yet - like "Beautiful", I think the arrangement is now so perfect. Just adore Damien's version of this song, all the other's too, but this is such a favourite!

[dmac]

We were so excited to learn that Nuffy and Womby were coming on the Thursday night as well. There was much movement back and forward between where Shims, b/f and Nuffy were and our table in front of the stage. Then Womby arrived after her "scenic" tour of the City (bummer Womby), still you got there in good time ;D . I happened to be standing chatting with Shims and co. when an Irish accent was heard behind us bidding us evening omg....without thinking(as one does) turned around and immediately responded with 'hello gorgeous' oops and got a hug and kiss poor D !!! He of course gave everyone a kiss . Then the questions flew....'how are you? how's your voice?' eeeekkk what are we doing?? "NO don't answer, no talking!!!" Ha D grinned as we waved him away with a chorus of "Don't Speak! rest your voice. omg fancy Shooing D away . Was to learn later on that this night almost didn't happen. But thankfully, it did and was simply superb. What an amazing person and performer he is!!!. When I told Braffy what happened she asked, how did he look? what was he wearing? eerrrr he looked spectacular...ummmm something black...yes but what ohhh I was so busy looking at his face/smile all I caught was black
Just to fill in a few gaps, I thought D said Thank you Heather after Braffy handed him the rose, but he didn't get the part about flower not floor. He certainly heard the woohooos and cheers and clapping when he sang the 'correct' lyric.
The crowd tonight was definitely much younger and more vocal and noisy, which portended a great responsive audience. Sorry girls, but I thought we lost the first part of the competition, mainly because the count-in was suspect. But the second part was no competition even allowing for the fact that the groom, from that wedding D went to, was kinda miles off-key, it was actually hilarious and Eils later said it was a "good" thing her table was so far back with all the vocals coming from it. Our side blew it out of the water, ha .
That incident with the table was because of the bill arriving and all of them grabbing for it and the smallest won D did no mine, no mine thing and told her as she was paying the lot, how he liked that in a person ;D...she just beamed at him.
Strangely, my eye contact moment was with Indi, who saw me watching her and smiled. Nice to see her doing some backing vocals too.
After the show, which was :okind of amazing we talked with David, who was kinda misty eyed at how D had pulled out all stops for the performance no one could ever expect and gave him the Care package with card, Krissy's certificate, my rose and a soft toy budgie with a sign on it saying 'J's Boodgie
squeeze me' as it makes budgie noises when squeezed
. It was at this point that David told us how proud he was of Damien and that Idol was just starting to realise what an exceptional artist Damien was, the best they've ever had . We could have told them that and tried.
We also managed to catch up with the lovely Eils, who looked stunning that night....what a gorgeous face and smile she has and is just the nicest person.... poor Eils was also hugged hhmmm must be a damienite thing, even Kath does it now . She also let us know how nervous he had been and how sick, even in the afternoon and Carla told her about the Care Bag David was taking to D. We also talked about how her table was back, but she thought in light of all the noise at their table, including off-key singing, it was perhaps a good thing. She then went off to find her handbag....but such a sweetie
Finally, one of us managed to get a last drink at the bar, so was told to drink it slowly......as it was carbonated, that was always going to happen. While we were sitting there Damien and Eils came and said hi. Thanks Braffy for getting that book signed for my friend Helen, now I can ask her for the money Damien was apologising again, saying how he had to be up early for the airport at 11:00. but he would see us again soon and beamed at us ;D what can you do, when he does that except to say....stop talking, rest your voice, get better ;D. We thanked him and they left. They are such a lovely couple
Afraid I forgot a bit as I was grinning like an idiot in between singing, clapping, stomping, woohooing (geez....hope there wasn't a roving camera : and finally...hammering the table(was going to say banging on....but thought...maybe not...)
Forgot to say, we also talked with Jimmy, who admitted finally that he does vocals, wished Eric a safe trip (for his work) and talked with Indi to say how fantastic she looked and she told us how that camera man on her side was always up her eerrr azzzzz (he was!!!). We wished them a safe journey too.
Forgot to mention that in Celebration he did a pretty good Skippy dance, which everyone cheered on and then declared that the one on Idol was worse...awwww but it wasn't

[thebraff (Braffy)]

Thank you Dawn. You have reminded me of something else too.

A chap came up to me after the show and was chatting to me and it was Alex, Damien's friend that he was the best man for on the night of our Damienfest. I had mentioned to him that I had been sitting next to his table at the Vanguard, and then as he was about to leave I said 'wait' and I gave him a huge Braffy hug. I said Thank you so much for encouraging Damien to enter Idol. And blabbed on a bit, told him I was grateful, how I loved Damien etc.
I WILL always be thankful to Alex and Alex for having the widsom and Damien for having the courage to enter Idol 2006. That action has brought Damien's music to me and has brought all you fellow DLO'ers to me as well. What more could I want?