Darren Hayes

Sheffield City Hall

It was billed as A Big Night In with Darren Hayes. "Don't expect to just sit back and be entertained, " said the press release. So I suppose I should have been braced for the ex Savage Garden frontman's new take on live entertainment.

He made a boxer - style grand entrance from the back of the auditorium, strutting in satin dressing gown through clamouring City Hall fans to the chorus " I like your old stuff better than your new stuff ."

And what followed was live concert crossed with intentionally cheesy TV gameshow.

Hayes likes to do things differently. And although there was, indeed, more than a passing tribute to his Garden days , there was plenty that was new and novel about Hayes' gig on Tuesday night.

Some of the audience actually ended up on stage with their idol - Hayes did the Cilla bit and plucked "single, New Age, sensitive Jay of Sheffield " for a swift makeover.

Next female fans were invited to text in while Hayes crooned away to the hypnotic , synthesised sound that is so much his trademark. A thrilled brunette called Dani won a dinner date on stage. I doubt Jay took her to the moon and back, but she got a hug with her Savage hero.

Hayes is quite the showman. The Boy Wonder from Brisbane throws himself into his performance and he's got a damned good voice. But the riffs, the quiff, the preening and postulating...It was all a bit too Robbie Williams.

For me, that is . Everyone else - in an audience ranging from mums and dads to kids, grandparents , gay guys and gaggles of 20 something women in their best lip-gloss - well , they absolutely loved him. From the moment he made his Mohammed Ali- style entrance , there wasn't a bum on a seat.

Jo Davison.