Music

Interview: Jason Donovan prepares to take Ten Good Reasons on the road

Celebrating his 1989 debut album, Ten Good Reasons, Jason Donovan opens up about the tour and looks back on his longstanding career.

Split into two sections, the forthcoming nine-date tour sees Jason perform a blend of his greatest hits alongside Ten Good Reasons from start to finish. Far from a simple nostalgia trip, it’s a celebration of the freedom he associates with the time. Boasting some of the best songs in the illustrious Stock Aiken Waterman arsenal, it’s also recognition of great pop music.

We caught up with the man himself to reminisce and reflect, and to find out just how he is making the Ten Good Reasons and Greatest Hits Tour so special. Read the interview below.

Jason Donovan - Too Many Broken Hearts

What made you choose to do a Ten Good Reasons album tour?

There seems to be a little bit of a trend towards artists playing their classic albums from top to tail, so a couple of people threw the idea at me. Initially I wasn’t too sure about it, but I saw an advert for Peter Gabriel doing his classic album, So, and I thought that was a ticket I’d like to buy. Then I thought there is probably a group of fans that want to hear my Ten Good Reasons record.

We did really well with the first run this year, and I figured it did so well the opportunity to get more dates at Christmas to wrap up the year, to a bunch of cities I didn’t get to, was a great idea.

Have you changed anything since the first run?

It’s pretty much the same production. I’ve been very keen to use that a template. If it’s working you don’t need to change it. The show comes in two halves, the first half is more about me and I throw in some other songs that people know, and I chat to the audience. The second half is just about the album.

Are you going to be getting festive on tour?

Yeah, why not? I’m going to throw caution to the wind and just go with it. I like to make people happy and to smile, and it’s the right time of year to be positive.

How does it feel to be performing those songs from back in 1989?

With the success of Neighbours, the partnership with Stock Aiken Waterman was a perfect marriage.

You never really know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. When I look back at those songs, and know how difficult it is to achieve success in music, I become even more grateful.

I don’t believe in luck, I believe you create your own luck. But certainly timing in life is everything. And the timing on Ten Good Reasons was pretty good.

Do you have any particularly fond memories of that time?

I never envisaged myself becoming a pop star and there I was playing this role. And not just playing it; having four number ones, a number one selling album and going on tour… It was crazy.

Growing up in Australia I loved the power of music. It’s an incredibly strong language. It can put you in a place and time like nothing else can. It was just exciting for me to be living that dream.

Back then I saw myself as an actor, I never saw myself as a pop star.

And now you’ve got radio, TV, theatre and music under your belt. Do you have a preference for any of them?

I like to keep working and to be busy. I like developing ideas and challenging myself. I’ve found the business I want to be in. I don’t find myself frustrated wishing I were something else. I enjoy performing; it’s what I want to do.

It’s about finding opportunities that haven’t been unearthed. I’d like to do more straight acting in TV and film, but the theatre work I do helps to satisfy that creative urge I have.

So what can people expect from the tour?

I like to have a chat with the audience. I play a few acoustic songs too; you know the stuff that isn’t on Ten Good Reasons that people might want to listen to. It’s Christmas too, so we’ll be playing a couple of festive songs.

Really, the greatest hits decide themselves. Most of the singles will be played of course, and songs that have obviously risen above the crop.

It’s an opportunity to celebrate the past and have a good night out, and to just enjoy yourself.

The Ten Good Reasons and Greatest Hits Tour kicks off in December. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.co.uk.