Category: Live Performances

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Casey Barnes Bows Out of Australian Idol on Top 10 Night

Tonight the Australian Idol top 10 sang top 10 hits. But first of all we had to get to just 10 by eliminating one of our contestants. I was honestly shocked to see Kim Cooper and Sabrina Batshon sharing the bottom three spots with serial offender Casey Barnes. While I love Casey, when compared with those two girls he really deserved to go.

Sabrina Batshon kicked it off with “When Love Takes Over.” I really liked her enthusiasm, and the different approach she took on this song compared to the serious numbers we’ve had in the past. But I don’t think this was her best vocal performance. It was a little pitchy, and shrieky in places. It’s a shame, because I liked seeing this different side of her.

Toby Moulton stripped back and slowed down the ‘80s classic “Take On Me.” I love love love this song, and while it was a very different version, I loved it too. It felt very intimate, and to get that across to a television audience is very special indeed. This was just beautiful.

Kim Cooper embraced her pop roots with Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance.” This has never been one of my favourite songs, but I think she brought a new depth and edge to this track. I also appreciated that her vocals didn’t suffer with her dancing. Achieving that balance is a tricky one, and I think Kim managed it.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ashleigh Toole Leaves Australian Idol on Rock Night

Australian Idol rocked this week with special guest mentor and judge Suzi Quatro. But before we could get into the business, someone had to go. This week saw Tim Johnston, Casey Barnes, and Ashleigh Toole land in the bottom three. Despite never putting a foot wrong in the comp, Ashleigh was the unlucky one ousted. My husband wonders whether all of her fans simply intended to vote as he did, rather than picking up the phone. Either way, she definitely didn’t deserve to leave us so soon.

Hayley Warner, our resident rock chick, was a natural choice to kick off the performances. Her choice of a Paramore number was spot on. I think she took everything Suzi said in her stride and delivered a performance even more compelling than the week before.

Casey Barnes is one of the nicest guys in the comp, so finding his rock edge was always going to be a challenge. I’m not sure he did it with Carolina Liar’s “I’m Not Over”, but we saw a little more angst than we have in the past. It was a solid effort for a singer clearly out of his comfort zone.

I loved Kate Cook’s cheeky choice of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” Like Casey, she wasn’t in her comfort zone, but I had to admire her commitment. While parts of it were a little shouty for me, she certainly didn’t do it by halves. She gets an A for effort.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Finals Kick Off

The pointy end of Australian Idol kicked off tonight with the first final. But before the performances, we learned that Toby Moulton and Hayley Warner (audience choice) and Casey Barnes and Tim Johnston (judges’ choice) would join our top 12.

Ashleigh Toole kicked off the night with Kelly Clarkson’s “Miss Independent.” It wasn’t a break-out performance, but it was a solid one. While she didn’t wow me, there’s something incredibly likable about her.

Scott Newnham is a bit of a crowd favourite, and he showed why with his version of “Come Together.” He performed the pants off it, and kept the vocals right where they should be. That’s an achievement. He’s such a raw talent, and he’s only going to grow through this competition.

Casey Barnes was up next with Powderfinger’s “On My Mind.” It was great to see him rocking a little bit harder. I also really liked seeing him with his guitar. He seems much more comfortable with it, and he’s got some serious skills. I was surprised he got a wildcard spot over Lauren Street, but performances like this show he deserves a place in our top 12.

Watching Hayley Warner perform “Light Surrounding You” was the first time I was wowed tonight. There’s an incredible honesty about her. She’s an open performer, and while she doesn’t sound the prettiest she makes me feel. That’s much more powerful.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kim Cooper and James Johnston Make Australian Idol Finals on Wildcard Night

After a few days off, I was having Australian Idol withdrawals. Tonight’s show didn’t disappoint, with some of the best talent getting a second chance. But first up it was time to announce our newest finalists. After Thursday’s show Kim Cooper and James Johnston were voted through to the top 12. After some rapid-fire wildcard contestant announcements it was time for the performances.

Lucie Johnson started the show with “Boogie Wonderland.” I really liked her song choice, and I thought the introduction was sublime. But I think when she started to move, she lost it a little bit. Of course you need to dance in “Boogie Wonderland,” but it’s when a few breath and pitch issues crept in. Even with those flaws, she sounds better than most people, but those little flaws distracted me a little. I see a lot of potential in Lucie, but this is going to be one tough night.

Casey Barnes was up next with “Never Say Never (Don’t Let Me Go)” by The Fray. It was an interesting song choice, not so commercial approachable but a lot more believable. The falsetto wasn’t the greatest, but his voice is solid. It was definitely an improvement on last week, but he still feels a little middle-of-the-road.

Aliqua Mao was up next with “The Power of Love.” It was an incredibly dumb choice. If the judges slam you for singing big ballads that are beyond your capabilities one week, you don’t front up and do the same thing for the wildcard night. Celine and Whitney both share the space, and it’s one far above what Aliqua can do. What a wasted wildcard opportunity.

Lauren Street was already on the right path, although she turned down the volume a little tonight. “Low” by Kelly Clarkson was a smart choice. By showing a more vulnerable side, she might just have scored the votes of the people scared off by the Alanis act! Another solid performance that makes me pretty certain the judges will put her through even if the judges don’t.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sabrina Batshon and Scott Newnham Join Idol Top 12

We’re halfway towards having our top 12, with Sabrina Batshon and Scott Newnham joining the fray. Despite my reservations about him, I figured Scott would coast through. I’m pleasantly surprised that the public embraced Sabrina though.

Kim Cooper kicked off the night with a searing rendition of Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas.” I really, really like her. So few women do straight up pop in Australia, and she does it really well. She’s a lot of fun, and I can imagine her bringing a really different flavour to the competition. It’s not one with a lot of depth, but don’t we all just want to sing in a hairbrush every now and then?

Boy it’s shaping up to be some show. Ed Zaidan was up next with a blistering take on Eskimo Joe’s “Foreign Land.” It showed an intensity we haven’t seen before from him, and I’m really enjoying seeing all the sides. I heard the vocal flaws too, but I also think you can get away with that in the rock genre. I really hope we see him in the top 12, because he’s one of those fascinating figures.

Lucie Johnson got her Beyonce on with “Sweet Dreams.” I thought she sang it well and performed it well, but it didn’t really lift into the stratosphere. I think that may be down to song choice: while it’s a very popular and current song it’s also not a very dynamic one. Coming after two such strong performances, I think she may get a little lost in the crowd.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ashleigh Toole and Nathan Brake Make Idol Top 12

The third semifinal in our big week of Australian Idol kicked off with the announcement of two new finalists. I’m feeling a bit cocky about my tipping skills at the moment! Just as I predicted, Ashleigh Toole and Nathan Brake earned places in the top 12.

Daniel Raso opened up the show with The Real Thing’s “You To Me Are Every Thing.” There’s something so likeable about Daniel, and this was a really fun performance. It didn’t really show off his vocal chops, but it did highlight his mad performing skills. I agree that it was a strange choice, and probably a little too old-fashioned for the voting public, but I still liked this a lot.

There should be a rule not to sing “I Will Always Love You.” Only two people in this world can do it justice: Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton. It was simply too big for Aliqua Mao. Her voice is a little too thin, and she really pitchy. I know how hard this song is to sing. It’s one that I love to belt out. It was a risky move, and I don’t think it paid off, despite Marcia’s praise.

I was disappointed when Nicole Banks missed out on the top 12 last time, so I really wanted her to succeed this year. But I think her version of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” missed the mark. It started off really shaky, and definitely improved. But it simply wasn’t consistent. I’d think she was hitting her stride, and then it went off again. I admire her ambition and vision, but the execution fell short.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Stan Walker and Kate Cook Make Australian Idol Finals

The second night of the Australian Idol semis opened with the announcement of our first two finalists. It looks like I was right. Australia fell in love with the soul stylings of Stan Walker and country girl Kate Cook.

Ashleigh Toole opened the show with Christina Aguilera’s “Hurt.” I’m not a fan of Christina, especially when done on the Idol stage. But wow. She made me forget about all the people who’ve performed this song in an overly emotional and cloying way. It was vulnerable and believable and lovely.

Adam Eckersley was up next with the big rock chick anthem, “All Fired Up.” It was a solid rendition, but it didn’t really take off beyond that for me. And at this point of the competition, I think you really need to break into the stratosphere to distinguish yourself. It needed a little more grit and passion. And perhaps a guitar would have helped. Security blanket or not, he seemed a little aimless up there without it.

Marijana Topalovic took on one of my favourite songs, “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette. I’ve said many times that Idol needs more power ballads, but not like this. I’m not sure how she managed to suck all the power out of the power ballad, but she did it. Instead of being forceful and gutwrenching, it was simply pleasant. That also equates to boring. She hasn’t had a lot of screen time, so she really needed to pull something out tonight. And she didn’t.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Kicks Off With First Semifinal

The new and improved, Jay Dee Springbett judging Australian Idol competition really kicked off tonight with the first semi-final. With the no talent losers out of the way, we could all sink our teeth into the really good stuff. And there was certainly some of that.

Hayley Warner started the show with Diesel’s “Cry in Shame.” It was an interesting choice, a little less contemporary and a little more soulful than we’ve seen her. I always find it intriguing when women cover male songs. It definitely works for her. She’s got a masculine energy that’s exciting, and she’s a born performer. It wasn’t her best performance, but it’s so refreshing to see a genuine rock chick in the mix.

Seth Drury was up next with his take on The Fray’s “You Found Me.” I really wanted to like Seth’s performance. He hasn’t received a lot of screen time, but what I’ve seen from him has been really cool. He’s from my home town of Newcastle. And he’s pretty cute. But his performance felt really pedestrian for me. There was none of the spark I’ve seen in the past, and with such a tough group of individuals I’m not sure solid is quite good enough.

Jamila Ioane took on Stevie Wonder’s classic “For Once in My Life.” She sang it well, but I honestly hated it. The arrangement stripped away all of the bounce and passion, so we were left with lounge music for the better part of the song. It picked up towards the end, but at this stage of the competition you don’t have very long to impress. I want a whole song of great, not just a snippet of one. I also felt like she was singing pretty rather than really connecting with the lyric. Jamila’s a real talent, but right now she’s not offering me anything I haven’t seen before.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jaimi Faulkner: One to Watch

Sometimes an artist crosses your path and you wonder where they’ve been all your life. Their music feels familiar, like home. That’s the sort of instant connection I found when I heard songs from Jaimi Faulkner.

He’s recorded many albums right here in our own backyard. Why isn’t he all over radio, and attracting the attention of the media? I have no clue. His bluesy voice and soulful tunes are like a warm blanket, and after a hearing a few I’m determined to track down more. I know the lighting on this YouTube clip is bad, but take a listen to this. You won’t regret it.

 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Guy Sebastian's Likable New Single

Guy Sebastian left us pining when he packed up his things and headed to the Big Apple. But our patience has been rewarded with “Like It Like That,” the first single and title track from Guy’s fifth album. It’s an addictive slice of sixties-inspired pop, which should have everyone tapping their toes. The single is expected in stores and online on August 21. Until then, we’ll just have to be satisfied with this fun video!