Category: Live Performances

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Cyndi Lauper Does the 80s on Australian Idol!

I have not been more excited about an episode of Australian Idol in its history. Two words for you: Cyndi Lauper. To have one of my idols mentoring these talented youngsters and sitting in on the judging panel was a real treat. I’m also a massive fan of the 1980s, so I was pumped. But could the idols match my anticipation?

Luke Dickens certainly did. When I heard he was taking on John Cougar’s “Jack and Diane” it seemed only natural. It’s a storyteller’s song, and that’s exactly what he is. This man just improves in leaps and bounds every week. He seemed more comfortable than I’ve ever seen him, engaging the audience and still remembering to enjoy himself. He’s definitely stepping up where it counts. It was a joy to watch, and it even made Cyndi cry!

Brooke Addamo revealed a whole new sexed-up side with one of my favourites, “Bette Davis Eyes.” Initially I was a little concerned that the band was getting the better of her, but she really took up the challenge and came home strong. I loved seeing this edgier side to her. Every week she brings something new and she continues to show us she’s more than just a pretty face. Cyndi’s also proving to be worth her weight in gold – she’s bringing such great performances out of our Idols!

Madam Parker took on Diana Ross’ “Upside Down.” I’m not sure whether it was her illness that brought this performance down, but it just felt very lacklustre. Even if you’re sick I sort of feel like you need to give it more than this when you’re choosing a high energy song.

It’s funny, my husband I were discussing the possibility of Mark Spano singing some Foreigner just this morning. We were hoping for something rocky like “Jukebox Hero” or “Cold as Ice,” but he opted for “I Want to Know What Love Is.” I love a good power ballad, but I’m not sure he brought the right degree of light and shade to this. It finished strong, but I don’t think it was anywhere near his best performance. I just can’t put my finger on exactly why. I’m still a massive fan.

Tom Williams mutilated “Uptown Girl.” He turned one of the most wonderful pop songs of the 80s into a sugary-sweet piece of garbage. It lost all its bounce, all of its fun, and just became something from High School Musical. This is the worst thing I’ve heard him do, and I haven’t liked his other performances. My husband actually said I do this song better on SingStar, and my own mother begged me not to sing anymore as a child. The cop-out of not knowing any song from the 80s was just the cherry on the sundae for me. Terrible on all accounts.

Chrislyn Hamilton took on another of my favourite songs, “True Colours.” If she was intimidated by Cyndi Lauper’s presence on the judging panel, she certainly didn’t show it. She delivered a performance that was mature beyond her years. I believed it. I think I really needed to see this other side to her, to feel there was more depth to her than just someone who could belt out some big notes. This was very impressive.

What an improvement Teale Jakubenko has made. You would never imagine this was the same guy who stumbled into the bottom three last week. His version of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was masterful. He took command from the get go and floored us all. My only criticism is that he broke the spell when he stepped out from behind the microphone. Before that my macho husband had tears welling in his eyes! But if that’s the worse you can say … well I’m sure he won’t be in the bottom three this week.

It seems like this is the week that all our performers have decided to show a brand new side. This week Sophie Paterson stepped away from being our resident folkster to show a real strength. And they don’t come much stronger than Annie Lennox, do they? Her version of “Sweet Dreams” was incredibly powerful. She also looked sensational, although I really agree that she needed some more sensible shoes for that sexy strut!

It was yet another brilliant performance from Wes Carr with his rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” It makes me wonder though, where are everyone else’s instruments? I could have listened to this for a whole lot longer. There’s absolutely nothing to fault with a man so talented.

Roshani Priddis is one of those performers I could just watch forever. She has a way of drawing you in, and she did it again with “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” I felt every ounce of her anger. She did everything right, and again I was impressed. I have a feeling this girl might have been hurt before, and if she hasn’t she certainly made me believe she has!

Thanh Bui closed the show with The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” I am so glad Cyndi set him straight on the meaning behind this song! The performance was a little patchy, but what was good was really, really good. He just needs to drop that act and really feel. When he did that it was urgent and sufficiently creepy. Just like all good stalker songs should be!

So who’s going home? Honestly if it’s not Tom there’s no justice in this world and all the parents need to confiscate their children’s mobile phones!

Image source: Jim Davidson @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Finals Begin!

The pointy end of Australian Idol kicked off tonight with the first finals show. Tonight was “Idol’s Idols” night, a wonderful theme which allowed the artists to play some tunes that really rev them.

First up was Wes Carr tackling U2’s “Beautiful Day.” On the whole this was another consistently solid performance. He fills a stage and really gets the crowd involved. The transition from piano to pure vocals jarred me, but I can understand what he was trying to do. Knowing that he’s got those piano chops, I’d love to see him just sit down and do his thing there soon.

Then we had crowd pleasing teen Tom Williams with Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.” I’m just not sure why young Tom continues to choose such big songs. They expose all his flaws and make me question how he landed in the finals in the first place. Oh that’s right: the teeny fangirl vote. I also think he needs to be really careful about choosing songs he can’t relate to on an emotional level.

Roshani Priddis followed with Joss Stone’s “Tell Me ‘Bout It.” It was a curious song choice for me, and I’m a little concerned that she might alienate viewers because of it. I’d heard it a couple of times, but there wasn’t so much in the song I could latch on to. Yet there was plenty to love about the way Roshani performed it. She’s got such personality, and an effortless way about her. I’d love to see more of her,

Teale Jakubenko took on Rick Price’s version of “Walk Away Renee,” and I’m sorry to say it was nowhere near his best performance. That song is so reliant on the falsetto, but they weren’t the only parts that tripped him up. Maybe it was nerves? I also felt that the emotion of the song was lacking. He does get points for admitting his Rick Price love publicly though!

Sophie Paterson followed with one of my favourite songs, “Mr Jones.” Isn’t it interesting … Sophie’s song also had some significant falsetto moments she couldn’t quite achieve either, but for her they just added character. This certainly wasn’t her best performance, but it was lovable all the same. Sophie’s a bit like chocolate: even when it’s bad it’s still pretty good.

There’s so much to like about Luke Dickens. He chose the perfect song in Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright,” something the crowd could groove to and one that showcased that trademark rasp. He seemed more comfortable than I’ve seen him, and it was a joy to watch. A really solid effort, and the exciting thing is that he’s only going to improve.

As far as I saw, Brooke Addamo  gave the performance of the night to that point with her rendition of “These Words.” It was joyous and pure, with plenty of attitude and such a pure voice. It wasn’t good enough for Kyle though, and I felt for her as he tore her down. Was he watching the same performance I was at home? I don’t know what more she could have done, and it’s especially cruel considering he was one of the two men who pushed her into up tempo numbers in the first place.

You can take the boy out of the boy band, but can you take the boy band out of the boy? That’s the question I found myself asking as Thanh Bui put his spin on Maroon 5’s “This Love.” I feel like you could have handed his arrangement to the Backstreet Boys and they’d have a hit with it. But it just didn’t work here. I think it’s important to show diversity, but I think he could have picked an up tempo song that showcased his voice better. I couldn’t watch it without imagining pretty boys performing cheesy dance moves behind him.

I’m not really into the dance floor R’n’B stuff, but I take my hat off to Madam Parker. Her version of Ne-Yo’s “Closer” was killer. Up until now I’ve felt like she was in cruise control, but she smashed this one out of the park. She could easily have a hit in the clubs with this one right now. To do that in week one makes me pretty excited to see what comes next!

Jonny Taylor paid tribute to his idols, Pearl Jam, with “Betterman.” Like Dicko, I’m fairly attached to this song too. It’s really hard when you’ve got this compressed format, but this didn’t build right for me. The song should start on two in terms of volume and build from there. But there wasn’t really a build, and I felt he never got to the emotional grit that Eddie Vedder has when he’s starting on two. This song is packed with emotion, and a husky rasp doesn’t necessarily equal that. Having said that, Jonny’s got a whole load of potential so I really hope he sticks around long enough for us to see it.

Chrislyn Hamilton was always going to bring out a little bit of soul, and she did it with Aretha Franklin’s “Think.” There was certainly nothing you could fault about this performance. Vocally it was superb. She performed the pants off it. But was I the only one a little bit disappointed that she gave us the same song she did in her audition?

Mark Spano closed the show with an awesome rendition of INXS’s smash “Never Tear Us Apart.” This guy has the whole package. His voice is sensational. He performs to the nth degree. I also find him super sexy. What a great way to close the show!

What a stellar night! It really makes it difficult to anticipate who’ll be leaving us. I’d love to say Tom will get the chop, but never underestimate the power of young girls with mobile phones. Teale may just be on shaky ground.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mark Spano and Teale Jakubenko Join Australian Idol Top 12

I think it goes to show how much I love Australian Idol that as I sat down to watch tonight’s episode, I was already considering how much I was going to miss it over the next few days! We’ve got one half of our top 12 now, with Mark Spano and Teale Jakubenko the latest to head to the finals. They’re really good choices, particularly Mark.

Irae Schwenke was up with Jesse McCartney’s poppy “Beautiful Soul.” Irae’s voice reminds me so much of Guy Sebastian’s. The problem is, it doesn’t have anywhere near the depth. He also doesn’t have Guy’s stage presence. For me everything about this was lightweight.

Kayla Vanzetta did a really credible job of Leonardo’s Bride’s “Even When I’m Sleeping.” She has such a real presence. Her delivery is very genuine; she knows how to emote beyond her 16 years. There were a couple of little pitchy problems, but in the context of the entire song I didn’t care. She’s one these performers with so much potential, I’d really love to see her develop during the competition.

I have a bit of a crush on James Spargo. I was a bit concerned about his song choice of “Chasing Cars.” It’s an awesome song, but it does operate on one level a bit. I felt he did as much to as he could with the material. There was a sincerity there, and I did like how he mixed up the notes a little. I also agree that he needs to watch over-enunciating. It’s nice to hear every word, but modern music needs a little sloppiness.

Brooke Addamo was up next with her amazing version of Jewel’s “Foolish Games.” I was captivated, and consequently I can’t disagree more with Kyle and Dicko. If she was to get up there and sing a vapid little pop song there is no way it would have had this kind of impact. I also think considering ballads are her comfort zone, it would have been foolish to step out and do something else for the sake of mixing it up. We haven’t seen her sing six ballads like the judges. And right now she’s trying to get our votes, not theirs.

Then we had Jonny Taylor with a decidedly different take on “Hound Dog.” Some may disagree with me, but I think this worked. It was brave and memorable, and when things are so competitive that’s what you’ve got to be. I love the deep resonant tones in his voice and think he could continue to surprise us.

Madam Parker closed the night with Alicia Keys’ “No One.” There’s no denying the girl can sing, but she bores me. I felt she was on cruise control here, and I’ve seen it all before. It was well sung, but there was not enough spark to get me to pick up my phone.

And there we have it, all the regular semi-finals with one of the most competitive wild cards we’ve seen to follow on Sunday. I think out of this lot Brooke Addamo and Jonny Taylor have secured their place in the top 12, but it’ll be interesting to see how the votes go.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chrislyn and Wes Head to Australian Idol Finals

Australian Idol semifinal two got straight to business tonight, announcing Chrislyn Hamilton and Wes Carr have made Microphoneit into the Top 12. I’d suspected it might go this way, and I’m definitely not disappointed. They’re such different performers, but both so very strong. I look forward to watching their journeys!

Luke Dickens was up first to perform with “Mustang Sally.” I thought it was a perfect song for his big raspy voice, and I really enjoyed it. His performance was a bit stiff, but you can learn that sort of stuff. He’s so likeable and quintessentially Australian. A really solid start.

Oh Brooke Wilkie. My heart broke for her. I was really enjoying her take on Paulo Nutini’s “New Shoes” for the first verse, but then her lack of voice seemed to catch up with her. She’s clearly sick, and without the experience of knowing how to handle it the whole song came crashing down around her. She’s a talent and hopefully she’s feeling better for the wildcard round. It’d be a shame to have her journey end just through bad luck.

Tom Williams was probably thrilled to follow Brooke. It made his version of “You Raise Me Up” seem almost adequate. The truth is, he’s just not up to a song like this. It started out OK, but he by the end it was paling it comparison. I really hope the teenage girls don’t vote him through just because he’s cute.

Things really kicked up a notch when Natalie Colavito took to the stage. I’ve heard Idol contestants sing “Listen” time and time again. It’s one of those songs, with all the big notes and inspiration lyrics. Yet Natalie brought something different to her performance and I lapped it up. There’s a sincerity about her, a quiet strength, which is just so appealing.

Amanda Grafanakis followed with Pink’s “Who Knew.” I really like the different flavour she brings to the competition, but I’m not sure she really showed us what she can do here. It’s a shame. We need a rock chick. While it was enjoyable, I’m not sure she did enough to comvince the voters of that.

Thanh Bui closed the show with a rousing rendition of “One.” There’s no denying this guy has a killer voice. It reminds me a lot of John Farnham’s, which isn’t a bad compliment is it? He hits some big notes, but he also delivers them with the passion that I’ve felt has been missing in some Idol contestants of the past. The stand-out of the night for me.

If this was just a singing competition, I’d say Thanh Bui’s going through to the finals and that either Natalia Colavito or Luke Dickens will join him. But it’s not. And I’m a little concerned that because of that Tom Williams may just claim one of those elusive top 12 positions.

Image source: Guillame Leroy @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Semis Kick Off

The Australian Idol semifinals are underway! Predictably there were some nerves and some flashes of brilliance. So let’s get into it!

Chrisyln Hamilton was up first. What a big job for a 17-year-old, but she showed she was up to the task. Her decision to take on Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary” was a little predictable, but it was also a smart choice. It allowed her to show a little light and shade and deliver those big crowd-pleasing notes. This girl’s got bucketloads of personality and I’d love to see her in the finals.

Country boy Mitchell Steele’s another one of our teenagers. He made a really smart choice, singing Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway.” It stayed true to his country roots while veering a little closer the mainstream. Vocally there wasn’t a lot to fault, but he really needs to loosen up. He was holding on to the microphone stand for grim death and he looked petrified when he left it!

Jaden Dowd was up next with “Finally.” It’s such a big song and I honestly didn’t feel like she did it justice. Was it just me or was she pitchy? She did perform the hell out of it, but I think perhaps the energy she gave there made her vocals suffer. Either way, it was disappointing.

Olly Corpe performed next with James Morrison’s “Wonderful World.” He didn’t do a bad job of it, but it was a little shaky. He’s a young kid and the Idol stage is such a high pressure environment, it’s not surprising he was nervous! Despite a few pitchy moments though, I enjoyed it. When his voice really kicked in, it soared. Olly’s got a lovely presence. But I wonder whether he might feel a little more comfortable if he chose those quirkier tracks as Dicko suggested.

Nicole Banks was like a breath of fresh air with her jazzy take on Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold.” Again I find myself agreeing with Dicko: it was an inspired song choice and one which will hopefully pay dividends with the voting public. I’ve always liked her, but seeing her sing alongside everyone else I grew to love her.

They really did save the best for the last tonight. Wes Carr followed Nicole with an excellent take on the Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These.” The reworking was fresh without losing the song’s intent. Wes is such a natural performer, and his experience showed.

If Wes doesn’t get through tomorrow night I’m a poor judge. I’d like to think Nicole will take the second slot in the top 12 based on her performance tonight, but there’s a lot of support out there for Chrislyn so she may scrape through to the finals. I think I’d be happy either way. There’s always the wildcard round after all!

Image source: Creative Daw @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jason Mraz @ The Enmore, Sydney – 9 August 2008

Last night I headed to Newtown to catch Jason Mraz at The Enmore. The theatre was cleverly organized so all the fans could experience the concert their way. The seats in the floor section were cleared out to make way for those enthusiastic young girls who wanted to dance and sing along with their idol. Up in the dress circle the vibe was a lot more mellow, with seats allowing us older folks to properly relax to Mraz’s laidback grooves.

But before all that we were treated to a set from Melanie Horsnell. I’d heard her name before but never any of her music, so I was keen to see what she could do. I was impressed with her instantly accessible lyrics and rich country-tinged voice. Although, as seems to be a common complaint with me, I really could have done without the chatter in the room. Am I the only person who listens to support acts any more? The audience did seem to take a little more notice when she performed a breathtaking acoustic version of Bernard Fanning’s “Songbird,” but this focus was short lived. It’s a shame because she was really very good.

All the chatter was replaced with rapturous applause once Jason Mraz stepped out. He drew everyone in with his easy personality and warmth and didn’t let go. This was my third time seeing him live, but with the first with the full band set up. It’s something I wasn’t sure about as I tend to prefer acoustic sets, but in the end I needn’t have worried. The set was lush and varied. Some songs utilised all the instruments and they were richer for it, while for other songs he knew all they needed was an acoustic guitar.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Peter and Jordan Assault Our Ears Again

A couple of year’s ago plastic lovebirds Peter Andre and Katie “Jordan” Price figured it’d be a good idea to record “A Whole New World.” It was utterly terrible. Peter never had the greatest voice in the world, but singing alongside Jordan makes him sound as smooth as Michael Bublé.

So it’s a bit scary to read the husband and wife team are planning to record an album together. A whole album? Oh god no.

“Some people out there might say ‘don’t’ but we’re going to do an extra long album,” Peter told a UK talk show.

An extra long album? Yes Peter, I’m one of those people saying don’t. Please don’t.

If you don’t remember how torturous it was last time, here’s a live performance of the song without all the studio wizardry. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Michael Johns Impresses on American Idol

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I’ve just watched Michael Johns’ performance from tonight’s episode of American Idol and I’m thrilled to say the boy is back to his best.

Who thought he’d come out with his best performance on Dolly Parton week? His rendition of “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” is so sexy and soulful and bluesy, he’s definitely guaranteed his place in the top 8. I’ve been saying for weeks he needed to step things up a notch and I am so glad I did. Go Michael!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Aussie Vibe Takes Over American Idol

This week the American Idols tackled songs recorded in the years of their births. I love these very open-ended themes because they really allow the contestants to shine. Michael Johns did just that this week, pulling out not one, but two, Queen classics. “We Will Rock You” got the crowd warmed up, while “We Are the Champions” allowed him to soar. Awesome stuff.

As a bonus I thought I’d also post a video from one of the other contestants, David Archuleta. This little Anthony Callea in training put his spin on John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice.” I know this song was released in the US, but I certainly didn’t expect to hear him cover it!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

More Beatles from "American Idol" Hopeful Michael Johns

It seems the folks at American Idol are having trouble coming up with themes. Last week we had the Lennon and McCartney songbook. This week we’ve got the songs of The Beatles. At least this way we can bring out some George Harrison gems I suppose.

I thought Michael sounded great this week (although Simon disagreed with me!) and he delivered “A Day in the Life” with real conviction. But I think the biggest problem for him was trying to compress this opus into a minute and forty. It just sounded really choppy and I think that made it hard for him to really build it.

But the crowd seemed to love it, and they’re the ones voting right? His popularity alone should see him survive another week in the comp.