Isn’t it funny? In recent weeks the American Idol judges have been so excited about Michael Johns’ mediocre performances. This week I thought he was back to his best, but the reception from the judges was less than enthusiastic.
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what they said. Our Aussie boy is through to the top 11. I just hope he keeps delivering more performances like this, with killer vocals and plenty of genuine conviction. With that combination he can’t go wrong.
Australia’s American Idol hopeful Michael Johns was at it again this week with a cool rendition of “Don’t You Forget About Me.” I’m fairly biased about this song, but I thought this was a lot better than the other stuff we’ve seen him pull out in recent weeks. I enjoyed it and had to watch it a second time to hear him sing rather than myself!
However I’m still not sure he’s hitting the highs he did in the early rounds of the competition. Simon may be on to something when he says he should go back to a more soulful sound.
And no, I can’t believe Randy Jackson thought this was an INXS song either.
This week was 70s week on American Idol, and Aussie hopeful Michael Johns opened the show with Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” I’ve got to be honest, this performance has me worried. Again the judges seemed fairly positive, but from where I sat it was vocally pretty weak and a little bit pitchy.
I’d hate to think we’ve seen the best of Michael Johns in the preliminary rounds, because this is where the performances really matter. I just hope his fan base is strong enough to get him through. I’m not sure he deserves it based on this performance, but I do believe he’s got a lot more to give us.
Here’s this week’s vid!
Last night the top 12 guys kicked off American Idol’s sixties week. Our Aussie hopeful Michael Johns closed the show with his take on The Doors’ classic “Light My Fire.”
I’m not sure it was his strongest performance, but I’m positive he did enough to escape elimination this week. The judges seemed to lap it up though. Perhaps I felt underwhelmed because I’d seen him sing this song in Hollywood? Whatever the case, I look forward to big things from him next week!
Here’s the video incase you missed it!
Australia’s own Kylie Minogue was named Best International Female Solo Artist at last night’s Brit Awards. She received the trophy from her Doctor Who costar David Tennant.
“I’m all overcome. This is incredible,” she told the crowd as she accepted her award.
During the ceremony Kyles showed why she’s worthy of the honour with a spectacular performance of her new single “Wow.” Check it out below!
Could an Aussie be the next American Idol? Cutie Michael Johns has made it to Hollywood so anything is possible!
This sexy ex-pat moved to Los Angeles when he was 18 years old, but he hasn’t lost his accent or Aussie charm. He also gets a big tick for choosing an Otis Redding number for his audition.
Thanks to Jeanne at Idol Stalker, you can check out this video and see what all the fuss is about. I’ll be sure to keep you posted about Michael’s progress through the comp!
Last night our Australian Idol hopefuls Natalie Gauci and Matt Corby had one last chance to impress the public. But did they pull it off? Who deserves the winner’s crown? Here’s my verdict on the final showdown.
Matt Corby kicked off the night with his rendition of the winner’s single, “Here I Am.” Newspaper reports earlier in the week suggested Matt hated the song, and while he denied these claims his performance told a different story. I thought he looked really uncomfortable, particularly during the verses.
He looked a lot more at home performing Radiohead’s “High and Dry.” I’m sure Radiohead fans probably hated his loungy treatment of the song, but I’m not a Radiohead fan. I really liked it, but I think his falsetto needs some work.
I was less enthusiastic about his closing song, “Mind’s Eye” by Wolfmother. This should have rocked. The band did, but Matt’s performance felt laboured and tired.
Natalie Gauci seems to be the master of turning hideous pop songs into gold. Just as she did weeks ago with “Umbrella,” Nat did a great version of Timbaland’s “Apologise.”
She followed it up with a breathtaking version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Considering how she struggled with the high notes in “Ray of Light,” I was a little nervous about this, but she pulled it off for a commanding performance. For me, this was the performance of the night.
She closed the show with the winner’s single “Here I Am.” This is the way this song needs to be sung, no question. Her performance had vulnerability and strength all at the same time. Wow.
Reading my comments, I guess you know which way I’m hoping the verdict goes. I’m backing Natalie for the exciting performances she’s delivered in recent weeks. Matt started the competition really strong, but lately he’s been a bit lacklustre. Natalie, on the other hand, has gone from strength to strength. I also really don’t want to hear Matt’s version of “Here I Am” saturating radio waves. It’s going to be a really close call, but Natalie has my vote.
It’s crunch time on Australian Idol, with only three young hopefuls remaining. Tonight we’ll see one of them leave the comp, paving the way for the final two to sing for the ultimate title at the Opera House. You’d think all of that would have inspired some outstanding performances, but did it?
Natalie Gauci was first up, singing the viewer’s choice of “Ray of Light.” I agree with Kyle – this is the worst thing I’ve seen Natalie do. Personally I’ve never liked the song, and it did Natalie no favours. If nothing else, it proved that Natalie can’t sing anything. Thankfully, this wasn’t her only song of the night. Pink’s “Nobody Knows” was a much better choice, and I really enjoyed it.
I was really excited when I heard the home viewer had picked “You Give Me Something” for Carl Riseley, but I didn’t think this worked at all. Vocally it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I thought his version of “For Once in My Life” was better, but it still wasn’t up to the standard I’d expect at this stage of the competition. I like Carl a lot, but I’m wondering whether he peaked too early.
I was beginning to despair that the viewers’ choices would unintentionally sabotage all of the Idols, when Matt Corby appeared. Evermore’s “It’s Too Late” was the perfect song for him, forcing him to step out of the introspective space he’s inhabited for the last few weeks and really perform. In my eyes, this was the performance of the night. He closed the show with a soaring rendition of “Across the Universe.” It didn’t quite have the “Idol Moment” I think he was aiming for, but it came pretty close.
I honestly have no idea who will go tonight. If the punters vote on performance alone, Carl should be shown the door but we all know more comes into play than that. His status in the bottom two last week will only inspire more Carl fans to pick up the phone. I feel Matt and Natalie have been our most consistent performers and deserve places at the Opera House, but will it happen? You’ll have to watch tonight’s elimination show to find out!
As a kid growing up in Australia, I was always a little bit jealous of Americans celebrating Halloween. I thought how wonderful it must be to dress up in scary costumes and score loads of free lollies. I actually tried it once in primary school, but none of the neighbours I visited had any goodies to give me and I didn’t have the heart to toilet paper their houses because of it.
So this year I figured I’m going to celebrate anyway. Everyone else at b5media is doing it, so why can’t I? To get you in the mood, here’s five of the best Australian spooky songs.
I had to kick things off with a little AC/DC. It’d be unAustralian not to. “Highway to Hell” is one of their best, and scariest, with the late great Bon Scott up front.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of The Scare. Their brand of chaotic punk just does nothing for me. But with a name like The Scare, and a song called “Bats!Bats!Bats!” I had to include it anyway!
Here’s Australia’s current dancefloor darlings Sneaky Sound System with their spooky hit “UFO.” This is the only live performance I’ve included here, basically because I don’t think the studio recording can match this for energy. Considering this is about spotting UFOs while you’re alone and far from home, it’s a strangely happy tune!
It’s not Halloween without monsters, so here’s the Something for Kate variety. I’ve always thought Paul Dempsey seemed far too calm for a man hunted down by monsters, but this is a very cool song nonetheless.
It wouldn’t be a Halloween list without Australia’s own Prince of Darkness, Nick Cave. “Red Right Hand” may be the creepiest song ever written. I love it!
Image source: Colton Sturgeon @ Unsplash
The Idols have faced harsh criticism over their song choices in recent weeks, so it must have been a relief to hand the control over to the judges. At least for half the night. Last night our Australian Idols sang a song picked by the judges, and another of their own choice. It proved to be a winning combination, with three touchdowns and some stellar performances.
Tarisai Vushe was first to perform Marcia’s choice of “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love.” It should have been a perfect song for her, and I suppose it was, but I still feel a wall between Tarisai and the audience when she performs. It felt a bit pageanty and fake to me, although I did enjoy seeing a lighter side of her. It was only a matter of time before Tarisai brought out some Whitney, and she did so with “I Believe in You and Me.” Vocally this was superb, and I felt like she connected with this one a lot more. Having said that though, Tarisai seems interchangeable with so many other diva singers. There’s nothing new here, and I’m getting a bit bored with it.
Marty Simpson had a stellar night. I really think he just keeps getting better and better. He clearly relished the opportunity to sing reggae, first with Marcia’s choice of “No Woman No Cry,” and then with his own selection, “Last Kiss.” The second song was my favourite, and in my opinion it was worth a touchdown. But we all know if you don’t do big notes and deliver a big performance, you don’t get those. Marty’s really not a “performer,” but when you have your guitar I don’t think you really need to be. I’d much rather watch someone with their instrument than see someone dancing around a stage.
In my opinion, Daniel Mifsud was the weakest link last night. While Mark chose a beautiful song in Sting’s “Fragile,” I think it also let him down. He delivered it beautifully, but it was a bit boring. “From The Sea” was a great song choice, but not for Daniel to deliver. Sadly it exposed all his vocal weaknesses, and his strong physical presence wasn’t enough to save it. I cringed every time he aimed for the falsetto.
Wasn’t Carl Riseley the surprise package? It’s almost as if now that Ben McKenzie has gone, he’s realised how wide-open this competition is. He’s definitely playing to win, and that’s exciting to watch. I was prepared to laugh all the way through “It’s Not Unusual” but I actually found myself enjoying it! It was a well-deserved touchdown. I can’t say that I liked “Jealous Guy” as much, but I think that was mostly because I hated the arrangement. Vocally he was strong though, and he sang it with real conviction. Carl’s come such a long way from the vocally weak, stiff trumpet player we first encountered.
Matt Corby showed his courage, taking on Mark’s challenge of “Music of the Night.” I have really conflicting thoughts about this performance. On the negative side, I thought it had a lot of vocal flaws. He has such a lovely lower register, but when he switched to the higher notes in his “natural” voice they were really jarring. It was almost like he was singing in two completely different voices, and that didn’t work at all. However, I really appreciate him taking this on. It was a massive risk, and while I don’t think it paid off completely it was great that he challenged himself. Still, I don’t think that makes it worth a touchdown. But this was only one song on a night where the Idols had two chances. His cover of “Transatlantacism” was brilliant, and made up for any weaknesses he showed earlier. I must admit, I’m an old fogie and I’d never heard the song but Matt performed it with so much conviction I didn’t need it to be familiar. Great stuff.
I had mixed feelings about Natalie Gauci last night. She took a song I love, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and ruined it in my opinion. It felt overblown and like just another diva number rather than the quirky heartfelt tune it is. But everyone else loved it, so what do I know. Then she took “Umbrella,” a song I despise with a burning fiery passion, and made it brilliant. It was another well-deserved touchdown and a great way to end the show.
Based on all that, I’m picking Daniel to go. Then again, I’ve been doing that for weeks and it still hasn’t happened. And no one thought Ben would leave last week, but he did. At this point, anything could happen.