Tag: Australian Idol

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Gives Singers a Second Chance

Australian Idol was back tonight with its wildcard show. But before the judges gave eight singers one more chance, it was time to announce two more finalists. Those lucky singers are Brooke Addamo and Madam Parker. Worthy contenders both. This is shaping up to be some top 12.

Amanda Grafanakis opened the show with the Tina Turner classic, “Simply The Best.” This was a zillion times better than the last time we saw her. Her voice still wasn’t all that strong, and it never will be. But the difference here was her performance. She gave it everything she had and it was a joy to watch. Some of the world’s coolest rock chicks haven’t got classically wonderful voices, so I think she’s definitely got potential.

Nicole Banks was up next with Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song.” I really enjoyed her last week, but I felt like this was a bit of a step backwards. She’s got a lovely sweet voice, but she does seem to have a problem delivering that and connecting to a lyric at the same time. She’s definitely got something, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t strong enough.

Luke Dickens showed his softer side with Robbie Williams’ “Angels.” He seemed to cop a bit of flack from the judging panels, which surprised my husband and I here at home. We really enjoyed it! I thought he brought a strength and masculinity to it that was lacking in the original. Clearly we aren’t Robbie fans.

I was thrilled to see Roshani Priddis up next, and to see how well she pulled off Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You.” This was the first star performance of the night for me. She ticked all the boxes: amazing voice, passionate and sincere delivery, engaged with the audience, entertained. Wow. She’s top 12 for sure.

James Spargo got a great Fathers’ Day present: a second chance to enter the top 12! Sadly I don’t think he made the most of it. He was a whole lot better than he performed last week, but I felt song choice let him down. Five for Fighting’s “Superman” is an amazing song, but the falsetto sections exposed all of James’ vocal weaknesses. It’s a shame. I still have a dirty big crush on him.

Brooke Schubert took on a massive song in Trisha Yearwood’s “How Do I Live,” and she won. I know what a hard song this is. I’ve been known to belt it out very badly in my car. So I take my hat off to her. She’s a beautiful girl and she presents herself so well! I’d also love to see her bring out some slide guitars if she gets another chance!

I was pretty psyched when I heard Jonny Taylor was singing Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Let Her Cry.” But I have to wonder whether my love for that song made me a little critical of his performance. I felt it started out quite weak vocally, but I concede that it did kick up a notch towards the end. I also think such powerful story songs like that are so hard to truncate to fit an Idol format. They seem to lose a lot of emotion in that condensed form, and for me this wasn’t as good as it should have been. Personally, I preferred “Hound Dog!”

Considering how disappointed I felt at Jonny Taylor’s performance, I was a little nervous when I heard Sophie Paterson was singing another of my favourite songs: Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.” I didn’t need to stress. She did an amazing version of the song, stamping her own personality onto Jason’s amazing foundation. This is another girl who really needs to make the top 12.

I guess in light of what I’ve said already, it’s no surprise that I believe Roshani Priddis and Sophie Paterson will earn places in the top 12. Who’ll join them? It’s going to be tough. Some people didn’t perform to the potential they’ve shown throughout, others showed such amazing growth, it’s going to be really interesting to see what the judges decide to do. We’ll find out tomorrow as the Australian Idol top 12 is revealed!

Image source: Vivido @ Flickr

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

Tom and Thanh Join Idol Top 12 on Tough Semifinal Night

I had high hopes for the third Australian Idol semifinal, as it contained four of my favourite singers in the comp. Of course the sad part of that is that two would miss out on the top 12 tomorrow. But I planned to just lap up the music and enjoy it.

Of course, hearing Tom Williams had made the top 12 put a dampener on my mood. I’m sorry, but he’s just not good enough. And so many other people were. This is what happens when you give young kids mobile phones I swear. Seeing Thanh Bui so rightly take his place beside him softened the blow.

As a fellow Coastie, I was right behind Matt Parsons. To be honest though I wasn’t impressed with his version of “In the Summertime.” There were pitchy moments, and the song operates on one level so he wasn’t allowed to really show any light and shade. It was happy and fun, but just a bit safe. He’s an awesome talent, but I’m just not sure whether this is good enough or memorable enough to get him through to the finals.

Sophie Paterson is a real star. What’s more, she’s consistent unlike many of the other contestants. Her take on The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” was brave, and I won’t say that it completely worked for me. But I’m a stuffy old fart who struggles to warm to people messing with the classics. The good news, most people who’ll vote for her won’t feel that way. While the arrangement wasn’t to my taste, I can’t help but admire what she did.

Teale Jakubenko is a pretty boy who’s thankfully got the talent to back up his looks. Evermore’s “Running” was a brilliant choice, and he took command of it from start to finish. His voice soars and it’s got such an interesting quality to it. I’m not sure I agree with Dicko that he needs to sex things up. The girls may fall over him, but I don’t think that’s what he’s looking for. In fact, if he comes out and tries “Sexual Healing” I predict he’s going to fall on his face.

Brooke Schubert is another one of those consistent artists. The choice of “When Will I Be Loved” was perfect in my opinion – just country enough to be true to her roots but mainstream enough to appeal to the wider audience. I don’t know what Dicko’s talking about in that respect. Linda Ronstadt has always been a little bit country, hasn’t she? On a side note, isn’t it lovely to see so many bigger girls in the comp this year?

Mark Spano is a total pro, and he pulled it out for a commanding rendition of “Come Said the Boy.” Like Marcia I’m a big fan of the song, but I do worry about its appeal to the people who actually vote. Maybe I shouldn’t be considering how much the judges raved. This guy has so much depth, and I really hope Australia recognises it.

I don’t normally go for soul singers, but there’s just something about Roshani Priddis that I adore. She’s incredibly cool. Case in point: her choosing to perform the original Eddie Floyd version of “Knock On Wood.” Does Kyle realise how ignorant of music he sounds when he whines about wanting the disco version? Anyway, Roshani performed with such energy and personality that I didn’t even notice her pitch problems. I just gave myself over to what she was doing, and loved it.

I agree with Dicko. Tonight is the hardest semifinal outcome to predict: it was just that good. I think Sophia Paterson and Roshani Priddis may be the ones to scrape through, but really it’s anybody’s guess. I would be happy to see any of these people in the top 12.

Image source: Duchessa @ Stock.xchng

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

Australian Idol Gets Top 24

The wannabes and attention seekers are long gone, and Australian Idol now has a top 24. I haven’t written about this season yet, partly because the action has been so fast and furious, but now as we head towards the finals I figured I’d share my views.

There’s been some major changes this year, and so far so good. I thought it was great to tear through the auditions by screening them every night of the week. I think the top 100 night was less successful though. By cramming all that action into a single episode, rather than the usual two, we missed a lot of singing. Having said that, there were some really positive changes in the format like scrapping the group songs and bringing in a band and audience. And I love that we now know who makes up our top 24.

And it’s a really solid group of performers. They represent so many musical styles, but generally they seem to come from a really organic place. You won’t see any manufactured pop princesses in this bunch. Many of my early favourites made the cut including Matthew Parsons, Roshani Priddis, Chrislyn Hamilton, James Spargo, and Wes Carr.

But there were a few questionable choices. I’m sure the teenage girls will flip over young Tom Williams, but his dodgy Top 100 performances tell me he’s not really ready for the comp. I’d have much rather seen his place go to Simon Phillips who wowed me in the auditions, only to be glimpsed during the Top 100 show. Such is the nature of this compressed format. He apparently didn’t crash and burn spectacularly like my other fave Casey Freeman, so his disappearance puzzles me.

Tomorrow night the semifinals start. This year we’re doing mixed groups, which makes so much more sense to me. Talent isn’t gender based, so I never understood why we needed an even mix. You can catch the semis over the next four nights and the wildcard round on Sunday.

After that we’ve got the newly revamped finals. The introduction of a “Sing for Your Life” round on Mondays should make for a much more interesting watch. Hopefully it’ll also ensure the good contestants don’t leave just because their fans thought they were safe. If only we had it last year, we might not have lost Ben McKenzie!

Here are the Australian Idol Top 24, and the nights your favourites will sing!

Semifinal 1 (Monday 1 September)

  • Chrislyn Hamilton
  • Jaden Dowd
  • Mitchell Steele
  • Nicole Banks
  • Olly Corpe
  • Wes Carr

Semifinal 2 (Tuesday 2 September)

  • Amanda Grafanakis
  • Brooke Wilkie
  • Luke Dickens
  • Natalie Colavito
  • Thanh Bui
  • Tom Williams

Semifinal 3 (Wednesday 3 September)

  • Brooke Schubert
  • Mark Spano
  • Matthew Parsons
  • Roshani Priddis
  • Sophie Paterson
  • Teale Jakubenko

Semifinal 4 (Thursday 4 September)

  • Brooke Addamo
  • Irae Schwenke
  • James Spargo
  • Jonny Taylor
  • Kayla Vanzetta
  • Madam Parker

Image source: Wikimedia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rikki-Lee Goes Back to Idol

Rikki-Lee Coulter is going back to her roots and joining the Australian Idol crew. Rikki-Lee will support Andrew G and James Mathison in hosting duties.

Rikki-Lee told The Daily Telegraph she’ll interview the contestants and deliver backstage footage before and after the performances.

“I have been through what these guys will go through and came out the other end. I will be more of a mentor to them, a shoulder to cry on when they are feeling happiness, excitement, or when they are upset,” she explained.

“It’s an exciting and amazing opportunity and each year has just been getting better and better for me. Presenting is what I love to do and this is a great step forward for me.”

She’ll also be there to comfort the eliminated contestants, assuring them that you certainly don’t have to win to make it in the music biz.

“You go into Idol wanting to win, but I think I am a prime example that winning is not the end,” she said.

But don’t think all this means Ricki-Lee’s leaving music behind. She’ll head back to the studio in two weeks to begin work on her third solo album.

Image source: Erik K Veland @ Flickr 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chris Murphy @ Lizotte’s, Kincumber – 15 May 2008

Last night I had the pleasure of catching Chris Murphy at Lizotte’s. The last time I saw this affable singer-songwriter he was singing head-to-head with the likes of Damien Leith, Dean Geyer, and Bobby Flynn. The stripped-back setting of this Central Coast icon is a world away from the Australian Idol stage, and it allowed Chris to shine.

The first thing that struck me about Chris is just how funny he really is. We saw glimpses of this during his reality TV journey, but without anyone to rein him in Chris was hilarious. In fact, I’m not sure he actually got through a whole song without throwing in a couple of jokes.

Rather than distract, Chris’ hysterical banter broke down the traditional walls between singer and audience, and made you feel like you were a part of the concert experience.

But it wasn’t just about fun and games. When you strip away the humor, Chris still has the power to entertain. He’s simply that good. While performing his original songs or encouraging a cover version sing-along, he always had the audience in the palm of his hand. Chris didn’t restrict his cover repertoire to the songs he made famous during Idol, but treated us to unexpected gems like Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” and The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight.” But of course, he closed the show with his Idol touchdown track “Evie.”

It’s so refreshing to see an artist like Chris, a man who has come out the other side of reality TV fame thankful for everything it has given him. In fact, he shared with us a song he’s written as a potential winner’s single. It’s got the right amount of inspiration without ever becoming cheesy, but only time will tell whether it’s the next “Angels Brought Me Here.”

In the meantime, I encourage you to see Chris when he’s in your neck of the woods. If you loved what he did on Idol, you’ll lap it up. And if you’re an Australian Idol skeptic, he just might convince you to think differently.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Pop Royalty Judges Australian Idol

I loved the celebrity guest judges in American Idol a few years back, so I’m thrilled to read Australia’s doing something similar this year. But while America saved the big guns for the top 12, we’re bringing Darren Hayes and Tina Arena in for the auditions. The pop megastars will join Dicko and James Matheson for the upcoming London audition.

“As an Australian entertainer living in London I definitely have a soft spot for Aussies trying to make it overseas,” Darren Hayes told The Daily Telegraph.

“Rather than judging people, I’m going to be looking for that little bit of magic that someone once saw in me. I think potential is a huge criteria for a musical career and hopefully Tina and I can help discover some.”

There are so many Aussies living in London so I can’t wait to see who they unearth over there. And how refreshing to have an audition without nasty judge Kyle Sandilands!

Image source: Maggz Appleton @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mark Holden Quits Idol

Australian Idol judge Mark Holden won’t return to the popular reality TV show next year.

The reason for the move depends on who you believe. Some news stories claim Mark left of his own accord, citing a desire to focus on his acting career. Others say he was pushed by Channel Ten who were desperate to breathe some fresh life into the talent quest.

I’m not really sure what to think. Sure his gibberish rambles were cringeworthy and touchdowns were a fairly biased false currency, but I’m certainly going to miss Mark. He knew what he was talking about, and I think he deserves a lot of credit for taking Idol from a karaoke show to something much more.

There’s no word on a replacement, so it’s unclear whether Ten will revert to their previous three-judge format or bring on some new blood. Personally I’d love to see a straight-shooting industry veteran like Renee Geyer or Chrissy Amphlett step into the role. Now that’d make for interesting TV!