Teen heart-throb Tom Williams‘ winning run on Australian Idol came to an end tonight. The 16-year-old cutie pie found himself in the bottom three with Teale Jakubenko and Madam Parker.
Teale had a really solid night, and Madam Parker simply suffered from poor song choice. Tom on the other hand hasn’t had a good week yet. It looks like the audience agreed because he got the vote. I’d like to think my vote for Teale contributed in some small way.
Next week the Idols will grab their platforms and flares for Abba night. Those restrictive themes are always a bit scary, but I think these guys have the skills to pull out some surprisingly wonderful performances. We’ll see!
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.
