Aussie diva Kylie Minogue was named Q Idol at the Q Music Awards in London last night.
“Just don’t ask me what it means, but I’m very grateful and honored to be receiving this,” Kylie told the British crowd, who gave her a standing ovation.
She may have been the people’s choice, but her award didn’t impress everyone. Ex-Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown slammed Kylie’s music as “rubbish.”
“I don’t know what Kylie’s doing at a music awards to be honest. I don’t think she’s cute. I don’t think she’s good-looking,” he told BBC Radio.
“I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m putting her down, but there’s a lot of great minds out there making music and she’s not one of them.”
Ouch! It seems like a case of musical elitism to me. Perhaps he needs to pop some “Locomotion” into his stereo and lighten up.
And then there were seven. After being a regular in the bottom three, it was no great surprise to bid farewell to Jacob Butler last night.
The Melbourne lad was gracious in defeat, displaying humility at odds to his often cocky and brash onstage persona.
“It’s one of those things, it’s a competition,” he told the Idol crowd last night.
“Everyone here is just so good it can go any way. I was here last week and I’m here again, so well I’m going home now.”
The biggest surprise on the night was that Central Coast lad Marty Simpson again escaped the bottom three. Many felt Marty’s number was up after Dicko begged Australia not to vote for him. I guess no one listens to Dicko; Daniel Mifsud and Carl Riseley earned fewer votes.
Next week the contestants can choose songs from the year of their birth. With so many young performers this year, expect plenty of music from the 80s!
Last night the Australian Idol’s tackled the best of Britain. This new theme gave the Idols so many great songs to choose from, and they didn’t disappoint. That was especially true of Tarisai and Matt, who both earned touchdowns for their efforts.
Carl Riseley was first up, taking inspiration from Michael Bublé’s version of The Beatles’ hit “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Perhaps my being a Michael Bublé fan makes me feel a bit negatively towards Carl when he takes on this kind of challenge. He always just seems like the poor man’s version. His vocals are getting a lot better, but he still doesn’t seem to have the energy or charisma to pull this kind of thing off for me.
Tarasai Vushe was next on the stage with the Queen epic “Somebody to Love.” When it first started I was a bit skeptical and craving a greater connection, but it seemed to amp up after the first chorus. From there it was amazing, but I’m not sure whether half an amazing song deserves a touchdown. Perhaps you had to be there, as everyone was standing on their feet for this effort.
I was also a bit nervous when I heard Ben McKenzie was tackling Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” Honestly, I’ve never liked this song. It’s so whiny, and it was released in my last year of high school so it always makes me think of that. Anyway, I really loved what Ben brought to it. I understand Dicko’s comment that it felt very Disney, but I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. It was light, beautiful, and uplifting, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Marty Simpson’s performance will probably be remembered for the judges’ comments, rather than what he actually did. It’s a shame, because his cover of The Kooks’ “Naïve” was very cool. I think playing with a guitar last week marked a turning point for Marty, he’s seemed a lot more comfortable ever since. But Dicko has begged Australia not to vote for Marty. He says the competition’s not right for Marty, who agreed that he’d be happy enough to leave. Personally I’m torn. I think he is growing and learning, and he wasn’t the weakest performer last night. But then again, I’m a Coastie. I certainly wouldn’t mind him honing his craft and playing some local shows.
Jacob Butler also decided to give The Beatles a whirl. His cover of “Let It Be” did show some vocal weaknesses, but it was also incredibly beautiful. I think every week he’s allowing us to see more of himself, and I’m really enjoying that journey. I also think he showed great bravery picking such a challenging song. It would have been so easy for him to cop out with more Oasis!
I loved what Daniel Mifsud did with The Police smash, “Message in a Bottle.” Daniel is another performer who’s really growing on Idol, becoming less imitative and pushing more boundaries. This was a really exciting arrangement which saved the song from flat lining.
After so many cool performances, I felt a bit sorry for Natalie Gauci. She sang well, as she always does, but Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” was not the song for her. I would have preferred her to have delved into the archives a bit and pulled out some Dusty Springfield, Lulu, or even some Annie Lennox. This performance just wasn’t believable at all.
Matt Corby closed the show with yet another touchdown-winning performance. The competition’s golden boy chose The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony,” and built it beautifully. This kid really understands music, and it shows. It’s so hard to criticise him – I can only fault him on his choice of jacket!
It was another great show and another verdict that will go down to the wire. Based on last night’s performance, I’d pick Carl to go. But the controversy surrounding Marty’s performance may see him make an early exit. Then again, if last week has told us anything it’s that no one is safe! Make sure you tune in tonight to see which way it goes!
Aussie blues band The Drones are stepping up their efforts at world domination with a trip to North America at the end of the month.
They’ve just returned home after a lengthy stint in Europe, but already they’re itching to head abroad. They’ll tour North America with Seattle indie trio Band of Horses. The massive tour kicks off in Charlottesville, Virginia on October 30 and takes in much of the United States, Quebec, and Ontario.
The Drones are looking to promote their new four-track 7-inch record, the first in ATP Recordings Custom Made series. These recordings feature something old (in this case their rerecording of “Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands”), something new (a track called “I Don’t Ever Want to Change”), something borrowed (a cover of Charles Aznavour’s “I Drink”) and something blue (the very appropriate “Shark Fin Blues”).
Aussies can see off this beloved blues outfit at their remaining local gigs in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and country Victoria. Check The Drones website for all the local and U.S. dates!
Aussie singer-songwriter Missy Higgins is doing huge things in America at the moment. All her U.S. shows have sold out, but American fans can still catch Missy at her free instore appearances at Borders stores around the country.
Missy kicked off her Borders tour last night in New York. She’ll be in Chicago on Monday, before visiting Seattle, Northglenn, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Hollywood. All the dates and times for these very special performances are available on Missy’s site.
These instores are a great chance to see one of Australia’s great modern songwriters before she makes it big in the States.
Borders is the only place that American fans can get their hands on Missy’s second album, On a Clear Night. The triple-platinum will be officially released through all American record stores next year.
The wait is almost over for Kylie Minogue’s hotly anticipated album, X. Kylie’s tenth studio album, and her first since recovering from breast cancer, will hit stores around the world on November 24.
The album features 13 new tracks, including the hot new single “2 Hearts.” The disc should have an international flavour as it was recorded in London, Stockholm, and Ibiza.
Fans who can’t wait quite that long for their Kylie fix can check out her new film, White Diamond. The movie features behind-the-scenes footage from the 2006 Showgirl Homecoming Tour. In it, Kylie talks candidly about her feelings, worries and aspirations for this amazing tour.
The film will premiere in Vue cinemas across the UK on October 16. Aussie fans can catch it in selected Greater Union theatres on October 19. Presale tickets are available online for the Australian exciting premiere.
If you miss it at the movies you can buy White Diamond on DVD in December. The Australian release will feature the White Diamond movie and a second disc with footage from the Melbourne Showgirl Homecoming Live shows.
I have such fond memories of singing along to Peter Combe film clips on the ABC, so I was thrilled to see he’s touring the country.
It’s not kids going to his shows either. Once The Wiggles came along the younger set sort of forgot about Peter. No, Peter Combe’s current gigs are filled with twenty-somethings eager to recapture their childhood. They don paper hats and reminisce as they sing along to “Newspaper Mama.”
Peter promises this old favourite and more in his new show, Newspaper Mama Revisited.
Peter discovered his adult fanbase when he played a German beer festival in Adelaide seven years ago.
“[The crowd] sort of went mad,” he says. “They danced, they sang, they crowd-surfed to ‘Toffee Apple’ and ‘Spaghetti Bolognaise’,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald. “It was almost like what I imagine the Rolling Stones and the Beatles might have been like 40 years ago … I couldn’t help but feel like a bit of a rock star.”
So what can fans expect from a Peter Combe show today?
“I sex the music up a bit because they’re adults now,” he said. “I do more singing and less talking because they want to hear the songs. It’s deeper than just nostalgia; they sing the songs with such incredible joy.”
If you’d like to relive your childhood memories, and sing along to “Wash Your Face in Orange Juice” with the man himself, check out Peter Combe on his Australian tour. He’s playing Canberra’s ANU Bar tonight before visiting the rest of the country. Check out his website for all the dates.
And until then, why not check out this awesome clip for “Newspaper Mama”?
But the Icelandic songstress isn’t the only big name set to play Australia’s biggest music festival. She’ll join international megastars Rage Against the Machine, Arcade Fire, Billy Bragg, LCD Soundsystem, Dizzee Rascal, and Battles.
There’s also a strong local contingent, with Grinspoon, Hilltop Hoods, Paul Kelly, Sarah Blasko, Faker, Midnight Juggernauts, Something With Numbers, and Cut Off Your Hands all on the bill.
With such an extraordinary line-up, these tickets are likely to be the hottest in town. Make sure you get yours when they go on sale on October 10 for Sydney, October 11 for Auckland, Melbourne, and Adelaide, and October 12 for Perth. To keep things fair Sydneysiders will be restricted to two tickets, while everyone else can buy four.
The Big Day Out festival starts in Auckland on January 18 before flying to Oz.
It’s no secret: Australians are really good at sport. So I don’t understand why so many athletes decide to tarnish their good reputations by launching singing careers.
Paul “The Chief” Harrogan recently scored a top 10 hit with this Spandau Ballet inspired song “That’s Gold.” Just because it was a hit doesn’t make it any good. While this may be terribly corny, I can forgive him because it raised money for children’s charities.
Anthony Mundine wasn’t helping any good causes when he released “Knock You Out.” The song just gave The Man a chance to big note himself even further. To be fair, musically this isn’t a bad effort. His rapping’s a bit weak, but Joel Turner does enough to cover that up. Just make sure you listen to the words for a really good laugh.
It may have been a big hit in India, but cricket legend Brett Lee’s “You Are The One For Me” is just tragic. The cheesy film clip, those lyrics, the questionable singing talent make this worth watching for all the wrong reasons. Listen out for lyrical gems like “I know I’m different, I’m not from here, I know I’m not an Indy … I’ll make you laugh, I’ll even learn some Hindi.”
Just think yourself lucky that I’ve spared you from the musical offerings of Mark “Jacko” Jackson, Warwick Capper, and members of the Brisbane Broncos.
You might not want to read about their musical efforts (I promise this will be the last time!) but if these guys interest you make sure you check out b5media’s new sports channel. There are 24 brand new blogs here, with news about hockey, soccer, basketball, fishing, poker, and more!
To celebrate the launch, b5media is holding a massive Sports Channel Launch Contest. You could win one of seven awesome sports prize packs!
You can enter by answering some easy sports questions (all the answers can be found on our new blogs!) or writing about the new sports blogs on your own blog. The choice is yours!
Visit this post to read all about the prizes, the trivia questions, and the competition’s terms and conditions. Entries close on October 12. Good luck!
Home and Away star Tim Campbell will have big shoes to fill when he plays Johnny O’Keefe in a new version of the stage musical Shout!
David Campbell made the role famous in the original stage production, but Shout’s! co-producer Dennis Smith is confident Tim will make the part his own.
“I think this is going to be the show that establishes Tim as a brilliant new star on the Australian stage,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Shout! was first performed in Australia in 2001. The biographical work charts the life of flamboyant Australian music pioneer, Johnny O’Keefe. Fans can expect plenty of sing-a-long tunes like “She’s My Baby,” “Wild One,” and “Rock Around the Clock.” However, the musical does not shy away from the darker aspects of O’Keefe’s life, including his nervous breakdowns, and personal rifts.
Aussie music veterans Glenn Shorrock, John Paul Young, Colleen Hewett, and Mark Holden will bring a dose of rock cred to the musical.
Shout! will open in Melbourne in January, before heading to Sydney in March.
