80s night is always my favourite night of Australian Idol. These are the songs I grew up with, unashamedly daggy, flamboyant, and fun. But before we could get into the good stuff, we had to say goodbye to one our Idol hopefuls. Kim Cooper, Sabrina Batshon, and Nathan Brake found themselves in the bottom three. It was understandable I suppose, but hard to hear that one of my faves would be leaving the comp. Sadly that person was Sabrina. I guess her big personality was just a little much for some. It’s a shame; I was really hoping to see her bust out something amazing this week.
I was very concerned when I heard Nathan Brake was taking on Bon Jovi’s rock anthem “Livin’ on a Prayer.” It’s one of my favourites, and I doubted whether Nathan had the grit to really deliver it. He really didn’t. He hit all the right notes, but it just didn’t feel believable to me. There is so much 80s stuff that would have suited him a lot better.
Scott Newnham took on “Let’s Groove.” I couldn’t fault the vocals, but the delivery was a little bland for me. His “dance moves” were also really awkward. Honestly I wanted Gary Pinto to take the microphone from him and finish the song.
Hayley Warner busted out a little Bruce Springsteen with “Dancing in the Dark.” I really enjoyed this. It wasn’t deep or meaningful, but neither was the 80s. It was incredibly fun, and exactly what she needed to do. It felt like this was the first time someone actually “got” the decade.
Toby Moulton went for a little Foreigner with “I Want to Know What Love Is.” I’ve always said that more Idols need to sing power ballads, but not like this. This was completely devoid of the passion that you need in a power ballad. Did he even listen to the lyrics? They go something along the lines of “In my life there’s been heartache and pain, I don’t know if I can face it again.” I heard none of that desperation. This was more Mariah than Foreigner, and it was much poorer for it.
I must admit, Kim Cooper got me offside from the start with her “I hate the 80s” comments. If she likes Pink, Lady Gaga, and Cassie Davis she really needs to go back to the source and see why they sound the way they sound. I hoped to hear her bust out a little Belinda Carlisle, but Kim Wilde wasn’t a bad fit. It was solid, but not outstanding.
Tim Johnston did another of those songs I love so much, Bryan Adams “Heaven.” I really love that song, and while he sang it well he didn’t do it justice. With all those runs, I just didn’t believe him. It didn’t feel genuine at all. Singing pretty isn’t the aim of delivering a song like this. I needed to feel like he’d felt love, and I didn’t.
Kate Cook stuffed up “When The Going Gets Tough,” but I didn’t mind too much. The 80s is full of joy, and it really seemed like she was enjoying herself until it all fell apart. She’s such an endearing personality, so I’m sure she’ll breeze through this week unscathed.
In a night of pretty good performances, Stan Walker was great. “Purple Rain” saw him back in his genre, but not in a predictable way. I really worried about how this epic song would fit into the condensed Idol format, but it all worked. Measuring up to Prince is a tall order, but he did it.
My husband and I are not James Johnston fans, and when we heard he was taking on one of our favourites – Huey Lewis’ “Power of Love” – we cringed. But we were actually a bit floored by this performance. This was the 80s: fun and uninhibited and confident. Following Stan was a tall order, but James held his own. I was really impressed.
I’m most nervous about Kim and Tim after tonight’s performance. We’ll see whether one of them is shown the door when the contestants take on the songs of Pink next week.