Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Casey Donovan Attacked in Bar Brawl

Former Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan was allegedly assaulted at a Sydney bar on Sunday morning. The 20-year-old singer suffered lacerations to her face and a broken finger in the unprovoked attack.

“She was out with friends having a good time and on the dance floor when she was approached and hassled by these guys,” explained Casey’s stepfather Norm Axford.

“They were making comments about Idol and she told them not to bother her. The next thing one of them punched her twice in the face.”

Police and ambulance were called to the scene, and Casey was taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment.

What a scary thing. I wish her a speedy recovery!

Image source: Young Einstein @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jonny Taylor an Idol No More

Jonny Taylor became the first Australian Idol casualty tonight, getting the chop after week one. Jonny found himself in the bottom three with Sophie Paterson and Teale Jakubenko, but after the “sing for your life” round but didn’t earn enough votes to continue in the comp.

Before I go on I’d like to say how disappointed I was with the way the “sing for your life” concept was executed. How can one truly sing for their life when they’re restricted to the very same song that flopped the night before? I’d have much rather heard the Idols sing something they thought would compel the public to see they deserved to stay. Something new, an original perhaps, would have been much more appropriate.

I’m sorry to see Jonny go. I haven’t been very impressed with his performances to this point, but I feel he had a real depth and I was looking forward to seeing him grow in the comp. But someone’s got to go I suppose.

The most exciting part of the night for me was the news that next week our Idols will be mentored by none other than Cyndi Lauper. They’ll sing 80s hits, and I couldn’t be happier. One of my idols helping our contestants sing music from my favourite decade? Bring it on!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tim Rogers and Pete Satchell Play for Mental Health

Aussie legends Tim Rogers (You Am I) and Pete Satchell (Dallas Crane) will head the line-up of a massive mental health charity gig in Melbourne.

Mad Hatters Night will take place at St Kilda’s Gershwin Room on October 9. Tim and Pete will join the Bipolar Bears, Heidi Everett, and the Melbourne Mass Gospel Choir for the show.

All funds raised will benefit The Music Network for Mental Health, a program which brings musicians with mental illness together for performances and songwriting workshops.

Tickets are just $15, or $8 for concessions, so if you’re in Victoria make sure you get along and support this awesome cause!

Image source: Irene Tong @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Finals Begin!

The pointy end of Australian Idol kicked off tonight with the first finals show. Tonight was “Idol’s Idols” night, a wonderful theme which allowed the artists to play some tunes that really rev them.

First up was Wes Carr tackling U2’s “Beautiful Day.” On the whole this was another consistently solid performance. He fills a stage and really gets the crowd involved. The transition from piano to pure vocals jarred me, but I can understand what he was trying to do. Knowing that he’s got those piano chops, I’d love to see him just sit down and do his thing there soon.

Then we had crowd pleasing teen Tom Williams with Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.” I’m just not sure why young Tom continues to choose such big songs. They expose all his flaws and make me question how he landed in the finals in the first place. Oh that’s right: the teeny fangirl vote. I also think he needs to be really careful about choosing songs he can’t relate to on an emotional level.

Roshani Priddis followed with Joss Stone’s “Tell Me ‘Bout It.” It was a curious song choice for me, and I’m a little concerned that she might alienate viewers because of it. I’d heard it a couple of times, but there wasn’t so much in the song I could latch on to. Yet there was plenty to love about the way Roshani performed it. She’s got such personality, and an effortless way about her. I’d love to see more of her,

Teale Jakubenko took on Rick Price’s version of “Walk Away Renee,” and I’m sorry to say it was nowhere near his best performance. That song is so reliant on the falsetto, but they weren’t the only parts that tripped him up. Maybe it was nerves? I also felt that the emotion of the song was lacking. He does get points for admitting his Rick Price love publicly though!

Sophie Paterson followed with one of my favourite songs, “Mr Jones.” Isn’t it interesting … Sophie’s song also had some significant falsetto moments she couldn’t quite achieve either, but for her they just added character. This certainly wasn’t her best performance, but it was lovable all the same. Sophie’s a bit like chocolate: even when it’s bad it’s still pretty good.

There’s so much to like about Luke Dickens. He chose the perfect song in Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright,” something the crowd could groove to and one that showcased that trademark rasp. He seemed more comfortable than I’ve seen him, and it was a joy to watch. A really solid effort, and the exciting thing is that he’s only going to improve.

As far as I saw, Brooke Addamo  gave the performance of the night to that point with her rendition of “These Words.” It was joyous and pure, with plenty of attitude and such a pure voice. It wasn’t good enough for Kyle though, and I felt for her as he tore her down. Was he watching the same performance I was at home? I don’t know what more she could have done, and it’s especially cruel considering he was one of the two men who pushed her into up tempo numbers in the first place.

You can take the boy out of the boy band, but can you take the boy band out of the boy? That’s the question I found myself asking as Thanh Bui put his spin on Maroon 5’s “This Love.” I feel like you could have handed his arrangement to the Backstreet Boys and they’d have a hit with it. But it just didn’t work here. I think it’s important to show diversity, but I think he could have picked an up tempo song that showcased his voice better. I couldn’t watch it without imagining pretty boys performing cheesy dance moves behind him.

I’m not really into the dance floor R’n’B stuff, but I take my hat off to Madam Parker. Her version of Ne-Yo’s “Closer” was killer. Up until now I’ve felt like she was in cruise control, but she smashed this one out of the park. She could easily have a hit in the clubs with this one right now. To do that in week one makes me pretty excited to see what comes next!

Jonny Taylor paid tribute to his idols, Pearl Jam, with “Betterman.” Like Dicko, I’m fairly attached to this song too. It’s really hard when you’ve got this compressed format, but this didn’t build right for me. The song should start on two in terms of volume and build from there. But there wasn’t really a build, and I felt he never got to the emotional grit that Eddie Vedder has when he’s starting on two. This song is packed with emotion, and a husky rasp doesn’t necessarily equal that. Having said that, Jonny’s got a whole load of potential so I really hope he sticks around long enough for us to see it.

Chrislyn Hamilton was always going to bring out a little bit of soul, and she did it with Aretha Franklin’s “Think.” There was certainly nothing you could fault about this performance. Vocally it was superb. She performed the pants off it. But was I the only one a little bit disappointed that she gave us the same song she did in her audition?

Mark Spano closed the show with an awesome rendition of INXS’s smash “Never Tear Us Apart.” This guy has the whole package. His voice is sensational. He performs to the nth degree. I also find him super sexy. What a great way to close the show!

What a stellar night! It really makes it difficult to anticipate who’ll be leaving us. I’d love to say Tom will get the chop, but never underestimate the power of young girls with mobile phones. Teale may just be on shaky ground.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

AC/DC Announce American Shows

AC/DC has announced the first dates for their widely anticipated Black Ice World Tour. The tour, which will play major stadiums all over the world, all kicks off in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Now we’ve only got North American dates so far, but AC/DC fans around the rest of the world can breathe easy. Shows in South America, Europe, Asia, and of course Australia, are in the pipeline. I hear there’ll even be a few more US gigs.

Tickets for these dates will go on sale on September 20 through Ticketmaster and the AC/DC official website. Without further ado, here are the dates!

28 October 2008 – Wachovia Arena, Wilkes-Barre, PA
30 October 2008 – Allstate Arena, Chicago, IL
3 November 2008 – Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
5 November 2008 – Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
7 November 2008 – Rogers Centre , Toronto, ONT
9 November 2008 – TD Banknorth Garden , Boston, MA
12 and 13 November 2008 – Madison Square Garden , New York, NY
15 November 2008 – Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
17 November 2008 – Wachovia Center , Philadelphia, PA
19 November 2008 – IZOD Center, East Rutherford, NJ
21 November 2008 – Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
23 November 2008 – Xcel Energy Center, Minneapolis, MN
25 November 2008 – Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
28 November 2008 – General Motors Place, Vancouver, BC
29 November 2008 – Key Arena, Seattle, WA
30 November 30 – Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
2 December 2008 – ORACLE Arena, Oakland, CA
6 December 2008 – The Forum, Los Angeles, CA
10 December 2008 – US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
12 December 2008 – AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
14 December 2008 – Toyota Center, Houston, TX
16 December 2008 – Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
18 December 2008 – Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Snoop Dogg Gets a Visa

There’s good news for Snoop Dogg fans: the American rapper has been granted an Australian visa.

But there is a slight catch. After evaluating his criminal record, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has ordered the hip hop star to undertake counselling before he arrives.

“Given his criminal record, the department undertook a full character assessment of Snoop Dogg’s criminal history and previous conduct before making a decision on his visa application,” a departmental spokesman said.

“In making this decision, the department weighed his criminal convictions against his previous behaviour while in Australia, recent conduct – including charity work – and any likely risk to the Australian community.

“We took into account all relevant factors and, on balance, the department decided to grant the visa.”

The department added that Snoop’s visa will also be cancelled if he fails to abide by the law during his Aussie stay. I hope he’s on his best behaviour! Snoop Dogg will tour with Ice Cube and Bone Thugs N Harmony. Here are all the dates!

29 October 2008 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
31 October 2008 – Acer Arena, Sydney
2 November 2008 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
5 November 2008 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
7 November 2008 – Burswood Dome, Perth

Image source: Hooverdust @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Veronicas Get a Reality Show

Broken engagements, missing boyfriends, a little girl on girl action … with all the scandal following The Veronicas these days it’s little wonder that American producers have given Australia’s most famous twins their own reality TV show!

But Jess and Lisa Origliasso aren’t phased by cameras following their every move.

“We document everything we do anyway,” Jess told The Daily Telegraph. “We often have camera crews on us on tour. It’s just about lives.”

It seems like every man and his dog has a reality TV series these days, but the show could be a major vehicle for promoting the dynamic duo overseas. And with so many rumours surrounding the girls, it could help set the record straight!

The Veronicas reality TV show is likely to air on American youth network MTV.

Image source: Foraggio Fotographic @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gabriella Cilmi Tops ARIA Nominations

Teen sensation Gabriella Cilmi looks set to scoop the pool at this year’s Motorola ARIA Awards after she earned six nominations. The not-so-sweet singer is up for best female artist, single of the year, breakthrough artist – album, breakthrough artist single, best pop release, and highest selling single! Wow!

“It’s sweet as to be nominated. Looking forward to getting home!” Gabriella said today from France. She’s there for a promotional tour which will see her appear on the popular TV show Tara Tata with Metallica!

The nominations cap off an amazing year for Gabriella, whose debut single “Sweet About Me” and debut album Lessons to be Learned both zoomed to the top of the Aussie charts. She’s also scored top 10 hits in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Norway, New Zealand, and Italy! And it’s not likely to slow down anytime soon, with Gabriella recently singing a deal with US label Universal Republic.

But before she heads to the States Gabriella will come home to perform at the ARIA Awards and Homebake.

Expat Sam Sparro didn’t do too badly either with nominations for single of the year, best male artist, best pop release, breakthrough artist album, and breakthrough album single.

He may not have topped the charts like Gabriella and Sam, but blind indigenous singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was still a big hit with ARIA voters. He scored nominations for best world music album, best independent release, best male artist, and album of the year.

Also scoring four nominations were mainstream successes The Veronicas, The Presets, The Living End, and Angus and Julia Stone. Close behind with three nods were Faker, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson.

The ARIA Awards Ceremony will be held at Acer Arena on Sunday 19 October. Until then, check out all the nominations!

Album of the Year
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunnipingu – Gurrumul
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Rattlin’ Bones
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus, Dig
The Living End – White Noise
The Presets – Apocalypso

Best Adult Contemporary Album
Clare Bowditch – The Moon Looked On
Jimmy Barnes – Out In The Blue
Katie Noonan – Skin
Robert Forster – The Evangelist
The Panics – Cruel Guards

Best Blues and Roots Album
Angus and Julia Stone – A Book Like This
Jeff Lang – Half Seas Over
Mia Dyson – Struck Down
The Audreys – When The Flood Comes
The Waifs – Sun, Dirt, Water

Best Children’s Album
Hi-5 – Planet Earth
Jay Laga’aia – Come Dance and Sing
Justine Clarke – Songs To Make You Smile
The Fairies – Fairy Fun Fun Fun
The Wiggles – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

Best Comedy Release
Akmal – Akmal Live and Uncensored
Matt Tilley – Gotcha Calls Three’s a Crowd
Merrick & Rosso – Live and Totally Wrong!
Shaun Micallef – The Expurgated Micallef Tonight: The Very Best of Shaun Micallef’s Short-Lived but Brilliant Tonight
The Umbilical Brothers – Don’t Explain

Best Country Album
Catherine Britt – Little WildFlower
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Rattlin’ Bones
Melinda Schneider – Be Yourself
Sara Storer – Silver Skies
The McClymonts – Chaos and Bright Lights

Best Dance Album
Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
Mobin Master – Show Me Love
PNAU – Pnau
The Potbelleez – Don’t Hold Back
The Presets – Apocalypso

Best Female Artist
Clare Bowditch
Gabriella Cilmi
Holly Throsby
Kylie Minogue
Missy Higgins

Best Group
Angus and Julia Stone
Silverchair
Faker
The Presets
The Living End

Best Independent Release
Ben Lee – Ripe
British India – Thieves
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunnipingu – Gurrumul
Lior – Corner of an Endless Road
Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia

Best Male Artist
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunnipingu
Nick Cave
Paul Kelly
Pete Murray
Sam Sparro

Best Music DVD
Hilltop Hoods – City of Light
Paul Kelly – Stolen Apples
Powderfinger/Silverchair – Across The Great Divide
John Butler Trio – Live at Federation Square
Wolfmother – Please Experience Wolfmother

Best Pop Release
Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned
Kylie Minogue – X
Operator Please – Yes Yes Vindictive
Sam Sparro – Black and Gold
The Veronicas – Hook Me Up

Best Rock Album
Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Primary Colours
Faker – Be The Twighlight
Gyroscope – Breed Obsession
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus, Dig
The Living End – White Noise

Best Urban Release
A-Love – Ace of Hearts
Bliss ‘n’ Eso – Flying Colours
Kayalyst – What’s Happening?
Muph & Plutonic – …and Then Tomorrow Came
Spit Syndicate – Towards The Light
The Herd – Summerland

Breakthrough Artist – Album
Angus and Julia Stone – A Book Like This
Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned
Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia
Operator Please – Yes Yes Vindictive
Sam Sparro – Sam Sparro

Breakthrough Artist – Single
Angus and Julia Stone – “The Beast”
Gabriella Cilmi – “Sweet About Me”
Sam Sparro – “Black and Gold”
The Panics – “Don’t Fight It”
The Potbelleez – “Don’t Hold Back”

Single Of The Year
Faker – “This Heart Attack”
Gabriella Cilmi – “Sweet About Me”
Sam Sparro – “Black and Gold”
The Living End – “White Noise”
The Presets – “My People”

Highest Selling Single
Delta Goodrem – “In This Life”
Gabriella Cilmi – “Sweet About Me”
The Potbelleez – “Don’t Hold Back”
The Veronicas – “Untouched”
The Veronicas – “Hook Me Up”

Highest Selling Album
David Campbell – The Swing Sessions 2
Delta Goodrem – Delta
Guy Sebastian – The Memphis Album
The Veronicas – Hook Me Up
Tina Arena – Songs of Love and Loss

Best Classical Album
Brett Dean and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – Brett Dean
Elena Kats-Chernin – Slow Food
Richard Tognetti, Neal Peres da Costa and Daniel Yeadon – Bach Sonatas For Violin and Keyboard
Roger Woodward – Jon Seb Bach Chromatic Fantasia Fugue, BVW 903
Slava Grigorian and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra – Baroque Guitar Concertos

Best Jazz Album
Andrea Keller – Footprints
Deni Hines and James Morrison – The Other Woman
Grace Knight – Willow
Joe Chindamo – Duende, The Romantic Project
Mike Nock Project – Meeting of the Waters
Oehlers, Grabowsky, Beck – Lost and Found

Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album
Night – Original Cast Recording
Summer Heights High – Chris Lilley
Pricilla The Musical – Original Cast Recording
The Square – OST
Various Artists – The Countdown Spectacular Live 2

Best World Music Album
Archie Roach – Journey
David Jones – Colours of the Drum
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunnipingu – Gurrumul
Joseph Tawadros – Angel
Watussi – Tequilla Sandre Fuego

Image supplied by Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Earl Cole and Chelsea J Play Michael and Norah in Perth

It’s been some time since Perth’s acclaimed Michael Bublé tribute act Earl Cole performed one of his popular dinner shows, but the wait has been worth it. Earl will play Banca Café on Sunday 21st September with a very special friend, Chelsea J.

You might recognise Chelsea from Australian Idol or Popstars. These days she’s ditched reality television for an impressive turn as Norah Jones.

Banca Café is an award-winning restaurant located at 75 Wanneroo Road, Tuart Hill. Tickets will set you back just $75, which includes the show, a three-course meal, and champagne on arrival. And if you can gather a group of six or more, you’ll pay just $70 a head. The show kicks off at 7 pm and runs for three hours. Bookings are essentials and can be made by called (08) 9344 7007.

For a taste of what to expect, make sure you check out Earl’s website. He’s just released a new album, Come Fly With Me, and samples of all the tracks are available online.

We’re never likely to see Michael Bublé and Norah Jones team up for an Aussie tour, but this amazing tribute show may just be the next best thing.

Image supplied by Earl Cole

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Newton Faulkner and Sara Bareilles @ The Enmore, Sydney – 8th September 2008

Ordinarily when I see a show it’s one that I couldn’t pass up. I may be a music writer, but I won’t go and see just anybody. So when I attend a concert I tend to be a real fan, one of those people who knows all the words to all the songs.

It wasn’t the case last night when I ventured out to catch Sara Bareilles and Newton Faulkner at The Enmore. My wonderful friend Jaime found herself on the guest list and I was lucky enough to be her plus one. We only knew the singles, but we’re both such music fans we were thrilled to see these talented newcomers.

We might have scored comp tickets, but don’t think we were hob-nobbing with the industry elite. They were general admission, a thought which initially made me groan. You know how much I hate standing for an entire show. So it was a pleasant surprise to walk in, find a comfortable position, and stand there happily for the rest of the show. Where was the pushing and obnoxiousness I remember from my general admission days of old? It seemed these punters would much rather listen to the music, dance a little, and not bother anyone else. I’d like to whole heartedly thank the audience for being so brilliant.

With Old Man River a late scratching from the bill, Sara Bareilles was up first. I was utterly transfixed by her. It takes a certain kind of performer to captivate while sitting at a piano, but she pulled it off. There’s a lot more to this girl than “Love Song.” Her songs are accessible yet quirky, a real breath of fresh air. And her personality is so warm. She endeared herself to us all when she said how much she loves Strictly Ballroom, and how starstruck she felt meeting Sonia Kruger. The set was an opportunity to showcase her debut album Little Voice, so it was an unexpected treat to see Sara step away from the piano for an amazing cover of The Beatles “Oh! Darling.” Sara was only the warm-up act, but I was so sorry to see her leave the stage! I may not have known much about her before, but I made sure to grab a copy of her CD from the merch stand.

Sara may be a big star, but Newton Faulkner was clearly the man everyone came to see. The enthusiastic audience joined in singing his songs from the start, embracing this talented Brit and his debut album Hand Built by Robots.

There was a lot that I didn’t realise about Newton Faulkner. I knew he was a good guitarist, but I didn’t realise he was a great one. He uses his instrument as both a melodic and rhythmic one, tapping out the beats while his fingers pluck the notes. He knows what his guitar is capable of, and pushes the envelope to create something amazing. Newton’s not content with just playing a regular acoustic guitar though. He also brought out a child’s guitar for a few songs, including a fun cover of “Blue Shadows” from cult comedy The Three Amigos.

This cover hints at the sort of unexpected comedy I experienced at the show. I had no idea how funny this British star is! He loved playing the unexpected, including a rollicking version of “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” and a Latin-inspired take on “Uncomfortably Slow,” complete with a nonsense language! But it wasn’t all fun and games. I appreciated the stories behind the songs, a touch many artists forget but one that brings a live show beyond simply hearing the CD.

Last night I was given the opportunity to experience two of the hottest new names in the music industry. If this is what these artists can produce at the start of their careers, their futures look very bright indeed.

Image source: Stephen Katulka