Category: Live Performances

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sabrina Batshon and Scott Newnham Join Idol Top 12

We’re halfway towards having our top 12, with Sabrina Batshon and Scott Newnham joining the fray. Despite my reservations about him, I figured Scott would coast through. I’m pleasantly surprised that the public embraced Sabrina though.

Kim Cooper kicked off the night with a searing rendition of Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas.” I really, really like her. So few women do straight up pop in Australia, and she does it really well. She’s a lot of fun, and I can imagine her bringing a really different flavour to the competition. It’s not one with a lot of depth, but don’t we all just want to sing in a hairbrush every now and then?

Boy it’s shaping up to be some show. Ed Zaidan was up next with a blistering take on Eskimo Joe’s “Foreign Land.” It showed an intensity we haven’t seen before from him, and I’m really enjoying seeing all the sides. I heard the vocal flaws too, but I also think you can get away with that in the rock genre. I really hope we see him in the top 12, because he’s one of those fascinating figures.

Lucie Johnson got her Beyonce on with “Sweet Dreams.” I thought she sang it well and performed it well, but it didn’t really lift into the stratosphere. I think that may be down to song choice: while it’s a very popular and current song it’s also not a very dynamic one. Coming after two such strong performances, I think she may get a little lost in the crowd.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ashleigh Toole and Nathan Brake Make Idol Top 12

The third semifinal in our big week of Australian Idol kicked off with the announcement of two new finalists. I’m feeling a bit cocky about my tipping skills at the moment! Just as I predicted, Ashleigh Toole and Nathan Brake earned places in the top 12.

Daniel Raso opened up the show with The Real Thing’s “You To Me Are Every Thing.” There’s something so likeable about Daniel, and this was a really fun performance. It didn’t really show off his vocal chops, but it did highlight his mad performing skills. I agree that it was a strange choice, and probably a little too old-fashioned for the voting public, but I still liked this a lot.

There should be a rule not to sing “I Will Always Love You.” Only two people in this world can do it justice: Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton. It was simply too big for Aliqua Mao. Her voice is a little too thin, and she really pitchy. I know how hard this song is to sing. It’s one that I love to belt out. It was a risky move, and I don’t think it paid off, despite Marcia’s praise.

I was disappointed when Nicole Banks missed out on the top 12 last time, so I really wanted her to succeed this year. But I think her version of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” missed the mark. It started off really shaky, and definitely improved. But it simply wasn’t consistent. I’d think she was hitting her stride, and then it went off again. I admire her ambition and vision, but the execution fell short.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Stan Walker and Kate Cook Make Australian Idol Finals

The second night of the Australian Idol semis opened with the announcement of our first two finalists. It looks like I was right. Australia fell in love with the soul stylings of Stan Walker and country girl Kate Cook.

Ashleigh Toole opened the show with Christina Aguilera’s “Hurt.” I’m not a fan of Christina, especially when done on the Idol stage. But wow. She made me forget about all the people who’ve performed this song in an overly emotional and cloying way. It was vulnerable and believable and lovely.

Adam Eckersley was up next with the big rock chick anthem, “All Fired Up.” It was a solid rendition, but it didn’t really take off beyond that for me. And at this point of the competition, I think you really need to break into the stratosphere to distinguish yourself. It needed a little more grit and passion. And perhaps a guitar would have helped. Security blanket or not, he seemed a little aimless up there without it.

Marijana Topalovic took on one of my favourite songs, “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette. I’ve said many times that Idol needs more power ballads, but not like this. I’m not sure how she managed to suck all the power out of the power ballad, but she did it. Instead of being forceful and gutwrenching, it was simply pleasant. That also equates to boring. She hasn’t had a lot of screen time, so she really needed to pull something out tonight. And she didn’t.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Kicks Off With First Semifinal

The new and improved, Jay Dee Springbett judging Australian Idol competition really kicked off tonight with the first semi-final. With the no talent losers out of the way, we could all sink our teeth into the really good stuff. And there was certainly some of that.

Hayley Warner started the show with Diesel’s “Cry in Shame.” It was an interesting choice, a little less contemporary and a little more soulful than we’ve seen her. I always find it intriguing when women cover male songs. It definitely works for her. She’s got a masculine energy that’s exciting, and she’s a born performer. It wasn’t her best performance, but it’s so refreshing to see a genuine rock chick in the mix.

Seth Drury was up next with his take on The Fray’s “You Found Me.” I really wanted to like Seth’s performance. He hasn’t received a lot of screen time, but what I’ve seen from him has been really cool. He’s from my home town of Newcastle. And he’s pretty cute. But his performance felt really pedestrian for me. There was none of the spark I’ve seen in the past, and with such a tough group of individuals I’m not sure solid is quite good enough.

Jamila Ioane took on Stevie Wonder’s classic “For Once in My Life.” She sang it well, but I honestly hated it. The arrangement stripped away all of the bounce and passion, so we were left with lounge music for the better part of the song. It picked up towards the end, but at this stage of the competition you don’t have very long to impress. I want a whole song of great, not just a snippet of one. I also felt like she was singing pretty rather than really connecting with the lyric. Jamila’s a real talent, but right now she’s not offering me anything I haven’t seen before.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jaimi Faulkner: One to Watch

Sometimes an artist crosses your path and you wonder where they’ve been all your life. Their music feels familiar, like home. That’s the sort of instant connection I found when I heard songs from Jaimi Faulkner.

He’s recorded many albums right here in our own backyard. Why isn’t he all over radio, and attracting the attention of the media? I have no clue. His bluesy voice and soulful tunes are like a warm blanket, and after a hearing a few I’m determined to track down more. I know the lighting on this YouTube clip is bad, but take a listen to this. You won’t regret it.

 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Guy Sebastian's Likable New Single

Guy Sebastian left us pining when he packed up his things and headed to the Big Apple. But our patience has been rewarded with “Like It Like That,” the first single and title track from Guy’s fifth album. It’s an addictive slice of sixties-inspired pop, which should have everyone tapping their toes. The single is expected in stores and online on August 21. Until then, we’ll just have to be satisfied with this fun video!

 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Southern Sons Gets a Rerelease

In news that’s a little out of left field, Sony Music has decided Southern Sons‘ debut self-titled disc is worthy of a re-release!

The 1990 album launched the band, which consisted of Jack Jones (aka Irwin Thomas), Virgil Donati, Phil Buckle, Geoff Cain, and Peter Bowman. It featured the hits “Heart in Danger,” “Always and Ever,” and the tearjerker “Hold Me In Your Arms.”

The band released two more albums before breaking up in 1995. They seem to have well and truly moved on, with Irwin Thomas now playing in the rock outfit Electric Mary. They’ll support Alice Cooper on his August tour, a gig that couldn’t be more different than the Southern Sons shows of the 90s.

If, like me, you preferred the big haired heart-throb to the edgy new image, you can pick up the Southern Sons CD from June 22. Just thinking about it I had to fire up YouTube and see what I could see. I unearthed this old performance of “Hold Me In Your Arms” on Steve Vizard’s show. I think I just fell in love all over again!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Annie Lennox Redeems The Logies

This year’s Logies were a predictably cringeworthy affair, punctuated by terrible jokes, terrible dresses, and Gretel Killeen’s terrible hair. The one saving grace was Annie Lennox, who brought class and cred to the evening with her poignant solo rendition of the Eurythmics hit, “There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart).” If you missed it because you were avoiding the dross, or simply want to relive the magic, here it is!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anzac Day Video: "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" by Eric Bogle

Today is Anzac Day, a day where in between the two-up and the cheap beers we stop to remember those who fought so bravely for our freedom. This is a day when it doesn’t matter whether you support our involvement in wars or you don’t. Those diggers are pretty bloody fantastic. So take a listen to this song, raise your glasses, and remember those courageous men and women. Lest we forget.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Watch Ashleigh Mannix’s Amazing Cover of "Hallelujah" from Billabong’s Design for Humanity

You might remember me mentioning last month’s Billabong Design for Humanity event, a celebration of music, fashion, and art all for a good cause.

The night featured some top notch Australian entertainment including The Cassette Kids and DJ outfit Bag Raiders, but one of the standouts was young singer songwriter Ashleigh Mannix. You could have heard a pin drop as she opened the show with a stripped back version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” She performed to a backdrop of SurfAid International’s inspiring work with the people of the Mentawai Islands. It served as a poignant reminder why events like this are so important.

If you missed the event you can catch Ashleigh’s breathtaking performance here!