Australia’s own Kylie Minogue was named Best International Female Solo Artist at last night’s Brit Awards. She received the trophy from her Doctor Who costar David Tennant.
“I’m all overcome. This is incredible,” she told the crowd as she accepted her award.
During the ceremony Kyles showed why she’s worthy of the honour with a spectacular performance of her new single “Wow.” Check it out below!
Could an Aussie be the next American Idol? Cutie Michael Johns has made it to Hollywood so anything is possible!
This sexy ex-pat moved to Los Angeles when he was 18 years old, but he hasn’t lost his accent or Aussie charm. He also gets a big tick for choosing an Otis Redding number for his audition.
Thanks to Jeanne at Idol Stalker, you can check out this video and see what all the fuss is about. I’ll be sure to keep you posted about Michael’s progress through the comp!
Last night our Australian Idol hopefuls Natalie Gauci and Matt Corby had one last chance to impress the public. But did they pull it off? Who deserves the winner’s crown? Here’s my verdict on the final showdown.
Matt Corby kicked off the night with his rendition of the winner’s single, “Here I Am.” Newspaper reports earlier in the week suggested Matt hated the song, and while he denied these claims his performance told a different story. I thought he looked really uncomfortable, particularly during the verses.
He looked a lot more at home performing Radiohead’s “High and Dry.” I’m sure Radiohead fans probably hated his loungy treatment of the song, but I’m not a Radiohead fan. I really liked it, but I think his falsetto needs some work.
I was less enthusiastic about his closing song, “Mind’s Eye” by Wolfmother. This should have rocked. The band did, but Matt’s performance felt laboured and tired.
Natalie Gauci seems to be the master of turning hideous pop songs into gold. Just as she did weeks ago with “Umbrella,” Nat did a great version of Timbaland’s “Apologise.”
She followed it up with a breathtaking version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Considering how she struggled with the high notes in “Ray of Light,” I was a little nervous about this, but she pulled it off for a commanding performance. For me, this was the performance of the night.
She closed the show with the winner’s single “Here I Am.” This is the way this song needs to be sung, no question. Her performance had vulnerability and strength all at the same time. Wow.
Reading my comments, I guess you know which way I’m hoping the verdict goes. I’m backing Natalie for the exciting performances she’s delivered in recent weeks. Matt started the competition really strong, but lately he’s been a bit lacklustre. Natalie, on the other hand, has gone from strength to strength. I also really don’t want to hear Matt’s version of “Here I Am” saturating radio waves. It’s going to be a really close call, but Natalie has my vote.
It’s crunch time on Australian Idol, with only three young hopefuls remaining. Tonight we’ll see one of them leave the comp, paving the way for the final two to sing for the ultimate title at the Opera House. You’d think all of that would have inspired some outstanding performances, but did it?
Natalie Gauci was first up, singing the viewer’s choice of “Ray of Light.” I agree with Kyle – this is the worst thing I’ve seen Natalie do. Personally I’ve never liked the song, and it did Natalie no favours. If nothing else, it proved that Natalie can’t sing anything. Thankfully, this wasn’t her only song of the night. Pink’s “Nobody Knows” was a much better choice, and I really enjoyed it.
I was really excited when I heard the home viewer had picked “You Give Me Something” for Carl Riseley, but I didn’t think this worked at all. Vocally it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I thought his version of “For Once in My Life” was better, but it still wasn’t up to the standard I’d expect at this stage of the competition. I like Carl a lot, but I’m wondering whether he peaked too early.
I was beginning to despair that the viewers’ choices would unintentionally sabotage all of the Idols, when Matt Corby appeared. Evermore’s “It’s Too Late” was the perfect song for him, forcing him to step out of the introspective space he’s inhabited for the last few weeks and really perform. In my eyes, this was the performance of the night. He closed the show with a soaring rendition of “Across the Universe.” It didn’t quite have the “Idol Moment” I think he was aiming for, but it came pretty close.
I honestly have no idea who will go tonight. If the punters vote on performance alone, Carl should be shown the door but we all know more comes into play than that. His status in the bottom two last week will only inspire more Carl fans to pick up the phone. I feel Matt and Natalie have been our most consistent performers and deserve places at the Opera House, but will it happen? You’ll have to watch tonight’s elimination show to find out!
As a kid growing up in Australia, I was always a little bit jealous of Americans celebrating Halloween. I thought how wonderful it must be to dress up in scary costumes and score loads of free lollies. I actually tried it once in primary school, but none of the neighbours I visited had any goodies to give me and I didn’t have the heart to toilet paper their houses because of it.
So this year I figured I’m going to celebrate anyway. Everyone else at b5media is doing it, so why can’t I? To get you in the mood, here’s five of the best Australian spooky songs.
I had to kick things off with a little AC/DC. It’d be unAustralian not to. “Highway to Hell” is one of their best, and scariest, with the late great Bon Scott up front.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of The Scare. Their brand of chaotic punk just does nothing for me. But with a name like The Scare, and a song called “Bats!Bats!Bats!” I had to include it anyway!
Here’s Australia’s current dancefloor darlings Sneaky Sound System with their spooky hit “UFO.” This is the only live performance I’ve included here, basically because I don’t think the studio recording can match this for energy. Considering this is about spotting UFOs while you’re alone and far from home, it’s a strangely happy tune!
It’s not Halloween without monsters, so here’s the Something for Kate variety. I’ve always thought Paul Dempsey seemed far too calm for a man hunted down by monsters, but this is a very cool song nonetheless.
It wouldn’t be a Halloween list without Australia’s own Prince of Darkness, Nick Cave. “Red Right Hand” may be the creepiest song ever written. I love it!
Image source: Colton Sturgeon @ Unsplash
The Idols have faced harsh criticism over their song choices in recent weeks, so it must have been a relief to hand the control over to the judges. At least for half the night. Last night our Australian Idols sang a song picked by the judges, and another of their own choice. It proved to be a winning combination, with three touchdowns and some stellar performances.
Tarisai Vushe was first to perform Marcia’s choice of “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love.” It should have been a perfect song for her, and I suppose it was, but I still feel a wall between Tarisai and the audience when she performs. It felt a bit pageanty and fake to me, although I did enjoy seeing a lighter side of her. It was only a matter of time before Tarisai brought out some Whitney, and she did so with “I Believe in You and Me.” Vocally this was superb, and I felt like she connected with this one a lot more. Having said that though, Tarisai seems interchangeable with so many other diva singers. There’s nothing new here, and I’m getting a bit bored with it.
Marty Simpson had a stellar night. I really think he just keeps getting better and better. He clearly relished the opportunity to sing reggae, first with Marcia’s choice of “No Woman No Cry,” and then with his own selection, “Last Kiss.” The second song was my favourite, and in my opinion it was worth a touchdown. But we all know if you don’t do big notes and deliver a big performance, you don’t get those. Marty’s really not a “performer,” but when you have your guitar I don’t think you really need to be. I’d much rather watch someone with their instrument than see someone dancing around a stage.
In my opinion, Daniel Mifsud was the weakest link last night. While Mark chose a beautiful song in Sting’s “Fragile,” I think it also let him down. He delivered it beautifully, but it was a bit boring. “From The Sea” was a great song choice, but not for Daniel to deliver. Sadly it exposed all his vocal weaknesses, and his strong physical presence wasn’t enough to save it. I cringed every time he aimed for the falsetto.
Wasn’t Carl Riseley the surprise package? It’s almost as if now that Ben McKenzie has gone, he’s realised how wide-open this competition is. He’s definitely playing to win, and that’s exciting to watch. I was prepared to laugh all the way through “It’s Not Unusual” but I actually found myself enjoying it! It was a well-deserved touchdown. I can’t say that I liked “Jealous Guy” as much, but I think that was mostly because I hated the arrangement. Vocally he was strong though, and he sang it with real conviction. Carl’s come such a long way from the vocally weak, stiff trumpet player we first encountered.
Matt Corby showed his courage, taking on Mark’s challenge of “Music of the Night.” I have really conflicting thoughts about this performance. On the negative side, I thought it had a lot of vocal flaws. He has such a lovely lower register, but when he switched to the higher notes in his “natural” voice they were really jarring. It was almost like he was singing in two completely different voices, and that didn’t work at all. However, I really appreciate him taking this on. It was a massive risk, and while I don’t think it paid off completely it was great that he challenged himself. Still, I don’t think that makes it worth a touchdown. But this was only one song on a night where the Idols had two chances. His cover of “Transatlantacism” was brilliant, and made up for any weaknesses he showed earlier. I must admit, I’m an old fogie and I’d never heard the song but Matt performed it with so much conviction I didn’t need it to be familiar. Great stuff.
I had mixed feelings about Natalie Gauci last night. She took a song I love, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and ruined it in my opinion. It felt overblown and like just another diva number rather than the quirky heartfelt tune it is. But everyone else loved it, so what do I know. Then she took “Umbrella,” a song I despise with a burning fiery passion, and made it brilliant. It was another well-deserved touchdown and a great way to end the show.
Based on all that, I’m picking Daniel to go. Then again, I’ve been doing that for weeks and it still hasn’t happened. And no one thought Ben would leave last week, but he did. At this point, anything could happen.
We’re getting to the pointy end of Australian Idol. Our final seven appear calm, but the same can’t be said for the judges. I think the contestants all gave solid performances of songs released in the year of their birth, but it just didn’t seem to be enough to impress these tough critics.
Ben McKenzie was first in the firing line with his rendition of “Higher Ground.” Ben combined the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ attitude with Stevie Wonder’s soul, and it worked. However, it didn’t thrill Mark or Dicko, prompting Marcia to let fly with an explosive outburst. It’s a shame that this exchange ended up overshadowing a really good effort.
Marty Simpson brought a reggae vibe to Crowded House’s “Now We’re Getting Somewhere.” It was an interesting interpretation, and I’m still not sure whether I liked it. The verses definitely worked better than the chorus. But on the positives side, Marty looked very comfortable and managed to stay in time. I think this was probably his best performance.
All the judges panned Natalie Gauci’s rendition of “Endless Love.” I’m not sure whether my husband I were watching the same performance, because we thought it was brilliant. Maybe my Lionel Richie love makes me biased, but I’m not sure how this could have been any better.
Carl Riseley delivered his best performance of the season with George Benson’s “Turn Your Love Around.” It’s such a great song, and it suited him down to the ground. The vocals were still a little weak, and I agree that he does tend to just imitate the original artist. But ultimately, this was a lot of fun.
Matt Corby chose “Another Day in Paradise.” This is one of my least favourite songs, but he made it incredibly believable and touching. However, like Dicko I am starting to feel like he’s plateauing. He showed such diversity with “The Immigrant Song” and “Got to Get You Into My Life,” but his last few choices have been a bit samey.
Tarisai Vushe picked another of my favourite tracks, “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me.” I guess that’s what happens when we have so many 80s babies! I hated the slow start, but once it kicked into gear it was brilliant. Tarisai’s been boring me lately, so I was thrilled to see this joyous performance.
I agree with Kyle (for once) – on paper it sounded like Daniel Mifsud’s take on “Billie Jean” would be awesome. Instead it was a bit of a train wreck. He struggled to find the beat, and the song suffered for the lack of falsetto.
Daniel was probably the worst of the night, and given that he’s been in the bottom three for the last few weeks he’s my pick to go.
Tim Freedman’s never struck me as having a great sense of humour. Sure he’s a brilliant songwriter and performer, but after seeing numerous Whitlams shows I’ve always thought he took himself a bit too seriously.
So I was surprised to read how well he took the news that Andrew Hansen lampooned him on last week’s episode of The Chaser’s War on Everything. For those of you who didn’t see it, I’ve attached the video below.
So now we’re all up to speed. This week, Tim detailed his feelings on The Chaser’s efforts on The Whitlam’s site.
“I love The Chaser,” he enthused. “Most of it is usually great. Sometimes there are parts that are a little lame. As I pressed play, I was hoping that the bit on me would fit into the latter category. The piece came on and I must say I really enjoyed it. ‘Who is this guy,? I’d buy his album,’ I thought. Hansen had my rather basic piano style down well, and the vowel sounds and melody were eerily similar to what I hear in my head.”
Continue reading “Tim Freedman Gets Last Word on "The Chaser"”
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!
I’d been really looking forward to Australian Idol’s acoustic night, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. There was only one touchdown but several other performances that probably deserved them. One even moved me to tears! Of course, all this isn’t surprising considering the Idols had some help from Australian music legend, Ian Moss. If you’re going to perform acoustically, you can’t ask for a better mentor than Mossy.
Mark Da Costa was first up with his country-blues inspired interpretation of Coldplay’s “Yellow.” I must admit, this one lost me early. The moment he sang “thang” instead of “thing” I cringed, and I didn’t really recover. We certainly don’t say “thang” in Australia, even Chris Martin doesn’t say “thang.” It just came across very affected. I admire what he tried to do in terms of making the song his own, but I don’t feel he even came close.
Natalie Gauci helped to remove the bad taste in my mouth with her rendition of “Man in the Mirror.” It’s easy to forget exactly how good Michael Jackson’s music was, isn’t it? It was a great song choice and a beautiful interpretation. Natalie seemed so at home behind the piano, and that translated into a really breathtaking performance.
Carl Riseley was back in swing mode with his cover of the Cole Porter classic “It’s Alright With Me.” I really enjoyed hearing Carl play the trumpet, but I can’t say the singing grabbed me nearly as much. It was quite weak in a lot of places, and that distracted me from how much fun he seemed to be having.
Jacob Butler received a lukewarm response to his rendition of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know,” but I really enjoyed it. It was so refreshing to see him just stand there and deliver a song without the theatrics. This was definitely Jacob at his most honest and believable.
It was Matt Corby that made me cry with his amazing version of “The Blower’s Daughter.” The song choice already had me on side – it’s one of my favourites – and I was so impressed by Matt’s interpretation. He really does have a maturity beyond his years, and an uncanny ability to live in the lyrics of the songs he chooses. How last week’s performance was touchdown-worthy and this wasn’t I’ll never know.
Matt may have missed out on a touchdown this time around, but Daniel Mifsud didn’t. His surprising take on Kiss’ “I Was Made for Loving You” struck the right chord with Mark, earning him the ultimate compliment. I was so impressed by this arrangement – it really allowed the song’s romantic lyrics to shine. I also feel Daniel tends to imitate the original recordings, so it was lovely to hear him being himself.
Ben McKenzie managed to match the intensity of his cover of “Mad World” this week, with his take on Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” I was spellbound by this one, and probably would have cried again if my cat hadn’t started to play up! Like Matt, Ben also has such a gift for interpreting lyrics. He also manages to be mature, but still innocently childlike. A massive wow factor here.
While Ben wowed me, Tarisai Vushe underwhelmed me. I’ll be honest and say I’ve always found Des’Ree’s “Kissing You” a little on the boring side. Tarisai didn’t really bring anything to her performance to change my mind on that score. Yes she sang it very well, but I didn’t really care about it.
Marty Simpson has been hanging out to play with his guitar, and he didn’t disappoint with his cover of Snow Patrol’s “Open Your Eyes.” He seemed so much more relaxed on stage, and this made the whole performance very enjoyable. He really does need to watch his timing, but I could forgive that simply because he was doing the kind of performance he wanted to do.
Tonight’s verdict is going to be a really close call after so many outstanding performances. I’d like to think Mark will go, but that’s probably wishful thinking as his fan base seems to be very strong. The same goes for Carl, although I do find him a lot more likeable. I’m going to stick with those predictions though because I’m not ready to say goodbye to the others just yet!