Delta Goodrem has proved she’s the comeback queen. Her new single “In This Life” has debuted at number one on the ARIA singles charts. This is Delta’s eighth Australian number one, but she hasn’t had a hit since “Almost Here” in 2005.
She joins Ricki-Lee whose dance hit “Can’t Touch It” is sitting at number 10 after seven weeks.
The album charts saw another impressive Australian debut. Shannon Noll’s latest album, Turn It Up, has landed at number three. The only other Aussies in the album charts are The Waifs. Their newie, Sun Dirt Water, slipped from number three to number eight this week.
After consistently bad reviews, Lana Krost bowed out of the Australian Idol finals last night. Her performance of Moloko’s “Sing It Back” was undoubtedly her strongest, but it wasn’t enough to convince Australia.
The pretty Perth teen took the news well, declaring “I’m going to look at it like I came 10th out of 35, 000 people.”
Good for her! The elimination probably came at a good time, as Lana can now focus on her year 12 final exams next week.
The biggest surprise of the night wasn’t Lana’s elimination, but the other Idols standing with her in the bottom three. Despite solid performances, Tarisai Vushe and Daniel Mifsud failed to connect with the voting public.
They’ll be looking for stronger performances on next week’s acoustic show. This is a theme I’m definitely looking forward to, as the singers can play instruments. This is what being an artist is all about, so the show will give us a real indication of the star potential of our top nine.
Last night our Australian Idol hopefuls showed they can bust a move with outstanding disco grooves. There were plenty of top-notch performances, but last night’s standout was Matt Corby who scored the season’s first touchdown.
Tarisai Vushe started the night with the disco classic “Hot Stuff.” She definitely looked the part, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by her performance which verged on shouting in places. It was a solid effort, but not the showstopper I expected from her.
Ben McKenzie almost scored a touchdown for his take on “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” I loved how Ben built this, taking it from emotive ballad to dance floor filler. He had all the moves down and interpreted the song perfectly. A really good job.
Mark Da Costa played it smart, choosing “Nutbush City Limits.” The song fit the disco genre without forcing Mark to stray too far from his rock roots. He matched Tina Turner’s rasp perfectly and got the crowd dancing.
Lana Krost also made a smart song choice with Moloko’s “Bring it Back.” So often performers stumble by choosing songs they don’t really understand from decades before. By keeping it contemporary, Lana really shone. She’s still a bit weaker than some of the other performers, but every week she’s improving and that needs to be commended.
Jacob Butler was one of the performers most likely to struggle with disco. Unlike Mark, who chose a rock-edged disco number, Jacob decided to tackle one of the genre’s modern masters with Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat.” I admire that he embraced the genre and decided to play it straight, but it didn’t quite work for me. Jay Kay’s vocals are so demanding, and Jacob’s voice wasn’t really up to the task.
Marty Simpson decided to give Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” a reggae vibe. While the judges’ verdicts were mixed, I personally love what he did here. I’m not a huge disco fan, but I think he actually delivered his best performance this competition. It was a really clever choice for a guy that was always going to struggle with straight disco.
Daniel Mifsud also gave one of his best performances with his cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” Song choice was always going to be critical this week, with so many Idols stepping into unfamiliar territory. This was another canny decision, combining disco with Daniel’s preferred genres of rock and soul. I felt this was his most believable performance since the auditions, a real return to form.
In my mind, Carl Riseley was last night’s surprise package. No one could accuse him of straying from the genre this week, with his traditional delivery of Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.” His falsetto was a bit weak, but it didn’t matter. What I loved most about this is that it looked like Carl was having fun for the first time this year. And that’s exactly what disco is all about!
Matt Corby also decided to dazzle us with a little Earth, Wind and Fire. His version of “Got To Get You Into My Life” actually earned him the season’s first touchdown. Great vocals, great interpretation, a touchdown that was well deserved.
If we hadn’t seen a little Gloria Gaynor on disco night I would have been sorely disappointed. Natalie Gauci came through with the goods, delivering a near perfect rendition of “I Will Survive.” I say near perfect, because like Mark the vocal gymnastics bug me too. Hopefully she takes this advice on board and gets that touchdown next week.
It’s going to be a close race before tonight’s elimination. My heart thinks Jacob Butler might go, considering how close he came last week. It’ll be a real shame though, as he certainly gave this week his all. Lana Krost’s run may also come to an end, which would also be a shame as she’s learning so much. Still, I’m at that point where I don’t really want anyone to leave! Who’s your pick to go?
Rock chick Sarah McLeod has been a permanent fixture on the Aussie music scene since the nineties, thanks to her work with The Superjesus and massive solo album Beauty Was a Tiger. It’s been a little quiet on the Sarah front lately, but we won’t have to wait too long for a new album.
Sarah’s currently working with Grammy-award winning producer Jimmy Douglass on album number two. It seems like a really strange pairing. After all, Jimmy Douglass is the man behind Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliot, and Duran Duran!
But it does mean that industry movers and shakers are starting to take notice of this Aussie powerhouse. Perhaps this will the big break Sarah needs to get the worldwide attention she so richly deserves!
Darren admitted he argued with a member of staff at the Busaba Eathai restaurant, but denied the row had a racist element.
“I could never think, let alone utter a racist remark,” Darren said on his website.
“As a gay man, I find the notion of discriminating against a human being because of race, gender or sexuality to be abhorrent. It goes against everything I have stood for.”
He added that “any notion of racism had been ruled out” by police, but according to the BBC a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police would not confirm this.
A whole lot of new acts have just been added to the already stellar Homebake lineup. But if you haven’t already grabbed your tickets, you’re too late. This year’s show sold out in record time. We did warn you!
If you got in early, you can now look forward to seeing Scribe, Architecture in Helsinki, Blue King Brown, Kisschasy, Old Man River and heaps more.
They’ll join original headliners including the Divinyls, Miss Higgins, Gotye, Sarah Blasko, and Paul Kelly. It all happens in The Domain in Sydney on December 8.
She’s known as Australian Idol’s “nice judge,” but Marcia Hines wasn’t smiling when she was on the end of a Channel Nine prank.
Marcia and her daughter Deni were lunching at the Rangoon Racquet Club in Crows Nest when the stunt, part of the new hidden camera show Surprise Surprise Gotcha, unfolded.
“Basically she was in a foul mood and had no sense of humour about the situation,” a program source told The Daily Telegraph. “She just didn’t want to react to what was happening at all.”
Apparently Marcia stormed out of the restaurant when she realised she’d been a victim of the show’s prank.
“She didn’t like being set-up and I don’t think she liked the fact that she didn’t have her hair and make-up done either,” the source added.
Marcia’s camp has asked the network not to air the offending footage, so we may never see what caused this typically patient judge to lose her cool.
200 guests attended Ricki-Lee Coulter’s recent wedding to long-term beau James Baddington. Her Australian Idol pals Casey Donovan, Amali Ward, and Marty Worrall were there. But where were her former band mates, the Young Divas?
The official word from the Young Divas’ management is that Paulini Curuenavuli, Kate DeAraugo, and Emily Williams all had performances scheduled on the night, and regretted missing the event. But according to Ricki-Lee, her former friends didn’t even bother to RSVP.
“I’d called the girls and texted them and emailed them, and hadn’t heard,” Ricki-Lee told the Woman’s Day.
“I thought everything was cool until they didn’t even turn up and didn’t bother to call me.”
Ouch! With bitchy behaviour like that, is it any wonder the Young Divas disbanded? But Ricki-Lee needn’t worry. Her solo single “Can’t Touch It” is still in the top 10, six weeks after its release. We can’t say the same for the other girls.
Aussie music royalty will turn out for a massive Max Merritt benefit show at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on October 21.
The singer, best known for his hit “Slipping Away,” is suffering from Goodpastures Syndrome, a rare condition that has attacked his lungs and kidneys.
Concert for Max will feature an all-star line-up including Ross Wilson, James Reyne, Kevin Borich, Paul Norton, John Paul Young, Swanee, Normie Rowe, Peter Cupples, Dinah Lee, The Delltones, Doug Parkinson, Wilbur Wilde, Spectrum and Daryl Braithwaite. More performers will be announced before the show.
“I am finding it very difficult to adequately express my appreciation for the help and support during my time of extreme personal need,” Max said in a press statement. “Your help is absolutely overwhelming”.
Tickets for the show are available for $75 through Ticketmaster.
Sneaky Sound System has showed they’ll be a force to be reckoned with at this year’s Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. The dance outfit has led the nominations, with nods in six categories including best group, best dance album, and album of the year.
The John Butler Trio isn’t far behind with five nominations. Their top 10 smash Grand National is up for album of the year and best independent release.
The groups will battle with Powderfinger, Silverchair, and Gotye for the best album title.
The best group nominees are some of the biggest names in the biz: Sneaky Sound System, Eskimo Joe, Powderfinger, Silverchair, and Wolfmother.
Singer-songwriters have dominated the solo categories. Dan Kelly, Gotye, John Butler, Josh Pyke, and Paul Kelly are all up for best male artist, while Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan, Missy Higgins, and Sarah Blasko will battle for the best female crown.
The ARIA Awards will be held in Sydney on October 28. Channel Ten personality Rove McManus will host the awards for the fifth time. Powderfinger, Silverchair, Missy Higgins, and John Butler Trio will perform on the night, but expect more big names to join the bill closer to the date.
