It's another mammoth 2 hour + show on The Voice tonight, and despite needing a wee for the last half hour, it's a thoroughly entertaining show once again. The judges (mostly Will I am) really make me laugh out loud - I swear he's got so much funnier this year, and I put it down to the positive Kylie aura.
Surprise battle of tonight for me: Iesher vs Femi. I didn't like Iesher's audition, not being a fan of warbly, shouty female voices, and conversely I am a sucker for smooth, Marvin Gaye-alike male vocals. However, these two gelled beautifully...wow! When Femi went falsetto I actually sat bolt upright from my comfy lying down position on the sofa and just sat open mouthed for the rest of the song. I'm so, so glad this guy got stolen by Kylie! I have to say, Femi Santiago is my favourite of the competition for technical ability, although it's Sally Barker who gets me emotionally and has the most unique tone.
Very sad to see Jamie Lovatt exit the competition tonight, although I'm confident he'll do fine with his band Romance, who apparently already have an album ready to go. Also sad to see Cherri go as I loved her smooth jazzy style and actually thought Sophie was weaker.
The only other singer I really cared about tonight was the really, really likeable James Byron. He seems so fragile and shy and sweet, but when he sings this amazing voice comes out. One to watch I hope.
Of course, everything could change dramatically next week as we arrive at the Knockout rounds, where the teams of 7 are knocked down to 3. Yikes! I'm praying my favourites don't all exit in one fell swoop, although I'm confident Sally and Femi are special enough to make the cut.
Saturday, 8 March 2014
Saturday, 1 March 2014
Earplugs at the Ready, It's The Voice Battle Rounds Part 1!
In previous series of The Voice, the battle rounds haven't really worked for me as a format. All too often it can turn into a screech-athon, with unnecessary vocal gymnastics until you can't even tell who's singing what because it's just a blast of voice.
But this series I think battles have worked more often than they haven't. Probably my favourite battle of the night was Leo vs Steven's 'Thunder In My Heart'. Brimming with tongue in cheek humour, each act had their own funky style and were just distinct enough from each other to keep it interesting. I'm not going to evaluate every single performance because it was a long old show tonight, and some of the voices began to sound rather samey (at a few points I felt like I was at a cheap Christina Aguilera tribute contest).
Of course, the biggest flaw with battle rounds is that you're judging between two acts based on one song which is obviously going to suit one singer better than the other. As was the case between Jimmy Weston and Lee Glasson, as I'm sorry to say Jimmy stole that song and Lee had a lucky escape - I really hope it was Jimmy's attitude that got him ditched though. Check out these tweets from him: "So happy with my performance. Still struggling with the result" and later "What's Kylie been smoking?" Lee Glasson's response was very telling: "Can see from @jimmyweston100 Twitter that he remains a humble gentleman". Love a bit of tension on the battle rounds haha! I hope Lee gets to show what he can do next week when he has a song he can make his own.
Woah, where did Sally Barker come from? I remember her audition, I remember the sad back story and the pleasant, heartfelt voice, but when this lady is allowed to take a song she's never heard before (Olly Murs Dear Darlin') and put her own stamp on it, you realise what a stunningly beautiful tone she has. Something between Eva Cassidy and Jennifer Rush, with a bit of someone else I can't quite put my finger on. I'm hugely looking forward to hearing more from this lovely lady.
Other random thoughts from a 2 hour plus show tonight: What the hell was the point in Leah McFall being there to "advise" contestants? They didn't show her saying a single word to them! And who wants advice on how to come second? Does anyone else think that Ricky's team is really weak compared to everyone else's? And have you noticed that Will's feet don't touch the floor when he sits in his spinny chair, and they flail about like two little cocktail sticks?
But this series I think battles have worked more often than they haven't. Probably my favourite battle of the night was Leo vs Steven's 'Thunder In My Heart'. Brimming with tongue in cheek humour, each act had their own funky style and were just distinct enough from each other to keep it interesting. I'm not going to evaluate every single performance because it was a long old show tonight, and some of the voices began to sound rather samey (at a few points I felt like I was at a cheap Christina Aguilera tribute contest).
Of course, the biggest flaw with battle rounds is that you're judging between two acts based on one song which is obviously going to suit one singer better than the other. As was the case between Jimmy Weston and Lee Glasson, as I'm sorry to say Jimmy stole that song and Lee had a lucky escape - I really hope it was Jimmy's attitude that got him ditched though. Check out these tweets from him: "So happy with my performance. Still struggling with the result" and later "What's Kylie been smoking?" Lee Glasson's response was very telling: "Can see from @jimmyweston100 Twitter that he remains a humble gentleman". Love a bit of tension on the battle rounds haha! I hope Lee gets to show what he can do next week when he has a song he can make his own.
Woah, where did Sally Barker come from? I remember her audition, I remember the sad back story and the pleasant, heartfelt voice, but when this lady is allowed to take a song she's never heard before (Olly Murs Dear Darlin') and put her own stamp on it, you realise what a stunningly beautiful tone she has. Something between Eva Cassidy and Jennifer Rush, with a bit of someone else I can't quite put my finger on. I'm hugely looking forward to hearing more from this lovely lady.
Other random thoughts from a 2 hour plus show tonight: What the hell was the point in Leah McFall being there to "advise" contestants? They didn't show her saying a single word to them! And who wants advice on how to come second? Does anyone else think that Ricky's team is really weak compared to everyone else's? And have you noticed that Will's feet don't touch the floor when he sits in his spinny chair, and they flail about like two little cocktail sticks?
Saturday, 22 February 2014
The Voice Saves The Best For Last
I have two words this week - Jamie Lovatt. That is all. I've been praying for the day a new Jeff Buckley would grace the music world but I never imagined it would come from The Voice UK. This rock god complete with snakeskin pants and snarling, wailing vocals is my new favourite by a mile.
I don't want to gloss over the others too much this week as there were some other really good ones. Aside from the beautifully touching exchange between Will and the lady who reminded him of his Aunt Stephanie (I do wish she had got through, she had a lovely, understated voice) I also really liked Kenny Thompson, the teacher from Liverpool. In fact, I'm really looking forward to the next stage of this competition now because I have 1 favourite per judge. As follows I am backing:
Lee Glasson - Team Kylie
Jamie Lovatt - Team Ricky
Kenny Thompson - Team Tom
Callum Crowley - Team Will.
Now that my eggs are all spread out over lots of baskets I don't have to face next week's show with that awful sense of trepidation when you dread your favourite act getting booted out via a cruelly unjust battle round (I still haven't gotten over Liam Tamne last year. Don't think I ever will).
Roll on the battle rounds, woop woop!
I don't want to gloss over the others too much this week as there were some other really good ones. Aside from the beautifully touching exchange between Will and the lady who reminded him of his Aunt Stephanie (I do wish she had got through, she had a lovely, understated voice) I also really liked Kenny Thompson, the teacher from Liverpool. In fact, I'm really looking forward to the next stage of this competition now because I have 1 favourite per judge. As follows I am backing:
Lee Glasson - Team Kylie
Jamie Lovatt - Team Ricky
Kenny Thompson - Team Tom
Callum Crowley - Team Will.
Now that my eggs are all spread out over lots of baskets I don't have to face next week's show with that awful sense of trepidation when you dread your favourite act getting booted out via a cruelly unjust battle round (I still haven't gotten over Liam Tamne last year. Don't think I ever will).
Roll on the battle rounds, woop woop!
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Bring on the Falsettos!
Thank goodness this week for boys singing falsetto - even though hardly any of them made it through, they at least made The Voice bearable tonight. (I am a total sucker for boys singing falsetto, which I may have mentioned once or twice before on this blog).
I'm not here to talk about warblers. People with voices that are ten a penny, who sound like at least five other singers already in the charts. That doesn't interest me at all - unfortunately I seem to be in a minority.
Never before have I watched so many weeks of a talent show without finding a single act I can root for. I was actually beginning to dread writing this blog because I have found The Voice so completely devoid of talent this year, so I was overjoyed tonight to see some really original, quirky acts. This series I am now officially backing Callum Crowley, although it's hard to tell - am I clinging desperately onto him as someone vaguely good to root for, or is he genuinely brilliant?
In the same way that the coaches are becoming more buzzer-happy as they run out of time to fill their teams, I am becoming more eager to latch on to people. So I also liked Kiki De Ville this week. And I LOVED Paul Raj, what was with the not turning for him?? I hope he's right up there with Miles Anthony this time next year, storming the charts with a big f** you to The Voice.
Just seven places left next week for the final blind audition episode. And by the looks of the previews, somebody is going to reduce Will I Am to tears...or is he just lamenting all the great singers he's let walk away? Tune in next week for your The Voice gossip fix.
I'm not here to talk about warblers. People with voices that are ten a penny, who sound like at least five other singers already in the charts. That doesn't interest me at all - unfortunately I seem to be in a minority.
Never before have I watched so many weeks of a talent show without finding a single act I can root for. I was actually beginning to dread writing this blog because I have found The Voice so completely devoid of talent this year, so I was overjoyed tonight to see some really original, quirky acts. This series I am now officially backing Callum Crowley, although it's hard to tell - am I clinging desperately onto him as someone vaguely good to root for, or is he genuinely brilliant?
In the same way that the coaches are becoming more buzzer-happy as they run out of time to fill their teams, I am becoming more eager to latch on to people. So I also liked Kiki De Ville this week. And I LOVED Paul Raj, what was with the not turning for him?? I hope he's right up there with Miles Anthony this time next year, storming the charts with a big f** you to The Voice.
Just seven places left next week for the final blind audition episode. And by the looks of the previews, somebody is going to reduce Will I Am to tears...or is he just lamenting all the great singers he's let walk away? Tune in next week for your The Voice gossip fix.
Saturday, 8 February 2014
Diamonds In The Rough
The talent seems to be really slipping on this series of The Voice. It feels like they assembled all the best acts for the first episode, when all eyes were on the new coach line up, and now we're getting all the slightly ropey, or the downright boring auditionees. Actually, that's very unfair to some of them, who have been amazing...but haven't got any chair turns for god's sake! This week we continue the theme of turning for flat/boring, and not turning for amazing/note perfect. Take poor Nick Dixon for example, who came back after rejection last year and was unforgivably knocked back once again. I think if they took all the great singers The Voice have missed out on over the last few weeks and made a spin-off show, it would be like Glastonbury.
It was nice to see Elisha Moses coming back for another try, after being one half of last year's duo Nu-tarna. According to her Twitter feed last year, her singing partner back then was a bit of a controlling bitch and there is no love lost between them. When they battled Cleo Higgins, you could cut the tension with a butter knife and it was clearly the other girl orchestrating that. So I'm glad Elisha has got a chance to strike out on her own.
Has anyone noticed that Will.I.Am suddenly seems very reluctant to turn if anybody else has turned? It's almost as if he's too proud to have to pitch against any other coach, instead trying to out-psych the others, and turning his chair at the very last second once he knows he's on his own. What is with that? I remember when The Voice was more about the acts and less about the coaches playing silly games. Christ, I just realised I sound like I'm talking about the X Factor.
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE! Somebody I actually like is through - Max Murphy, the judo athlete guy! I was on a downward spiral there until Max turned up. WOAH and there again with the lovely Femi Santiago, the final act of the night. Will left that turn really late there, I had my torrent of bad language ready to go. This is good. My spark of enthusiasm for The Voice has been mildly reignited now.
So, a steadily improving episode all in all tonight, made infinitely better by seeing Will.I.Am 'bust a treble all the way to the restroom' (aka Riverdance). The only thing saving The Voice for me at the moment is the genuinely funny banter amongst the coaches. I guess as long as that keeps the viewers tuning in, that's all that matters.
It was nice to see Elisha Moses coming back for another try, after being one half of last year's duo Nu-tarna. According to her Twitter feed last year, her singing partner back then was a bit of a controlling bitch and there is no love lost between them. When they battled Cleo Higgins, you could cut the tension with a butter knife and it was clearly the other girl orchestrating that. So I'm glad Elisha has got a chance to strike out on her own.
Has anyone noticed that Will.I.Am suddenly seems very reluctant to turn if anybody else has turned? It's almost as if he's too proud to have to pitch against any other coach, instead trying to out-psych the others, and turning his chair at the very last second once he knows he's on his own. What is with that? I remember when The Voice was more about the acts and less about the coaches playing silly games. Christ, I just realised I sound like I'm talking about the X Factor.
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE! Somebody I actually like is through - Max Murphy, the judo athlete guy! I was on a downward spiral there until Max turned up. WOAH and there again with the lovely Femi Santiago, the final act of the night. Will left that turn really late there, I had my torrent of bad language ready to go. This is good. My spark of enthusiasm for The Voice has been mildly reignited now.
So, a steadily improving episode all in all tonight, made infinitely better by seeing Will.I.Am 'bust a treble all the way to the restroom' (aka Riverdance). The only thing saving The Voice for me at the moment is the genuinely funny banter amongst the coaches. I guess as long as that keeps the viewers tuning in, that's all that matters.
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Disappointment
Jesus Christ, I don't know if I can do this any more. I don't know if I can watch another female singer shriek and scream her way through an audition and then spend 10 minutes watching her decide whose team to go on. Ladies and gentlemen - another week on The Voice.
Can you tell I'm feeling jaded by The Voice this week? Literally every single act I like, they don't turn for, and every single act I hate, they turn for and rave about as if they were the second coming. Plus, I think I have identified the fundamental flaw with the editing of this show: the 'choosing which coach to go with' part is so painfully drawn out. Who on earth on the BBC production team thought the public would care so much about this part? Why do we care which coach our favourite act picks? It doesn't affect whether we get to see them perform again, it doesn't really mean anything at this stage!
Highlight of the week: there was a woman whose shoes were made entirely of fruit! Yes, of fruit! She made some wearable chocolate shoes for Kylie, and I want to know how she knew her shoe size, and whether Kylie will wear them.
The Voice needs to start shaping up fast before it starts to lose the glow that Kylie and Ricky have brought with them. Stop the dragging out of every act. Stop the sob stories. Let's see more acts, and ooh, maybe a bit more male/female balance? By my rough calculations so far, we have about 24 girls and only 6 boys. The way things are going we are right on track for another Andrea Begley or Leanne whatshername. And I'm sure the BBC don't want that.
Can you tell I'm feeling jaded by The Voice this week? Literally every single act I like, they don't turn for, and every single act I hate, they turn for and rave about as if they were the second coming. Plus, I think I have identified the fundamental flaw with the editing of this show: the 'choosing which coach to go with' part is so painfully drawn out. Who on earth on the BBC production team thought the public would care so much about this part? Why do we care which coach our favourite act picks? It doesn't affect whether we get to see them perform again, it doesn't really mean anything at this stage!
Highlight of the week: there was a woman whose shoes were made entirely of fruit! Yes, of fruit! She made some wearable chocolate shoes for Kylie, and I want to know how she knew her shoe size, and whether Kylie will wear them.
The Voice needs to start shaping up fast before it starts to lose the glow that Kylie and Ricky have brought with them. Stop the dragging out of every act. Stop the sob stories. Let's see more acts, and ooh, maybe a bit more male/female balance? By my rough calculations so far, we have about 24 girls and only 6 boys. The way things are going we are right on track for another Andrea Begley or Leanne whatshername. And I'm sure the BBC don't want that.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
A Week of Divided Opinions on The Voice (Mine vs The Rest of the UK)
Sometimes I wonder what qualifies me to write this blog, because I seem to have massively different tastes to both the coaches and the social media-using public. Tonight I pretty much hated all the ones that were picked, and loved all the ones that weren't picked, so as you can imagine I'm not in the best of moods.
Let's start with Iesha. Already being tipped to win, she was one of the few auditionees in this series of The Voice to get a full house of four chair turns. To me, she sounded shrill and whiny. I can only imagine this will be ramped up to maximum shrillness during the battle rounds, so I'll be investing in a good set of ear plugs before that point.
Then we had the wonderful Paul Black, the swinging tattoo artist (hang on, that sounds wrong. I meant he sang swing). I have a soft spot for tattooed people who defy stereotypes (I'm covered in tattoos myself and hate when people assume I'm into death metal) so his audition - a swing version of Van Halen's 'Jump' was a massively enjoyable surprise. But no turns, sadly.
The Voice made history this week with it's first ever joke act. Of course he didn't get picked, but Si Genaro was as mad as a box of frogs with his folk/reggae/harmonica-playing breakbeat. It's interesting how even the calibre of the joke acts is better on The Voice compared to The X Factor. I don't want to devalue Souli Roots 'Recession Song' for a second, but 'Chicken Train' needs to be a hit right now.
The auditionees who made it this week were very run of the mill in my humble opinion. Probably my favourite was Vicky Jones - Danny from McFly's sister with her top notch, almost Cher-esque rock voice. With votes from the McFly fanbase behind her, this girl could go far. I still haven't spotted a potential winner yet, but then what do I know?
Let's start with Iesha. Already being tipped to win, she was one of the few auditionees in this series of The Voice to get a full house of four chair turns. To me, she sounded shrill and whiny. I can only imagine this will be ramped up to maximum shrillness during the battle rounds, so I'll be investing in a good set of ear plugs before that point.
Then we had the wonderful Paul Black, the swinging tattoo artist (hang on, that sounds wrong. I meant he sang swing). I have a soft spot for tattooed people who defy stereotypes (I'm covered in tattoos myself and hate when people assume I'm into death metal) so his audition - a swing version of Van Halen's 'Jump' was a massively enjoyable surprise. But no turns, sadly.
The Voice made history this week with it's first ever joke act. Of course he didn't get picked, but Si Genaro was as mad as a box of frogs with his folk/reggae/harmonica-playing breakbeat. It's interesting how even the calibre of the joke acts is better on The Voice compared to The X Factor. I don't want to devalue Souli Roots 'Recession Song' for a second, but 'Chicken Train' needs to be a hit right now.
The auditionees who made it this week were very run of the mill in my humble opinion. Probably my favourite was Vicky Jones - Danny from McFly's sister with her top notch, almost Cher-esque rock voice. With votes from the McFly fanbase behind her, this girl could go far. I still haven't spotted a potential winner yet, but then what do I know?
Saturday, 18 January 2014
The Good, The Bad and The Human Saxophone
The Voice continues to shape up very nicely indeed this week. Something has clicked among the judges that was lacking in Jessie & Danny, and that's light hearted banter that really does make me laugh out loud. Ricky and Kylie are actually rather amusing!
Talent wise, the biggest shock of the night for me was the criminal non-turn for Miles Anthony, the young lad with the disabled niece. The fact that he can make beats, produce his own arrangements AND sing like that is mind boggling. I would like to make a bold prediction here and now that in the future he will be bigger than The Voice winner. This boy is talented, and I'm gutted nobody turned.
I absolutely loved vintage girl Sophie May Williams too. A beautiful sense of style and a really unique, deep jazz voice. When Will started talking about buying old jazz records and sampling them, I was incredibly excited at the idea of him and Sophie working together: that voice + funked up jazz beats = "Right up my street dot com", to paraphrase Alexandra Burke.
The last chap, Jermain Jackson I was a bit dubious about. Seems like a lovely young man, don't get me wrong, but he had this weird technique of making his voice sound like various instruments that just sounded downright odd. He reminded me of the guy on Britain's Got Talent a couple of years ago who marketed himself as "the human saxophone" and just sounded like a crying baby.
In the tradition of allowing has-beens to audition, I'm praying for the moment when my childhood idol Betty Boo turns up, so I can find out if she is still in fact doin' the do. Which obscure ex-pop stars would you like to see on The Voice? Let me know below!
Talent wise, the biggest shock of the night for me was the criminal non-turn for Miles Anthony, the young lad with the disabled niece. The fact that he can make beats, produce his own arrangements AND sing like that is mind boggling. I would like to make a bold prediction here and now that in the future he will be bigger than The Voice winner. This boy is talented, and I'm gutted nobody turned.
I absolutely loved vintage girl Sophie May Williams too. A beautiful sense of style and a really unique, deep jazz voice. When Will started talking about buying old jazz records and sampling them, I was incredibly excited at the idea of him and Sophie working together: that voice + funked up jazz beats = "Right up my street dot com", to paraphrase Alexandra Burke.
The last chap, Jermain Jackson I was a bit dubious about. Seems like a lovely young man, don't get me wrong, but he had this weird technique of making his voice sound like various instruments that just sounded downright odd. He reminded me of the guy on Britain's Got Talent a couple of years ago who marketed himself as "the human saxophone" and just sounded like a crying baby.
In the tradition of allowing has-beens to audition, I'm praying for the moment when my childhood idol Betty Boo turns up, so I can find out if she is still in fact doin' the do. Which obscure ex-pop stars would you like to see on The Voice? Let me know below!
Saturday, 11 January 2014
All Hail The Return Of The True King of TV Talent Shows
For anyone who's been reading my humble blog up until now, I'm going to say something that might surprise you:
I hugely prefer The Voice to the X Factor. Sshh, don't tell Simon Cowell.
I love the suspense of the will they/won't they spinning chairs. I love the much higher standard of talent because the acts are headhunted. I love the fact that the acts aren't afraid to take risks and be creative. I can imagine some of these amazing artists who go on The Voice being told by Louis Walsh "I just can't see ye selling records" and I cringe. I don't care that the show hasn't produced a successful artist yet - that's the fault of the BBC, their lack of music connections and management know-how. It doesn't mean that the artists aren't good enough.
I really enjoyed tonight. As far as the new judges go - Ricky seems so passionate and enthusiastic, and certainly has more going on upstairs than Danny O'Donohue (sorry Danny, I do love you but you know I speak the truth). Ditto Kylie, and she is so much less annoying than Jessie J, which in my book now makes The Voice nigh-on the perfect TV talent show.
The first act of tonight I loved. Kylie described him as "otherworldly" - this is exactly the kind of creative artist who would go waaaay over Louis Walsh's head. The last guy was good too, the one from The Streets. The trouble is, I find myself constantly comparing everyone to my favourite Voice audition ever:
I hugely prefer The Voice to the X Factor. Sshh, don't tell Simon Cowell.
I love the suspense of the will they/won't they spinning chairs. I love the much higher standard of talent because the acts are headhunted. I love the fact that the acts aren't afraid to take risks and be creative. I can imagine some of these amazing artists who go on The Voice being told by Louis Walsh "I just can't see ye selling records" and I cringe. I don't care that the show hasn't produced a successful artist yet - that's the fault of the BBC, their lack of music connections and management know-how. It doesn't mean that the artists aren't good enough.
I really enjoyed tonight. As far as the new judges go - Ricky seems so passionate and enthusiastic, and certainly has more going on upstairs than Danny O'Donohue (sorry Danny, I do love you but you know I speak the truth). Ditto Kylie, and she is so much less annoying than Jessie J, which in my book now makes The Voice nigh-on the perfect TV talent show.
The first act of tonight I loved. Kylie described him as "otherworldly" - this is exactly the kind of creative artist who would go waaaay over Louis Walsh's head. The last guy was good too, the one from The Streets. The trouble is, I find myself constantly comparing everyone to my favourite Voice audition ever:
Sunday, 15 December 2013
And The Winner Is....
Well, there you have it. The lady with the big voice who has been the obviously frontrunner since....ooh, pretty much the first week. Although I like Sam, I have to say I detest that winner's single, far too yelpy and wailey (Sam Wailey?) for my liking.
It's been an emotional rollercoaster of a series, and like I said at the start of this blog, not nearly as bad as many people are making out. Ok, so the final pulled in a record low of 8 million viewers, but I don't give a monkeys - 8 million is still a lot of people, and I for one have enjoyed every minute.
My last few random thoughts - where was Lorna during the group ensemble? Banned for bad-mouthing the show? According to the Daily Mail, Sam Bailey has already started having a bit of a pop at the X Factor. She better watch herself, or she'll be in the Tesco bargain bin faster than you can say 'Matt Cardle'.
Speaking of the lovely Matt, watching the contestants all mob Sam while she performs her winners single reminds me of 2010, when Harry Styles was clearly seen whispering in Matt's ear: 'You're going to get so much p**sy'. Isn't it funny how things turn out?
Join me in a couple of months when I'll be fondly blogging The Voice. Very excited about the new line up, I hear Kylie's been really good and Ricky Wilson has been quite the razor sharp wit.
Until then, farewell, readers!
It's been an emotional rollercoaster of a series, and like I said at the start of this blog, not nearly as bad as many people are making out. Ok, so the final pulled in a record low of 8 million viewers, but I don't give a monkeys - 8 million is still a lot of people, and I for one have enjoyed every minute.
My last few random thoughts - where was Lorna during the group ensemble? Banned for bad-mouthing the show? According to the Daily Mail, Sam Bailey has already started having a bit of a pop at the X Factor. She better watch herself, or she'll be in the Tesco bargain bin faster than you can say 'Matt Cardle'.
Speaking of the lovely Matt, watching the contestants all mob Sam while she performs her winners single reminds me of 2010, when Harry Styles was clearly seen whispering in Matt's ear: 'You're going to get so much p**sy'. Isn't it funny how things turn out?
Join me in a couple of months when I'll be fondly blogging The Voice. Very excited about the new line up, I hear Kylie's been really good and Ricky Wilson has been quite the razor sharp wit.
Until then, farewell, readers!
Saturday, 14 December 2013
The Moment It's All Been Leading Up To: The X Factor Final
Is this the most predictable X Factor final in history? Does Sam Bailey really have it in the bag or will her fans get complacent? And can Luke do enough to tackle Scotland and net 2nd place over Little Nicky? My blog is being written live tonight so in the words of Ellie and Luke, anything could, quite literally, 'appen'.
For me tonight it was all about the barmy contestants supergroup medley. I'm quite surprised I can still type this having been blinded by Rylan's new teeth, but nevertheless, I think we can all agree that a barmy contestant is what's been sadly missing from this series of X Factor. And this performance more than made up for that! From Wagner playing the bongos in a pirate hat, to Johnny Robinson in his snazzy silver NASA jacket, and Kitty Brucknell riding in on a wrecking ball a la Miley Cyrus, this was British bonkers at its best. Why don't they do this every year?
' I want Sam Daley to win' squeals an awkward looking girl in the audience. She's clearly there on some free corporate tickets and doesn't give a shit about the X Factor.
Here's my run down of the performances:
Nicholas McDonald
'Candy' ranged from dire to bizarre and back to dire again. He looks so awkward doing upbeat, but when you add in the fact that it's a bit of a rubbish song, plus a distracting, manic troupe of Willy Wonka style dancers, it seems pretty obvious that the producers are trying to get rid of Little Nicky.
'Flying Without Wings' - Nicky's had a lot of flack in the press this week for being saddled with the poorest, most has-been celeb to duet with. However, it is the perfect song for his voting demographic, who love a nice cheesy ballad. It was very awkward the way Nicky and Shane appeared to be singing this lovingly to each other, but the grannies probably won't pick up on that, and will vote in droves for the nice wee Scottish lad and his nice wee ballad.
Luke Friend
'We Are Young' -
Oh Luke, why are you so much worse when you don't have your guitar? Oh Luke, why does your mentor give you songs that start in a really low register which you clearly can't manage? Sharon would have done a great job with Luke, whilst Louis makes it patently obvious that the only things that matter are as follows: 1) people like you 2) people will buy your records 3)you're young. I don't think Louis actually cares about music at all. I'm quite cross at him for his poor handling of Luke.
'Anything Could 'Appen' -
Nice to see them go for a duet partner that's a bit of a contrast/compliment instead of just thinking 'who does this person sound similar to?' Luke + Ellie = a match made in heaven. Their voices complimented each other beautifully and I really didn't want this song to end. This could net him a few more votes but he has a lot of catching up to do after his first performance let-down.
Sam Bailey
'Edge of Glory - A very bizzare prison set and Sam stopping awkwardly mid-performance to slide down a pole (something that can never be graceful from a non-gymnast 36 year old woman). However, this couldn't hold back the almighty Sam from another stunning vocal performance.
'And I Am Telling You'
Note to Ms Scherzinger: Love, we all know you can hold a big note for a long time, it doesn't make it pleasant to listen to. Nicole has a horrible, squealing tone to her voice. Then when Sam cuts in it's a massive relief, perhaps a ploy to make us realise how good Sam is? This was a bit of a 'battle of the divas', as I feared it would be.
And there you have it, the votes are in and it's all very predictable and safe. I'm not too bothered because all I wanted was for Luke to make the final. I have no doubt that he will do really well for himself now. I'm just a bit sad that tomorrow's final is going to be a bit bland now. Apparently people in the audience were booing at this result! Poor Nicky! Tune in tomorrow to find out who the 'lucky' winner of X Factor 2013 will be.
For me tonight it was all about the barmy contestants supergroup medley. I'm quite surprised I can still type this having been blinded by Rylan's new teeth, but nevertheless, I think we can all agree that a barmy contestant is what's been sadly missing from this series of X Factor. And this performance more than made up for that! From Wagner playing the bongos in a pirate hat, to Johnny Robinson in his snazzy silver NASA jacket, and Kitty Brucknell riding in on a wrecking ball a la Miley Cyrus, this was British bonkers at its best. Why don't they do this every year?
' I want Sam Daley to win' squeals an awkward looking girl in the audience. She's clearly there on some free corporate tickets and doesn't give a shit about the X Factor.
Here's my run down of the performances:
Nicholas McDonald
'Candy' ranged from dire to bizarre and back to dire again. He looks so awkward doing upbeat, but when you add in the fact that it's a bit of a rubbish song, plus a distracting, manic troupe of Willy Wonka style dancers, it seems pretty obvious that the producers are trying to get rid of Little Nicky.
'Flying Without Wings' - Nicky's had a lot of flack in the press this week for being saddled with the poorest, most has-been celeb to duet with. However, it is the perfect song for his voting demographic, who love a nice cheesy ballad. It was very awkward the way Nicky and Shane appeared to be singing this lovingly to each other, but the grannies probably won't pick up on that, and will vote in droves for the nice wee Scottish lad and his nice wee ballad.
Luke Friend
'We Are Young' -
Oh Luke, why are you so much worse when you don't have your guitar? Oh Luke, why does your mentor give you songs that start in a really low register which you clearly can't manage? Sharon would have done a great job with Luke, whilst Louis makes it patently obvious that the only things that matter are as follows: 1) people like you 2) people will buy your records 3)you're young. I don't think Louis actually cares about music at all. I'm quite cross at him for his poor handling of Luke.
'Anything Could 'Appen' -
Nice to see them go for a duet partner that's a bit of a contrast/compliment instead of just thinking 'who does this person sound similar to?' Luke + Ellie = a match made in heaven. Their voices complimented each other beautifully and I really didn't want this song to end. This could net him a few more votes but he has a lot of catching up to do after his first performance let-down.
Sam Bailey
'Edge of Glory - A very bizzare prison set and Sam stopping awkwardly mid-performance to slide down a pole (something that can never be graceful from a non-gymnast 36 year old woman). However, this couldn't hold back the almighty Sam from another stunning vocal performance.
'And I Am Telling You'
Note to Ms Scherzinger: Love, we all know you can hold a big note for a long time, it doesn't make it pleasant to listen to. Nicole has a horrible, squealing tone to her voice. Then when Sam cuts in it's a massive relief, perhaps a ploy to make us realise how good Sam is? This was a bit of a 'battle of the divas', as I feared it would be.
And there you have it, the votes are in and it's all very predictable and safe. I'm not too bothered because all I wanted was for Luke to make the final. I have no doubt that he will do really well for himself now. I'm just a bit sad that tomorrow's final is going to be a bit bland now. Apparently people in the audience were booing at this result! Poor Nicky! Tune in tomorrow to find out who the 'lucky' winner of X Factor 2013 will be.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Semi-Final Results...dun dun durrrr!
This is a very condensed post tonight because I've been on a rare night out, which killed me knowing I was missing such a crucial stage of the competition, but hey, family birthday and all. So I whizzed through all the Leona/Buble glitz and went straight for the results.
Luke disappointed me in the sing-off. It was like he was trying to do a carbon copy of last week's 'Run' but had to start it in such a low register that it was quite uncomfortable to listen to. Not that Rough Copy were much better - they can be really flat sometimes.
Blogging this live as we speak....GET IN THERE! I bloody knew it would go to deadlock and I bloody knew Luke would poll more than Rough Copy. See what happens when you try to manipulate us, producers? No offence to Rough Copy, who as you may remember were my favourites before the lives. I have no doubt they will still do well. But Luke so deserved that spot in the final, look how happy he looks! Aww, bless! I do love this show!
Luke disappointed me in the sing-off. It was like he was trying to do a carbon copy of last week's 'Run' but had to start it in such a low register that it was quite uncomfortable to listen to. Not that Rough Copy were much better - they can be really flat sometimes.
Blogging this live as we speak....GET IN THERE! I bloody knew it would go to deadlock and I bloody knew Luke would poll more than Rough Copy. See what happens when you try to manipulate us, producers? No offence to Rough Copy, who as you may remember were my favourites before the lives. I have no doubt they will still do well. But Luke so deserved that spot in the final, look how happy he looks! Aww, bless! I do love this show!
Saturday, 7 December 2013
What The Shiitake Mushrooms Are The Producers Playing At?
I've been really getting into www.sofabet.com which gives a betting analysis on reality shows. For a perfect example of this and a really interesting read, see their article 'Abi Alton: A Case Study In Manipulation' Anyway, from reading this, I am older and wiser when it comes to how X Factor really works. And we have a perfect case in point tonight:
Sam Bailey and Nicholas McDonald are going nowhere. We know they have huge fan bases, they've never been bottom, one has an entire country voting for them. So really this week is all about the judges choosing between Rough Copy and Luke Friend.
For some unknown reason, the producers desperately want Rough Copy in the final - I suspect because Simon Cowell wants to replace the hole in his pocket left by JLS - he's got a lot of nappies to shell out for in the near future. So here we have a last ditch attempt to throw everything but the kitchen sink at pimping Rough Copy and playing down Luke. For a start they bring back the sing-off for the semi final, which they have only ever done once before. Yet again Luke is given the death slot, and introduced as a 'little boy', which is sure to alienate his girly fans. Rough Copy are given the pimp slot. Luke has faint praise to avoid rebound voting. Then for his second song he's given the same styling as Big Band Week, which was the only time he got bad comments (subliminal, folks!) I've seen it all before - it's shocking how blatant it is.
As for the performances themselves, I won't do it act by act this week as there are only 4 of them left. Instead, I will say that I love Sam Bailey and she deserves to win. She reminds me so much of the very underrated Jennifer Rush, who you younger readers probably don't remember. Nicky had a terrible week. Luke's first song was awesome but the second was disappointing. And Rough Copy were pleasantly surprising with their naked, stripped back vocals on 'Sorry Seems To Be...'
Obviously, we will have a Luke vs Rough Copy final, and my only hope is that Sharon 'goes rogue' as Sofabet put it - ie. she goes against what the producers have told her to do (keep Rough Copy) and sends it to deadlock. If RC really have polled bottom, that would be a great two fingers up to X Factor manipulation. Viva La Revolution!
Sam Bailey and Nicholas McDonald are going nowhere. We know they have huge fan bases, they've never been bottom, one has an entire country voting for them. So really this week is all about the judges choosing between Rough Copy and Luke Friend.
For some unknown reason, the producers desperately want Rough Copy in the final - I suspect because Simon Cowell wants to replace the hole in his pocket left by JLS - he's got a lot of nappies to shell out for in the near future. So here we have a last ditch attempt to throw everything but the kitchen sink at pimping Rough Copy and playing down Luke. For a start they bring back the sing-off for the semi final, which they have only ever done once before. Yet again Luke is given the death slot, and introduced as a 'little boy', which is sure to alienate his girly fans. Rough Copy are given the pimp slot. Luke has faint praise to avoid rebound voting. Then for his second song he's given the same styling as Big Band Week, which was the only time he got bad comments (subliminal, folks!) I've seen it all before - it's shocking how blatant it is.
As for the performances themselves, I won't do it act by act this week as there are only 4 of them left. Instead, I will say that I love Sam Bailey and she deserves to win. She reminds me so much of the very underrated Jennifer Rush, who you younger readers probably don't remember. Nicky had a terrible week. Luke's first song was awesome but the second was disappointing. And Rough Copy were pleasantly surprising with their naked, stripped back vocals on 'Sorry Seems To Be...'
Obviously, we will have a Luke vs Rough Copy final, and my only hope is that Sharon 'goes rogue' as Sofabet put it - ie. she goes against what the producers have told her to do (keep Rough Copy) and sends it to deadlock. If RC really have polled bottom, that would be a great two fingers up to X Factor manipulation. Viva La Revolution!
Sunday, 1 December 2013
The Judges Take It To Dreadlock
Wow, I actually called it right tonight! I knew Sharon would save Luke and it would go to deadlock!
This was one of the most tense results shows I can think of. My least favourite and most favourite, pitted against each other. I just really, really wanted Luke to beat Tamera, and I got my wish!
In all fairness, this was a really good sing off performance from Tamera - she's at her best when she's belting out big ballads. If you can ignore the karaoke-style arm flapping, that is. And Luke really knows how to work a crowd, you could really feel the atmosphere in the crowd tonight, and Louis was helping whip them into a frenzy. TV Gold!
Other thoughts: I expect the audience were given a stern warning about booing James Arthur, but just to be on the safe side, they encased him in a giant glass cage during his performance. I have to admit I kind of like his music, but would never buy it because of how unpleasant he is. Rebecca Ferguson seemed to have some tuning issues, but I've heard the studio version of that song and it's pretty good, so I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
But never mind all that - so incredibly happy for tonight's result. Roll on next week, woop woop!
This was one of the most tense results shows I can think of. My least favourite and most favourite, pitted against each other. I just really, really wanted Luke to beat Tamera, and I got my wish!
In all fairness, this was a really good sing off performance from Tamera - she's at her best when she's belting out big ballads. If you can ignore the karaoke-style arm flapping, that is. And Luke really knows how to work a crowd, you could really feel the atmosphere in the crowd tonight, and Louis was helping whip them into a frenzy. TV Gold!
Other thoughts: I expect the audience were given a stern warning about booing James Arthur, but just to be on the safe side, they encased him in a giant glass cage during his performance. I have to admit I kind of like his music, but would never buy it because of how unpleasant he is. Rebecca Ferguson seemed to have some tuning issues, but I've heard the studio version of that song and it's pretty good, so I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
But never mind all that - so incredibly happy for tonight's result. Roll on next week, woop woop!
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Put Another Dime In the Jukebox Baby!
A few people on Twitter and Digital Spy are calling this the best episode of the series, which is high praise indeed from the cynical dwellers of the internet. You know what? I'm inclined to agree. The jukebox idea is genius and the public got it right for almost everyone with their choices. Some real knockout performances tonight and I lost count of how many times the judges said "You have to be in that final!" They do realise there's only 4 places, don't they?
Here's my verdict:
Nicholas McDonald -
Just The Way You Are: Interesting how Little Nicky has been given the death slot 2 weeks in a row. Perhaps Simon fears another Leon Jackson-style winner and is pulling out all the stops to sabotage that ultra-powerful Scottish vote? As much as I like Little Nicky and as much as his personality cracks me up, this song was a bit "meh". Sharon said he needed to become a lion in the first of many animal analogies this week, meaning he needed to come alive and move around the stage more. I know what she means. Last week Gary kept banging on about how Nicky needs to find his own identity, and suggested he does that by watching other performers. Anyone else see how completely contradictory that is?
Greatest Day: I hate this song, it's my least favourite Take That number, and we were warned multiple times what a difficult song it is to sing, flipping between falsetto and regular vocals. For the first time we saw a weakness in Prince Nicky - his high notes are a little weak. Can the Scottish/Granny vote take him through at this stage in the competition??
Sam Bailey -
How Will I Know: Hooray for uptempo Sam! I really think this gal could sell records you know, she's a lot more than a Mothers Day one trick pony. I won't dwell on Sam for too long because she's so many leagues above everybody else that I just don't know what else I can say.
Clown: She took the judges from dancing to crying this week. The styling here was a little 'Stars In Their Eyes Adele' but it was a beautiful performance. Just in case our heart strings weren't jerked enough, we were treated to a lovely VT of Sam talking to her daughter on Skype, while the tinkly John Lewis advert music played in the background. Ooh, those manipulative producers pulling out all the stops to get the Mum vote! I really don't think she needs it though, she's so gotta win this.
Tamera Foster -
We Found Love: Stars In Their Eyes Rhianna - she even dressed exactly like her, just with an extra colourful jacket, which reminded me of something out the film The Fifth Element. She remembered all the words! All 7 of them! Hooray for Tamera! A good performance plus mild/lukewarm praise from the judges may lull Tamera fans into a false sense of security, but who knows?
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - This was actually quite good. Tamera's apparently been having hypnotherapy sessions this week to control her nerves. One thing it has done is put a smile on her face during her performances, which makes her look a lot less bitchy. I can't really criticise her this week. The only thing I do know is she definitely won't win as there's already too much hate and the British public don't forgive and forget that easily.
Luke Friend -
Skinny Love: Luke in his comfort zone is a beautiful thing to watch and both his songs this week were exactly that. How on earth can Alan Sugar say this lad can't sing? (For those who haven't noticed, Alan irrationally slags Luke off every single week on Twitter). The judges are loving him this week too. If he's bottom 2 I definitely think Sharon is saving him, and possibly Gary unless it's against Rough Copy or Tamera.
I Will Wait: The crowd pleaser of the night, and some are saying the performance of the series! (They are, honest, I saw some tweets!). This is such a feel good song, I loved it. He's such a confident, individual, edgy performer, I just love him.
Rough Copy -
She's Got That Vibe/Every Little Step: The first mash up of the series! And it's two of my favourite songs! And at last Rough Copy are doing exactly the kind of material I wanted them to do! I was literally up on my feet busting out some Bobby Brown dance moves to this. They have the energy, the moves and the personality for sure, but it's just such a shame that their individual vocals are so weak. Joey really carries this group vocally. It's nothing a bit of studio production can't fix if they get a record deal, however.
I Believe I Can Fly - Ugh. This is the one public song choice that I didn't agree with this week, it's been done to death and is so cheesy. BUT. When Rough Copy aren't dancing, they can actually SING! Who knew? This was actually really good.
So overall: I would love to see a Sam/Luke/Rough Copy final but I really can't see it happening. This is such a tough week to call because of so many factors: Tamera remembered her words, Rough Copy are getting a bounceback from bottom 2...my gut tells me Luke is bottom 2 this week because his teenage fan base will assume he's safe. He's certainly the bookies favourite to go. Possibly Tamera and Luke bottom 2? With the first deadlock of the series because Sharon and Louis will vote Luke and Nicole and Gary will vote Tamera.
Nevertheless, stunning performances all round (mostly). This was true X Factor glory days fodder. Good job Simon (assuming he was involved), looking forward to having you back next year!
Here's my verdict:
Nicholas McDonald -
Just The Way You Are: Interesting how Little Nicky has been given the death slot 2 weeks in a row. Perhaps Simon fears another Leon Jackson-style winner and is pulling out all the stops to sabotage that ultra-powerful Scottish vote? As much as I like Little Nicky and as much as his personality cracks me up, this song was a bit "meh". Sharon said he needed to become a lion in the first of many animal analogies this week, meaning he needed to come alive and move around the stage more. I know what she means. Last week Gary kept banging on about how Nicky needs to find his own identity, and suggested he does that by watching other performers. Anyone else see how completely contradictory that is?
Greatest Day: I hate this song, it's my least favourite Take That number, and we were warned multiple times what a difficult song it is to sing, flipping between falsetto and regular vocals. For the first time we saw a weakness in Prince Nicky - his high notes are a little weak. Can the Scottish/Granny vote take him through at this stage in the competition??
Sam Bailey -
How Will I Know: Hooray for uptempo Sam! I really think this gal could sell records you know, she's a lot more than a Mothers Day one trick pony. I won't dwell on Sam for too long because she's so many leagues above everybody else that I just don't know what else I can say.
Clown: She took the judges from dancing to crying this week. The styling here was a little 'Stars In Their Eyes Adele' but it was a beautiful performance. Just in case our heart strings weren't jerked enough, we were treated to a lovely VT of Sam talking to her daughter on Skype, while the tinkly John Lewis advert music played in the background. Ooh, those manipulative producers pulling out all the stops to get the Mum vote! I really don't think she needs it though, she's so gotta win this.
Tamera Foster -
We Found Love: Stars In Their Eyes Rhianna - she even dressed exactly like her, just with an extra colourful jacket, which reminded me of something out the film The Fifth Element. She remembered all the words! All 7 of them! Hooray for Tamera! A good performance plus mild/lukewarm praise from the judges may lull Tamera fans into a false sense of security, but who knows?
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - This was actually quite good. Tamera's apparently been having hypnotherapy sessions this week to control her nerves. One thing it has done is put a smile on her face during her performances, which makes her look a lot less bitchy. I can't really criticise her this week. The only thing I do know is she definitely won't win as there's already too much hate and the British public don't forgive and forget that easily.
Luke Friend -
Skinny Love: Luke in his comfort zone is a beautiful thing to watch and both his songs this week were exactly that. How on earth can Alan Sugar say this lad can't sing? (For those who haven't noticed, Alan irrationally slags Luke off every single week on Twitter). The judges are loving him this week too. If he's bottom 2 I definitely think Sharon is saving him, and possibly Gary unless it's against Rough Copy or Tamera.
I Will Wait: The crowd pleaser of the night, and some are saying the performance of the series! (They are, honest, I saw some tweets!). This is such a feel good song, I loved it. He's such a confident, individual, edgy performer, I just love him.
Rough Copy -
She's Got That Vibe/Every Little Step: The first mash up of the series! And it's two of my favourite songs! And at last Rough Copy are doing exactly the kind of material I wanted them to do! I was literally up on my feet busting out some Bobby Brown dance moves to this. They have the energy, the moves and the personality for sure, but it's just such a shame that their individual vocals are so weak. Joey really carries this group vocally. It's nothing a bit of studio production can't fix if they get a record deal, however.
I Believe I Can Fly - Ugh. This is the one public song choice that I didn't agree with this week, it's been done to death and is so cheesy. BUT. When Rough Copy aren't dancing, they can actually SING! Who knew? This was actually really good.
So overall: I would love to see a Sam/Luke/Rough Copy final but I really can't see it happening. This is such a tough week to call because of so many factors: Tamera remembered her words, Rough Copy are getting a bounceback from bottom 2...my gut tells me Luke is bottom 2 this week because his teenage fan base will assume he's safe. He's certainly the bookies favourite to go. Possibly Tamera and Luke bottom 2? With the first deadlock of the series because Sharon and Louis will vote Luke and Nicole and Gary will vote Tamera.
Nevertheless, stunning performances all round (mostly). This was true X Factor glory days fodder. Good job Simon (assuming he was involved), looking forward to having you back next year!
Sunday, 24 November 2013
Travesty!
If there's one thing guaranteed to wind me up about the X Factor judges, it's when they directly address the British public and tell us off for 'making the wrong decision'. However, in this case I'm willing to make an exception, because it's very sad that Tamera 'Excruciating Car Crash' Foster went through at the expense of two great acts. Lord knows how she'll cope in next week's Jukebox theme, where each act has to learn 3 songs without knowing which one the public will pick.
Rough Copy finally showed their urban side last night. Perhaps it was a case of too little, too late? They had a chance to show that R n B flava again in the sing off, but what did they pick? O-flippin'-Asis! Dreadful performance in the sing off compared to Hannah's gorgeous rendition of 'I'd Rather Go Blind'. I'd just like to say at this point - can you imagine Paul Akister and Hannah duetting? I would almost wee myself with excitement to get hold of some of that.
However, saving Hannah for a third time was always going to be a tall order, so it was farewell Hannah, and now it's only Little Nicky and Sam Bailey who have never experienced the bottom two.
Can't wait to hear the choices for Jukebox week - what a great idea! Will Tamera remember her words? Will Rough Copy get the bounceback vote, leaving Tamera vulnerable? The public are really turning against her now, with the crowd booing as she got through tonight (apparently Dermot came out in the ad break and told the audience off according to show insiders!). It's all getting very unpredictable, and I'm loving it!
Rough Copy finally showed their urban side last night. Perhaps it was a case of too little, too late? They had a chance to show that R n B flava again in the sing off, but what did they pick? O-flippin'-Asis! Dreadful performance in the sing off compared to Hannah's gorgeous rendition of 'I'd Rather Go Blind'. I'd just like to say at this point - can you imagine Paul Akister and Hannah duetting? I would almost wee myself with excitement to get hold of some of that.
However, saving Hannah for a third time was always going to be a tall order, so it was farewell Hannah, and now it's only Little Nicky and Sam Bailey who have never experienced the bottom two.
Can't wait to hear the choices for Jukebox week - what a great idea! Will Tamera remember her words? Will Rough Copy get the bounceback vote, leaving Tamera vulnerable? The public are really turning against her now, with the crowd booing as she got through tonight (apparently Dermot came out in the ad break and told the audience off according to show insiders!). It's all getting very unpredictable, and I'm loving it!
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Happy 10th Birthday X Factor!
So it was the big birthday celebration special this week on X Factor. I'm not quite sure why they picked this week in particular, but the cynic in me thinks it may have been an attempt to go head to head with the Doctor Who Anniversary Special. Incidentally, I incurred the wrath of a Whovian on Twitter for stating which of the two shows I preferred...who knew they were such a passionately aggressive bunch? So the question is, which of the final six acts do we want to "Exterminate!...Exterminate!" this week?
Nicholas McDonald -
It's not just X Factor celebrating a birthday tonight. Never again will Sharon be able to do her "Sexteen!" Scottish accent, because Little Nicky turned 17 today, leaving Tamera the Shoplifter as the youngest act in the competition. This was a technically great, but slightly bland performance from Little Nicky. I hate the song, it's like the epitomy of bland X Factor winner, Leon Jackson-style cheesiness. He did the best he could with it. And wasn't it nice to see Joe McElderry on telly again?
Hannah Barrett -
Notice how Hannah and Luke both keep getting early slots, it's almost as if the producers are trying to manipulate the votes! The very idea! Anyway, sorry to sound like a Negative Nelly tonight, but I hate this song too. Hallelujah should only be sung by Leonard Cohen (it's only fair, since he wrote it) and the late great Jeff Buckley. I don't think Hannah or Alexandra Burke have a clue what the lyrics actually mean, so that VT of Alex giving Hannah a pep talk about connecting to the lyrics was just cringeworthy.
I had one of my stand up rants at the TV thanks to Nicole's comments, declaring that "No one could ever do what Hannah did with that song", because I highly doubt that Nicole has ever even heard of Jeff Buckley, which makes her opinion completely invalid.
To be fair to Hannah, she did an ok job with a song that was totally never meant to be sung by a woman.
Luke Friend -
I'm trying to be subjective, honestly I am, but this was another spine-tingling, world class performance from Luke. Who would have thought he could take a One Direction slice of cheese and turn it into a U2-tinged, gorgeous rock number? To be fair, The 1975 performed this version on Radio 1's Live Lounge recently, so Luke didn't come up with this arrangement himself, but I don't care because it suited his voice brilliantly. So good to see him with the guitar again!
Rough Copy -
Finally! It's only taken to the halfway point of the lives, but at last Rough Copy perform an urban/soul number instead of the boyband tosh they've been choosing week in, week out! Don't Let Go is a great song. I thought it might expose their slightly weak vocals, and yes, one or two of them can be a bit shaky on their own, but it actually gave them a chance to showcase some pretty impressive soul harmonies, which they haven't been able to do until now. Great performance tonight.
Tamera Foster -
Can't help but snigger a little as I write this. Oh Dear. Oh Dear, Oh Dear, Tamera you are not ready for this competition. Go away and come back in a couple of years. You will probably still be a bully and a shoplifter but at least then you will have enough emotional maturity to deal with the pressure of live shows. This was a car crash performance, as Gary quite rightly said. Tamera forgot the lyrics THREE TIMES during this performance. By the third time I was hiding behind a cushion and praying for it to be over. Can her fans really save her now that this has happened for a third time?
Sam Bailey -
I'm getting a bit repetitive with comments about Sam 'Can Do No Wrong' Bailey now. There really is nothing left to say because she's vocally in a league above all the other contestants. I'm no vocal expert, but Bleeding Love sounds like it would be a really tricky song to sing, and she just batted it out the park like she does every week. Surely nothing and no one can stop her from getting a guaranteed win this series? But more importantly, will she sell records or will she produce a Tesco-Mary style album that you can pick up at the tills at BHS?
I have no idea what could happen at this point in the show. My sensible prediction for bottom two this week is Hannah v Tamera. Of course, Nicole will boringly abstain but the other three judges could go either way.
As a parting note, I found it interesting how Olly Murs came along to mentor Tamera instead of James Arthur, whose song she was singing! If you've been reading anything in the press/on Twitter about 'The Fall of James Arthur' in the last couple of weeks, you'll know it's either a) X Factor want to distance themselves from him because he's being an arse or b) They don't want people to associate Tamera with James Arthur, because he's being an arse. Either way, I think we can safely conclude: James Arthur is an arse.
Join me tomorrow for what is bound to be a fraught results show, with a few shocks and broken hearts!
Nicholas McDonald -
It's not just X Factor celebrating a birthday tonight. Never again will Sharon be able to do her "Sexteen!" Scottish accent, because Little Nicky turned 17 today, leaving Tamera the Shoplifter as the youngest act in the competition. This was a technically great, but slightly bland performance from Little Nicky. I hate the song, it's like the epitomy of bland X Factor winner, Leon Jackson-style cheesiness. He did the best he could with it. And wasn't it nice to see Joe McElderry on telly again?
Hannah Barrett -
Notice how Hannah and Luke both keep getting early slots, it's almost as if the producers are trying to manipulate the votes! The very idea! Anyway, sorry to sound like a Negative Nelly tonight, but I hate this song too. Hallelujah should only be sung by Leonard Cohen (it's only fair, since he wrote it) and the late great Jeff Buckley. I don't think Hannah or Alexandra Burke have a clue what the lyrics actually mean, so that VT of Alex giving Hannah a pep talk about connecting to the lyrics was just cringeworthy.
I had one of my stand up rants at the TV thanks to Nicole's comments, declaring that "No one could ever do what Hannah did with that song", because I highly doubt that Nicole has ever even heard of Jeff Buckley, which makes her opinion completely invalid.
To be fair to Hannah, she did an ok job with a song that was totally never meant to be sung by a woman.
Luke Friend -
I'm trying to be subjective, honestly I am, but this was another spine-tingling, world class performance from Luke. Who would have thought he could take a One Direction slice of cheese and turn it into a U2-tinged, gorgeous rock number? To be fair, The 1975 performed this version on Radio 1's Live Lounge recently, so Luke didn't come up with this arrangement himself, but I don't care because it suited his voice brilliantly. So good to see him with the guitar again!
Rough Copy -
Finally! It's only taken to the halfway point of the lives, but at last Rough Copy perform an urban/soul number instead of the boyband tosh they've been choosing week in, week out! Don't Let Go is a great song. I thought it might expose their slightly weak vocals, and yes, one or two of them can be a bit shaky on their own, but it actually gave them a chance to showcase some pretty impressive soul harmonies, which they haven't been able to do until now. Great performance tonight.
Tamera Foster -
Can't help but snigger a little as I write this. Oh Dear. Oh Dear, Oh Dear, Tamera you are not ready for this competition. Go away and come back in a couple of years. You will probably still be a bully and a shoplifter but at least then you will have enough emotional maturity to deal with the pressure of live shows. This was a car crash performance, as Gary quite rightly said. Tamera forgot the lyrics THREE TIMES during this performance. By the third time I was hiding behind a cushion and praying for it to be over. Can her fans really save her now that this has happened for a third time?
Sam Bailey -
I'm getting a bit repetitive with comments about Sam 'Can Do No Wrong' Bailey now. There really is nothing left to say because she's vocally in a league above all the other contestants. I'm no vocal expert, but Bleeding Love sounds like it would be a really tricky song to sing, and she just batted it out the park like she does every week. Surely nothing and no one can stop her from getting a guaranteed win this series? But more importantly, will she sell records or will she produce a Tesco-Mary style album that you can pick up at the tills at BHS?
I have no idea what could happen at this point in the show. My sensible prediction for bottom two this week is Hannah v Tamera. Of course, Nicole will boringly abstain but the other three judges could go either way.
As a parting note, I found it interesting how Olly Murs came along to mentor Tamera instead of James Arthur, whose song she was singing! If you've been reading anything in the press/on Twitter about 'The Fall of James Arthur' in the last couple of weeks, you'll know it's either a) X Factor want to distance themselves from him because he's being an arse or b) They don't want people to associate Tamera with James Arthur, because he's being an arse. Either way, I think we can safely conclude: James Arthur is an arse.
Join me tomorrow for what is bound to be a fraught results show, with a few shocks and broken hearts!
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Great British Songbook Week: The Results
My hands are shaking and my heart is hammering as I type this. Remember how I said my favourite always goes home during my birthday weekend? Well, the birthday curse came a little too close for comfort just now. What an incredible sing off performance by Luke Friend! I only wish you could download sing off performances - his voice is world class. Did I mention how good his 'On T'Sofa' EP is? And how you should check it out on iTunes?
Thank God the judges made sensible decisions, that's all I can say. I was worried there could be a Jedward v. Lucie Jones moment there, with the judges keeping Sam Callahan in just to create media buzz. Luke should get a bounce back vote next week, so I'm confident he'll be safe a bit longer.
Aside from the actual contestants, I'd just like to add how much I enjoyed Gary Barlow's Mumford and Sons-esque performance. It took a lot of restraint not to start leaping around my living room like a Morris Dancer wielding an imaginary banjo.
And now I must bid you farewell, because I'm A Celeb is starting, hooray! Next week's X Factor theme is 'previous X Factor contestants' memorable performances'. Quite sad we're not going to see Sam C. take on 'Loaf Shack' now.
Thank God the judges made sensible decisions, that's all I can say. I was worried there could be a Jedward v. Lucie Jones moment there, with the judges keeping Sam Callahan in just to create media buzz. Luke should get a bounce back vote next week, so I'm confident he'll be safe a bit longer.
Aside from the actual contestants, I'd just like to add how much I enjoyed Gary Barlow's Mumford and Sons-esque performance. It took a lot of restraint not to start leaping around my living room like a Morris Dancer wielding an imaginary banjo.
And now I must bid you farewell, because I'm A Celeb is starting, hooray! Next week's X Factor theme is 'previous X Factor contestants' memorable performances'. Quite sad we're not going to see Sam C. take on 'Loaf Shack' now.
Saturday, 16 November 2013
A 'Brit' of Alright
Great British Songbook week. A nice, broad theme which allows contestants to be themselves. And as the VT is beginning to reveal as the weeks go by, it seems that the finalists are mostly choosing their own songs, rather than reluctantly going along with what they're given. Interesting then that this series has been criticised for dated songs and too many ballads. Whatever happened to the creative mash-ups of series 7 (Matt Cardle's year)? Come back Wagner's 'Loaf Shack', all is forgiven.
Anyway, I enjoyed tonight because apart from Sam Callahan, we are getting down to the real talent of the series now that all the deadwood has been rooted out. Here's my verdict on tonight's performances:
Hannah 'Banana' Barrett -
I've been harsh on Hannah up until now, but this was a really solid performance from her. No growling, no oversinging, just a good Tina Turner-esque spin on 'Satisfaction', with a nice bit of audience participation thrown in. She gets a lot of stick on various forums for looking miserable all the time, but because this was a light-hearted, upbeat number, she seemed to relax and enjoy herself. I hope she gets through, I much prefer her over Tamera 'Dead Eyes' Foster.
Luke Friend -
After a shaky performance last week, Lukey really redeemed himself this week, despite what Sir Alan Sugar thinks:
https://twitter.com/Lord_Sugar/status/401817908017651712
But this is a man who picks a young female bit of totty to be his apprentice winner every year, so he's hardly the best person to judge someone on their actual merits. This was a beautiful performance from Luke, I might actually download this one.
Sam Bailey -
Not my favourite performance of Sam's so far. I agree with Nicole - this is not something I'd like to see on Sam's album, we don't really need to hear George Harrison belting out a power ballad and vice versa. 'Something' should be all about tone and restraint, so it couldn't really showcase what Sam can do. I can't criticise her technical ability though. According to voting leaks in The Sun today, Sam is leading the votes by 35%. I can well believe this.
Rough Copy -
Every week the judges heap praise on these guys and I just don't get it. They were my favourites going through to the final 12 because I was expecting some kind of urban, Blackstreet type of act, but they're just boyband-lite. This was Coldplay boyband-ified. Bonus points for their energy and funky dance moves, but I absolutely loathe their song choices every week (except for Hit The Road Jack).
Sam Callahan -
Do I really have to write about this performance? I don't want to be mean. He's trying, bless him. He needs to take guitar lessons from Luke. He really can't concentrate on playing the guitar and singing at the same time. Surely the Callafans can't save him again this week?
Tamera Foster -
She chose this song herself? Really? Even actual Tamera fans are criticising her for singing too many outdated ballads, and now we find out she is picking them herself! I was pleased when the beat dropped and the urban dancers came out, but even they couldn't save Tamera when she messed up her lyrics halfway through. The mask dropped for a moment when that happened, and we saw the kind of face she probably pulled when she made that poor girl at school lick her shoes. I predict bottom 2 this week, as even her fans don't seem to care enough any more.
Nicholas McDonald -
Everyone's favourite Adele tearjerker teamed with the 'pimp slot' that is the final performance of the evening - this was bound to be good. Little Nicky did a beautiful job of this, I love the way his wee Scottish accent slips out a bit when he's singing. My only criticism is that he didn't seem to be connecting with the lyrics very much (how could he if he's never been in love or had his heart broken?) He compensated for this with some very cliched fist clenching and a pained expression, but nevertheless it was still a first class vocal performance.
I'm predicting a bottom 2 of Tamera and Sam C. this week, but of course the judges will save Tamera. Don't take my word for it though - I was way off last week. Previous X Factor history dictates that my favourite always goes on the weekend closest to my birthday as a particularly cruel twist of fate, but I have no worries about Luke this week. Tune in tomorrow and we shall see! I might have to switch off for Miley Cyrus though, I've seen enough of that tongue to last me a lifetime.
Anyway, I enjoyed tonight because apart from Sam Callahan, we are getting down to the real talent of the series now that all the deadwood has been rooted out. Here's my verdict on tonight's performances:
Hannah 'Banana' Barrett -
I've been harsh on Hannah up until now, but this was a really solid performance from her. No growling, no oversinging, just a good Tina Turner-esque spin on 'Satisfaction', with a nice bit of audience participation thrown in. She gets a lot of stick on various forums for looking miserable all the time, but because this was a light-hearted, upbeat number, she seemed to relax and enjoy herself. I hope she gets through, I much prefer her over Tamera 'Dead Eyes' Foster.
Luke Friend -
After a shaky performance last week, Lukey really redeemed himself this week, despite what Sir Alan Sugar thinks:
https://twitter.com/Lord_Sugar/status/401817908017651712
But this is a man who picks a young female bit of totty to be his apprentice winner every year, so he's hardly the best person to judge someone on their actual merits. This was a beautiful performance from Luke, I might actually download this one.
Sam Bailey -
Not my favourite performance of Sam's so far. I agree with Nicole - this is not something I'd like to see on Sam's album, we don't really need to hear George Harrison belting out a power ballad and vice versa. 'Something' should be all about tone and restraint, so it couldn't really showcase what Sam can do. I can't criticise her technical ability though. According to voting leaks in The Sun today, Sam is leading the votes by 35%. I can well believe this.
Rough Copy -
Every week the judges heap praise on these guys and I just don't get it. They were my favourites going through to the final 12 because I was expecting some kind of urban, Blackstreet type of act, but they're just boyband-lite. This was Coldplay boyband-ified. Bonus points for their energy and funky dance moves, but I absolutely loathe their song choices every week (except for Hit The Road Jack).
Sam Callahan -
Do I really have to write about this performance? I don't want to be mean. He's trying, bless him. He needs to take guitar lessons from Luke. He really can't concentrate on playing the guitar and singing at the same time. Surely the Callafans can't save him again this week?
Tamera Foster -
She chose this song herself? Really? Even actual Tamera fans are criticising her for singing too many outdated ballads, and now we find out she is picking them herself! I was pleased when the beat dropped and the urban dancers came out, but even they couldn't save Tamera when she messed up her lyrics halfway through. The mask dropped for a moment when that happened, and we saw the kind of face she probably pulled when she made that poor girl at school lick her shoes. I predict bottom 2 this week, as even her fans don't seem to care enough any more.
Nicholas McDonald -
Everyone's favourite Adele tearjerker teamed with the 'pimp slot' that is the final performance of the evening - this was bound to be good. Little Nicky did a beautiful job of this, I love the way his wee Scottish accent slips out a bit when he's singing. My only criticism is that he didn't seem to be connecting with the lyrics very much (how could he if he's never been in love or had his heart broken?) He compensated for this with some very cliched fist clenching and a pained expression, but nevertheless it was still a first class vocal performance.
I'm predicting a bottom 2 of Tamera and Sam C. this week, but of course the judges will save Tamera. Don't take my word for it though - I was way off last week. Previous X Factor history dictates that my favourite always goes on the weekend closest to my birthday as a particularly cruel twist of fate, but I have no worries about Luke this week. Tune in tomorrow and we shall see! I might have to switch off for Miley Cyrus though, I've seen enough of that tongue to last me a lifetime.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Big Band Week: The Results
Well, the public certainly don't seem to be taking to Hannah do they? Second time in the bottom two, and second time saved by the judges. I have no idea why - I mean, I personally hated her performance last night, but I can recognise that she has a lovely tone and genuine vocal talent. James Arthur is championing her to win - maybe because he's such an unpleasant person Hannah is getting tarnished with the same brush? I have no idea.
Regardless, it was Abi for the chop this week, and we got a montage of her X Factor journey which reminded us all what a lovely, folksy, unique singer/songwriter she was at the start before themes like disco week made it impossible for her to showcase her true self. Gary told her off for not showing enough passion until it came to the sing off, but how is a folksy singer/songwriter supposed to show passion when lumbered with Kylie and disco numbers? Abi was well and truly stitched up a la Janet Devlin if you ask me.
My predictions were way off this week. I promise to do better next week, when we'll be sampling the delights of the Great British Songbook. A nice, broad theme which should allow the acts to be themselves a bit more. Join me again next week, and in the meantime follow my random X Factor observations on Twitter @marmalade_cat.
Regardless, it was Abi for the chop this week, and we got a montage of her X Factor journey which reminded us all what a lovely, folksy, unique singer/songwriter she was at the start before themes like disco week made it impossible for her to showcase her true self. Gary told her off for not showing enough passion until it came to the sing off, but how is a folksy singer/songwriter supposed to show passion when lumbered with Kylie and disco numbers? Abi was well and truly stitched up a la Janet Devlin if you ask me.
My predictions were way off this week. I promise to do better next week, when we'll be sampling the delights of the Great British Songbook. A nice, broad theme which should allow the acts to be themselves a bit more. Join me again next week, and in the meantime follow my random X Factor observations on Twitter @marmalade_cat.
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