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The Voice Australia: Live Show Final, Part 2!

Posted in The Voice Australia, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 22, 2012 | 1 Comment »

So now Carmengate has come and gone, the show must go on. Just ask one of her friendly competitors who explains, “She’s here with us tonight,” like she’s dead. Usually when people say that, they don’t look so ecstatically happy!  For those who missed last week’s performances, here’s a recap:

http://thepopportunity.com/2012/05/15/the-voice-australia-live-show-final-part-1/

And here are the results!

Top 16: Team Seal.

The Public votes went to Emma Louise Birdsall & Karise Eden.  Well done Australia, the two best on ground were chosen. Perhaps making people actually BUY the music means that pretty boys won’t go through anymore?!

Seal’s votes went to Fatai V & Chris Sebastian. Fatai was a commendable choice but Chris?! So, when is the show going to be renamed “The Person Who Best Deals with the Press”?!

Top 16: Team Delta.

The public rightly chose Viktoria Bolonina, given her astonishing rendition of Bang Bang last week. Rachael Leahcar was another solid choice. The public absolutely nailed it.

Delta then immediately fucks everything up by choosing Glenn Cunningham. Maybe Keith wasn’t crying happy tears during last week’s performance, Delta. Maybe those were ear-rape tears? Delta then redeemed herself with Danni Da Ros. The consequences of choosing the geriatric or One Directionite would have ended in bloodshed.

Now, to the next eleven performers.

Darren Percival – Paul Young

“Fantastic song choice”? If you haven’t turned on the radio since 1982, maybe. Darren Percival has an amazing voice, but if Keith Urban keeps picking songs like this, Darren will be back to being Quentin Tarantino’s body double in no time!

Verdict: Stay (only for the voice.)

Prinnie Stevens – Turn Me On

Prinnie was relatively unchallenged in the R&B department (hello Diana Rouvas) and while the track had faulty moments, she did enough to secure either a public or judge’s vote to get through. They say Prinnie Stevens is the Aussie Beyonce, so here’s Prinnie below after seeing Diana Rouvas’ take on Beyonce’s Love On Top later in the evening (I’m guessing that phone call is voting for herself?)

Verdict: Stay (but only because 8 stay)

Adam Martin – Lonely Boy

Kudos for tackling The Black Keys, an almost untouchable band, given their reputation as live performers. I have no recollection of Adam Martin before this performance, but he has propelled himself into one of the best in the whole competition.

Verdict: Stay

Sarah De Bono -  Listen

Holy shit!!! Best performance of the entire season and precisely why the show is on. I’m already dying my hair fire-engine red. Best on ground. The video hasn’t surfaced yet on YouTube but PLEASE watch below!

Check out this great MSN video – The Voice : Sarah De Bono Sings Listen.

Verdict: Please win the whole series.

Jimmy Cupples – Sweet Child Of Mine

I don’t know what it is, but there’s something very unlikeable about Jimmy. Sure, he’s a talented singer and he did Guns N Roses justice, but the dude doesn’t make me feel anything. I think a sweet child of his would look something like this…


Verdict: Go

Ben Hazlewood – Lego House

Between his good looks and gifted vocal abilities, Ben Hazlewood is more like Ben Ladywood, which every girl in Australia is experiencing right now. There are things that I would do to Ben Hazlewood, that would involve The Voice of a Jury incarcerating me for a very long time. Below is my perfectly normal reaction to seeing him on stage. 3rd best on ground.

Verdict: Take your top off…I mean stay!

Taga Paa – Fight For You

What. Was. That? If Jason DeRulo’s re-working of Toto’s Africa wasn’t painful enough, watching Jonah’s friends from Summer Heights High completely upstage Taga was demoralising on every level.

Verdict: Go

Laura Bunting – Somebody That I Used To Know

Considering she shouldn’t even be here today, taking on the world’s biggest song of the last year is extremely gutsy/stupid. While Laura attempted a Kimbra-esque solo version, it just didn’t work. Some songs should be left to the originals and now she’s just somebody that we used to have to listen to.

Verdict: Go

Diana Rouvas – Love On Top

Diana is another performer I don’t really remember, but she absolutely NAILED Love on Top. It was fearless, effortless and thankfully, not a Beyonce knock off – it was genuinely unique. A VERY CLOSE 2nd best on ground.  Unfortunately, the video isn’t up on youtube – the link is below.

Check out this great MSN video – The Voice : Diana Rouvas Sings Love On Top.

Verdict: Stay!

Lakyn Heperi – Forever Young

Lakyn does absolutely nothing for me. NOTHING. I find him boring, without stage presence and has a vocal slur that sounds like Sean Penn’s closing speech in I Am Sam. His pretty looks cannot distract his blatant lack of talent.

Verdict: Piss off.

Brittany Cairns – Different Worlds

Oh, is the show still going?

Verdict: Go

After the public votes of last week selected the best four, if Adam, Diana, Sarah and Ben get chosen tonight, then the other eight put through by the judges are just buffers. You can tell from the progression from Top 24 – 16 that the producers didn’t trust the public to make the best decisions (hence the judge’s saves), which might just now go to waste. We’ll find out next week.

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The Voice Australia: Live Show Final, Part 1!

Posted in The Voice Australia, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 15, 2012 | 1 Comment »


The first and most immediate point to discuss is the appearance of Fuzzy as the social media commentator, or whatever the fuck name they gave her job, which is completely unnecessary. I was really hoping Australia wouldn’t follow the Americans. Not only have they but even worse, they’ve chosen Fuzzy. For years on Video Hits I witnessed awkward interviews with musicians, with generally rough and jagged hosting. I’m sure the girl is very smart and focused, but even Mickey Rourke would do a better job.

Another equally disappointing discovery was that Lakyn‘s cover of Big Jet Plane has officially charted higher than original by Angus & Julia Stone. A dark day for credibility. Well done, everyone.

Fatai V – Empire State of Mind

Dear Fatai, thanks for dropping your surname. Signed, spellchecker.

The chick clearly has talent, particularly for 16 years old. While the performance had faults, it was almost definitely enough to keep her in the competition. She already has a fan base, as her cover of Love The Way You Lie is the second highest charting Voice performance so far.

Verdict: Stay.

Matt Hetherington – White Noise

Matt – as much as I love the lad – is no doubt talented. However the man is way too theatrical. I swear I saw jazz hands appear a few times! Not sure that White Noise was the best song, given that you are trying to appeal to teenage girls who vote and buy. When you’re 41, you already have a handicap in that department.

Verdict: Go.

Karise Eden – Nothing’s Real But Love

I lost my shit when I heard that my favourite contestant was singing my favourite new singer, Rebecca Ferguson. As much as I wanted it to be amazing, I was also ready to draw blood if it wasn’t. Karise NAILED it and actually sounded like Rebecca herself. Best on ground.

Verdict: Stay.

Ben Bennett – One Thing

Wow, a tween singing a tween song. Well done Delta. There’s only One Direction I want Ben Bennett to go, and it’s home. Unfortunately I think teenage girls will keep him around because he’s like a One Direction Inception…A tween within a tween within a tween!

Verdict: Go (please!)

Michael Duschene – Got To Get You Into My Life

Michael gave another quality performance and the guy is extremely likeable. He does, as Joel said, have an old quality. While American Idol is inundated with these, we don’t really have it here, ,making him a bit more exciting than most.

Verdict: Stay.

Danni Da Ros – Alone

I really wanted Danni to be shit, as I was devastated she apparently outwitted, outlasted and outplayed™ Sarah. On top of that, Danni was tackling one of my favourite song’s ever, Heart’s Alone. A tough track, but she nailed it. The last note particularly, was incredible. Second best on ground.

Verdict: Stay

Sam Ludeman – Summer Paradise

I actually have no idea what this song is but figure Jason Mraz has to have something to do with it.Sam started off shaky as shit, but eventually pulled it somewhat ogether. I cannot believe I’m saying this, but I actually agree with Seal. I find Sam untrustworthy and smarmy. I also reckon he should have sung something more famous like Ed Shearan’s The A-Team. I also still think Sam Ludeman’s idea of paradise is a sausage fest.

Verdict: Go.

Viktoria Boronina -Bang Bang
Viktoria has won me over every single time. To me, she is actually the happy medium between what is now and something a bit different – kind of like Lana Del Rey meets Kate Bush. Third best on ground.

Verdict: Stay.

Chris Sebastian – Without You

When Chris Sebastian is on form, he sounds exactly like Usher. When Chris Sebastian is off form, as he was in those awful choruses, he sounds constipated. I don’t know WHAT Keith was banging on about, the guy may have talent but has a shocking lower register. Here’s Chris below after reading what I had to say.

Verdict: Stay.

Glenn Cunningham – Heaven Knows

Heaven Knows how this song was ever a hit. I feel like I’m in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, except instead of everyone else being aliens, everyone thinks shit performances are really good and I’m the only person left.

Verdict: Go (Now.)

Emma Louise-Birdsall – Never Loved A Man

Emma Louise-Birdsall is a gorgeous girl, with a soulful voice to boot. Mimicking Aretha was pointless, so in this respect Emma should be applauded. While the performance itself wasn’t brilliant, ti was probably enough to make an impression (and a connection.)

Verdict: Stay.

Rachael Leahcar – Hands

Poor Rachael Leahcar. Being born with such a disability would be difficult (and by that I mean having a palindrome name, the same forwards as backwards.) Rachael’s song provided stunning choruses, but it certainly wasn’t La Vie En Rose. If you ask me, she could have sung the Terms & Conditions on my Scoopon voucher and she’d be safe.

Verdict: Stay.

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The Voice Australia – Battle Rounds #2!

Posted in The Voice Australia, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

It was a night of solid performances and shocking decisions. The battles were superior on night two, but there were two or three decisions that left me scratching my head…What did you think?

On the whole, you have to take into consideration that the people performing are the Top 48. It’s not like Australian Idol, where you have to wait until the Top 12 just for a few solid performances. There’s at least 10-15 great contenders already in the competition.

Taga Paa VS Cam Tapp

Song: Eric Clapton – Change The World

Quality: 8/10

Who Won:  Taga Paa

Who Should Have: Taga Paa

Notes: Kicked off with a great performance. Taga Paa showed huge range but huge nerves. Cam Tapp displayed a seasoned voice but lacked the heart of Taga.

Viktoria Bolonina VS Peta Jeffress

Song: Prince – Purple Rain

Quality: 7/10

Who Won: Viktoria Bolonina

Who Should Have: Very close, but Viktoria Bolonina.

Notes: Say what you want about Delta, she knows what she’s talking about. Viktoria’s strength and weakness both lay in her manic singing – she was passionate but flawed. Peta had the consistency but wasn’t as convincing.

Anthony Dellamarta VS Michael Duchesne

Song: Stevie Wonder – Living For The City

Quality: 8/10

Who Won: Michael Duchesne

Who Should Have: 50/50

Notes: Easily the closest match thus far. As Keith pointed out, it was splitting hairs. Neither have showed potential to win the contest but Duchesne showed improvement.

Nick Len VS Lakyn Heperi

Song: Angus & Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane

Quality: 7/10

Who Won: Lakyn Heperi

Who Should Have: Nick Len

Notes: “Teen heart throbs”, despite Nick being 21? Nick had the bigger battle; the song was geared more towards Lakyn’s voice than Nick’s. Lakyn’s performance was HIDEOUS. I’m not saying this because Nick is my friend, but Lakyn has a moan when he sings that sounds like he may belong on the special bus. You can see Lakyn below after his triumph.

Sarah Lloyde VS Danni Da Ros

Song: Mariah Carey – Hero

Quality: 9/10

Who Won: Danni Da Ros

Who Should Have: Sarah Lloyde

Notes: Gutsy bloody choice of song. Sarah Lloyde has already improved on low notes since audition. To be fair, they were both amazing. Danni had a soft quality but Sarah nailed those big notes. Fact: Sarah Lloyde was better. Fact: Danni Da Ros has been around since the invention of music and has never made it. Fact: I’m pissed off.

Glenn Whitehall VS Jimmy Cupples

Song: Birds Of Tokyo – Plans

Quality: 8/10

Who Won: Jimmy Cupples

Who Should Have: Jimmy Cupples

Notes: There was no faulting Jimmy Cupples tonight, he was almost perfect. Glenn did connect more with the audience but it’s still called The Voice, not The Connection.

Mali-Koa Hood VS Laura Bunting

Song: 4 Non Blondes – What’s Going On

Quality: 8/10

Who Won: Laura Bunting

Who Should Have: Mali-Koa Hood

Notes: While Laura had a much better audition (and did put up a fight), Mali-Koa nailed this from go to whoa. It is an absolute farce that Laura was picked.

Chris Sebastian VS Yshrael Pascaul

Song: Katy Perry – Firework

Quality: 4/10

Who Won: Chris Sebastian

Who Should Have:  Chris Sebastian

Notes: Delta was SPOT ON, the song choice was appalling, as were their performances. The fact that it was the last battle of the night, left me feeling like I’d just walked out of Requiem For A Dream – The Musical.

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The Voice Australia – Blind Auditions #3!

Posted in The Voice Australia, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

So did everyone catch The Voice at 7:40pm? No? Can they please stop changing times and episode lengths, it’s extremely discouraging as a viewer.

You would have thought that with ten performances, there would have been at least one spectacular singer. The fact that no act received four coach votes is a testament to the lack of last night’s talent.

Matt Hetherington was first up with his version of Stevie Wright’s “Evie.” If Matt looked familiar to you, it’s because he is an already established star of the stage and regularly pictured in the Sunday papers. He’s also 41, so something tells me this is something of a last shot at fame. Devilishly handsome, dressed to the nines and one of the best of the night, Matt might have not been popular with the judges but will fare much better with the public vote.

The unfortunately named Kelsie Rimmer followed with an cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” It had a country-lite vibe and while completely original, was incredibly pitchy. The performance was second to the performance of the judges, who hovered their hands above the buzzer like they’d lost all motor skills. Enough already! I also love the way they turn around and get upset because she’s hot and they missed out. TOTES NOT SUPERFISHY!

The less said about Tom & Dakota’s “Grace Kelly”, the better. A novelty song is not the best idea for a talent show, lads.

Peta Jeffries’ quirky cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” was a jazzy and innovative take on the classic, but again pitchy. She also came off as a little bit of a fruit bat after the performance. Another winner Delta!

Once Lakyn Heperi managed to ditch the mutton, his impeccable interpretation of “Kids” was enough to seize the title of best on ground. Coming across as a male Missy Higgins with his Aussie twang, Lakyn could have a pretty sizeable future in the land of Matt Corby and Lisa Mitchell. As for Delta and Keith not turning around, it’s like they have an allergy to talent.

Danni Da Ros’ “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” was raspy and gutsy, garnering her instant reactions, but the song is so over sung on reality TV. She also did sound remarkably Jennifer Hudson-esque…and looked like Kasey Chambers!

Juddy Mac’s “Crazy” was essentially a bogan, Aussie rock, pub karaoke version of the soul classic. It was OK but OK isn’t really good enough for something that Cee-Lo Green has created. Sorry Juddy.

Surprisingly, Paula Parore’s  “Don’t You Remember” was the first Adele song to appear this season (thank god.) Paula’s version was haunting and kind of worked best in the odd moments. She had talent, so naturally Keith didn’t turn around.

As much as I wanted to hate it, Adam Hoek’s “Use Somebody” was an incredible arrangement and while it definitely wasn’t perfect, it at least displayed artistry – take note Tom & Dakota. Another highlight.

Michael Duchesne closed the show with “What A Fool Believes.” The performance came across as a little bit frantic and the falsetto was appalling. It all felt a bit cruise ship karaoke. It’s always interesting to watch a judge try to convince the others they’ve made a good choice – the despairing singing along and dancing was like watching a seven car pile up…in slow mo.

At least Delta finally has caught up with her team, it’s just a shame Rachael will probably be her only shot at winning.

Finally, a few days break until the next one! Sunday night, 6:30pm.

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