Live! Spectacular?
I've been going over it in my mind all morning. Based on what I saw last night, who did I think was going to go home? I wish I could get my hands on the TV broadcast; watching live makes it very difficult to actually keep track of how each contestant did - especially when there are 12 of them in a single evening! So until I get a chance to sit down and compose some really coherent notes, here are a few thoughts on last night...
One word of warning: if you ever decide to go to a Live Spectacular (and I highly recommend it), dress very lightly. That place is HOT. I couldn't even guess at seating capacity - maybe around 1000? But however many people they have in there, it gets very hot, very quickly. But if you can, you should definitely get to Gold Reef City for one of the live shows, because it is definitely a great experience. We had a fun and excited crowd last night, and even during commercial breaks there were plenty of laughs and entertainment (much of it generated by the audience itself). Gold Reef City is one of my favorite destinations in South Africa - I'll probably write up a review tomorrow, and for the relatively low cost of an Idols ticket, there is plenty to do and see.
Anyway, on to the show itself. As I said, I don't have my thoughts coherently composed at the moment but I will say this: I was a little bit disappointed. I really expected to be completely blown away tonight, but save a few amazing performances, there was nothing truly spectacular overall. However, a few contestants saved the night, namely Martelize, Karin and Nhlanhla. (I'm sure my failure to include Nicky in this list will annoy the person who has left the same comment in every single comment section on this blog). Martelize honestly gave me goosebumps with her stellar performance "First Cut is the Deepest". I thought Andy Pienaar from the Top 70 had handled it well, but Martelize made the song her own in a very big way. Absolutely phenomenal. And believe me, sitting in that oven, er, Hippodrome, goosebumps were a welcome thing.
I've been saying all along that I don't think Karin will (or should) win this thing. I just may be prepared to change my stance on that. The audience absolutely loves her - as evidenced by the overwhelming applause she received at the end of her spotless rendition of "Don't Know Why". I don't know if it was shown on TV, but much of the audience actually stood and applauded, and the fact that the judges had almost nothing to say (for good reasons) is a great sign. I think this girl has a very, very strong chance, and the work she's been doing makeup, clothing and confidence-wise has made a powerful difference. OK, she may never pull of a Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera song, but who cares? She can still sing enough mainstream material to live up to the "Pop" billing, and I can guarantee you, she will do South Africa proud.
And Nhlanhla did an excellent job of the John Legend number, "Used to Love You". Excellent stuff, brilliant stage presence. He just looks like he is having so much fun up there that it's hard to find fault with him. He has the whole package.
Those were the noteables for the night. Some of the others didn't do too badly, but they didn't meet my (admittedly high) expectations for the evening. And I will now change my prediction as to who will be voted out: I think Bonolo will survive this week, and I think the two biggest risks are Jamie Lee and Nicky. I don't think either pulled off what I had come to expect (and remember, these were 2 of my picks for wildcard!) and I think that for all the spiffied-up looks, they left a lot to be desired. Hard to choose precisely who I think will go, but my hunch is Jamie-Lee. It's a shame, too, because I've enjoyed her up until now. But maybe I'll be surprised, and she'll get another chance to show us what she's made of.
Once I've seen the show on TV I'll add more comments. I'll be at tonight's Results Show, so I'll update again in the morning (hopefully with more photos!) with some more info on being at the Live Spectacular, Gold Reef City, and the Results Show.
Stay tuned!
One word of warning: if you ever decide to go to a Live Spectacular (and I highly recommend it), dress very lightly. That place is HOT. I couldn't even guess at seating capacity - maybe around 1000? But however many people they have in there, it gets very hot, very quickly. But if you can, you should definitely get to Gold Reef City for one of the live shows, because it is definitely a great experience. We had a fun and excited crowd last night, and even during commercial breaks there were plenty of laughs and entertainment (much of it generated by the audience itself). Gold Reef City is one of my favorite destinations in South Africa - I'll probably write up a review tomorrow, and for the relatively low cost of an Idols ticket, there is plenty to do and see.
Anyway, on to the show itself. As I said, I don't have my thoughts coherently composed at the moment but I will say this: I was a little bit disappointed. I really expected to be completely blown away tonight, but save a few amazing performances, there was nothing truly spectacular overall. However, a few contestants saved the night, namely Martelize, Karin and Nhlanhla. (I'm sure my failure to include Nicky in this list will annoy the person who has left the same comment in every single comment section on this blog). Martelize honestly gave me goosebumps with her stellar performance "First Cut is the Deepest". I thought Andy Pienaar from the Top 70 had handled it well, but Martelize made the song her own in a very big way. Absolutely phenomenal. And believe me, sitting in that oven, er, Hippodrome, goosebumps were a welcome thing.
I've been saying all along that I don't think Karin will (or should) win this thing. I just may be prepared to change my stance on that. The audience absolutely loves her - as evidenced by the overwhelming applause she received at the end of her spotless rendition of "Don't Know Why". I don't know if it was shown on TV, but much of the audience actually stood and applauded, and the fact that the judges had almost nothing to say (for good reasons) is a great sign. I think this girl has a very, very strong chance, and the work she's been doing makeup, clothing and confidence-wise has made a powerful difference. OK, she may never pull of a Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera song, but who cares? She can still sing enough mainstream material to live up to the "Pop" billing, and I can guarantee you, she will do South Africa proud.
And Nhlanhla did an excellent job of the John Legend number, "Used to Love You". Excellent stuff, brilliant stage presence. He just looks like he is having so much fun up there that it's hard to find fault with him. He has the whole package.
Those were the noteables for the night. Some of the others didn't do too badly, but they didn't meet my (admittedly high) expectations for the evening. And I will now change my prediction as to who will be voted out: I think Bonolo will survive this week, and I think the two biggest risks are Jamie Lee and Nicky. I don't think either pulled off what I had come to expect (and remember, these were 2 of my picks for wildcard!) and I think that for all the spiffied-up looks, they left a lot to be desired. Hard to choose precisely who I think will go, but my hunch is Jamie-Lee. It's a shame, too, because I've enjoyed her up until now. But maybe I'll be surprised, and she'll get another chance to show us what she's made of.
Once I've seen the show on TV I'll add more comments. I'll be at tonight's Results Show, so I'll update again in the morning (hopefully with more photos!) with some more info on being at the Live Spectacular, Gold Reef City, and the Results Show.
Stay tuned!
posted by Julie at
4:12 AM
