American Idol XIV: Showcase Pt 1

Michael Simeon seems a bit average to me and I don't get the 'appeal' to girls that we're told he has. He is confident and should be reliable and is confirmed as the first to make the Top 24.

Lauren Lott is a far better performer in my book although there is some screeching going on in the Celine Dion track we see her doing. She's the first girl through.

Adam is interesting in many ways. he has a cartoon look about him and is actually a toy designer! His earthy rock voice is almost pitch perfect (although the track we see this time isn't!) and you can tell he's enjoying himself a lot. No. 2 guy through.

Cody Fry is the first not to make it. A talented fellow but I am not sure he fits the bill for the show. He is also up against a few who can put on a good performance but it is clear, as Ryan, informs us, that no-one is safe.

Lovey James plays and performs far older than her 16 years. She is very good and, although she does get a bit raucous, she could be a contender. I think I see her dropping out fairly early but she does make the No. 2 girl spot.

We see several not making it through.

Adonna Duru is someone I seem to have missed so far. She does It's A Man's World with real passion and some super singing. Real entertainment and if we had to choose between her and Lauren then she would win that battle of two fairly similar acts. She deserves to get No.3 girl spot.

Maddie Walker does Big Girls Don't Cry very well indeed. Surprisingly she is rejected. Eh? Even the panel don't seem too sure. I thought she'd be a certainty.

In contrast Rachel Hollick puts on a great show and that may be their preference as she does a great job. We get to hear that the panel is unsure which to choose between Maddie, who they do bring back, and Rachel. They get asked to do a sing-off more or less there and then! That's pressure for them. Maddie will be thinking she has nothing to lose. Rachel will be thinking she can only finish up where she is. They do just sing in front of each other with no backing. In the circumstances they both did well but the three judges decide that Maddie has the edge. That was tough for Rachel who doesn't take it well. I guess she won't be watching the next few weeks. So Maddie Walker is girl No.4.

Clark Beckham is going from strength to strength and is very very good in his showcase performance to a big audience. He would knock Michael Simeon off the stage as soon as the Live Shows start if he gets in. And he gets the No.3 guy slot. Another deserving case.

Daniel Seavey is the young one. It looks like a different TV show when he's performing. He does sound very mature, though, this time. A lot more modern than many of his competitors and he could have a major fan club develop. So I can't argue with his selection as guy No.4 at all. He's good and is even a potential winner. First one I've said that for.

Tianna is 'doing it for her family' which I think too many say, however true that may or may not be. I am sure she's genuine. I found her singing off key and strained in places and, looking at who she has to compete with, I wouldn't have put her through as I don't see her lasting long. There must be something that the panel can see that I've missed as they are quite clear about giving her the Girl No.5 slot.

Rayvon Owen is another very good singer who could do well and is so sound. Shannon  Berthiaume has never performed in front of an audience like that before and did a super job of a Janis Joplin number. Both make it - guy No.5 and Girl No.6. Both deserve that place and could be around for a good while.

Main contender that everyone has to try and beat, though, is Jax and if she keeps performing as well as she has throughout these shows so far that will be tough. She takes some chances but I think she's great and so do the panel. Girl No.7.

Hollywood is coming up next. You'll need to see the next show to find out who the remaining 11 are and there's something about a vote but I am not sure what that is. Do the public vote to decide who makes the Live Shows? Wow. I vaguely recall typing something like that at the very start but not at all sure, having got to know the Top 24 now, how I feel about that. I have always advocated as many as possible getting to perform for the public and having slower evictions at the start. That's simply because not everyone is a ready-made live show professional and some may just need a week or two to get their personality across. That can, of course work against them too as some personalities will be shown to be not so good and, whatever their talent, they'll get voted off but at least it'll be after a decent period of consideration. They'll have had a good chance is what I'm saying.

OK, Can't wait for the next instalment.

American idol: Hollywood Round Pt 4 Solo Performances

Now we have the solo rounds, when the contestants just get to perform. This is the big chance for everyone, make or break for everyone!

Lauren Lott sounds very professional and actually good with Adele's Skyfall. A powerful song and current which helps her to appeal but she really did know what she was doing anyway. That was as a stunning version that ought to see her very safely home. Jennifer rightly calls that a superstar performance. Well done, Lauren.

Daniel Seavey is very young and even sounds very young. Ed Sheeran's  I See Fire he can sing well and he has a nice personality but I would give him another few years to learn about love and girls and the world. He is very good but it would be as some sort of cartoon teen idol if he were to go further in this competition.

Veyron gets a lot of good advice from the mentor guy. Over-singing is a common complaint and that's almost a certainty with the 70s Let's Get It On. He is pretty critical of the mentor and I would imagine he gets whacked behind the scenes. Not a clever move. We smile at him but also grimace a bit. He can sing but is he really an American idol?

Shi is nervous and bubbly but is a fabulous performer and seems to relax once she gets going. She sings an Etta James number I am not familiar with but wish I had been as it sounded superb. Too short; maybe it was edited down although that wasn't obvious. I like her but the panel didn't feel that was a particularly good job. She may survive as there is no-one quite like her.

Adam Lasher is at home on his own on the stage with an earthy Free Falling. Is it a bit bland maybe? Decent bloke but maybe that's the last we see of him. There are some competitors in that area.

Big Ron and Adam get axed at that point so some good people are still in there, including several that, frustratingly, we didn't see perform. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Quinton Alexander is one of the very visible candidates. He is just 20 but really does own the stage and put across tracks well. I don't know the song he does but it was good and the panel love him. Looks like he'll be around for a while.

Maddie Walker is the Country girl we need in the show. She also does pretty blonde in spades. Well done indeed.

Trevor gets a brief burst on our screen. He's a cool guy and seems to have found a place in all the panel members' hearts as well as many of my readers'. If he's through then he's got bags of support out there.

Alexis seems to have recovered a bit more and puts on a reasonable performance but to my mind she's out of key. Harry stops her anmd suggests she tries again which is a nice gesture. She has had to deal with a lot of nerves but still can't find the right note to start with. That's tough but she's out.

Jax follows and sings Let It Be. She manages to bring a massive amount of emotion and star quality to her performances. I don't know how or where it comes from as she is an odd little thing to watch but it works whatever it is. Easily and straight through.

Michael Simeon is the guy that has the cheeky look Jennifer finds very attractive. I don't really get it but I think we can assume he'll be through.

Nick is the 'old guy' at 28 and that is the cut-off age for the competition. He sings a great version of a David Gray number, Babylon. I'd put him through to the next round as he just seems to be totally reliable and the panel pick up on this and his likeability. A winner? No, but a good TV contestant.

Competing with him is Katharine Skinner at just 15. She looks a lot older. Not a good performance, though, of Alone. In fact it was quite painful and I am sure she's out for another year or two.

We see Michael, Nick and someone called Emily get through. Emily we will, presumably see another day.

Clark Beckham is a busker who is looking much healthier now. He plays a piano on stage this time and puts on a great version of Try A Little Tenderness. Nice.

Mark Andrews is 29 which I thought was past the age limit but maybe he was allowed to join at 28 earlier in the competition. He trundles along with a track that I didn't know and he forgot the words too but it was well covered. He says he was really tired and the panel remark that many people are just looking tired and failing because of that as much as anything else.

We get a glimpse of Alexis Gomez and Naomi too. Alexis and Mark and Clark get through with Katharine Winston who we'll see another day. I would definitely like to see more of Alexis Gomez.

Joey Cook is very individual and chooses Nothing's Going To Change My World. There are some cool Beatles tracks this year. Unless we miss a lot of her performance here, she wouldn't have had any trouble remembering those words this time! She gets all nervous but afterwards which is just as well.

Lovey James is one of the best really young ones. Just 16 but good. Rayvon is a clear favourite too. He is one of the stand out guys. Riley Bria started the whole Season off and does Keith Urban numbers that just work for him and, especially, America. Nice guy with cool tracks and a guitar.

Rayvon, Riley, Tiana, Lovey and Joey get through and we get a glimpse of several others, including Hollywood!

One more cut and then American gets to vote. The next cut is the really tough one.

There are some very good people this year. Some seem to have made it through so far on just fairly average but solid performances and may start to excel in Live Shows whereas others are quirky and make mistakes but have an adorable quality about them.

American Idol XIV: Hollywood Round Pt 3

Alexis gets an all clear and Sal's gals are on again. Surprisingly, Alexis, who wailed a lot, gets through with one of the favourites in my book, Jax. Pity about Sal who put on a good show and was a decent fellow throughout but, I suppose, was never going to win the thing. He's had been entertaining on the Live shows though.

If the video is still available here then it is well worth watching in full as there are some great moments but each individual is come and gone so soon I can't really manage a commentary.

Hopefully, I can do better when we hit the solo rounds in the next instalment. That's really when people get to show what they can do and we'll start to get a glimpse of who could be that next American Idol.

American Idol XIV: Hollywood Round Pt 2

The Katherine Winston makes a good impression while Gabby Z recovers from freezing at the end of the previous episode.Both make it through for another day.

Andrew Annello is full of confidence but this could be the end of his road. Kylie look-a-like Maddy Walker may have reached the end of the line this year too. Alexis Gomez is the barefoot Country girl. Maddy and Alexis continue but it is, indeed, the end Andrew's road.

Cody Fry is the very old-style guy and he does Lilac Wine very well indeed. Glides through, as Ryan says.

Loren Lott says she thinks she can make American Idol a lot of money. She's not very good. But she's through too. OK, maybe the panel see more than we do.

Rayvon Owen has the name to survive and I am sure he'll do well. Shi Scott is nice and original but not so sure she'll go that much further although she joins Rayvon this time.

A really young lad, Daniel Seavey, is really too young to sign about being taken into lovin' arms. Clark is older and more likely to carry on further after an excellent sounding audition.

Dakota Suarez squawks and that may be the end for her.

Qaasim gets chatted up by a pretty blonde competitor and seems to get pretty well inspired for his performance. That was nice. He must be there for a while.

Next comes Group Round. I always find this odd and a bit frustrating when some bad luck can influence good people who just land up with annoying people or just those who don't want to be with them.

I have to say that they seemed far better organised this year. Maybe the producers had a bigger hand in helping them get started and there didn't seem to be the loud annoying ones or loads of mothers either, many acts making bed in good time and even those who stayed up did a reasonably good job. I cannot really pick out any individuals - there were many who excelled but we don't see much.

There's a nice touch from Sal, the Sicilian, who invites a lost girl to join his group. Unfortunately she faints during their practice and then again when they're about to perform. In that group are some of the best contenders so hopefully they'll not be affected. we'll find out next time.

American Idol XIV Hollywood Auditions Pt 1

Jax is just 18 and is something special. She gets pulled out of the audience in a surprise move to perform in front of everyone. We'll see a lot more of Jax.

Mark Andrew follows. A bit forgettable.

Emily Brook at 15 sounds like a leading contender for the Country spot. Great.

Sal Valentinetti brings all his Scillian charm but seems a little old style to me.

Adam Ezegilian good solid voice.

These are possibly the best - the judges calling up the most memorable, for them, which is a good way of setting the bar high for the others as well as double checking that these guys were worth the extra vote.

Tyanna Jones wants to dance with us and is really trying not to dance on the stage. She's good and quite interesting. Natural rhythm.

Savion Wright does Get Lucky and that commercisal number goes down well with the audience.

Hollywood Anderson. Well named! I remember him as one of the best. Not sure about his interpretation of Adele's number and that may have been a mistake.

Shannon Berthiaume is new to all this and looks cute in shorts and pale skin but does good justice to Steve Wonder's Sir Duke even though she lost some words.

Adam Lasher is a stronger performer and just the opposite in many ways, clearly comfortable on stage and relaxed.

Garrett Miles is the Country guy that they said was putting on the accent but nevertheless did a good job. He seemed a bit wobbly.

Trevor Douglas is a geeky guy who is delightful to watch. He has a sense of humour but also a fabulous voice and timing. One of the best auditions.

Joey Cook works without the squeezebox and hides behind a ukelele instead. Not bad. Different voice.

Amber Celechi puts too much at stake on this performance. She is OK but she needs to understand that there are several hundred that she's up against. Really worked up and not wanting to go back to the 'hood but, you know, over half of the people there will be going home and she'll be lucky to stand out against them, never mind the top half, for very long in the competition.

The first crowd now all get put on the stage and, despite some having some misses here and there, all get told that they were chosen because they'd been 'memorable' and all get through. That's nice. I like seeing people get a second chance at the early stages and this is a pretty crazy week at the best of times.

The others have to perform together and sing bits and pieces of the same song, about ten at a time.

Priscilla Barker has the voice and the look for this competition. Jaq Mackenzie does Cool Kids really well. She knows what she is doing. Nice. Priscilla doesn't make it though. Jaq does.

And that's pretty much how it goes for the rest. Some do, some don't. We get to see a few more but it's impossible to review based on the snippets we see.

This episode ends as we watch Gabby Z make a pretty good start but then freeze. To be continued, I guess!

American Idol XIV Auditions: Day 7 San Francisco

Ever since Scott MacKenzie sand about the city in 1966 I have wanted to go there. This is the last place on the Audition run.

Katherine Skinner doesn't look or sound like the best of adverts for the city. She is 15 going on 45 and, for a moment when she was talking about getting the coat from Bowie I thought that maybe she was 45 and that might have been true. To be fair, she did sing well, doing Florence & The Machine's Shake It All. Jennifer Lopez has just more or less said what I said about the Bowie thing!  I was put off with the psychic cat business and the chatter and the coat but she did win me over. She does have a talent and maybe will annoy people so perhaps we won't see much more of her. Or the cat.

Erika David is more 'normal' with an Alicia Keys tune that was neither here nor there. Chandler Leighton is very 'Frisco with the stylish hat and dead straight blonde hair. Nice, cool.

Ryan Pinkston is older and a bit off-key although Harry said he was pinpoint accurate!

They all get through but none struck me as Idols, I am afraid.

Andrew Bloom next. Harry says 'Hello Andrew, what's your name?' Hilarious. Not too sure what his style was. Not something that I would buy but he was more or less in tune and seem to know what he's doing so could probably put a could performance in at future stages if necessary. So he drifts through but, again, makes no lasting impression.

Kellyeanne Rodgers seems to have too many letters in her name but sings very sweetly.

The next guy has about 40 members of his family with him. Luckily they're not all in the audition room but he had 60 in the house at the time. Reno Anoa'I has an extraordinary surname but at last we have a genuine talent that isn't just rehearsed or for show. Nice fellow doing the Rod Stewart I Don't Want To Talk About It number. If he can do more than just the 'white suit' type of act then he could do well. He gets a ticket to Hollywood. The place erupts as he seems to have most of the 60 with him.

Now we get a Puerto Rican chap who worships Jennifer. Harry gets called Henry which is quite amusing. He is Samuel Prince. He has some fun with the panel but he can't do a great deal on the singing front. So he doesn't get through. Just as well.

Then there's a bundle of people who don't make it.

Rayvon Owen has a nice gentle but good voice and sings Wide Awake that should go down well with the panel after quite a few not so good people. Good audition and a good-looking chap too who will have appeal amongst the home audience if he's lucky enough to get to the voting round. Not so sure he will but he deserves to move forward a fair bit.

Listening to the panel I am glad that we have this consistent three. They talk sense and, apart from Harry's great good humoured messing about, they don't seem to be trying too hard to impress.

Twins. Ezekiel and his brother with an old-style name too are a lovely couple and miss the chance that they might have had to retune. they weren't very good anyway.

Maddy Hudson is another quite loud teenager. She has the over-powering mother who means well but are we really bothered about her? No. Let's meet the girl. She performs very well although isn't that pretty to watch but that was a great audition regardless. Jennifer marks her down as one of her favourites so that bodes well for her. Lots of compliments. I think they were a bit over the top when they said that she should tell everyone else to go home and Keith thinks she could win. Remarkable.

American Idol XIV Auditions: Day 6

Down in New Orleans, where Harry grew up. You can just tell he feels so at home there. The first guy's family grew up with Harry's. Drew Plaisance is terrible. I think he only came on to say something about growing up near the star. Dreadful.

Angelica Jelly Joseph is the first reasonable act after a huge pile of not so good stuff. You can almost sense the sighs of relief from the three panel and, particularly, Jelly.

Tiffany stringer is from Texas. You might have guessed that she is a cheerleader. She does a Cher Lloyd number. something modern for a change as so far almost everyone is doing ancient stuff. This girl is good. Strange hearing a number from an X Factor UK #4 or #5 act. She gets through, just, as then runs hilariously, missing Ryan and the cameras!

Young lad up next. In shorts and sandals. Greyson Turner is just 15 and sings something he's written himself. Remarkable stuff. Good voice. Good song. Lots of passion for someone so young. Easily through and one to watch.

Sarah Quintana is a really cool jazz singer. Love that and so do the panel. Harry tries to say that she shouldn't go through. Jennifer agrees but they don't see her doing anything in the competition. Odd but probably right.

Quentin Alexander sings Royals by Lorde. Nice. He's a cool guy and from New Orleans and the streets there. He's a bit laid back compared to what you'd expected looking at him but he'll get a chance to impress another time as they are more than happy to put him through.

Mikey Duran is 19 and went to the same school as Harry. He sings a song he's written. Quite a few are doing that. Seems risky but at least they can't be accused of copying anyone or karaoke. Nice job. they have trouble stopping him but not in a bad way. He steams through. I don't think he'll get that much further but nice fellow for all that and worth the next stage.

Very pretty girls follow. Nalani Quintello. Tori Martin. Hope Windle. All get another chance.

Ricky Dale Hendricks is 17. He does hunting and fishing too. Fairly tedious Country track but he knows what he's doing and puts on an impressive performance. Lots of likeability for this one. Good looking young fellow would get bags of girls' votes if he were to get through.

Bianca Jade is a drag queen who is a bit in your face. Not a bad singer but not really good enough. She does get through, though.

Adam Lasher is related to Carlos of the amazing Santana. He also does a track he's written himself and is great. So risky doing it that way but those that do pull it off do so really well. he has a thumb in plaster and has a cool image. Nice fellow. Could do well.

Eyebrow manufacturers would like Erica Washington. She is also pretty good, singing Beyonce's Halo pretty well. Possibly as well as the star does it. Good singer. Lots of talent. Pity about the eyebrows.and bad hair. another who will keep going for a stage or two but maybe not go all the way.