113 replies to this topic

[Occasional Hope]

Anyone watching? Thoughts?

I liked the lack of bad auditions and laughing at people. I hope it doesn't end up being too much about the judges. And I liked co-presenter Reggie.

[da mihi virgum]

I like the idea of the judges begging pathetically for approval rather than Simonic arrogance, but Tom Jones needs to stop namedropping asap. And Jessie J needs to stop loving her own songs so much.

It would also be funnier if the judges could take one look at these goons and turn their chairs back round.

[qurtalain]

I liked it but I was surprised by how focused the entire performance is on the judges' reactions. The whole 'will they, won't they' push their button kind of upstaged the acts in my opinion. Although, it was refreshing not having to sit through crap, jokey auditions. I liked the guy who sang 'Rocket Man' and the girl with the red hair was crazy talented. The guy who sang Adele reminded me of Biscuit Boy from X Factor.

I hope Tom's anecdotes are kept to a minimum.

[NotPatrick]

I think they've set the coaches' chairs up very oddly if they want to replicate the sort of banter and inter-judge relationships they have on the US version (I've not watched it, but I've read discussions of it, and most of the time it doesn't even seem like there are actual contestants on the show, because everyone just wants to talk about the judges). Mostly because Tom really doesn't seem to want to play, forcing Him From The Script to yell across him to the other two like Scrappy Doo.

I liked the guy who sang 'Rocket Man' and the girl with the red hair was crazy talented.

Same here. I was a bit disappointed at some of the talent that got through (the backing singer, the guitar girl, and the Boyfriend I think were all pretty dreadful, if we're setting ourselves an automatic supposed low bar of "no bad singers at all" ) but two good strong singers in one show is better than any X Factor/Idol audition show I've ever forced myself through. I do worry thought that they both seem like they might have personality issues which will see them cut fairly quickly if they make the live shows.

For all the publicity, it was just as like X Factor as I was expecting in some ways. That scene where Alopecia Girl took off her head-scarf and THREW IT TO THE GROUND before she took to the stage made me crease up. So queer.

Edited by NotPatrick, Mar 25, 2012 @ 12:09 PM.

[Promethea Again]

It was okay, but it went on a bit. It felt like it was repeating itself (or maybe that was the TWO count 'em TWO Jessie J songs), but then I've never enjoyed the audition rounds of these shows. And I suppose it was good that everyone could basically carry a tune. Yet, only a couple were really memorable and worthy of the outrageous praise they were all getting. I wonder sometimes if it sounds so different hearing them live because most of the time my reaction is a shrug or mild wince, while the judges/crowd are going ecstatic.

The judges' banter was okay too. The name dropping was fun but I wouldn't want it every single week - any chance they've got it out of their systems? I don't really understand why everyone wouldn't pick either Will.I.Am (if you wanted to make dance records or have success outside Britain) or Jessie J (if you wanted songs written for you or to have a couple of UK chart hits). What, exactly, would picking Tom 'Leatherface' Jones - who's hardly up with the current music industry - or Cute Irish guy, who no one really knows, actually do for you? Not that I think the former two are that great, but out of the four, they seem the best options.

The presenters were dull. I kept forgetting Holly Willobreasts was there because she only appeared briefly twice, while Reggie Yates always seems like he's wandered in from Blue Peter or something. In general the backstage stuff was annoying and I did NOT appreciate the backstories - especially when some of them were fairly lame (bullied at school, boyfriend/girlfriend). Even with the valid ones, like the alopecia woman, it felt like the package didn't have the slickness of the Idol or X Factor ones - which would be good, except really I'd rather there wasn't a 'package' at all. I would also rather they didn't have the swelling chord change of getting through/sad ballad of not getting through on the soundtrack. I agree, NotPatrick, that despite the hype it wasn't different ENOUGH.

That opening number was a hoot though. Like something from Sport Relief. I enjoyed imagining what it would be like if Simon Cowell and co had to perform one.

[Braxton Hicks]

I don't really understand why everyone wouldn't pick either Will.I.Am (if you wanted to make dance records or have success outside Britain) or Jessie J (if you wanted songs written for you or to have a couple of UK chart hits).

This.

In fact, I can't understand it even being a close competition between Will.I.Am and the rest of the judges. Jessie J, is talented (and extremely watchable) - but she's only been in the public eye for less than 18 months, so she's hardly the voice of experience. Tom Jones' last solo top ten hit was 12 years ago, and it was that work of musical genius known as 'Sexbomb'. And The Script are...well, I'm not entirely sure, because I, like most of the viewing public, have never heard of them.

Will might be an insufferable dick, but he's leagues ahead of the others in terms of actual relevant experience and global influence. But apparently none of the singers are thinking very strategically, which doesn't bode well.

Having said that, I'm happy that we are focussing on the judges - not only because I think they're even a better panel than the US show, but also because the 'talent' so far has been pretty ropy. Apart from the red head and the alopecia woman, there were more than a few wonky notes coming out of each contestant. Worst offenders? The backing singer and the 20 year old guy who murdered that Adele song. Both of whom Tom turned around for. He may be known as 'The Voice', but he certainly won't be known as 'The Ears' if he keeps on going in that direction.

[BDArizona]

if they want to replicate the sort of banter and inter-judge relationships they have on the US version (I've not watched it, but I've read discussions of it, and most of the time it doesn't even seem like there are actual contestants on the show, because everyone just wants to talk about the judges)

I don't know about the original Dutch version, but you're right that the coaches are more important than the contestants in the U.S. version. Especially in the early rounds, there are so many potential contestants that lack of compelling coaches could really sink the show. There's no way to keep up with the sheer number of contestants, and you only see them once then they disappear for a couple of weeks, so the coaches provide the consistent "characters" that viewers can follow.

Edited by BDArizona, Mar 25, 2012 @ 9:42 PM.

[pandagirl]

I think "cute Irish guy" aka Danny from the Script is supposed to be filling the Adam Levine role. He's the lead singer of a moderately successful, but not mega-star band, who is just as well known for his looks as for his singing.

[Promethea Again]

"In fact, I can't understand it even being a close competition between Will.I.Am and the rest of the judges."

I guess it comes down to whether you need a producer to take you forward or whether you need a songwriter. Although in practice I expect it is the show itself which gives people the break, not which coach they work with, so it probably doesn't really matter.

[ally862]

Just chiming in in support of "cute Irish guy". I'm a big fan of The Script (and I'm in my 30's, I'm not a teenager who likes them cuz they're dreamy ha ha) and Danny and the guitarist, Mark (who I believe will be helping Danny on the show at some point) were actually producers in the U.S. for years before they formed The Script. They write and produce all their own music for the band and produced for a lot of people in the U.S. I've seen videos of them in the recording studio and its really interesting to hear them breakdown the songs the way they want them to sound. They really know what they're talking about. In my experience, they're one of those bands that people know and like they're songs when they hear them but don't know who they are by name which just makes me think that they focus on the music and don't do things that get their names in the tabloids. Obviously, everyone should form their own opinion about him but I was really excited when he was named a judge because I think he has a lot to offer the contestants. I think the whole panel is great and I prefer them to the U.S. version.

[da mihi virgum]

I know of The Script as a reality music fan because Kris Allen did one of their songs.

[qurtalain]

ally862, I've heard of The Script but they are quite low profile even though they've sold lots of records, so it's really interesting to read what you wrote about Danny's producing background. So far, I think he's been good value on the show. He's funny and charming and lightens up the auditions process.

I think the coaches all have solid backgrounds except for Tom Jones. I know he's got the career longevity but I'm unsure as to what he actually knows beyond belting out a song. For instance, has he produced or managed other acts? Has he written any songs? I always assumed he's had his career guided carefully by management, I never imagined he had much input or creative control. I know Will Young was mooted as a possible coach but it fell through. I would have liked to swap him for Tom.

[Ehyeh]

So far, I like the blind auditions of Max Milner (the one who sang a mashup) and J Marie (the red haired girl) the most.

I'm actually surprised that I find myself liking the auditions of the two WGWGs especially Max since I haven't been that impressed with their counterpart/s from the other competitions.

[BDArizona]

Although in practice I expect it is the show itself which gives people the break, not which coach they work with, so it probably doesn't really matter.

It probably depends on the particular coach. Some of the coaches from the U.S. version have had members of their teams from last season open for them. That could be a pretty big boost for a career, I suspect, depending on how many dates and the kinds of venues.

[Knots Landing]

I absolutely loved the guy who did Live A Virgin. I hope he lasts a long time and he's my favorite so far. I'm also finding that Tom Jones is growing on me a lot. He's adorable. So is Will.I.Am.

[NotPatrick]

Jessie J rejecting that opera girl because she thought she would be old and therefore intimidate her (so ageist) was kind of odd, because of all the coaches I've seen, she's been the most adamant about how the show is "just about the voice" and not personalities. I can get rejecting someone for sounding old/weathered, just about, but the personality stuff? (I didn't think the girl was particularly great though, or at all suited for the show, so obv. it doesn't matter. Just doesn't seem internally consistent.)

I wonder how much they paid Kerry Ellis for that nonsense. She's so busy at the moment she wouldn't have time to do the show anyway.

I wish they'd made Steadman audition.

I liked Vince and...actually probably Barbara the most out of this bunch. I'm liking people from all the teams so far, except Danny's. He just seems to be picking guitar-based dullards, although I guess they're the ones who are most likely to go with him.

[qurtalain]

I liked this episode better than last week's. I find the coaches banter is entertaining. I thought Jessie J was funny with the 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...' mocking of Will.I.Am who seems to have a nice sense of humour and more down to Earth than I imagined. The dynamics between the coaches is shaping up nicely.

However, that Kerry Ellis audition was so shady! Really bizarre. She sounded amazing and yet no one turned for her? Very strange. I thought the guy singing 'Like a Virgin' was really good. I didn't expect that at all but he gave a great interpretation of the song.

And yeah, the whole not turning for Opera girl was weird because it means the coaches are obviously thinking about age and appearance and other factors not just on the voice. It kinda blew a hole through the premise of the show.

I liked the guy who sang a song I can't remember who was also an actor. I loved how quick Danny and Will pressed their buttons. I was amazed (and not in a good way) by the 16 yo who dressed like Lady Gaga. She looked twice her age and then some.

[Promethea Again]

I tried not to hate on the cocky 16 year old because I am old enough to know her cockiness was just down to being 16 and indulged, coupled with nerves probably, but oh god, she was annoying and it was a relief she didn't get through. Likewise with opera girl, who was not only completely wrong for a pop show, she was not nearly as good as she (and they, in the end) thought she was. Don't boast about not having formal training unless you actually do sound as good as people who have had it!

Did Kerry Ellis even attempt to explain why she was auditioning? Will John Barrowman show up next week?

I enjoyed the camp Billy Idol bloke's song but he was quite annoying as well. Calm down dear.

Whoa, Steadman is looking like a Tussauds statue of himself, which has been in storage since 5 Star's heyday. I remember them very clearly - did someone not phone up on Live And Kicking and call them wankers or something? - but not ANY of their songs. They didn't exactly go into oldies rotation, maybe that's why she needs the money from a comeback. Did they have something to do with Michael Jackson, worked or toured with him maybe? If so, it's a shame that Bill I Am didn't turn round and they could have reminisced. Anyway, she certainly sang well, but again it seems a bit pointless to have someone compete who was a big name in the past. If her career's not still going, there's probably a reason for that.

Good point re getting to open for their mentors, I guess maybe that gives Cute Irish Guy (I understand he has many skills, I just like calling him that) a bit more of a point other than to be awfully cute. I still don't see why anyone would pick Tom Jones though.

The show is already becoming very samey. I'm never a fan of audition rounds anyway, in these shows, but the fact that everyone's basically at least an okay singer and that the only 'tension' is which judge will turn round/be picked is making it seem repetitive. I'm willing to hang on in there though until they get to the performance rounds, see how they go.

Edited by Promethea Again, Apr 1, 2012 @ 9:40 AM.

[Occasional Hope]

They said Five Star Woman was living in Sunningdale. That doesn't sound like someone short of money.

[NotPatrick]

Whoa, Steadman is looking like a Tussauds statue of himself, which has been in storage since 5 Star's heyday. I remember them very clearly - did someone not phone up on Live And Kicking and call them wankers or something? - but not ANY of their songs.

They were fucking cunts. It was Matt Bianco who were wankers.

[Promethea Again]

That may be my favourite ever post I've read here. I stand corrected.

[Andronicus]

I feel for Kerry Ellis. I assumed it was just a set up to show how 'tough' the show is (which is bullshit in and of itself - when you let people like that 17 year old lifeguard dude through, who had a nice voice but nothing particularly amazing IMO, you lose any claims to being 'tough') but she looked genuinely mortified when nobody turned round. Maybe she's just a better actress than I thought. Still massively shady though. Why would she even turn up? She has a great career. I suppose there's the lure of getting proper mainstream attention, but you'd think that wouldn't be enough for someone of her status to put herself in that position. Mental.

The opera girl sounded, as someobe put it on twitter, like a blackbird in a washing machine. Maybe a glimmer of genuine talent there but her insistence on putting vibrato on every single note was just painful. Quite off-key at points too.

SO glad the 16 year old didn't get through. You can tell she would be a massive pain in the neck. I thought she looked a bit like a younger Inogen Heap, but sadly she lacks the talent. Also what parent on earth let's their daughter out of the house looking some sort of crow hooker lady gaga mess?

Him from the script is lovely to look at (quasi-mullet aside) and im a sucker for an irish accent but he's incredibly obnoxious with the head bobbing and the constant standing ovations.

The weeping and wailing when they lament how they wished they'd pushed the button is so irritating. Most of the time it's just an outright lie - if they liked them that much they would have turned round.

Edited by Andronicus, Apr 2, 2012 @ 9:54 AM.

[Promethea Again]

She has a great caterer.

Yeah, but the Green Room snacks on The Voice are really good. Tom Jones brings in laverbread and Will I Am does the black eyed peas to go with it. She just couldn't resist ... nor could I ...

[Andronicus]

Well that's what I get for typing out a post on my phone. But hey, hopefully Kerry at least got a free lunch out of the whole farce.

[caltrask55]

Will.I.Am and Danny are revelations to me. I didn't know much about their personalities before this show and they are just so adorable/likeable/funny. It does surprise me that more people don't gravitate towards Will. He's got such an amazing resume. I believe out of the 3 he has on his teams so far only one of them actually picked him. It's really surprising to me.

[Promethea Again]

I agree, but to be fair, maybe they've listened to My Humps.

[Ehyeh]

The blind auditions are over. The battle rounds start next week and will be shown on Saturday AND Sunday.

The best talents were shown in the first two episodes imo. The third episode was the weakest in terms of talent.

The fourth (and last) episode was a little better. The last performer (Jaz Ellington) was given some sort of pimpage as he was able to sing a second song after his blind audition per request by Jessie J.

Jaz sang Ordinary People as his encore performance which moved Jessie J and Will (who co-wrote the song) to tears.

After 4 episodes, these are the performers who gave my favorite blind auditions:
Max Milner
Vince Kidd
David Faulkner
Bo Bruce

My initial assessment of the coaches' teams:
Will - the most diverse in terms of style and talent level
Danny - the most homogeneous
Jessie - also diverse and perhaps the quirkiest
Tom - looks like a bunch of misfits and the acts are generally older

Who I think will be frontrunner acts from each team based on the public reception of their blind auditions (from forums/media):
Will - Jaz Ellington, J Marie Cooper
Danny - Max Milner, Bo Bruce
Jessie - Vince Kidd, Jessica Hammond
Tom - no clear frontrunners here but Ruth Brown or Adam Isaac might be Tom's best bet

Of course this wouldn't matter much right now as the battle rounds were already taped almost two months ago. So we're probably in for some surprises or upsets.

Edited by Ehyeh, Apr 15, 2012 @ 4:53 AM.

[NotPatrick]

Early spoilers suggest that of the apparent front runners

Spoiler

J Marie is out in a duel with one of the fifty anonymous teenage girls all singing through their teeth. Ben Kelly, Jessica Hammond, and David Faulkner have also apparently hit the bricks. Everyone else who I'd say was foregrounded is through though

I thought the end of this week's audition was amongst the best-written reality tv I've seen, but I can't see anyone concluding that the whole thing isn't that much less manipulative than X Factor now. That whole sequence of Becky to Jas was pretty stand-out stuff, but super cheesy. The bit where Jas sang "Ordinary People" to William to make up for Evil Becky stomping on his heart was priceless.

Edited by NotPatrick, Apr 15, 2012 @ 10:35 AM.

[Promethea Again]

Yeah, it was really contrived, so much so that I couldn't even enjoy it. Guy could certainly sing though, but my eyes were rolling too heavily to be moved.

I must say I'm really glad the blind audition rounds are over. The thing with having only decent-to-good singers auditioning is that they all start to blur together. I can only remember about four of them out of the 40. With Idol/X Factor, because there are so many joke candidates, the good ones easily stand out. I heard that the US version boosted the careers of the judges more than the acts and I can see this, because all the focus here has been on the judges, partly because there's no one else to sort of cling to so far. Plus, this is shallow but I got so bored looking at the judges wearing those same clothes every week.

They should rethink the role of the presenters. If they're not going to do anything in these audition weeks, like bring out the performers on stage, why have them there? Just bring them in for the performance weeks to introduce the acts or whatever.

Not sure about the battle rounds. It could end up very shrieky and noisy, I imagine, not sure I want to hear two people singing the same song yet not duetting. Will give it a try. I want to like this show but I'm not really convinced yet.

Edited by Promethea Again, Apr 15, 2012 @ 5:32 PM.

[Ehyeh]

Early spoilers suggest that of the apparent front runners

Yeah I'm aware of those spoilers and I'm very curious as to how the UK audience will react to that.

I must say I'm really glad the blind audition rounds are over. The thing with having only decent-to-good singers auditioning is that they all start to blur together. I can only remember about four of them out of the 40. With Idol/X Factor, because there are so many joke candidates, the good ones easily stand out.

I actually think that it is refreshing that there are no joke candidates in this franchise that are obviously played for laughs like in the other shows. As long as the franchise doesn't go beyond 4 episodes of blind auditions, I think it's okay.

I heard that the US version boosted the careers of the judges more than the acts and I can see this, because all the focus here has been on the judges, partly because there's no one else to sort of cling to so far.

That has been kind of the nature of the franchise not just in UK or US but in other countries as well. It's about the coaches as much as it's about the contestants. I don't have a big problem with that as long as it doesn't get lopsided and as long as I'm still entertained. The Voice of Ireland was a chore to watch not necessarily because of the acts but because the coaches are so boring and they don't have a good rapport with each other. I was more entertained watching clips from the Netherlands and the French franchises even if I don't understand the language.

Not sure about the battle rounds. It could end up very shrieky and noisy, I imagine, not sure I want to hear two people singing the same song yet not duetting. Will give it a try.

The battle rounds has always been the most controversial segment of the show if the other franchises (especially US) are any indication. They will still be essentially duetting, they take turns singing the phrases, then sing together, take turns again and so forth. As a listener, I would prefer that the performer strike a balance between knowing when to blend with his partner and when to let it all out on a duet.

One of the controversial parts of this round is who are being matched up. Even more controversial are the coaches' choices which may not necessarily be in tune with what you'll expect or who actually did better in that round. There will always be some strong reactions to this segment of the show. I'm actually looking forward to that.

If I'm not mistaken, it seems that the battle rounds for UK will only have 2 episodes and they will run on the same weekend. Can somebody else confirm that? If that's true then it's a whole lot better than the agonizing 4 weeks that the US version had.

Edited by Ehyeh, Apr 15, 2012 @ 7:10 PM.