Idolmania

After an 11 hour Sunday night-shift, with 60 hours left this week, I should be off to bed. But I’ll give you a brief cab report on the Australian Idol 2 finale, held last night at the Opera House. Only because I carried the winner in the cab recently. But first...

The City was almost a ghost town early evening, particularly during the three hour broadcast. The suburbs especially so. For all the trendy bad-mouthing of Idol around town, almost everyone stayed home to watch, it seemed.

In the cab Casey, the 16 year old winner (image here), was the popular choice by far. And it would appear she was a worthy winner. Congratulations and good luck to her...

At 1am Sunday morning I carried an audio visual technician from Bondi Beach to the Opera House. His company had the contract for the outside broadcast on the Opera House forecourt. Working non-stop shifts he couldn’t wait for the end.

As usual, the inevitable disaster associated with such a massive setup occurred. They had everything in place Thursday night and decided to test the system - after removing the weather protection. Of course a rain squall swept in and wrecked vital equipment, necessitating new screens being flown in from the States. Apparently the outside big screens, interlocking panels of thousands of LED’s, cost around $1 million each.

As I was grabbing a coffee at 10.20 pm a huge cheer erupted from a Kings Cross multi-story apartment block, largely inhabited by gays and yuppies. This heralded the announcement of the winner. Residents rushed to their balconies screaming and whistling wildly. This mob had a view of the Harbour and no doubt were also reacting to the fireworks. They did the same thing last New Years Eve, on the stroke of midnight.

Early this morning, Monday, I worked the after-party making for a brilliant Sunday night. For a change. An executive from the production company insisted he didn’t know the voting numbers, citing confidentiality. I suppose it doesn’t really matter what percentage Casey won by, given voting numbers were driven by telephone calls.

Earlier, I had stopped for dinner at a Balmain kebab joint and watched the final 12 perform a strange medley of individual brackets from 12 different songs. As I munched through a chilli beef kebab, I judged this segment as pretty shithouse. Overwrought and overglazed. But the show is obviously not about musicality, per se. Admittedly, that was the only bit I’ve ever seen of Australian Idol, given I’m always working. And I’ve yet to see the final two perform.

However I was more interested seeing the three finalists, including Casey, who I’d picked up in my cab back in September. Watching the television, as they performed their atrocious medley, I couldn’t relate to my cab passengers. Bugger the show biz. My own encounter with the kids is a much better impression, and I’m sticking to it. Good luck to them all.

Comments

[Julie]

I had been trying to make head-or-tail of Guy Fawkes blowing up Parliament (without watching the first episode last week!). As it finished I channel hopped and bingo got the instant they announced the winner ... so I have seen about 20 seconds of Idol ... wuhoo! ... usually I judge shows like this on how far they make me push back into the sofa.

[michele]

Helo, I do not live in the land of "man of lettuce" so tell me...is the winner any good?

I am still waiting for this show to produce someone good.

[adrian]

Michele, 'Good' in terms of music is very subjective. Indeed, Idol is a classic example of the public at large telling a perplexed music industry what they like. Rather than the other way round !

Try this link to the Idols website for videos of various performances.

[adrian]

Apparently I was mentioned by Emelia in the finale broadcast with, 'Hey Casey, remember the cabbie who asked if we were famous..?'. This exchange is recounted in the link above.

Sheesh, mentioned on Idol - I guess I've made it. Better get an agent !