Battle of the Balls

I'm not going to lie, I was pretty excited about the finale of Rockstar INXS, as were my friends Dave and Jen. I invited them over to watch the show at our place so we could make an event out of it. Scott was a good sport about the whole thing, though the most he has watched is a verse or chorus here and there, mostly with snide comments. Jen and Dave got all decked out (leather, hair gel, martinis). They weren't kidding around. I wore my pyjamas (yes I am a party girl).

The first surprise was that Brooke was actually wearing clothes. We weren't so sure about her Pepe le peu hair and mismatched boot jewellery, but hey, what do we know? They had all 15 singers back for the show, which was kind of strange (hey loser - look what you don't have). Jen and I were laughing about how we had forgotten that Will and Neal were ever even on the show. Ouch. Dave N. stepped it up and left his shirt at home (back to basics, I like it). Jen aptly pointed out that the final 3 rockers were wearing very heavy makeup this week (maybe it will help them rock harder?).

Early bets at my house were that INXS has known for weeks who they were going to pick, and that pick would be J.D. He had a bit of a smirk on his face the entire show, making me think he already knew the gig was his. Apparently winning the dickwad pool = lead singer status. Says a lot, don't it?

Round 1 - Singer's Picks

Mig - Bohemian Rhapsody
Seems like Mig decided to revert back to his comfort zone (perhaps he is reminding his previous employers just how good he is so they will have him back now that he needs a job). Scott pointed out that the style of the song does not lend itself to INXS at all, and that he has a real Steve Tyler quality to his sound. I think he showed Suzie how this song is supposed to be done, and both of them should thank their lucky stars that the house band is so damn excellent.

J.D. - You Can't Always Get What You Want
I thought this rendition was cheese city. Like if Michael Bolton was going to cover the Stones, this would be how he would do it. Spastic dancing and double time endings do not equal rock 'n roll, but J.D. doesn't seem to understand that. Ah well, he was still smirking, so he clearly doesn't care what we think. Just wait until we are the ones buying (or not buying) your album dude. Just wait.

Marty - Wish You Were Here
See, Marty was my favourite on this show. He wasn't a pompous dickhead, he's just a low key guy, sans ego, who can rock his ass off. He sang this really well - came off vocally strong, sincere and on the money. Stephanie and I have discussed that we think he will be better suited for another band. Perhaps Stone Temple Pilots should give him a call now that their singer is heading up Velvet Revolver. At least Marty can travel across the border.

Round 1 Loser - Mig (just not right for their band).
This was not a shock, nope, not at all. I think Mig is going to be just fine though - he really should stick more with the stage/musical stuff in my opinion. With a voice like that, he could easily star on Broadway or do whatever he wants. Doesn't hurt that he is easy on the eyes either...

Round 2 - Sing with INXS
Lasers! Woot! Arena Rock, here we come! I gotta say, I think the house band plays INXS better than INXS does. Marty sang "Don't Change", and he seemed a bit tense, like he was going through the motions. While the performance was alright, it didn't do much for me. J.D. got a much better song in "What You Need". Between the whole vibe and the body language of the band it was pretty damn clear who they were picking. Dave and I agreed that we want to kick the dude with the little moustache (Kirk Pengilly) across the stage. Not much of a sax player either. Funny, J.D. messed up the ending, but it didn't matter - the band was too busy lovin' his ass.

Winner: J.D.
We all knew he was going to win, and I know he really is the best fit, but for some reason, I'm not that satisfied with the result. I think I would have liked it better if they didn't go with the safe regurgitation of their previous singer and tried something new. But apparently these guys are risk averse and I don't blame 'em. J.D. performed their new song "Easy Easy" with them...I didn't love it. I actually think J.D.'s song "Pretty Vegas" is better. I guess we'll have the chance to hear both on their new cd. Best part - there might be a new Rockstar show next year. Jen suggested "Rockstar Blind Melon". I think that has a nice ring to it, don't you?