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Showing posts with label Sean Conlan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sean Conlan. Show all posts

Sunday, March 25, 2012

THE VOICE UK LAUNCH IS A CRITICAL SUCCESS!

(c) Copyright BBC

THE VOICE UK LAUNCH IS A CRITICAL SUCCESS!

(c) Copyright BBC


The Voice UK had the much anticipated launch show last night and the coaches and contestants wowed the nation as social media, facebook and twitter comments gushed about the show.  Tom Jones, Jessie J, Will.i.am and Danny O'Donoghue started kicked off the show by showing the hopefuls how it’s done with the collaborative rendition of Black Eyed Peas’ “I’ve got a feeling”. I believe the TV license money was well spent.
(c) Copyright BBC


The Celebrity judges perform on The Voice UK (Tom Jones, Will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Jessie J, Danny O'Donoghue (The Script)

In my opinion the Voice has blown out of the water all the other singing shows because the blind audition concept allows us to focus on the natural talent and singing voice of the contestants without all the frills.

(c) Copyright BBC

(c) Copyright BBC


















You can put your violins away as the sob stories and “journeys” will not be the focus of the Voice. There will be the obvious heartwarming stories but very personal to the contestant and relevant to them as a performer, like Toni Warne, a 35 year old woman with alopecia who hopes to regain her shattered confidence.






The selection process during the blind auditions is simple. The celebrity coaches have red swivel chairs and a buzzer that rotates the chair, if they like a contestant they press the buzzer and the chair turns around. If none of the coaches turn around then the contestant is immediately out. If one coach turns around, she or he then mentors the contestant. If more than one coach turns around then the contestant is in a good position and can select whichever coach they feel suits them better and they advance to the next stage.






Jessica Hammond (c) BBC

The first contestant, 17 year old Jessica Hammond had a coach in mind as she came on stage as she chose to sing an acoustic version of Jessie J’s global hit ‘Price Tag’. She had all the four coaches already fighting for her but she stayed loyal to Jessie J.



Sean Conlan (c) BBC

Sean Conland with boyband 5ive
My heart sank though when no coach turned around for former 5ive boyband member Sean Conlon. The coaches liked his voice but were unsure on how to mentor him. He was dissappointed but took the rejection like a trooper.


I was underwhelmed by 22 year old Ben Kelly who apparently is already an internet sensation who sang in my opinion a tribute act version of Elton John’s “Rocket Man”. I am surprised that all judges turned around for him. I am sure this will make me unpopular but I did not get him!


I was getting worried for Will.i.am whom I believe should have talked himself up more as a producer and songwriter than enter the name drop battle with the legend that is Tom Jones. I loved Tom Jone’s humour especially the story about Elvis going to buy him guitars. I would watch the Voice every week just for those nostalgic stories.



Will.i.am eventually gets the last contestant J Marie Cooper who chose him for being the first judge to turn around.

(c) BBC



The final tally for the coaches was I would have predicted - four for Team Tom, three for Team Jessie, and Will.i.am and Danny have one each.

It was a fantastic launch show for the Voice and I believe it outclassed Britain’s Got Talent and a better competition than Xfactor in my opinion. However I still think it is a matter of “apples” and oranges” between the Voice UK and Britain’s Got Talent, as one show is purely vocal talent and the other is old fashioned British variety.