We started with the top 12. And tonight, we will be reduced to the final 6.  But before anything, I am back with the liveblog I received a lot of mails and tweets asking me why I wasn’t liveblogging yesterday’s show. To answer that question – I was off on a holiday [ sometime I am allowed to]. And I just got back home. But I am here liveblogging the results show tonight. It’s a big night tonight, and not just because of X Factor. There’s the Doctor Who episode – Water of Mars which I have been waiting for so long. But coming back to the show, we saw performances from the acts to the songs of Queen. While some absolutely shined through, some crumbled in front of the sheer size of the compositions. And its decision time tonight.

My predictions for the night.

Bottom 2: Lloyd Daniels and Jamie Archer

Elimination: Lloyd Daniels

The liveblog hits off at 8 pm London time. Join us then. [ Watching Doctor Who rt now ]

After the jump – Liveblog continues.

Right, the liveblog is now Live from London. The judges and the host are in the studio. Another One Bites the Dust playing in the background. Love love love the song. Queen’s highest selling single it was.  Lines are still open. An ensemble performance of Bohemian Rhapsody. The intro chorus is so mimed. That is just studio perfect. I am wondering if Jedward are allowed to sing in the ensemble May be the Scaramouche portions Oh yea, and Gallileo. Hehehe. Lloyd says that he is just poor boy, nobody loves him . Very true Lloyd. This performance is totally on the choir. Not a single bit goes to the performers.  OMFG. Brian May and Roger Taylor. BOWS…BOWS..

Danyl and Jamie go out and rock out…So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye. Wooohoooo. High High High on Queen right now  Love to see Brian May and Roger Taylor. I hope they perform some more tonight. Hail Queen!!! Best Band ever.. [ well Aerosmith and Metallica too].

Wow…that was all worth it just because of Queen. Ooh..Brian loves Stacey. Roger Taylor goes the safe route and says he loves them all.

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A quick recap of last night.

Jamie – Radio Gaga – Was just average IMO. And someone please shut up Louis.

Lloyd  - Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Shut up and go home.

Olly – Don’t Stop Me Now – Out of Breathe…but still safe. Still amazed why the judges can’t hear it.

Joe – Somebody to Love – Best of the Night. Love love love it.

Jedward – Under Pressure/ Ice Ice – Guilty pleasure. Surprisingly entertaining. In an amusement park show kinda way.

Stacey – Who Wants To Live Forever – HUGE VOCALS. Singing wise, she was brilliant.

Danyl – Off at most places. High notes – always a winner from Danyl. Louis calls him Final 3 stuff. Hmm!!

And now off to the first performance of the night – Shakira.

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I like some of her numbers. But her latest single  - ‘Did It Again’ from ‘She Wolf’ album is not my cup of  tea. I loved her ‘ Hips Don’t Lie’, ‘Underneath Your Clothes’, and ‘Objection Tango’. But this one is just way too much overdone breathing and no melody. But who listens to what Sujoy says. People are buying her single as we speak on iTunes. And then she jiggles her belly some more and the selling figures go higher. I am not complaining – just saying. Anywho. Shakira advises the finalists not to be afraid of Simon in the competition.

Anywho, time for a break. And after the break, the voting lines close.

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Back from the break. And welcome to the results. The Voting lines are NOW closed. Time now for the Charity song of X Factor performed by X Factor finalists. This year, the charity is going to be donated to Great Ormond Street Cancer Research Foundation.The single is – You’re Not Alone [ By Michael Jackson ]. Oh it is all 12 finalists. Not just the ones remaining. So we have Lucie, Rachel and Rikki and oh..Miss Frank too.. all dressed in white.  BUY BUY BUY…DONATE DONATE people.  And oh I forgot about Kandy Rain.  Loving the lightworks more than the song. Am I being cynical? Maybe a bit. But I would buy the single just for the sake of the cause. Applause..Applause!

Where do you get to download it? www.itv.com/xfactor

Time for another break. After the break – 7 acts – 5 acts will be safe, 2 acts will be in the Bottom 2. C u in a bit!

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Okie dokie. Time to face the results. The contestants and judges are on the stage now. Time to reveal the Top 5.

The acts who are safe this week and will be singing next week is:

1. Joe McElderry

2. Danyl Johnson

3. Stacey Solomon [ Wooohooooo!!!]

4. Olly Murs [ I knew it].

5.  John and Edward

So my prediction of Bottom 2 – Lloyd vs Jamie was absolutely accurate. After the break, the song for survival. C u in a bit

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Back from the break. Given that Jamie is in the bottom 2, so at least we hope that Simon is not going to put it to bloody Deadlock. Anywho – Jamie Archer. He is singing a Queen song – Show Must Go On. Go Go Go Jamie!!!!  Needs more power, needs more punch. Hold back your vibrato Jamie. Why does this arrangement sounding a bit too rushed? Am I complaining too much? But in the real world, he is far better than Lloyd. He CAN Sing. And yes Jamie – The Show Must Go On – No Matter what!! That was a good performance and clearly he gave his all.

Next up – Lloyd Daniels – singing Paolo Nutini – Last Request.

As expected, his vocals are all over the place. He basically hits the notes on the surface, and does not complete a whole note. It is just a bland song, and all the notes are wrong wrong wrong. I don’t think that would have passed through the audition stage if Cheryl was to hear that in the auditions. Clearly, Lloyd should go home. But let’s see what Louis says.

Over to the judges now!

Simon : Artist who I am sending home is – Lloyd

Cheryl: I am sending home – Jamie

Louis: I am sending home is – Jamie [ WTF!!!! Louis is clearly mental]

Danny:  For me it’s about who sang the best – The act I am sending home is – Lloyd.

So, because of a twat called Louis, we are back to DEADLOCK. UGh!!!

So the act with the lowest audience vote is Jamie. So Jamie leaves us tonight. Hmmm. Lloyd is safe yet again.

Off to Jamie’s montage. Jamie singing – Sex On Fire in the audition was stellar. He made Simon lipsync with him. In a way we are happy for what he has achieved so far. And I believe that his future from now on is only going to be brighter. Not a big shocker. Yes Jamie – It is not the end. It is the beginning.

So that is it for the show tonight. Next week – Mariah Carey and Susan Boyle perform. C ya then!!

Shout out in the comments section what you thought of the show. Cheerio!!

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UPDATE: This is why Jamie’s departure actually has worked for him.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/xfactor/news/a185672/jamie-archer-threatens-to-quit-x-factor.html

Apologies for not liveblogging the event but just updating at once of the show tonight. And big thanks for still joining the discussion. I am on a holiday in the South of England, and it was a big deal for me to get a Wi-Fi connection. This made it impossible for me to liveblog it, so we are instead just posting the show update of sorts. [ In a way, I am liveblogging it whilst watching the show, but posting it at once] Now that I have established how I am blogging it, let’s get on with the show.

Last week’s Movie week turned out to be a very controversial week with Simon’s consecutive second chickening out decision which resulted in sending Lucie . But moving on, tonight is the night – the contestants are taking on songs of one of the best bands in Rock History – Queen. I love and worship Queen. I worship Freddie Mercury and Brian May and Roger Taylor’s backing vocals. I even love Queen performing with Paul Rodgers. And let’s hope Simon does not chicken out this week and steps up as a man. The show is just about to start. The liveblog is live after the jump. Cheerio!

Okay, the show has begun. I think, this season, after having watched the last two shows, I am getting more annoyed by Simon than Jedward. But moving on, tonight is going to be a big fight about song choice. Coz seriously, song choice tonight will make or break an act. Louis promises Jedward has every chance to win this week. Seriously, they do have the chance to win the show now. The public might mock vote them just to make a mockery of the whole show. Jedward wins the show– and then they sell only 20 copies in total. Anywho, Dermot has entered the stage with One Vision playing in the background. I love love this track. And here are the Killer Queens – Simon, Cheryl, Danny and Louis.

A quick AV tribute to the best British band of all time – Queen. God knows I want to break free, and All we need is Radio Gaga. Not to forget – We Are the Champions. Let’s begin the show. Simon Cowell to begin the show – he’s being received with lotsa boos. And hello Simon, Susan Boyle wasn’t on X Factor. Simon is promising that he trusts the public and has never played tactics. Hmmm. He’s trying to heal the wounds. Back to the show, first up – Jamie Archer. It’s lovely to see them getting mentored by the Rock Gods – Roger Taylor and Brian May. Over to the performance:

Jamie Archer: He’s singing- Radio Gaga.
He needs to hold back his vibrato. He is overdoing it. But clearly Simon likes it. But it is such a powerful song not to dislike it. The song is working wonders. But the song is better than him. I love the song, not sure about the act. The song is just way too powerful and anthemic that I want so much more. And I am left asking for more. Does not mean I am not enjoying it. It is a very intelligent song choice. Sounded a bit weird, not a karaoke version, but not too original either.

Judges verdict:
Danny:- In some ways it was a brilliant song choice. But did not show off your vocal abilities.
Louis:- Crowd pleasing choice. But you are out of your debt tonight. Pfft. Louis, have a look in the mirror.
Cheryl:- I don’t like your hair. But you definitely started off the show well.
Simon:- You got an incredible reaction from the crowd.

Jamie carries himself well. And he definitely has pleased the crowd by singing a crowd pleasing song and then also reassuring that only and only the public counts. So basically, up yours Louis.
Jamie’s code: 01. Vote Vote Vote!!

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Back to the show:

Lloyd Daniels. He needs to go home. Him performing a Queen song is going to be atrocious. It is just wrong that he gets to meet Queen, and I don’t
So he is singing – Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Let’s see how it goes.

All dramatic opening. What has he done with the lyrics? I like the song. I have sung it But Lloyd singing this song doesn’t appear to me as confident. But it is a better performance than last week’s. But then he ended it with a terrible terrible verbal exercise.

Judges verdict:
Danny – Best performance from you.
Louis – You have to perform better next week.
Simon – You are like a puppy taking part in Grand National. But you are having a good time.
Cheryl – This is what I am talking about. [ Whaaaa? Are we watching the same performance. ]

His code 02. Not appealing enough to me. And after the break – Olly Murs performing.

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Now back from the break. Performing next is – Olly Murs. He’s been one of the most consistent performers. But let’s see what he does with a Queen song. This week he is singing – Don’t Stop Me Now. This is a full on vocally challenging Freddie song. Let’s see how he does it.

It’s an awful start. The lower notes are rushed, the falsetto is just awful. He sounds like he is totally out of breath. Way too big song for him. Sounds like Olly needs singing lessons. The choreography is good, but I hate hate hate to see him dancing. He has a good voice, but I just don’t like his performance tonight. Simon loves it. Singing wise – that was shit.

Judges verdict:
Danny – I think you are the best performer in the show by far. The song musically swallowed up your vocals.
Louis – That was an electrifying performance. You remind me of Robbie, Gary Barlow.
Cheryl – You are one of the performers that I look forward to every week.
Simon – For once I agree with Louis, you remind me of Robbie. Coz you have the ability to entertain.

Olly is a good performer, I give him that. But tonight, singing – Don’t Stop Me Now, that was just not right. And that reaction from the crowd is just not justified. Well, the public is voting, not me.
His code: 03. Vote for Olly!!

Next up: Joe McElderry. I wish he sings – Somebody to Love, Coz he has the voice to carry off that song. Let’s see.

And yes he is singing – Somebody to Love. I love love love the choir arrangement. I love love this voice. Now we are talking. Brilliant song choice. But a weak note in the first Chorus. C’mon Joe. He is oozing personality tonight. And yes, this song has given him ample opportunity to showcase what he’s got. And he is taking each and every chance. Lovely falsetto in the end. Spot ON. Well done!!! That was FLAWLESS. You can’t say that was OK. That was so not OK. That was Bloody Brilliant. One to beat.

Judges verdict:
Danny – You bring it on every week.
Louis – Really big song for a little guy from the North of England. I think the choir helped you little bit.
Simon – You are nitpicking Louis. I think you sang better last week. I think the song slightly overwhelmed you.
Cheryl – It’s irrelevant what they say. Coz the people at home have ears. [ Love Cheryl shutting up Louis and Simon ].

I think this is the best act of the night. Just loved this performance. His code: 04.
Time for another break. But the twins perform next.
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Back from the break we are. This is the time where we get to see the twins. Jedward take on a Queen song. Are they going to sing – We Will Rock You again? And is Mr.Rule book – Louis going to allow it? And just forget the pussy that is Simon Cowell for a while and concentrate on the act. OMG, they are singing – Under Pressure.
They are doing a Rap version of this song fusing Ice Ice Baby. I wonder what Mr. Rule book Louis Walsh would have to say about it. Confession time – I am not disliking it. The choreography is good, and I am actually liking it. I am not so mad anymore for keeping them in the show. That was for sure very entertaining and their best performance.

Judges verdict:
Danny – For the rule book, where does Vanilla Ice fit in with Queen. I’m sorry some of the rapping was even out of time.
Cheryl – I am so happy to hear them cheering Jedward for you. Good for you.
Simon – I can’t judge you in the real world anymore. I’d say that was your best performance.
Louis – This was your best performance.

Their code: 05. This was actually an entertaining performance. And I guess, they are here to stay for at least this week. Lemme say this, that there are performers who are much less talented than Jedward who have gone to sell millions of records [ Am I actually backing them now? Hehehehe.] But again, this is a singing competition. Anywho, will I buy a Jedward record? Never.

Time for a break. And Stacey sings next.
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Back from the break. The only girl act left in the competition. Stacey Solomon. Brian May and Roger Taylor applauded what Stacey performing their own song. I hope she does well.
She is singing – Who Wants To Live Forever. Grand Diva Entry, and she is dressed to be a Diva. That is an iconic song, and the vocals that needs to go with this song is just way too much to ask for. And Stacey – you go girl. That was pitch perfect. I want this single to be released. I literally mean it. This will surely be the Christmas best seller if it is officially released. That was brilliant.

Judges verdict:
Louis – That was incredible. You looked like a Diva
Cheryl – That was absolutely stunning. You totally sang your socks off.
Simon – That was by mile the best performance of the night. Brilliant.
Danny – That was brilliant.

Simon reminds us of the brilliant song writing of Queen. Wooohooo. *Bows to Queen*
Vote for her people. Her code: 06. Last performance of the night. Danyl performing next.

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Time now for the last performance of the night. Closing the night, it’s Danyl Johnson. Brian May recommends Danyl to be himself. Danyl needs to be comfortable being what he is – a performer, and care a damn about the three judges. He is singing – We Are The Champions . It is a cocky song actually. I don’t like the breathing technique that he is doing on the song. But Danyl has got the vocals to pull off the song. Not liking the lower notes. Higher notes are much better. No time for losers – Louis, are you listening? A mixed reaction. Not sure if I love it in total. In parts, yes I did. Simon is proud.

Judges verdict:
Danny – I absolutely think that it was your best performance in the live show.
Louis – Tonight, you have proved that you got it all.
Cheryl – You totally overwhelmed me by the end.
Simon – That was not a karaoke performance. Outstanding.

His code – 07. I mean that was a good performance. But in the real world, that is a tough song to sing. But Danyl fell short in the lower notes.

Voting lines are now OPEN. Time to vote vote.

Quick recap of the acts.

Jamie – Was one of his average performances. I reckon it spells trouble.
Lloyd – Better than last week. But still Bottom 2 stuff
Olly – My least favourite of the night. But he’s still safe.
Joe – My favourite of the night.
Jedward – Addictively entertaining [ I confess ].
Stacey – Diva stuff.
Danyl – Average. That’s it.

Bottom 2 predictions – Lloyd and Jamie. I love Jamie, but I think that was not a good performance that justified his performance. Having said that, Jedward might also be in trouble as a backlash from last week. So who will be going home tomorrow? We’ll find it out in the results tomorrow live at 8pm London time.

And yes, I will be Liveblogging it. Join the liveblog and discussion tomorrow. Thanks for visiting this post. Cheerio!!

Tonight’s result show will see one of the 9 acts being eliminated, and only 8 will remain. The top 8 will come back for next week’s performance night. Rock Night posed a lot of challenge for all the acts, and some outperformed others. While Jamie, Olly and Rachel shined through, Danyl gave in to the pressure of being in the bottom 2 last week. As for Stacey and Joe, their performances were likeable. I still utterly hate Jedward although their performance last night was entertaining to be honest. Lucie’s performance was weak but the worst performer of the night goes to Lloyd.
And tonight on the results show, we will see X Factor’s most successful band till date – JLS perform.
Also performing is Jon Bon Jovi.

My predictions for tonight’s results still remains the same

Bottom 2: Lloyd Daniels and John&Edward. [ Although, I think that Danyl could be in the bottom 2 again]

Eliminated: Lloyd Daniels.

We’ll find out the results at 8 pm Live, London Time. Do join us for the Liveblog. Until then, discuss in the comments section. Cheerio!

We are here live with the Liveblog now. The Rock Week results night is live from London. Tonight, 9 will become 8. And JLS and Bon Jovi perform. The recap of last night’s backstage revealed Danyl Johnson in tears saying – I don’t know how much I can take. He seems like he has already given up with being in the bottom 2 just once. All his confidence has crumbled. He needs to get his act together. Because we all know how talented and awesome he is.

The judges have entered the studio. And the background score is Bon Jovi – Livin’ on a Prayer.  Thanks to Cheryl for wearing something normal. Now for the contestants group song – Walk This Way by Aerosmith. I actually like Danyl’s performance tonight more than last night’s. And Rachel seems to have rediscovered herself. And Stacey and Lucie are totally into it. It was a fun group song. Time for a recap of what happened last night.

Joe – Rock turned Pop. He is fit for West End, but not Rock. And seriously, what was Cheryl wearing.

Lucie – Too big a song for you girl.

Danyl – Where’s the Mojo dude?

Lloyd – To be honest, that was shit.

Stacey – Loved it  honey.

Jamie – You are the Best.[ And up yours Louis ]

Rachel – Probably she’s one of the best female singers in the competition along with Stacey.

Jedward – As Simon puts it, Night of the Living Dead.

Olly – That was sexy. One great performance.

Now, time for the first performance of the night. They are – Bon Jovi. I’d like to dedicate this post to one of the biggest Bon Jovi fans I knew. Riang Das. He’s no more with us. May his soul rest in peace.

Back to the show. It is the typical Bon Jovi sound. The single is – We Weren’t Born to Follow from their latest album – The Circle, releasing tomorrow. Catchy groove, pop rock feel and the usual vocals. I would like to Richie Sambora do more with his guitars. The song was wrapped up too fast too soon. But anywho, it’s a likeable track.

Time for a break, and JLS will be performing after the break. C u guys in a bit.

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Back from the break. The voting lines are now closed. Over to the judges. Simon announces that Cheryl has got the no.1 single and the no.1 album. And he jokingly invites Cheryl to join his record label. And Louis jokes around of being the guy with the rule book. Over to the 2nd performance of the night – JLS with their brand new single – Everybody in Love. Lemme tell you people who don’t know much about them. They are last year’s runners up. And they have a huge following in the UK. They have certainly grown since last year. And their performance in Manchester’s mall was extremely overcrowded with fans.

As for the single, it’s a nice mix of RnB, Pop and Hip-Hop. It is a catchy song and looks like the Christmas no.1 spot is going to be a tough fight. But, I am having the feeling that the chorus is being mimed. The choreography is top notch. The crowd seems to enjoy it fo sho! I actually liked it more than Bon Jovi. And hang on, people. Before you judge me, I am a Rock fan more than anything else.

Simon sez to JLS: You are the reason why we do this show. Great inspiration for all the contestants.

Right time for another break, and the results after it.

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Time for the results people. Moment of truth, time to face the results. The drill is the same as every week. Bottom 2 battle it out in front of the judges. The rest are safe. The list of safe contestants are:

Joe McElderry

Olly Murs

Lucie Jones

Jamie Archer

Stacey Solomon

Danyl Johnson [Phew!] All of Simon’s acts are safe.

And Jedward.

So bottom 2: Lloyd Daniels vs. Rachel. Rachel is in a bit of a stunned state. Cmon Girl. You been here. Prove them wrong again.

Time for another break. After the break, the sing off between Rachel and Lloyd. I guess, we know it by now that Lloyd is leaving tonight. C u in a bit.

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Back from the break now. Time for the sing off – Singing first for the survival – Rachel Adedeji.

She’s singing Oasis – Stop Crying Your Heart Out. In a word, she’s wonderful. I believe in her performance. As an impromptu performance, she excelled even last night’s performance. It was spot on. Just brilliant. She deserves to stay in this competition.

Next up: Lloyd Daniels singing – Joe Cocker. He is off key. He is out of tune. I don’t get the feeling of him singing. It sounds as if he’s humming lightly. And for Christ sake, that’s a Joe Cocker song. He messed up the performance, and Cheryl is not happy. He gave in to the pressure. Over to the judges for the decision. Whom will they keep in the competition.

Danny: Sending home – Lloyd

Louis: Sending home – Lloyd

Cheryl: Sending home – Rachel

Simon: Sending home – I want to let the public to decide this.

DEADLOCK. Over to public vote.

Least votes —> Rachel. WTF!!!

Rachel goes home tonight. Even after all the awesome performances she has given us, she hasn’t been able to quite make the mark. It’s her third time in the Bottom 2, and now she’s eliminated. She definitely deserves to go places. We’d love to see her in Sister Act at the West End. Bless Rachel!!

That’s it for the show tonight. Next week Black Eyed Peas and Leona Lewis perform. Join me next week for the liveblog and discussion. Until then, shout it out in the comments section. Peace out!

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Minor update: Someone called Claire from Leicestershire called up #XFactor and spoke straight to Cheryl saying her dress last night was awful

Someone else complained to Simon about his song choice for Danyl.

And Danny just reminded us, that next week will be halfway through.

[ Why am I watching Xtra Factor..still ? ]

]]> http://www.oneknightstands.net/liveblogging-the-x-factor-2009-live-results-4/feed/ 26 http://www.oneknightstands.net/liveblogging-the-x-factor-2009-live-show-4-top-9-rock-week/ http://www.oneknightstands.net/liveblogging-the-x-factor-2009-live-show-4-top-9-rock-week/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:22:47 +0000 Sujoy http://www.oneknightstands.net/?p=976

Hello people. I can’t contain the excitement this week. It’s my favourite genre tonight. It’s ROCK WEEK! \m/ The Top 9 acts are performing Rock Numbers tonight on the X Factor and I am really excited to know what Jamie and Danyl will be singing tonight. After a shocking elimination of Miss Frank last week, I am desperate now to get the twins – Jedward to be kicked out of the competition. But Rock Week is going to be a bit tough on Danny’s girls as Diva week was for the boys. All of Simon’s and Danny’s acts are safe so far. Louis’ hopes in the competition are the twins, which fairly translates to – Not this year again Louis. As for the performances I am looking forward to the most are of Danyl, Olly and Jamie.

The song choices for this week have been revealed. Bon Jovi is the mentor of the week and he’ll be performing live on the results show tomorrow.

After the Jump—> The entire playlist of this week’s song choices – Rock week, and the Liveblog of the X Factor Live Show 4 with the Top 9 [goes Live at 8 pm London Time]

Rachel
One – U2

Stacey
Somewhere Only We Know – Keane

Lucie
Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns ‘N Roses

Joe
Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

Lloyd
I Kissed A Girl – Katy Perry (Rock version)

Danyl
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith

Jamie
Get Your Rocks Off – Primal Scream

Olly
Come Together – Aerosmith version

John and Edward
We Will Rock You – Five version (From Brits)

The most interesting song choice of the night seems to be Danyl Johnson’s. He is taking on Aerosmith, and with his vocal range, he can do that song good justice. Second best goes to Lucie – Sweet Child O’ Mine. I bet she’s gonna do the Sheryl Crow version to it. Jamie’s choice of Get Your Rocks Off is also very smart. It is a very catchy song and I believe will suit his vocals perfectly. Olly taking on the Beatles will be a delight to watch. And finally Joe singing Don’t Stop Believing..woohoo. It’s an awesome playlist this week.

As for the lame song choices this week – Jedward for the most cliche’d song – We Will Rock You. Ugh!
And secondly, Lloyd singing a Katy Perry song. How bloody lame is that.

We will be updating all the action as and when it happens live on this liveblog. Join us, at 8 pm London time. See you then!

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We are here for the Live performance show no.4, The Top 9 live from London. Its Rock Week and after last week’s dramatic elimination of Miss Frank, the top 9 have to outperform each other. Louis seriously thinks that Jedward could win the show…Pffft!!! Live from London, it’s the X Factor -Rock Night and the host Dermot welcomes us all. And oh yes, it is a Scary Halloween special. I love what’s playing on the background monitors. There’s Axl, Steven Tyler, Beatles, Freddie Mercury. The judges have entered the arena and Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire is playing.  Oh please, look at what’s Cheryl is wearing. And now over to the action.

Starting off the show is from Cheryl’s guys – Joe McElderry. He is taking on a proper rock song – Journey’s : Don’t Stop Believing. It is a matter of concern given that his vocals are too smooth for a rock song. But let’s see how he performs.

He’s got good vocals. But he has made a rock song into a pop number here. Feels like the guys from Westlife or Five are just about to enter. I have no complaints whatsoever with his vocals. But having said that, it is NOT rocking. Rock is certainly not Joe’s forte. But this is not a weak performance either. He’ll be safe this week for sure. Over to the judges.

Judges verdict:

Danny: I just have to say that the voice is exceptional.

Louis: You absolutely won me over.

Simon: You are one of the most consistent performers in the show.

Cheryl: I loved it.  [ Simon says: You gotta sit up And Cheryl asks : Why? And she adjusts her ..ahem..boobies ]

Awright people. Joe’s code is 01. Vote Vote Vote. Over to Danny’s Girls.

Lucie Jones is up next.

She is singing – Sweet Child O’ Mine. Phew!!!! She’s taking on Axl Rose . That’s something isn’t it. As expected the intro is on the Piano not on the Guitar. It’s more Sheryl Crow than Axl Rose. Oh, she was a bit pitchy. I don’t like it. Me being a GnR fan, it is just doesn’t feel right. The highiieee-aaaaih is so unconvincing.  It needs to be a bit faster. She looks like a mock act of Katie Perry or Taylor Swift. OMG, the ending was horrible horrible. She does not embody rock at all. Did not like it.

Judges verdict:

Louis: You can sing anything. Simon you owe her an apology.

Cheryl: I am very impressed, you can be an Avril Lavigne. [Seriously?]

Simon: You gave it a 100%, well done!

Danny: That’s the comment you want from that end.

I did not like it at all. Her code: 02. She did take on a massive song. I’ll give her that. Anyway, time now for a short break. C u in a bit!

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Back from the break. Simon Cowell now introduces – Danyl Johnson. To see him in the Bottom 2 was a shocker. And he’s singing an Aerosmith song. He needs to get his confidence back. He needs to act more humble, play the underdog and with his awesome performances by his side, he could go a long way. Back to the performance – I don’t wanna miss a thing. Is it me or is he singing in a different scale altogether? He seems scared. All his stage showmanship is toned down. WHYYYYY? He has toned down a bloody rocking Aerosmith song. Yes, he can deliver the screaming high notes. I’ll give him that. But it does feel like Danyl is scared this week. C’mon Danyl!!! Get your act together.

Judges verdict:

Danny: It felt like you lost your Mojo. It didn’t feel as it was your natural performance.

Louis: I want people at home to give you a second chance.

Cheryl: You don’t do it for me.

Simon: You are undoubtedly the best vocalist in the competition.

Yes, I know the week was hard for you Danyl. But you need to impress the audience. And all you got to do for that is just perform your ass off. And Rock week was the open invitation for him to showcase his all. It’s a missed opportunity case for Danyl. His code is 03. Please vote for Danyl people. I am sure we are yet to see the Best from him.

Time for another break. BRB!

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Back from the break again. Next up from Cheryl’s guys – Lloyd Daniels. One of the weakest performers on the show. And you know what, he’s singing a Katy Perry  - I Kissed A Girl. Simon puts it right – He’s there because he is good looking. True. But Cheryl puts it the other way – He ticks all the boxes. Pfft.

Back to the performance. He’s got eye-liners I think. The vocals are horrendous. And the best thing about the performance are the background singers. I know Zombies come out on Halloween, but his performance is lifeless. I’ve seen coffins that look less wooden. I know he’s getting the younger teeny girl demographic vote. It is just not enough. I’d be surprised if he isn’t in the bottom 2.

Judges verdict:

Danny: You’re voice was drowned out by the music.

Louis: The theme was Rock, and you sang a Pop song.

Simon: Louis, you are becoming so boring. The song made you relevant. The performance was million times better than last week.

Cheryl: Shut up you two [ to Simon and Louis ]. Everybody loves you.

His code is 04. Next up is Stacey Solomon.

She is performing Keane – Somewhere Only We Know. I really hope she proves Simon wrong with her performance. Her vocals have always been strong. The song choice is spot on for her vocal. We love love love her. It is not a flashy performance. But she delivers completely. She does not look nervous at all. That was lovely.

Judges verdict:

Louis: I am not very crazy about the song choice.

Cheryl: I love that song choice for you.

Simon: It was like an X Factor miracle tonight. I thought it was a good choice of song. It made it relevant.

Danny: I loved your performance. Vote for Stacey.

Her code: 05. Bless her! She says ” I moved!”

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Time for another break, and up next is Jamie Archer. C U in a bit.

Jamie is one of the few contestants who are very genuine and naturally talented. Love love his past performances. And rock being his element, tonight is the night when he should shine. He is taking on Get Your Rocks Off – Primal Scream. It’s true that there are high expectations on him. He needs to deliver and not disappoint us. Can anyone shut up Louis? He says that Jamie can only sing Karaoke versions. Ok, back to the performance.

Not a big fan of this song. But I feel like I am in the middle of a concert venue. He’s a natural rocker. I don’t like the swooning skimpily clad women. But one thing’s for sure. I am a big Jamie fan. That’s an awesome performance. He rules the stage. And totally has made this song his own. That’s what you call Rocking. Love love love it. A very confident and excellent performance. You did not disappoint me at all.

Judges verdict:

Danny: You are absolutely in your element. It was a great performance.

Louis: You are like a Lenny Kravitz impersonator.

Cheryl: Most comfortable performer. [ Ok, she points out that Simon has a rocker in the competition, and hence, for the first time X Factor has a Rock Week].

Simon: What else are you supposed to do? Of all the performances tonight, that was the most authentic performance. I promise this, this [ Louis Walsh's whining about it not being authentic] is just mindgames. He really loves performing. And we know it, that he is the real deal. Vote for him. His code: 06. Time for another break. Up next are: Rachel and Jedward.

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Back to the show. It’s Rachel Adedeji next.

She has been in the bottom 2 for 2 weeks. And then, she was safe last week. This week, on Rock Week she’s singing a Ballad. She’s singing One by U2. She looks like a Rihanna impersonator. Will it be enough?

Back to the performance. I love it. I love her vocals. And actually, she is the underdog of the competition. Her vocals are transforming this song into something completely different. And that is a good thing. God, she can nail those high notes. She’s brilliant. Kudos to Danny for that song choice. She was brilliant. She’s got power and range. Excellent combination.

Judges verdict:

Louis: You made that song your own.

Cheryl: You got to show the soul in your voice. And you delivered.

Simon: I liked the last third of the song. I felt that the whole look turned the first third into a cabaret.

Danny. That was amazing.

Yes, I agree with Danny. It was absolutely amazing. It is just about her voice. It was brilliant. Forget the hair. If we were to consider hair, Jedward would win innit. Her code is: 07. Vote vote.

Next up: Welcomed by boos from all over, it’s John & Edward. Did I tell you, I hate them?

The lesser I talk about them, the better. They are singing – We Will Rock You. And they are on with eye-liners. And they are rapping ..Oh right. That’s the Five version of the Queen classic. Simon is headbanging…actually. They look like My Chemical Romance. I will give them full points for the performance. The guitar solo and the groupie plunge. It is arguably, their ‘best’ performance ever. And it is still shit. I don’t know how Freddie Mercury would’ve felt about it.

Judges verdict:

Danny: It is Halloween, and that was scary.

Cheryl: You are definitely dressed for the occasion.

Simon: It was Night of the Living Dead singing Queen out of tune. I will credit with tenacity. However, you cannot defend that singing Louis.

Louis: I don’t get what Louis says at this point. He’s just blabbering to defend his act.

Time for another break. And to end the show – Olly Murs.

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Back from the break. And the last performer of the night is from Simon’s Over 25′s – Olly Murs. He has been secretly the consistent strong performer week after week. This week he’s singing a Beatles classic also covered by Aerosmith – Come Together.

I am absolutely looking forward to this performance. Louis is right about him. He is the dark horse of the competition. He has been terrific in every single theme he has got. But this song is going to test him. Danny thinks this song is way too big for him. But I know it for sure that Olly is going to outperform everyone’s expectations.

There’s so much class, flair and originality in his vocals. It’s a Beatles song. And we know it backwards. But Olly Murs’ version is sounding very very sexy. Very believable, and did I say sexy? It reminds me of the Aerosmith cover version more than the Beatles original. And to end it, he’s taken his mentor Simon’s cues – he exposes his hairy chest.

Judges verdict:

Danny: I absolutely adore you. The vocals are consistently brilliant.

Louis: You keep getting better every week. I think you are in the final 3.

Cheryl: You’re coming to your own every week.

Simon: You are progressing better than just about everybody. You did a good job.

His code: 09. Voting Lines are now open.

A quick recap of the performances tonight:

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01 – Joe: Pop performance on a rock week. Was too cute.

02-Lucie: She didn’t  perform it well. Was quite nasal.

03-Danyl: Still going strong

04-Lloyd: Bottom 2. Bottom 2. That was just awful.

05-Stacey: Brilliant song choice

06-Jamie: The rocker of the night. Awesome it was.

07-Rachel: One of the strongest tonight.

08-Jedward: Bottom 2. I wish there was a system to vote them off.

09-Olly Murs: Sexy vocals. Definitely going stronger and stronger every week.

Awright people. Rock week performances have ended. But tomorrow – JLS and Bon Jovi perform. And one of the top 9 will be eliminated. We’ll be liveblogging the results live at 8pm London time. Join us for the liveblog tomorrow. Until then..CIAO!!

\m/.Bollywood Rock has Arrived. And it is FULL ON.\m/

So we have it. The first Indian Rock Bollywood soundtrack. Ugh! I so hate to call it that. It is a Bollywood movie soundtrack-Yes! And it IS ROCK. How Indian? I can see no Indianization in it (except for the Hindi lyrics) and it is an all out-full throttle Rock soundtrack with no holds barred. No cliche’ sitar addition or an Indian classical solo on a distorted electric guitar in the arrangement of which Indian Rock soundtracks in Bollywood are known to be. Nothing wrong about them as well. But Rock On’s soundtrack is what it is-ROCK ON. It is somehow an Indian tribute to the many Legends of Rock that we have grown up listening to -AC/DC, Megadeth,The Who et al. And I know it for sure that Farhan Akhtar saw way too many concert DVDs before sitting down to sing for the soundtrack. The attitude, the grunge and the punch in the vocals comes through easily, and yes, get ready to be hit by the Vocals. And well, it might not be a totaly new sound for us Rock fans, who pretty much listen to it all the time, it is a big welcome change for Bollywood Music. And quite frankly, it seems funny (in a good way) to hear Hindi lyrics on a Rock Song. As always, I am gonna go the reverse way -Last track first.

But well, there is now a twist to it. The Last track is a Live version of the second track in the album. SO let’s go for it together. Track 2 and 8: Pichle Saat Dinon Mein – Farhan Akhtar on the vocals. I know it is Ehsaan on the guitars belting out the riff. . The lyrics is as silly as it could be , but well you don’t expect a very metaphorical referencing rhyme in a Rock Song-not this one. It is about what stuff the guy lost in the last seven days. And it contains things as trivial as a Laundry Bill, a lady’s phone number, a king of hearts from the deck of cards, and a silver ring. Pretty meaningless and irrelevant, unless we hear the organ sound in the background, the riff, and the chorus going Na Na Na Na Na!! And hold on it does contain the Lines- Maryjane ka ek packet, Meri Denim ka ek Jacket. And who did we say wrote the lyrics. Javed Akhtar \m/. For those who still don’t have any idea of what Maryjane is (no it isn’t Mrs Spiderman), get some ejj..ucation. The guitar solo is Oh Yeah!! And this song leaves you grooving to its addictive sound. Special mention: Listen to Farhan go :-Kabhi Khud Pe Hasaa Main, aur Kabhi Khud pe…Ro.yyyaaa (in perfect Bon Scott fashion).
Now for the Live version: Starts with “Hello Everyone” in a concert venue. Farhan asks people to sing along the chorus Na Na Na Na. Somehow, when I try to sing it, it always loses direction and shifts to the Na Na Na of Cuts Like a Knife (Bryan Adams). LOL. I know, both are very different Na Na Nas. Anyway, the Live version creates the ambiance of a Rock concert, and I can totally see the people sway with the guitar riff. Nothing much added to the studio track (this one is as well, but then for the sake of it, we’ll call it the Live version), but it is really cool to see that they didn’t do a Lounge version and a Techno version, and oh yeah a Bhangra Underground version with Punjabi MC. . This track (both) sets the mood right. Really cool. Finally good to hear loud guitar solos (not subdued muted ones ala Pritam).

Track 9: Phir Dekhiye: Its an acoustic one. Caralisa Monteiro on the vocals. This one is on the lines of the many lady artistes we get to hear -may be a bit of Alanis. Very cool sounding pianos to go with the svelte vocal lines. Very likeable and perfect for a quite evening when you want to listen something calm as you sit down to solve your Sudoku.

Track 7: Sinbad the sailor: The guitar ‘sounds’ so similar to AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long. But then, the Keyboard kicks in and we are almost back into the 80s. I cannot search the right name of the band which inspires such sounds-perhaps a whole league of Brit Bands in the 80s. But this is the weakest tracks of the album. The lyrics are predictably about Sinbad, the sailor. Nuff said. The guitar solo is likable, nothing that would qualify for a smokin solo. This is at best a clichéd Rock track which fails to live up to the standard of Tracks 2 and 8. But, wait we are not done yet. The final 2 minutes is when the track picks up.Enter Raman Mahadevan and there is a fresh twist to the sing, and hear Farhan go the falsetto way – high ,high and high. And it all wraps up in typical guitar solos and the cymbals going disshhhh. Huh, after the climax, I’d rather, not Bad eh!

Track 6:Tum Ho Toh: Farhan tries a ballad (ok, Shankar ,Ehsaan and Loy made him to). A bit pitchy at times in the intro, romantic lyrics, and yes, Farhan does the falsetto again.As suggested in the promo posters, Luke Kenny is on the keyboards. And this song, surely does have enough shots of him, considering the Keyboards portions in the arrangement. Prominent bass to go along. It does sound a bit like Coldplay at times, but then may be it’s because I have been listening to a lot of Coldplay’s latest album (Viva La Vida, check out Violet Hill from the album). Listen to Farhan do the falsetto in the second verse. Ladies n Gents, Boys n Gals-Farhan Akhtar,the singer has ARRIVED.

Track 5: Zehreelay: 1…2…3..4..Oh Yeah. Silly lyrics again..LOL. Talks about venomous snakes. Forget the lyrics. I bet you can’t stop headbanging to this one. The double bass on the drums keep on thumping. This one’s really Metal. Oh yeah. Bollywood featuring Metal. Awesome! can’t wait to see this one on the movie. And that is what excites me more than anything. I would like to watch and hear this tracks on the loud, ear piercing speakers of a multiplex cinema. The vocals of Suraj Jaggan are very typically thrash (where has he been so far?). Very harsh, the drums as brutally wild as it can be, and the guitars are fast. The rhythm riff is very Megadeth, and the solo is blazing fast. Beware Bollywood -The Metal has finally landed. This one has got to be my favorite of the Album. You have to buy this album for this ONE. The wrapping up part just grabs you by the..ahem…and just throws you away. God, there are zillions of people sounding like this in English,German or infamously from Norway, but Zehreelay makes Hindi added to the list. Now listen Shankar,Ehsaan and Lloy, no matter what Yashraj Uncle says, DO NOT GO BACK to doing Karwa Chauth and God Bharai songs. Puhleeeezzz.

Track 4:Ye Tumhari Meri Baatein-Dominique Cerejo- Who’s this lady? I have one word for her-Satine’. Would love to hear her sing any damn Jazz song and I can just sit hours listening to her. May be a bit of Norah Jones would also make me go crazy. Love the bass lines on this track. A romantic ballad. But I can’t get over her vocals. Pitch perfect!! I wouldn’t be surprised if this is shot on location in a Jazz bar. This is actually how it should look. We have to wait for how this is gonna be picturised. My second favorite of the album. Dominique-step out and SING.

Track 3: Title Track-Rock On: Enjoyable Guitar Riff- Standard Rock Lyrics speaking of freakin’ out, speaking your heart out, screaming your lungs out blah blah!

Rock On-Hai Ye Waqt Ka Ishaara,
Rock On-Har Lamha Pukaara,
Rock On- Yu Hi Dekhta Hai Kya Tu,
Rock On- Zindagi Milegi Naa Dubara

Okay, probably it is me because we just have heard so much about this stuff in the ones that started it all. I would have liked the lyrics to have been a bit more innovative.
Leave the lyrics aside, and this one is actually enjoyable. Has the rhythm riff, a guitar solo, the head shaking drum beat and a catchy chorus line. What else do you need?
There we have it-The Title Track-tailor made. I say, fits well. Just not Armani yet.

Track 1: Socho To: Is it me, or is it still the same guitar -yeah, the AC/DC of You Shook Me All Night Long. Although we get to hear flashes of a bit of Joe Sat, and a bit of Colplay as well. Man, I am insane now.
This does sound a bit like some Strings track as well. Or should I stop thinking of references and listen to this track. I am enjoying the bass track more than anything on this track. Listen closely and you’ll understand what I am saying. The guitar solos embedded in the track are a bit on the lower side of volume. And then, the louder solo kicks in. This one is a Happy Rock Song with even the Happy Oh ho ho. The lyrics are again, quirky and a bit childish.

Aasman hai Neela Kyu
Paani Geela Geela Kyu
Gol Kyu Hai Zameen

Silk main hai Narmi Kyu
Aag main hai Garmi Kyu
Do aur Do Paanch Kyu Nahi

Try singing these lines and I am sure you’ll fall in love with this song. Much like a Nursery rhyme with a bass track, a drum beat, a rhythm guitar to go with and a guitar solo. I would say, not a very good opener to a Killer album, but yeah, kinda good.

So there you have it. My verdict: GO BUY IT. It is Rock as you would expect, and Bollywood music as you would never. Few things are still unexplored- may be darker themes for a rock song, a punk sound and perhaps, even an instrumental track. But then, you know how demanding I can be. Heroes of the soundtrack- Farhan Akhtar, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Dominique, and definitely Suraj Jaggan. I’ll go with 3.5 stars out of 5 for this one .

MySpace India launch party brought together 4 musical acts. Great or not, I’ll decide that a bit later in this post. The acts for the evening:- Them Clones from Delhi, Swarathma from Bangalore and The Raghu Dixit Project- also from Bangalore. The gig was organised as a launch party of MySpace India- yet another Social Networking website. And as I reached the venue (Soul, Koregaon Park, Pune), I realised that we were very late for the show. Them Clones had already started their set, and were almost nearing the end of their playlist. I had plans of slurping my favorite Chicken Classic Soup, but I couldn’t find any waiters. All I could see around me were people with their heads directed towards the stage. The crowd had some familiar faces- Bobby, bassist of Zero, P-Man, bassist of PDV and well, the other performing artistes. I came in late hoping Swarathma would open and well, Them Clones would be the second act, if not the closing act. But then it didn’t happen so.

Them Clones:- They were in the middle of their song (which I hadn’t heard before, and so couldn’t recognise). Surprisingly, they were doing an Unplugged-ish acoustic set, with the candles lit in the mini-glass chimneys et al. I had seen them before in the very first LaunchPad concert of Channel V, and for that matter I only one song of theirs- Bomb Song. Don’t know if they performed it or not. And so, I had this notion that these guys would be hard hitting rock. But it was a welcome change from the usual stuff we get to listen. Prithwish on the vocals and the Keyboards belted out one song after the other , which would remind you of a British romantic soundtrack. And I could definitely picture Julia Roberts running in her white bridal wear. . That means it wasn’t bad. It was good. The song arrangements was perfect and the song felt complete. The two tracks on the Keyboard gave me a Coldplay-Goo Goo Dolls vibe bordering on the lines of (previously mentioned) Brit pop-rock arrangement which I love. It certainly made me feel happy. The next two tracks were very upbeat, catchy and Prithwish had left the Keyboards and had joined the Jumping League. I can only remember their final track- Syndrome -coz he made the audience remember the chorus lines. Joseph on the lead guitars gave an acoustic guitar solo. All I could want more on their tracks was prominent harmonies. Apart from that, the show-stealer was Nitin on the sound console. Perfect sound! Them Clones definitely nailed the four originals and had set the perfect tone for the night.

Up Next: Swarathma

P-Man came in with his speech of Fuck Bollywood, Fuck Bhangra and Fuck-they are bringing Bollywood to Cricket. And then, he announces the arrival of Swarathma.
Swarathma:- This band had made a conscious decision that everyone would be dressed completely different- no costume matching stuff. Bassist in red pathani, Violinist- dressed in a Jockey pants (as in those who ride horses) with a violet shirt to compliment. Best part, the Vocalist had put in a lot of work in raising his baby-ie the follicles on his head-his hair. It was a cross between the Moustache of Veerappan and an Afro on the head of any 70′s guy. All I needed was either a lighter or a match-stick to ruin his “mehnat”. I couldn’t stop thinking about his shampoo bills etc etc. Anyway, first song- Jaana Mujhe Hai Kaha- the vocals are very much on the verge of sounding similar to Rahman with a hint of Kailash Kher. But the lyrics are pretty ordinary.The music felt like pretty run-of-the-mill and just another addition to the “different” formula. The other songs that followed were equally forgettable. The only plus point being able to make the crowd sway to the supposed “folk” groove. There was only one thing good about this band. And that was Mr. Sanjeev Naik on the violin. The guy knew what he was doing , and boy did he do it right! Other than that, everything else from the lyrics to the music was pretty much like a College band set out to conquer the world music scene. This is at best average which poses to be different and dares to tread upon the territory ruled by the likes of “Indian Ocean” and Trilok Gurtu and Taufiq Qureshi. Far from even getting close.

P-Man comes again to the microphone. Some more swearing. This time a mention of the sponsors and self-publicity of the P-Man show on MySpace. And then, the P-Man “I have a dream” speech. The dream here meant of bringing Metal to the stage of Soul. Next up- as P-Man puts it, authentic North Eastern Sound from the guy in Manipur.
The audience anticipation had already risen to a zenith. Curiosity levels were already as high as Mr.Performer’s shortage of clothes. His junior had his glasses on, and was on the “tong tong” aka percussions.
Mr. Performer went first with his Flute Like Wind instrument. It sounded like someone was struggling tomake some sound, and we could hear two sounds from one blow. Whether it was meant to be so remains a mystery.And then he took out his Ektara-isque string instrument and sang to it in a local language. I couldn’t make out anything out of it, neither the lyrics nor the music. I could only imagine such music to be played as a background score in some Doordarshan late night documentary on the North-east India. The good thing is no one boo-ed the old man and his junior. Partly because there was an intense enigma surrounding his performance and people were all anxious about what was gonna happen next. All that surely boiled down to nothing, but it really takes guts to perform in front of a crowd with a song that no one can relate to, with your son by your side, and with instruments that sound as raw as nature itself. I can say Bravo for the attempt.

Next up- P-Man says- The Baap of all Fusion acts.The Raghu Dixit Project.
To me, I’d rather say, Raghu Dixit released his LP. By LP , I could mean a lot of things- Lower Parel, Lower Primary, or an LP record as in the Long Play Vinyl.You wish! Here it means – Lungi Project.
The official sponsors of this band seem to be the “tie n’ dye Lungi Company” from ‘I-donno-where”. Costumes aside, what pissed my friend Abhishek most was the sight of Raghu Dixit with his ghungroos tied to his feet. Did this make him look like a cross between a Bhaand and Umrao Jaan? Poll results in the comments section please. The entire band was in Lungi, but only the violinist seemed true to his element. This raised another question. What could be the disadvantages of wearing a Lungi on a stage performance? I can think of some really dirty ones which I’d rather not share. The advantages – umm…you look different, people might consider you as a bit of psychedelic gurus, especially firangs who get excited by the slightest Taste of India. Anyway, get the music playing, Soundcheck over. First track, Hey Bhagwaan. Yeah, the track being repeatedly played all over MTV. (Raghu Dixit even appeared on MTV Super Select in the same attire, the lungi and the ghungru. Shame Shame!) This track starts much like any other fusion-Indian rock song with the vocals and the acosutic guitars.And then, it picks up a reggae groove. I had just heard bits n pieces of the song on TV but really didn’t dig it then. And now I know why.Coz, I just don’t get it. The song is so much a wannabe. It wants to get included in the “different” genre that every move looks like a conscious attempt at being folksy and yet infusing elements of reggae. The groove is very much similar to “Mustafa Mustafa” by AR Rahman. And the vocals, if Simon Cowell would’ve to put it,it would be,” Raghu, that was on the verge of shouting and a very angry performance. It seemed you were screaming at times, and at best it is just a club performance. No one would buy your records. I just didn’t like it”. The crowd was definitely sucking on it, probably because of the MTV publicity etc. Second track begins, and I step out thinking of this band, which really managed to release an Album, get enough publicity and also shoot a video. What a Shame!

A band like Them Clones, who have such a polished sound and a very marked out sound, do not get their deserved adulation and record sales just because it is in English and stands opposite to other English international acts. The problem is that there are far too many bands who are as good if not better than Them Clones. The count of fusion bands seem to be restricted for sure, and these bands seem to bank upon it. I have no problem with it, only if the final product is not lame, wanna-be, and serves the purpose of bringing good music to the stage. Which is not the case here. But then, this gig was better than Wyclef Jean serving as the inaugarating act of Hard Rock Cafe, Pune. Pffft!!! WTF! So, if you still want the verdict on the show which I promised at the beginning of the show, I will say, NO IT WASN’T.

Guest Author: Prakash Rajgopal ( the guy in the Gulshan Grover beard).

BENGALURU, Bangalore or just same ol’ BANGY. Oh how fortunate art thee to have been the soil which played host to Rock in India. How golden is thy spirit to have seen history in the making!The biggest International Rock Festival India has ever seen! Nine bands! Two headlining acts! The chance to get 8 hours of thrash/hard rock drilled into metal heads! What a mouth-watering prospect! Which genuine rock enthusiast would miss such a historic event? One of the top four metal acts in the world, Megadeth was playing in India. Yes, MEGADETH!! It was the last leg of their United Abominations Tour Of Duty. March 14, 2008. Palace Grounds, Bangalore. After a month of eager anticipation since booking the tickets, the day had finally arrived! We all HAD to be there to witness it. And we did!

We (my friend Harshal and I) reached the venue well ahead of time, at 1 pm. As we arrived at the venue and were waiting for the gates to open, we could hear some sound checks going on inside. There were already some people loitering around, most of them wearing black tees. I could see lots of Maiden’s, some Slipknot’s, Children Of Bodom’s, Nirvana’s around along with the usual Megadeth ones. We also saw a girl and a guy walking in, with the girl wearing a Megadeth tee, and the guy wearing a… hold your breath… 50 Cents!! Yo mama, he was right in da club!!! I also saw a guy wearing a Master Of Puppets tee. I wonder what became of him. Soon, Sujoy arrived with his gang just in time for the gates to open, and we headed inside. There were two stages on the venue. A smaller stage that was meant for the Indian bands, and a bigger one up front, obviously for Megadeth and Machine Head .

Here’s a run-up of all the bands in the order of their appearances:

1. Casino Blues: The band from Guwahati formed by Joshua, the lead singer of the Independence Rock winner band-Faith. They might’ve rued the fact that their’s was the first act of the day. With the scorching sun was beating down everybody’s necks, most of the people preferred taking shelter in the shady corners of the ground to avoid being burnt. The band had some catchy numbers. But they didn’t catch enough attention. Enough said.
Verdict: Mediocre.
Sujoy’s Verdict: Joshua has got strong vocals, but it got sunburnt.

2. Prestorika:

This Delhi-based band sure knows how to get people’s attention! They started their act with the intro of Holy Wars, and that got everybody kicked up and in the mood to rock!! They belted out most of their popular originals. They were very tight. A special mention for their lead guitarist. The solos were blazing fast, and he ripped apart the whole venue! The guitarist might’ve used all the existing guitar techniques from tapping to sweep-picking. Super-talented. But the special mention is for another reason. His mannerisms were all Kirk Hammett-inspired. I mean, Kirk Hammett would’ve been proud seeing his antics on stage and would’ve taken him under his wings! Whether intentional or not, only he can tell.
Verdict: Good.
Sujoy’s Verdict: Best Indian Metal band I have ever seen live. Hint: I haven’t seen Bhayanak Maut perform live.

3. Junkyard Groove:

I’d heard a lot about this band. They had participated in the recently-concluded Channel V Launchpad. Let’s get to their music. What Prestorika lacked, Junkyard Groove made up for big time. Melody. The songs they performed were really melodic and got the crowd cheering, asking for more. The band’s stage presence was amazing. Especially the singer was great at interacting with the crowd, making wise cracks now and then. He also got the crowd to sing along to their well-known track “It’s OK”. In one instance, the singer said, “Say something. Say We love you, Fuck off! Say anything!”. Some attitude, and alcohol for sure. The drummer, IMO, was the best of the lot. His off-beat classical style drumming was effortless.
Sujoy had earlier mentioned about the unusually long fingers of their bassist! His bass guitar too was quite different in shape. Okay, let’s stop at that.
Verdict: Very Good
Sujoy’s Verdict: Ladies n Gentlemen, Vee are Jungayaarrd Groove. Welcome ..Wannakam! Vee khickd yur asses. Yuu know that!

4. Motherjane:

A little history first. This band is based out of God’s own country (that’s Kerala, for the lesser mortals). So it’s a rock band comprising of all Mallus. I don’t have anything against their community (hell, I’m a southie myself). But it’s just that one cannot picture Mallu’s playing rock. I blame Lola Kutty’s sidekick Alex for this. Anyway, I had never heard about Motherjane before. When they arrived on stage to get plugged, I thought both the guitarists could certainly use a makeover. Sporting bushy moustaches that looked Mallu-ish from every angle, they were dressed in really “simble” attire, and were very unassuming. We joked that when not playing, to earn a living these guys must definitey be fishing or rowing boats in the Kerala backwaters (Damn you Alex!!).
Well, we had to eat our words, and how!! Right from the first note, we were all blown away! Motherjane’s music sounded like an amalgamation of hard-hitting rock and mellow carnatic classical music! What an orgasmic combination it was!! Each song sounded like it had bettered the previous one. Quite amazing! Although one guitarist (Mr. bushy moustache) did take prominence, I can absolutey not label the other guitarist as a pure rhythm guitarist. Their guitar solo’s were laced with carnatic raaga-style pieces, and lots of harmonic ones which had to be played by both guitarists. Both complimented each other very well. Their song ‘Mindstreet’ still lingers on in my mind. The way they started the song with the carnatic piece really gave me goosebumps! This was easily the best act on that day among the Indian bands.
Verdict: Excellent!!
Sujoy’s Verdict: Since IIT Guwahati’s Alcheringa 2006, I hadn’t heard of what happened to Motherjane. Two years later, they rocked not as hard as what they did then. They rocked hardER.

5. Thermal And A Quarter:6. Millennium:
We chose to give these bands a miss, and went off to grab a bite. But we were hearing them play, and we thought we weren’t missing anything great.
Sujoy’s take: Long queue at the Men’s Loo. Killed time by taking the Pic below and chuckling. Also showed to everyone around.

7. Pentagram: The last of the Indian bands to perform on the day. One thing that struck everyone about their act was that it wasn’t completely live. Most of their song parts sounded pre-recorded and were played from source. To add to this, their singer (Vishal from the Vishal-Shekhar composer duo) was jumping around with all his might and his enormous belly!! That was some sight not worth beholding! Their songs sounded like some alternative-techno-rock-punk junk. I saw a couple behind that were dancing salsa-jive to their songs while we were trying to make sense out of them. We were just looking at each other in disbelief. Here’s Pentagram, one of India’s leading bands, and what do they come play?! Pretty unimaginative stuff.
Verdict: POOR!!
Sujoy’s Verdict:4u Vishal- Tera Paao Bhari Ho Gaya, Tera Paao Bhari Ho Gaya. 4 Pentagram-please stop churning out the processed noise aka shit aka bullshit aka Pentagram.

Alright, we said. Enough of the Indian bands. It was finally the turn of the real metal messiah’s to take centerstage. More people trickled in now, and the crowd gradually moved over to the main bigger stage. It seemed as if the heavenly gods were also a mood to headbang. The weather took a turn for the better. It became overcast, a cool breeze was running across the grounds, and a stunning lightning display played in the skies right behind the stage. The setting was perfect!! We were ready!!
But sadly it appeared as if the sound guys weren’t. There are some things you should really struggle to do at a heavy metal gig. Carrying out a conversation without blowing out your lungs should definitely be one of them. Well. when Machine Head and Megadeth came out to play, the sound system seemed to have a mind of its own. The volume kept going up and down, and the sound kept panning right and left. Hell, the Indian bands sounded louder and better than these guys. Anyway!

8. Machine Head: I had heard only two of their songs way back in college. Songs whose names too I had long forgotten. Machine Head shredded and shredded. Their solo’s were incredibly fast. I yearned for some melody in their songs. But they came and shredded the place down.
Verdict: Above Average
Sujoy’s Verdict: Why can’t I hear the guitars, or the drums or the vocals. I can hear him complain about the marijuana smoke from the front row. Damn you Penta’hose’gram. You played so damn loud. Now I can’t hear what I came to listen.

9. Megadeth: I couldn’t believe I was seeing Dave Mustaine in person. Megadeth played some of songs from their latest album United Abominations, and many of their popular ones like In The Darkest Hour, Skin Of My Teeth, Symphony Of Destruction, Tornado Of Souls. Dread And The Fugitive Mind wasn’t played, ading to the disappointment of a lot of people.

I’ve always felt it takes great skill to sing while executing some of those wrist-bending riffs, and Mustaine showed why he is one of the best! He was flawless in his solo’s and played them almost exactly the way they appear on the records. Chris Broderick, the new lead guitarist, was a tad disappointing though. No doubt, he was exceptionally talented, what with Mustaine drawing analogies between him finding Chris to Ozzy finding Randy Rhodes. But he seemed to lose control and fly away while playing some solo’s, and didn’t interact with the crowd very much. Probably the long tour must’ve taken its toll. But Marty was sorely missed.

They also did their Holy Wars/Mechanix mash-up which they have been doing recently at other concerts. Overall, although Megadeth were awesome, the sound screwed it all up. Mustaine’s closing words would be in memory for some time atleast: “You’ve been great, we’ve been Megadeth!”.

Sujoy’s take: It is a bad BAD thing to play and fuck around with the sound console during a concert. It’s considerable if it’s a Pune gig, punishable if it’s I-Rock, and sinful if it’s the Gods who are playing. I could hear someone shift the balance from left to right to left again. That was actually all that I could hear. Not the vocals of Mustaine, not the shreds of his guitar and not the bullets fired from the Drums. Damn you..whoever responsible.

Sujoy concludes: The skies were with us. It was dark and the clouds were roaring for Metal. They flashed the lightnings. They roared like they should. But then, nothing else could roar or was disabled from roaring. I am rocked to the core, but I still got some more room to be rocked. Boo you sound guys. Now you lady, I am cheering you to bunjee-jump.

PJ of the Day: What do you call a girl who is bunjee jumping? Think! Think! Wink! Wink!

Answer: Bundee Jumping.

Extension of the prior joke: Courtesy Praxy:- What do you call an elderly lady who is bungee jumping? Think.

Answer: Behenjee Jumping.

Praxy concludes:
Overall, it was an average concert. It was really heartening to see all the Indian bands perform. It showcased the abundant talent that we have in our country. I also thought Megadeth playing with so many other bands on the same day wasn’t really a good idea. They appeared like just another band that came and went. Something other major bands would probably never do. Aerosmith’s June 2 concert at the same venue would definitely rate way higher than this one. (Save it. Not debatable at all!).
And now that Megadeth’s come and gone, it’s definitely time for a certain metal band to take note and consider touring India. DNA Networks, get the clue.

And now for the Winners of the Rock in India concert. Ladies ani Gentlemen, please applaud- OneKnightStands with Boras.

If you are a rock-addict( I mean music, and nothing related to Geology or Paleontology) in India, and you love Beer and the subsequent alcoholic preparations, and your wardrobe fashion is dominated by those Black tees flaunting the GnR, Metallica and Sabbath prints, you know which is the best place to hang out. It is Bangalore! Especially when it’s concert season. I was there for the “Rock in India” concert and the air was breathing and smelling rock , I mean grass, I mean the fragrance of beer burps, I mean all of that. We’ll talk about the concert later, here we are talking about the eternal escapism for a Rocker like me, on a Rock weekend at the Rock Mecca of India-Bangalore.The journey begins on 15th March 2008, a day after the Big-Rock in India Concert-at 6 pm from my friends’ place at Jayanagar. There’s rain and there’s Bangy’s infamous,static and most irritating traffic jams. But I was more than ready to brave all of them for the Booze, the Bass, the Beeotches at the Bar and of course Bang Bang Headbanging. Do you know the concept of Party hopping where you are so restless enough to be at more than one party on a single night. Try that when 5 glasses of LAGER are already down your throat. Anyway, first venue- STYX at MG Road. It’s still raining. Thanks to my pal’s Raincoat, I am 70% drenched. I am waiting for my friends -Praxy and Harshal to arrive.And here they are (see pic below, I am the chinki guy).

A cover charge of 200 bucks on a Saturday Night-pretty decent. And as we walk up the stairs, I can see a few chicks trying hard to speak on the phone and a few others staring at them. The doors open and I am hit by a WALL of shreddding guitars. It’s Hetfield and his army and the black tee brigade with the long hairs is echoing -Master ! Master! Instant reaction : Yeah with a devil’s horns Up!!! Walk straight to the Bar. There’s hardly any room here to stand. The seats are filled and there are some firang backpackers too. Next song (that I can remember)- predictably Megadeth – Symphony of Destruction, and the crowd just goes berserk. I gulped down the chorus line with a Smirnoff blended with Tropicana Orange. And that was when my entire gang joined in -Enter Ravikanth, Mandal and Satya. Next up-Bora, Mohanty and Barik(I have to mention their names or else I might get slaughtered SAW style). More beers with Chilly Chickens and some more vodka shots, I get my first kick already. All this while we were being hit by the Metal of Slayer, more Megadeth, Godsmack, Soulfly and Sepultura. Special Mentions: We got to see a new video: A Little Piece of Heaven by Avenged Sevenfold. Have a look at the video and you’ll get a new mashed up enlightenment of animated gore and gothic rock with growls.

It was time for us to hit to Party Zone 2. No rickshaws in the vicinity and we had to walk to Purple Haze at Brigade Road. It was already 9:25 pm and the only bad thing about Bangalore’s ( I will NOT call it Bengaluru) night life, the upper limit of 11:00pm, was hanging on our heads. The clock was ticking, the beer was gurgling in our bellies as we tried to WALK to Purple Haze. I see a lot of BRANDED showrooms with Kannada hoardings. And I could only make them out with their Logos. Seemed like a visual round at a Brand Equity Quiz. Nevertheless, we reached there in almost 20 min, at around 9:45pm. Another 300 bucks for the cover charges, taken care of by my extremely generous friends. And as we walk in, we are greeted by Mr.Robert Plant on the vocals and Mr.Jimmy Page on the Guitars, exclaiming – Wanna Whole Lotta Love!!!!!

If STYX was heavy, this was ROCK. Rock as I Love it most. Oh, I can see some familiar junta from aamchi Pune who have come to Bangy on the same bus, for the concert. Purple Haze belted out the quintessential Rock playlist featuring : Metallica- Unforgiven II(I had my Metallica Tee on, see the pic), Cranberries-Zombie, REM-Losing my Religion, Pearl Jam- Alive, Deep Purple- Smoke on The Water and God I can’t remember anymore. Coz I was already too drunk. The only mishap that happened -Harshal’s credit card got swiped thrice and he signed only once, but he was debited for all of them. Dispute raised but case not resolved yet. The damned clock struck 11 and all the music was shunned. Bollocks!!!!

I could still see people getting really jubilant, and some not so jubilant. Even at an elevated state of mind, my analytical brain was surveying the workings of the drunk rocker. And trust me, it is a delight! Either they do get extra happy and extra generous while paying off the bills, or they get extremely selfish and act sloshed and sit in the corner -acting depressed. I can also see some loser crying. Ugh! why? And oh, there’s yet another aspect that I haven’t covered. And that is Mohanty. For him, when he gets drunk, all he does is crack jokes, and not just simple plain jokes, but the most filthiest ones and of course the jokes are on the person next to him. Beware of him when he has the slightest amount of alcohol content and he strolls near you. You could be his next victim. It was like literally he was on a roll, as if some nuclear reactor was providing him a non-exhausting source of energy of Jokes. And this continued right through dinner and the walk on Brigade Road, until Mohanty’s mouth started forming foams and Barik was eternally humiliated with the color jokes.( BTW Mohanty ridiculed about my website saying: Click the pic. We’re gonna be on OKS. We’re gonna be famous. Now who’s laughing?) That’s the infamous Mohanty in orange with the specs next to me. Look at Bora.Don’t go by his looks, he is completely sober.

I know, I know. This is a closed-circuit post and I might not quite find any potential readers taking interest. but c’mon. No matter the city, no matter the names, you’d always be able to identify the characters mentioned and the events depicted. Just replace that Mohanty with a Juan or a Pablo or an LC Saikia, and Purple Haze at Bangalore with probably some bar at some street at some city. And there you go, you have your drunk Saturday Night with your drunk mates and your drunk self, banged heavily to the Rock Anthems and the Molten Hot Metal. Oh look at me so satisfied.

Confession: For me “Rock in India” was the curtain raiser to the Saturday Night Blast . Peace. \m/

Image courtesy: Praxy’s PICASA Album.

Venue Courtesy: STYX, Purple Haze.

Hospitality Partners: Satya Swaroop Sharma, Sidhharth ‘the pudhiya rolling” Bora, Orindam Mandal, Ravekanth “Co-ordinator” Kosuru, Sarthak ” Kalaprasad” Barik, Swagat “@$%^&#” Mohanty and finally ,oh! I think the list just got exhausted.