TB shows : Star Academy, Saturday November 17th, 2007

Context

French version of American Idol / Pop Stars / whatever real TV show where young contenders are supposedly training to become the next hit thing. I stay away from real TV shows, because I'm already misanthropic, and shows aiming at proving people that yes, you can become famous without any talent or brains, just by being idiots in front of a camera, tend to piss me off.

The only interest of that show was that TH had never yet performed with someone else.

... I'm not entirely sure they have now *smirk*

Review

'kay, I admit, Bill is a tiny wee bit of an attention whore. Or a lot. I don't mind much: if he wasn't like that the band wouldn't have reached that level of fame so early. On stage, it's rather entertaining than annoying. In interviews it can be a little more "plz Bill, let the others have a word too", and IRL it must be plain tiresome, but it's not like I'm going to experience it.

So when it's his turn to sing on that "duet", he mostly does his thing without looking much at the contender. It could also be that he's not used at all to share the stage with another singer.

On the other hand, even though I know Monsoon, I had troubles recognizing it when Jeremy (the contender) sang. It was more or less on key, but I don't think I've heard anyone butchering lyrics that much in ages. So maybe Bill was just trying not to throttle the guy for that blatant lack of professionalism. Because I know I was *head planting* while watching that, and wanted very much to slap that guy.

The second time he starts singing, there's a shot of Bill looking at the crowd, absently nodding in rhythm with the music, with a... peculiar and unreadable expression on his face. I thought he was asking himself why he ever bothered learning lyrics, and working on songs at all, when apparently the crowd cheered at the contender almost as much as to his own performance.

Or maybe he had a sudden and painful realization that the audience (this one especially) is mostly deaf. And they can love you even if you're crap. So their love means nothing about how good you are, really.

Ouch. Tough reality check.

The second noticeable thing about that performance is when the show host tried to hold the band back after the duet, and Bill just waved at the crowd and left. And the rest of the band followed with a "Uh?... Ooops, our air-head singer did it again. Sorry, he can be a bit blonde" apologetic face.

*grin*

So. Much. Fun. With this fandom.

(just the 5 minutes of my life I spent watching videos from that show to see TH, the show host made me want to punch him. He even forgot Tom's name when he introduced the band as they left. So nah, I don't care that Bill involuntarily snubbed him. Anyway, it also spared us the "surprise" that TH fans had planned to do, which was singing part of Durch Den Monsun right after the duet. Girls, the band already had to keep smiling while their song was butchered in bastardized english by the contender, show a little mercy and don't kill their ears more plz...)

The band came back to perform "1000 Meere" (and more laugh at the show host pronouncing the title...), except it was playback, though some people who were in the audience said it had been played live, so I'm all confused now.
Aaaanyway.

From what I read, playback for music on TV shows is almost never done on US TV, but just so you know, it's fairly common in Europe. Rather the rule than the exception.
Because it takes a lot of money and a good acoustic and rehearsal time to perform live. And "music shows" or "TV shows with a bit of music in it" in Europe are most often just chain-produced entertainment and if they can do it as the cheapest cost, it's even better. So except for shows that do use live music as rating booster, it's playback all the way.

(and if I judge from some comments on boards and YouTube, half of the audience is unable to make the difference between playback and live anyway, so... *roll eyes*)

Shallow corner : Bill's style

Pink sparkly gloss? o_O *sigh* I have no words.
On the other hand, hair and clothes? *thumbs up*
Why do you even bother with the stripey lion mane hair? You look so much better with your hair down. And less maintenance. Win-win deal.