There were some ridiculous acts got through to this stage at the judges 'houses'........that bloke who looked like a cross between Roberto Cavalli/Bill Bailey and a troll was just laughable. Totally savaged 'You've Got The Love ', which is one of the all time greats. But funny all the same.
That's hilarious Northern Star.
But I love that someone else is talking about
Wagner because I want to too. I totally agree he was cringeworthingly poor at Judges house but what a fabulous job they did with the art direction on the whole of his performance tonight. Good song choices and well delivered but the set was perfect. All that high kitsch abstract neon palm tree, the whole thing feeling like a deliciously mad, camp late 70's/early 80's cheesy nitespot. It was perfect for him. But more than that if you read what myself and others who proper get the SS11 Louis Vuitton show are saying there, this is exactly the same 'so bad it's good', high-cheese, post-modernist territory. I tell you Wagner is already a cult figure and, this being a fashion site I
expect people here to get it. Spread the word.
If anyone from XFactor is watching - fantastic job and next week can we have more of the same with some louche curtains, stuffed tigers and girlies channeling the Louis Vuitton show looks.
One Direction are the obvious favourites. The boys can, most of them, carry a tune and there's going to be this whole teen dialogue about which one is the most fanciable. They'll carry a lot of tabloid column inches and visuals across the lowbrow mags. They will win.
Unless
Aiden Grimshaw does. Again a teen idol factor. And an excellent voice. I tell you his rendition of Mad World tonight including set and wardrobe was the coolest thing I've ever seen on XFactor. Which of course isn't saying much in a sea of unreconstructed cheese over the years but nevertheless.
This is the strongest year ever. Such strength in depth.
Cher has some star quality and already a strong voice which I expect to see grow. Those who criticise Cheryl are wrong to do so and will have to admit that sooner or later. Ok Gamu should have gone through on the face of it but I reckon the management had already twigged the visa problems. This girl has that vulnerability factor which I think is likeable to female viewers. We know the truth about the feminine fragile behind all that front don't we girls
. She's likeable, edgy, contemporarily relevant and Cheryl is the perfect mentor for her. Get ready for your heart strings to be tugged.
Mary had the biggest emotional connect of all with the
studio audience it seemed tonight. I thought of Shirley Bassey. The SuBo parralels are obvious. What a voice and again a likeable character and excellent backstory.
That's my idea of the top 5. If the Wagner cult can grow some legs. For me there's actually an important point here about the promotion of the over 50's as media stars. It's alternative. It's edgy. It says why can't older people have visibility. It's deconstructive about received truths about beauty and sexual appeal. Go on take me on on this. I go all the way down on it.
But there is fantastic strength in depth this year.
Paige and
Treyc have two of the finest voices in the competition but have image problems which presently mean a certain disconnect and they currently lack a bit of XFactor generally. I was so pleased to see Paige wildcard. His voice has the quality of Luther Vandross.
Katie has that marmite factor. I hated her own styling - that terrible, gone, 40's/80's thing. I'm not wholly sure it was wise for Cheryl's team to sort of position her close to LadyGaga territory but I think it slipped under the radar. She's a dark horse.
As are
FYD Who? The 'other' boyband? They've at least one looker too and if they can stay in early can become growers.
Nicolo was poor this week. Bad song choice. Wrong to stick shades on him. But the boy has something.
Totally over-rated are
Matt and
Rebecca. Both had the weaknesses in their voices exposed this week. And neither have XFactor. Both are far too short in the market.
If I'm advancing the case for high camp what about
Diva Fever. Well, no, entertaining boys but I'm afraid it's all just too unreconstructed cruise-ship/ Eurovision. In contrast to
Wagner art direction and wardrobe were just awful this week. It was low camp, nothing post-modernist about it at all.
What Louis did with
Storm was just embarrasing. Oh Louis.
Belle Amie are just awful. Meek, empty, not sexy, not even memorable voices.
Poor
John A Good voice but just so far under the radar.
Those last two are the ones I expect to go tomorrow. Please not Wagner. He's too kitschy cool for that. He's channelling the Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton vibe. The cult of Wagner. Watch it rip. Join the ride.
or some other bollocks about soaring over mountains or whatever.
