Aussie Bloggers

I’ve long been a fan of Australian music. I’d say about 75% of my favourite music has come from Australian bands or artists. I thought I’d share probably what was the song that started my interest in Australian music, the classic “Suburban Boy” by Dave Warner’s from the Suburbs.

SUBURBAN BOY

I wake up every morning with no-one beside me
I wake up every morning and my mother will chide me
I’m just a Suburban Boy, just a Suburban Boy
Saturday night, no subway station
Saturday night just changing TV stations
I’m just a Suburban Boy, just a Suburban Boy
And I know what it’s like
To be rejected every night
And I’m sure it must be, easier for boys from the city
I go to the football to cheer for my team
I go to the football to hear myself scream
I’m just a Suburban Boy, just a Suburban Boy
Sunday Session – I’m down at the hotel
Staring at girls that I don’t know, well
I’m just a Suburban Boy, just a Suburban Boy
And I know what it’s like
I’ve been rejected every night
And I’m sure it must be, easier for boys from the city

I just loved this as soon as I first heard it back in 1978 - it was just so …. Australian. I was 16 at the time, and until around this time generally thought the music I heard on the radio and TV was shit (Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, ELO, no thanks, and I was never a fan of the Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, etc types). So to hear an Australian singing in an Australian accent about Australian things was fantastic (Skyhooks “Living in the 70’s” was also around about this time, maybe a bit earlier and it was groundbreaking too). As well as being very Australian in what he sang, Dave Warner also displayed plenty of wit in his observations about Australian life. He was always particularly biting in his observations about people who put on pretensions, and the music industry itself. Apart from “Suburban Boy”, other songs by Dave Warner that I think hit the mark included “Kangaroo Hop”, “Convict Streak”, and his fabulous live monologues “Mugs Game” and “Half Time at the Football” (in these he just tears strips off people he regards as wankers). I did manage to see Dave Warner live in his heyday a few times, and one of the highlights was always these latter songs, which he varied for each performance, weaving current events into the songs (really they were more like spoken word monologues to music, with a chorus every now and then). Very original, highly Australian!

Here for your listening pleasure (and perhaps education if you’ve never heard (of) this song before, is “Suburban Boy”. Enjoy!

Do you have a particularly Australian song that just evokes thoughts of Australia? I’d be interested to know some of your favourites.

Welcome to our first ever live blogging event here on Aussie Bloggers. And yes, I am aware it says *American* Idol in the title - but this year there is an Australian competing in it and he has as good a chance as anyone of actually winning it. Plus Fox8 are playing it very soon after it plays in the USA (ie today’s episode played today in the USA) so for the first time ever we are seeing it almost at the same time as the USA.

I have been watching the show since it started, so I have a couple of favourite contestants. But more about that later - the show is about to start!

So the boring stuff - hello from Ryan (who seems to be on some kind of how stick thin can I actually get without fainting diet) hello to the judges, hello to the contestants. Song choice is vital, apparently. Well what a shame you made us sit through two weeks of the beatles songbook!

Ramiele - Heart - Alone.

I really liked Ramiele to start with but she’s had a couple of bad weeks and wtf is she wearing? Are those shorts? How Tombraider. And now the performance becomes bad enough to distract me from the clothing. Hmm. Not good.

It wasn’t for Randy, Paula says she is glad people know she can sing cos she’s apparently sick and that is the excuse for the performance. Simon must be on drugs because he thought it was ok!! As sick as someone might be, there’s no excuse for dressing like that..

Err. Paula. Did I really just see you wearing fingerless elbow length gloves? With Bling? Seriously?

When did ads become a part of Aussie pay tv? Am I paying for these people to try and sell me stuff? That’s not cool. I’ve counted 5 ads now. Annoying. But then an ad for Project Runway season 4. Looking forward to that. And finally the ads is over.

Jason Castro - Sting - Fragile
blaaaaaaaah boring. and scary white shoes a la Guy Sebastian. There was a good bit towards the end though. But who is dressing these people? Is this guy heading off to prison? A denim shirt and a gray t-shirt with what looks to be corduroy pants.
Randy and Paula said it was ok, Simon thinks it was equivalent to busking. Well, he was certainly dressed to go busking. Or to live in a cardboard box. And yes, those were fingerless gloves I saw!

Syesha - If I was Your Woman
Or something like that, I didn’t quite catch it. But this is nice singing. And finally someone who is dressed like a normal person. I liked it.
Randy thought it was great -the best she’s ever sounded, stellar - he goes a little Mark Holden without the touchdown. Paula thinks she just became the dark horse but can we trust the words of a woman in fingerless elbow gloves? And Simon liked it but didn’t think it was that good.
Oh, more ads. UNSUBSCRIBE!!

20 years later, the ads finally finish.
Chikezie - If Only For One Night
Ouch. More painful than a root canal. Pitchy! And also on the Ryan Seacrest Incredible Shrinking Diet.
Randy didn’t love it. And thought it was boring. And of course Paula disagrees. Simon thought it was cheesy and unoriginal and I have to say I agree. Chikezie looks completely shattered.

More ads as a surprise. Sigh. Where’s our Aussie?

Brooke White - Every Breath You Take
Who taught herself to play music as if by magic. Whoa the the straight hair - and a false start. But this is excellent. She’s sort of like the American Delta Goodrem. And looks like she is dressed to attend a funeral. Well, you never know where the day may take you I guess. Like the boy scouts say, be prepared.

It was just ok for Randy. Paula enjoyed it, does anyone suspect she would enjoy cats fighting too? Simon didn’t like the band.

And more ads! GRRR!

Including one that involves emaciated women in their underwear doing something called the bonds mash dance.

Michael Johns - We will rock you / We are the champions.

Our Aussie at last. I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face but I’ve never lose? Ok, way to rewrite the lyrics there. I can’t hear Queen’s we are the champions without seeing Heath Ledger in A Knight’s Tale btw.

Whoa, the women love him. And so does Randy, which is a little scary. Paula thinks it was “your shining moment”. Simon thinks he saw star potential. I personally disagree a bit, it was patchy but I know Queen is a difficult thing to sing. He did ok. I don’t think he’s going home.

Carly - Total Eclipse Of The Heart

I cannot express how much I hate this song - and her performance of it eww the last note!! no, that was bad bad bad. It’s a shame because she was one of my favourites till now.

Randy didn’t love it, Paula makes more excuses for a bad performance, Simon says something didn’t quite work.

More ads and back with my personal favourite.

David A - You’re the voice by John Farnham??

Oh I remember Guy Sebastian singing this on Idol, it rocked. Unfortch this is not quite as good. But I think he’s seen Guy’s performance of it because this seems very familiar - I must watch the clip on you tube to see how much so.. It got a lot better towards the end. How would he have known about it, though? Odd..

Randy thinks it was very nice. Paula complains about that it was not an American composer!!! Ouch! Simon says he didn’t like it and thought it was a theme park performance.

And it seems like time is getting short because they didn’t let David reply to Simon, and we have two left..

Kristy Lee Cook - God Bless The USA

How has this chick survived the last two weeks? She has turned in a couple of awful performances. Smart move invoking the G word and being all patriotic, maybe it will get her some more votes. I like her outfit too. Very safe performance though. It is clear to me she wants to avoid the bottom 3 this week, and I think she might have done it.

Randy thought it was very nice - Paula thinks it was a good choice - Simon thinks her best performance by a mile and Kristy does a leap and scream. Awww.

David Cook - Billie Jean

Some version of Billie Jean I’ve never heard before. Very theatrical and excellent singing.

Randy goes into his yo check it out thing. Hot, blazing molten hot. Paula says smart, brave and willing to stretch boundaries. Simon says amazing.

So who is going home? I predict the bottom three will be Carly - Ramiel - Chikezie with one of the c’s going home. Probably Chikezie.

And it’s goodnight from the Snoskplex.