Rock Star: Supernova ~ Week 10

It’s just a week to go until Supernova picks their vocalist and Jason Newstead finds this a convenient time to finally get in touch his feminine side – with a little help from Storm Large on the results show. But he’s certainly disappointed with what he’s found, disappointed enough to cry in full view of the audience. Jeez! Can’t we have a drama-free week sometimes? But more of that later.

REALITY EPISODE
This week’s reality episode starts with another unhealthy dose of Dilana’s self-pity crap. She whines she hit a blank during last week’s result show and screwed up the song. Lukas says, “You’re only human, y’know?” Then she does what she does best – point at others’ fault to rise above them. She tells Lukas he did it on Celebrity Skin earlier in the season. Aww... Jeez! Let’s point out the difference in these two situations to poor Dilana here, shall we? In Lukas’ case, he had picked a song he didn’t know off the board whereas for Dilana, she had consciously made the song choice to redeem herself.

Cut to the song selection clip. This week the contestants are required to do a set, comprising of a cover and an original. Dilana again gets into an argument with Lukas over Behind Blue Eyes. Lukas says he wants to do it because it’s a cool song. Dilana wants it because “it is so fitting with what is going on in her life right now”. here we go again! Magni, the super judge, comes to Dilana’s rescue; he triple dares Lukas to do Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer. Being the kind of guy who thrives on challenges, Lukas takes up the dare. Dilana then tells the house band she’s familiar only with the Limp Bizkit version and not the original The Who tune! Oh, for Pete’s sake!

The remaining five contestants then have a song writing clinic where they get to write lyrics for a new supernova track. Gilby Clark likes Storm’s work, is disappointed with Magni’s lyrics, thinks Lukas’ song is lyrically great and melodically excellent but is irritated he didn’t complete it, says Toby had the complete song, and is disappointed with Dilana’s clichéd lyrics.

PERFORMANCE NIGHT & RESULT SHOW
On the performance night, we see each contestant performing a set – a cover and an original. First to hop around the stage is Dilana with The Who’s Behind Blue Eyes and her torn calf muscle. They tell us she tore that muscle during the practice, making us wonder what the hell was she practicing with the house band!

She sings The Who tune without her gritty growl on for one whole verse! Can you believe that? But just as I start thinking the girl can actually bring out that soft sexy voice, it’s already time for the return of the growl. But her original Supersoul – a song with a me-against-the-world theme – breaks all records of cheesiness. It’s a ‘screw you’ song to the internet voters, she says. I would like to think she meant people on the internet who have been criticizing her and not her voters. Methinks she needs a Shut Your Trap clinic more than a song writing clinic. Besides, is it really necessary to have a 'super' in your song title just because you're auditioning for a band called Supernova?

On the results show, we see that the voters have return the favour by not voting for her. So there she is in the bottom three, singing a punked out Cheap Trick’s I Want You To Want Me. Decent job but all that hopping around the stage is seriously grating on my nerves now. Can’t she just sit on that stool or something and sing instead of hopping around pathetically like a three-legged pup!

Next on is the Icelandic madman Magni with The Beatles’ Back in the USSR and his original When the Time Comes, which he says he translated from Icelandic. I think he did a better job on the original than the cover. His song’s solid, with a consistent rock beat and tone. Tommy Lee asks him why he sounded the same in both songs. Magni replies because both the songs were sung by him. Oh, I love this guy. But that wiseass mouth of his is not going to win him any points with Supernova.

Or maybe I’m wrong because the next day on the results show, the Iceman is picked by Supernova to perform their new song, which is about love! And this is the part where I go get myself something to munch. I can still hear the song from the kitchen but again am not a whole lot impressed with Supernova.

Storm’s rendition of David Bowie’s Suffragette City, though not vocally dynamic, is entertaining. She is joined on stage by Dave Navarro and they work some good chemistry. The only problem is Storm looks manlier than Dave in her black outfit and fedora. She then introduces her original as What The What Is Ladylike as against her original What The Fuck Is Ladylike title. Nice arrangement, catchy chorus, strong vocals and good stage presence but it’s still not good enough for the voters.

So she’s also in the bottom three the next day, singing Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. She says it’s for her mom, sheds a tear, starts off the song a little too softly but pushes it up a couple of notches soon and does a pretty neat job overall. Meanwhile, Jason too sheds some tears, showing the world what a wimp he is. Or is it just something in his eye?

Trust Lukas to completely rearrange classics. Taking on Magni’s dare, Lukas is on stage with just a guitar and a couple of spotlights on him and the keyboard player in the background. Though many would disagree, personally I find this stripped down version of Livin’ On A Prayer the best performance of the night artistically. If only he would stop gargling his words.

Next on is Headspin, a song about his love-hate relationship with his mother written during his days as the frontman for Rise Electric, which again is not the best among his Rise Electric or Cleavage originals. Besides, aren’t we all tired of rockers dedicating songs to their mothers? So the next day, he’s in the bottom three for the first time, stubbornly singing Headspin again. Why do I find stubborn people appealing? Is it because I’m stubborn myself?

Toby’s the last contestant to hit the stage with The Killers’ Mr. Brightside. The performance is not a whole lot impressive but the Aussie revs things up next with his original tune Throw It Away and steals the show. Though the anti-drug lyrics are not right up Tommy Lee alley, it’s the catchy chorus that does the trick. Toby’s literally all over the place, running amok, working the crowd, and getting a certain Mr. T Lee to get up and grope his butt in the process.

The next day, he gets the encore and with an oh-oh-oh-oh wins the keys of a shiny black Honda Element. Maybe that was a payoff to Toby to withdraw his sexual harassment claim against Tommy! But that was one classy move on his part to give his love to fellow Aussie Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, killed recently during a marine accident.

Among the three standing on stage, Supernova tells Lukas he can go and sit with his friends. Jason then addresses Storm and Dilana as “Comrades of Rock”. Oh Jeez! This week, Tommy is tired as he’s just back from a Motley Crue/Aerosmith concert so he passes the ‘Tommyhawk’ to Jason who in turn lands the axe on Storm.

Then starts a long speech by Dave Navarro and the Supernova boys. Dave tells her he could have chosen to rock on stage with anyone but he chose her. Then everyone gushes about how they’d love to be her backing band. Hey, wait! Didn’t these morons just axe her from the show? Aww… this is so retarded. The only saving grace here at this point is Storm who thanks everyone and goes out gracefully. Without crying.

Week 11 will see Supernova pick their new vocalist from among the final four. Who will it be? Methinks it’s going to be a Toby Vs. Lukas thing. Will they choose to go with a modern, Goth-rock sound [Lukas] or stick to their fun, old school, hard rock style [Toby]? Though I think Lukas is the most creative among the remaining four, I’m putting my bets on Toby.