Sister's Are Doing It For Themselves

I love the new format. There is little to no faffing about at all tonight. We are a mere scant blissful ten minutes into the programme and both Irish and Prettyboy have scooted through to the Top 12. Irish is pleasantly surprised and his brogue makes my knees weak (although, as I am the worst kind of nazi when it comes to people's teeth, I do have to close my eyes a little when he speaks) and although the perfectly coiffed Andrew G tries to throw to a commercial before announcing the second Idol through, Mathieson mock-calls him on it from the balcony and they schtick back and forth a little before getting to it. Dean thanks his lord and saviour and I sprain a cocked eyebrow in surprise that he's being that open about it in a competition where it may not prove to be that cool to Jesus it up. I'm willing to let the overenthused praise to a higher being go for the time being as long as Dean doesn't get all 'praise be' and 'mercy' on us. He'll just get Marcia started and who needs that? No-one, thats who.

Bring on the girls.

Lyndelle Palmer-Clarke and her rather startlingly Jessica Simpson inspired tan is up first, singing the Eurythmics song Would I Lie To You. Orange skin aside, this chick is rather hot. She's extremely confident. She struts around the stage like she owns it and as if there isn't anyone else coming out to sing. Just her. There's a bit too much of the Idol Trademark Finger Pointing going on and her voice isn't the best I've ever heard in the world, but she infuses her performance with more enthusiasm and energy than all of the boys from last night combined. Mark thinks she needs to step it up, Marcia admires her moxie (I take a step back to admire Marcia using the word moxie) and Kyle - who apparently refuses to acknowledge that anything good was released prior to 1995 - hates her song choice. I think she has a good choice to be this years rock chick. (This opinion will change an hour later at the end of the show when I realise I have to check my notes to remember her name and what she sang . . . )

Klancie Keogh is a jillaroo, a country music fan and a rather proud owner of breasts, which she comes very close to letting us know a tad more intimately than I'm entirely comfortable with. She's rather fond of the JLo cut to the navel look and although she can pull it off, I kinda wish she wouldn't. KK is singing a Dixie Chicks song (which got a surprised 'good girl!' from me on the couch) called Not Ready To Make Nice. Anyone who has heard Natalie Maines (lead singer of the DC) sing, knows that she made some serious deal with the devil for her pipes. They are earthy, her range is astounding and she has stage presence in spades. (Also her extremely public, infamous bitch against George Bush cemented her place in my heart . . . ) Klancie sings well but her vocals aren't as powerful. She's nervous as shit and when they pull to a wide shot of her body its obvious she doesn't know what to do with her hands and they're fluttering all over the place. Mark thinks she's blah and that she totally missed the emotion of the song but the other two think she pulled it off admirably. Kyle goes so far as to say he liked it, which sends Klancie into a paroxysm of glee. She also takes the opportunity to rest her head on G's shoulder. Well, who wouldn't, really? Wildcard.

Jessica Maubury is singing her second Whitney Houston song, this time its that old pop classic I Wanna Dance With Somebody. I'm just going to say it. I really like this girl. She's so freaking cute and her vocals are absolutely impeccable, she doesn't hit a bad note, her pitch is fabulous and she is having a ridiculous amount of fun. She commands your attention with an authority far belying her 17 years. She's through, they should just put her in the Top 12 now. Her final note soars and is fantastic. Knowing there was nothing to fault with that performance, Mark and Kyle pick on her song choice. Yes, we're all a little sick of Whitney Houston. Yes, it would have been nice for her to pick something a little more current, say The Veronica's or even (don't hate me) Avril Lavigne/Ashlee Simpson but who fucking cares? Jessica obviously loves Whitney, so let her sing Whitney. This is one of the few times they get to sing what they want without being pigeonholed by this show's ludicrous themes. Whitney was pop music in the 80's, okay? You can't be angry that your contestants don't know the Beatles and then expect them to ignore great music from other decades to concentrate on the current one. And another thing. Don't diss the Whitney. She will cut you. She's mean these days.

James drops the E-bomb. That's right, the next contestant will basically throw the Top 12 baby out with the dull as ditch water by performing an Evanescence song. Lets watch as Atlanta Coogan - the first of our mystery contestants, they show more of her singing in her pre-song package than we've seen in the last three weeks - commits Idol suicide. To be fair, she's not singing this badly, she hits most of the notes and there's nary a nasal tone in sight (which is how the Evanescence chick sings). She has a good voice and her high register is sweet but this isn't the performance to get her through. Mark wanted more emotion from a 30 year old - its a good call but he apparently wants her to kill her firstborn child or something - seriously? Don't ask her if she's ever lost someone ON NATIONAL TV. Fuck off Holden. Kyle thinks she needs to step it up because "this group is the best I've seen". Of course, thats because the best he's seen included DeadtomeOnetrickponyLee and Screechy Williams. Its not a very high bar, frankly.

Amanda Streete is my new Idol girlfriend. She has a beautiful rasp to her voice, husky and growly (check out my favourite Rockstar Supernova contestant Dilana who has the same thing going on - its totally sex.) And she's freaking singing Pink's Trouble! She gets into a little trouble in the lower register and has to growl her way out of it but it works. You know, so far the girls have blown the boys away - they've picked high energy songs and they've performed them well, they know how to move and they've engaged the audience with nary a cheesy moment - Dean. Amanda struts around the stage and the audience is loving it, as am I. Mark bitches at Amanda for not engaging the television audience. I call total bullshit on that. I can't call bullshit though on his concerns for her voice, because the raspy singer will have problems if they keep singing that way without the proper vocal warm ups and care, you can damage your voice if you're not careful - right Cosima? Kyle also jumps on that but Marcia loved her and calls her sassy. I love that word. Sassy. A-fucking-men. If I had my way she'd be through, but I'll take a Wildcard if I have to.

Final performer of the night is moptop Reigan Derry who is singing I wish I Were A Punk Rocker (a song I have heard ad nauseaum on the radio recently and am already over). Reigan has been dissed by the judges recently and is the girl Marcia slapped as being 'not as good as you think you are' during the solo performances. She walks out onto the stage with Stepping It Up written all over her forehead. I think its a smart move to choose a current song, especially this one which suits her voice extremely well. Her onstage presence needs a little work but her higher register is pure and lovely and I don't even mind the trilling at the end because it works. Mark outs himself as a Trekkie when he notes that she's dressed like an extra from Deep Space Nine, Marcia compliments her on her left of centre choice, apparently unaware that this song is currently number two on the Aria charts and will resonate with the Idol audience. Come one Marcia, its hardly Portishead (and for those keeping count at home, this is my first official Chanel reference for the season). Kyle tells the other two judges that they're insane, old and basically know shit about music anymore and tells Reigan it was a great song choice and that he loved her arrangement. She is incredibly charismatic with both the judges and the co-hosts, very articulate and friendly. She's a big possibility to make it through.

Quite frankly, I think the girls were a thousand times better. I know others disagree (PGiddy, you're on crack, admit it - right?). Now Jessica has the tween vote wrapped all the hell up and like Dean before her, is a dead cert to make it through tonight. I think the other spot is going to split between Reigan or Amanda because they were the two most memorable after Jessica. Slight advantage to Amanda purely based on the fact that I liked her more. So there.

TallulahBelle out.