September 2006 - Posts
So Rockstar:Supernova is over and the move has prevented me from seeing or doing anything worth blogging about, but Chris and I decided that we needed a break this weekend, so we went to Disney. When we lived here several years ago, we had annual passes and we had such a great time that we decided to do it all over again. It does seem that I have forgotten many things and tips that I learned from the last time that I had an annual pass. Thus, I decided to save my tips on my blog and figured that I might as well share them with others. Here goes.
Tip #1: If you live close enough to Disney, you should buy an annual pass. (I realize that this tip is not an option for all, but it is something that I feel is a great tip if you live close by. I promise that the other tips will be more useful to the general populous.)
Reasoning: I grew up where we had to travel 5 hours to get to a decent city to do anything, so a 3-hour one-way trip is no big deal to me. We call that a day-trip and in fact, we did that a lot the first time that we lived here. It is not too much hassle for a day of fun. I say if you live within 5-hours (one-way) of Disney, you should get an annual pass. Florida residents receive additional discounts on the annual pass, so all the more reason.
There are also several perks to having an annual pass. First, you don't pay parking. That saves $10 a pop at each park. Second, you receive discounts at some of the shops and restaurants. Third, you don't have to wait in line to buy tickets. Fourth and most importantly, you don't have to feel obligated to stay if the park is jammed full of people. There were several times that we got our fastpass for the particular ride that we wanted, rode it and left. You know that you will be back, so you pick a couple of rides that you like and then leave. As a corollary, we also spent every holiday at Disney, because they have awesome fireworks shows on holidays. But do not plan to get Disney done on a holiday, because it is jampacked. We wanted good seats for the shows, so we sat down two hours before the show would start, bought the kids a souvenir to play with and vegged until the show was over. The kids didn't complain, because they knew that they would be back and they had a toy. Plus we got a good view of a spectacular show. Fifth, they have special events for annual passholders that lets you preview rides and attractions before the general public. Trust me, this is the way to do it. Minimal waits, special treats, it is awesome. Definitely worth the expense if you manage to get up there enough.
Tip #2: Mid-September is a great time to go to Disney, even on a weekend.
Reasoning: We only get up to Disney on weekends, and this past trip was great. There was only one ride that had a wait time of over 10 minutes, and it was the brand new one in Animal Kingdom, Mt. Everest. Very awesome ride. We got our fastpass for it though and rode a lot of other things in that time. It seems that everyone is in school or afraid of hurricane season or something. Regardless, the wait times are non-existant and you can knock out all the rides in Magic Kingdom in a day easily. We didn't watch parades or shows much this time, but we still would have had time to do them if we had wanted.
Tips #3 & #4: Disney will give you cups of ice water for free. Thus, if you can do Disney without a backpack or stroller, do it.
Reasoning: If your child is over 4-years old, they can probably walk Disney and handle it. Remember that it will tire them, but that is a good thing for them to sleep at the end of the day. You can also rent a stroller at Disney if it becomes absolutely necessary. The free water means that you don't need to pack all those bottles of water that are not going to stay cold anyway. I don't remember them doing this when we first had our passes, so this may be a new development (within the past three years). It also means you can bypass security completely if you have no bags. Cargo shorts can hold your passes or a fanny pack (although you have to go through security then, I think). It is much simpler to do than you think. Plus they have package pick-up, so if you buy something early on, you can have it sent to the front and pick it up when you leave.
Tip #5: Most of the parking areas at all of the theme parks are walkable to/from the park entrance.
It amazes us that people will wait so long on/for the tram when the park entrance is in sight. This is especially true for Animal Kingdom. There are no unwalkable parking areas at Animal Kingdom. At Epcot and MGM, it may be a little far to the very back parking lots and Magic Kingdom does have a very that would be considered remote parking. But honestly, if you wait to leave until the park closes or you get there right at opening, it will save you much more time, if you just walk. The lines at night can have you waiting for 30 minutes or more standing. It seems better to spend the time walking (none of the areas are 30 minutes walk time) and not let the tired set in while you wait. It was also much more of a hassle with a stroller to load it into the tram than to just walk to/from the entrance.
So those are the tips for this edition. I am sure that there are more forthcoming after the next trip in October.
Slutty poseur rock chic Brooke is back for the final time this season. Then they recap last night. Dave says, what a summer. So the bottom two are announced and then they perform. One is eliminated and then the final three perform and the winner is chosen.
So Magni, Toby, and Lukas were in the bottom two at some point during the night. Outrageous that Dilana was safe. The bottom two are:
Magni: "Fire", Jimi Hendrix
A typical Magni performance. Good, but nothing special. I feel like I am on repeat here.
Grade: B
Toby: "Rebel Yell", Billy Idol
He really cannot handle the loew register. The crowd is majorly into it. The song vastly improves once he gets into the higher register. Then he jumps into the crowd and does a back roll back onto the stage. The jump seemed anti-climactic. This performance did not live up to his previous performance of this song. However, there is no real choice here. Buh-bye, Magni.
Grade: A-
Comments:
Gilby says, this was hard. We have watched all four of these guys grow and perform all summer. Once again, Magni it has been a great ride. You seem more like part of the band, instead of fronting the band. You are the next to go. Dave says, you are the most consistent. You will do great. Good luck to you. No surprise that he was eliminated, just as predicted.
So the final three are: Toby, Dilana, and Lukas. So they say, last chance to make your plea to front the band.
Lukas: They show clips of performances with "Creep" in the background and Lukas saying, I came here to win. The best is yet to come. Dave says, you have shown such diversity. Good luck. Anything to add? Lukas says, it would be my honor to lead these guys on a world tour. They are so much more humble.
Dilana: They show clips of performances with "Time After Time" in the background and Dilana saying, I need them and they need me. See last night's blog about that comment. Dave says, best of luck. You are a fighter, strong, determined, incredible singer. Dilana says, I think that you need someone 1000% dedicated. Lukas and Toby are awesome, but I am the one.
Toby: They show clips of performances with "Karma Police" in the background and Toby saying, he is climbing. Dave says, night and day difference from the beginning. Toby says, I listened to you and respect you immensely. This image does not compare to what I would do in front of you. Also, I am tallest. Non-sequiter there.
Lukas: "Bittersweet Symphony", The Verve
The lighting wasn't as good this performance as last time. It was not as good as the original time that he performed this. Still a good job though.
Grade: A-
Dilana: "Zombie", The Cranberries
It does not compare to the original. The best part of the song is the clarity and quality of her voice, because it cuts through everything in your head. Like you are having a dream and that voice cuts through it all. I did not like it.
Grade: B
Toby: "Somebody Told Me", The Killers
Toby excels at singing The Killers songs. Bad choice to crowd sing. They were not worked up enough. It seemed lame, because the crowd has been much louder with his songs, even "Rebel Yell", that he just performed.
Grade: A
We leave on them "deliberating", but they actually made the call weeks ago. Let's get real. Based on performances tonight, Toby wins, but there is so much more to take into account then that. I'll be ok if he wins, but I will not go see Dilana perform. Although I listened to The Panic Channel's album on Napster. That album rocks. It is awesome.
Comments:
Jason says, there is a lot of positive vibe out of what everyone got out of this. Toby, you have the range that cuts through the guitar, no matter the volume. Each performance has moved you up a notch. You are the next one to go home. We love you. People, check it out. Hold on, I have to pause blogging to laugh at Chris and slickyjo. I was so right there. No puppets allowed. Dave says, all the best. You have a hot song to take with you. Toby says, this has been the best time ever. You have made the safest choice. These two have been consistently great. You boys have taught me so much.
So it is down to Dilana and Lukas. I called it in the beginning, although I wavered at the end due to Dilana's idiocy and Toby's improvement. However, I think that Dilana's idiocy and inability to write sings will now sink her. Let's see... Dave says, looks like you are going to perform a goth wedding. Brooke says, you were the top two vote getters last night.
Gilby says, this is tough. All summer we have been waiting. A few more minutes, ok. We're back. Tommy says, Lukas, your look, energy, vocals, movements are all amazing. Dilana, yeah. You are enchanting. Your voice is unbelievable. Everyone loves you both. He asks the crowd who they should choose. Then he says, we need to listen to our fans and we agree with them. He says last night, the person with the highest votes was... Lukas. You are our boy. Dave says, I adore you Dilana. Phenomenal singer, phenomenal performer. Please come play with the house band with us. Gilby offered to help write and produce her record after the tour. Dave says, I will play too. Tommy says, me too. Jason stayed silent though.
Tommy is making out with him. Gosh! So they perform "Be Yourself", which is the song that Toby performed with Supernova several weeks ago. It is not a great song. I think that Lukas will compliment Gilby well in songwriting. Lukas does a good job getting melodies, initial verses, and a chorus. Gilby can flesh the song out. It should work out well. I predict that their sophomore effort will be much better than their freshman album. Then they perform "It's All Love", which is the one that Magni performed with Supernova. Magni got to play on guitar.
Well, Chris and slickyjo, I think that I proved everything that I said about knowing this genre.
Brooke actually looks cute tonight, minus the funny wristband. So apparently America decided that they wanted to hear Ryan's single again. He shows a lottle more gratitude to Supernova for the chance to play "Back of Your Car" in front of so many people. He is enunciating better this performance. This time did not seem to live up to the last time.
Then they recap the season, focusing on the final four. Then we find out that tomorrow they will eliminate one of the bottom two and then the other three battle it out. Not sure what that means or why we need to do that when their decision is already made, but I am not the producer.
Toby: "Karma Police", Radiohead
He sounds funny, like he is trying to draw it out too much. He is getting marginally better with the chorus. However, he does not really hit it until the end.
Grade: B-
"Throw It Away", Toby Rand
So he says that Magni is going to come play with him. The crowd singing was marginal. Did they plan this "I hold your guitar" routine. He seemed to lack energy tonight.
Grade: A-
Comments:
Dave says that that is his favorite Radiohead song and he liked the performance. He says that he delivered it with power. Killer set. Right now, I feel like I am watching a great rock show. Tommy says nice job. Gilby says, you were lost in the melody of the Radiohead song. You are great in the upper register. Jason says more energy in three minutes than we have had all summer. Was Jason absent the night that Toby originally performed that? It did not compare to his original performance. His set that night was killer. Tonight paled in comparison.
Lukas: "Fix You", ColdPlay
Chris claims that I know this song, but I don't think that I do. I am not a ColdPlay fan. Dave is holding up his pink Razor. Paula Abdul is in the audience and cheering for Lukas. I like this song.
Grade: A
"Headspin", Lukas Rossi
So he strips it down this week. We can understand the lyrics this way. Jason is amazed at the silence. This song has a lot of feeling done this way.
Grade: A
Comments:
Dave says that when Paula Abdul wants to hear great singing, she comes to Rockstar: Supernova. Umm, Fox is not so happy right now. There goes her contract. Lukas, I am so proud to be here to see these performances. He has questioned all season if he could listen to Lukas for a 2-hour show and after seeing all the facets, I would buy a ticket. Tommy says, wow, cool. Gilby says, that was great, so good. Great that you are fearless and willing to take a chance. Awesome.
Dilana: "Roxanne", The Police
She has all the boys backing her up. Very cool version. She can sing. She can rearrange a song. She cannot write and she should not open her mouth outside of her performances.
Grade: A+
"Supersoul", Dilana
She prefaces that this song is not about being angry. It is about letting go and freedom. She works her way through the crowd and sings to the band. She caresses Dave and then goes over to Paula Abdul. She goes all over the arena. Her lyrics are still so literal.
Grade: B+
Comments:
Dave says you know how much I love you and multiply that by 1000. You are back, on top. Smart to get your competitors to sing backup. Tommy says loved it. You are beautiful to watch perform. Jason says, I would get matching outfits for the boys and Lukas, work on the choreography. Gilby says, I love watching you every week. Can't wait to see how it goes down tomorrow night.
Magni:"Hush", Deep Purple
Magni makes a good lead for a cover band. He just does not add much originality to a song. But he does great covers. He can sing and actually play guitar. He is a great backup guy. He performs great. Playing each other's guitars is dirty. You can't show that on TV.
Grade: B
"When the Time Comes", Magni
He forgets the song name. OK? Is his wife cool with other women rubbing his head? I have heard that is very intimate contact. This song is good, but nothing special. Tommy looks bored.
Grade: B
Comments:
Dave says, there is a girl that is hot for you in the crowd. Magni tries to play it off. Dave says your cover was cool. Thanks for a great show and great set. All of you are awesome. Tommy says I don't remember your original. Jason says, I dig the original. Magni says I like it and that's what matters. Gilby says, great job, good performance.
So it is obvious that they plan to eliminate Magni. Everyone else is technically in the running. Although I sincerely doubt that Dilana is actually in the running. I think that last night's analysis still stands. It appears that Lukas is more consistent and diverse in his performances and he is my personal choice. Chris likes Toby, as does slickyjo.
So the rank at the end of the show is:
1. Dilana
2. Toby
3. Lukas
4. Magni
So if these rankings stand, Magni will be the first one eliminated. The only way that he saves himself is to not be in the bottom two at the end of voting. Of course, then he only saves himself until the final three.
Part 1: Wow! We are down to the final four.
So we recap last week's performances. I still fail to understand eliminating Storm over Dilana or even Magni. Truly appalling in my opinion. Although I spoke to someone this weekend that still wants Dilana to win. That blows my mind. Oh well, to each his/her own.
Back at the mansion, they all toast Storm and agree that her song rocked. Magni says it was awesome to sing with Supernova. Lukas says it is crazy to be with the lead singer. Dilana says that it is crazy to still be here. In 8 days, one of them will be singing with Supernova. Magni goes to the piano and starts playing. Toby sneaks Dilana a pie and they smash it in Magni's face.
Mig shows up from Rockstar:INXS. He hands the car keys to Toby for the Honda Element. Mig says this is a big step up, even if you do not make it. He says he just finished his album. It will be out Jan 2007. Lukas says that stopped listening to Mig when he said, if you don't win. Lukas says that he is here to win.
They enter the Supernova room. There are framed pictures of them performing. Very cool. They all agree that the pictures capture their characters. Lukas says he looks like the Predator in his picture.
Part 2: Song Selection
Lukas comes in the Supernova room and there is a pile of songs on the table. The letter from Supernova says, replay your original, and choose anything that has been performed on the show. They reminsce about the performances. There are four new songs. The Pink Floyd song causes contention. Lukas is finally trying to fight for the song he wants and he pulls that card with "Comfortably Numb". Then he relents and takes ColdPlay. Then Dilana decides maybe she wants "Roxanne". Magni says, you can't be worse than Chris was, but not in those words. She practices and decides on "Roxanne". She offers "Comfortably Numb" back to Lukas. Then she pats herself on the back for branching out and singing this song. Give me a break! I hope you sink.
Lukas: "Fix You", ColdPlay
He sounds good on the song. He says it reminds him of his father. Granted, I don't know the original.
Dilana: "Roxanne", The Police
So she says she wants to do an acoustic version. MISTAKE 1. Then she says, I guess we are going to show Chris how this should be done. MISTAKE 2. You don't bag on the other rockers and she has already been chastised for this. She says that she will not make the same mistake. Paul says that it confuses that him that she would choose this song and then do it this way. But I personally think that Paul is wrong a lot of the time, so this holds no weight for me. Rafael is just covering his face. Paul says he doesn't like it and the band doesn't like it. She says, if I get crucified for this song, that person needs their head examined. MISTAKE 3. You have yet to make it and you have no songwriting abilities. Thus you have no rights to judge whether you rock out or not.
Part 3:
Toby: "Karma Police", Radiohead
He is practicing acoustic outside while the others are shown packing. Toby says this has been the best experience. Toby sounds good.
Dilana says, I need Supernova and they need me. Half of that statement might be true. She might definitely need Supernova after she has shown the world that she is a no-talent songwriting back-biting freak. I do not believe that any band in their right mind or drugged out mind would offer her a position.
Lukas feels that he is the right person and Toby says that he is climbing to join Supernova.
Part 4: The credits
They are shown partying at the mansion. Lukas is passed out on the bed.
So it appears that Lukas and Toby are both stripping it down this week and Dilana is going to screw a classic and who knows about Magni. Basically, it is down to Toby and Lukas in all reality. Toby's original is better than Lukas', so it really comes down to if Supernova wants to be able to control the lead singer or let him have a mind of his own. I could see them going with either one. Lukas might actually be better off without Supernova, while I question if Toby would make it on his own.
Brooke looks nice tonight and only marginally slutty. Supernova is touring with Aerosmith. That will rock. Aerosmith totally rocks. So they could no longer hide Brooke's bulge, so they just admitted that she was pregnant. Then they recap this week's songs.
Dave says probably best show ever. Some of them were instantly memorable. He goes to Lukas and Lukas says it was awesome to sing in front of this many people. Toby says it was unbelievable and I am a happy little camper. Dave says what happened to make this shift. Toby says, it's called evs. Based on what he said that means, it makes no sense. He tries to explain it, but I don't buy it. I think that he found the right "disguise" to put on with Supernova.
So they choose Magni to sing with them tonight on their new track. The song was ok and Magni's performance was good. Not sure that it is good enough though to win. Probably good enough to make it through to the finals though.
The encore (and a Honda Element SC) goes to... Toby. He dedicates his performance to Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. Great performance again tonight.
So everyone spent time in the bottom three last night. DUH! There are only five of them. It would be almost statistically impossible to have not spent at least some time in the bottom 60% percent. The bottom three are:
Storm: "Wish You Were Here", Pink Floyd
Jason is crying. This is amazing. She emotes very well in this song. It has a lot of feeling. Now Storm is crying. She dedicates it to her mother. Jason is not making it. I think you officially buy yourself a bye if you make Supernova cry.
Grade: A+
Dilana: "I Want You to Want Me", Cheap Trick
Gilby says that was one of the gutsiest performances ever last night. If it is gutsy to come out and perform an awful original in front of America and hop on one foot freakishly, then I guess she was gutsy. Personally I thought it was stupid. I hate this version. I don't like the Cheap Trick version. I actually like the Dwight version to be honest. I hated that and with her inability to write songs, she is so gone tonight.
Grade: C
Lukas: "Headspin", Lukas Rossi
Jason says he is surprised. Lukas plays it very cool with, it had to happen sometime and everyone brought their A game. I get a chance to save myself again. I like the song, but I still think the song needs a little work.
Grade: A-
Jason is listing the reasons that Dilana has to go to Tommy. Gilby says Storm, you brought new stuff with your tunes last night, like we asked, but you have had multiple trips to the bottom three. Dilana, you have been the one to watch in this competition, but you are in the bottom three. Lukas, your first time, but tonight is your night. Go sit down. My boy made it through.
Tommy says, I love you both. Tommy passes the axe to Jason. I bet it is eliminate Dilana, because Tommy can't bring himself to eliminate her. If Jason eliminates Storm after having a freakin breakdown over her song, then he has no soul. Jason says, you are both incredible, fantastic performers. We respect you both as comrades in rock. This week, Storm, you go home.
Dave says he truly respects her. Everyone wants to work with her on her single. I am in shock. That was ridiculous. Dilana should have been eliminated. She has imploded. Storm has shown nothing but class (and some skin). Jason is officially soulless. Granted Storm was not going to win the competition, but Dilana should have been sent home. No questions. They have made their second mistake, although yet again it ultimately doesn't matter to whom fronts the band; yet, it does reflect poorly on their judgment. She might have grown the least out of all the rockers, but she had the least to grow honestly. Storm will be just fine. Best of luck and I will buy the record.
Brooke is going for the escaped convict wench look tonight. It's awful, even Chris thinks it's bad. So we recap last week's shows and Monday's webisode.
Dilana: "Behind Blue Eyes", The Who
How do you rip a calf muscle doing this? This is really good. She is actually singing without the rasp and I like it. I don't like the version of the song. I a very partial to the Limp Bizkit version. This must have been the part of the song that she didn't know, because neither do I.
"Supersoul", Dilana
The hopping is just silly. Dave is not happy. The song is bad. She has no songwriting ability. The music is not bad, but the lyrics are awful.
Comments:
Dave says commendable on the performance with a torn calf muscle. Nice to see personal interaction with the crowd. He says that her original was not his favorite performance of hers, but it is hard to write under this pressure, especially after following a classic. Tommy says, I thought that your original was bangin. Of course, we heard his original with the whole lights on chorus. He and Dilana would write corny songs together. Luckily Gilby and Jason have more of a clue. Although I do feel that they need a strong lyricist for the frontman, because the other songs not written by Tommy have had only adequate lyrics. Gilby says, I think your lyrics are too literal. Use your imagination. Jason says, strong will and effort are important good job. Dave condescendingly says, good job, Dilana.
Grade: B+ on "Behind Blue Eyes", D on "Supersoul"
Magni: "Back in the U.S.S.R.", The Beatles
This is a fair performance. Nothing special here. Magni needed to change the song, not cover it as is.
"When the Time Comes", Magni
So he says that he translated this to English. Not bad, but kind of trite. It is a good filler song. Not the kind that you need to try to impress with.
Comments:
Dave says, great. I dug the guitar riff on the original and that was the hardest that I have heard your voice this season. Good job. Tommy says I liked both of the performances, but they were the same, why? Because they were both performed by me, Magni says. Maybe he ought to pursue stand-up because he is good on his feet. He missed the point on why did the Beatles song that he covered that sounded exactly like the Beatles performance end up just like the performance of a rock song. Tommy says, stupid me. Gilby says, you should have kicked it up a notch on the original, what Tommy is talking about. But good job overall.
Grade: B- on "Back in the U.S.S.R.", B+ on "When the Time Comes"
Storm: "Suffragette City", David Bowie
Dave asks if he can rock with her. Dilana looks like, Dave has never rocked with me. Gilby says, WOW! But I am not sure if it is for Storm or Dave. Dave kisses Storm right before she says, "Wham!Bam!Thank you Ma'am!" So the energy was good, but I did not like the song. She did a good performance though.
"LadyLike", Storm Large
They apparently told her that they did not want to beep her. Tommy likes the song and Jason is rockin' along. The song turned out a lot better than it started. It really showed her off. It would have been better as an explicit version, but that is not her fault. Great performance
Comments:
Dave says that I have been onstage with a lot of great frontmen, and it feels just like that. He says, that is my favorite original on the show ever. I really liked "Trees". It was catchy and Marty really rocked it out on the show. But a really good song. It is definitely the best original on this season so far. Tommy says that track is (some noise, meaning the bomb). Gilby says the same thing. Very good Storm Large tune. Then she excites all the guys by kissing Brooke on the lips. She's playing up.
Lukas: "Livin' on a Prayer", Bon Jovi
He matches Brooke. He mumbled the first few lines. He stripped it down and I sincerely doubted that I would like it. But he surprised me. Chris says that Bon Jovi did this same version for the 9/11 benefit, but I failed to see that. He says it does not compare at all. He did need to enunciate better, but he added a lot of feeling to the song. Jason does not seem impressed. Overall good job.
"Headspin", Lukas
He says it is about his mother. Tommy is laughing.Not sure if he likes it or not. Jason is counting how many times he says that same line. Not a great song. It had a lot of potential, but it seemed incomplete. The music was great and he has the right issues to write a good song like this. He just needed some more detail to flesh out the verses.
Comments:
Dave says, you have proven to be energetic and steady and now you show this emotional side. That is a stadiumful of lighters, I mean cell phones, now. Tommy asks if the crowd dug it. Gilby says, you inspire me when you perform. I am kind of surprised that they were so positive on his original.
Grade: A- on "Livin' on a Prayer", A- on "Headspin"
Toby: "Mr. Brightside", The Killers
The crowd singing is bad! If The Killers need a new lead singer, I can recommend one. But there is nothing special about this version. It was a good cover.
"Throw It Away", Toby
Dave is like, WOW! He has a lot of energy. Tommy just raised his glasses to look at Jason. Dave is singing along. Then Tommy goes and pinches Toby's butt. I am so disturbed. Honestly, this was the best song tonight. It was a nice touch to add the guitar riff to appeal to Gilby and Jason. Jason did take note.
Comments:
Dave says, two things. Evs is now worldwide. Your original is instantaneously memorable. Tommy is like awesome. Gilby says, awesome and you put the fun in rock. Jason says, you draw people in and it is magical.
Grade: B- on "Mr. Brightside", A+ on "Throw It Away"
Seems like Dilana and Magni were the worst. The other one in the bottom three is up for grabs between Lukas and Storm. Toby's original rocked and his performance of "Mr. Brightside" was fine.
So they listed the order of the contestants based on current votes. So here it is:
1. Toby
2. Lukas
3. Magni
4. Storm
5. Dilana
I am really surprised that Magni beat out Storm, but the voting is not over yet. Bottom line is, Dilana is going home tomorrow. Her cover was subpar. Her original was awful. She can't write worth a blind donkey. She is not loyal to her friends. She can't handle criticism or pressure. She needs to go.
Part 1: The track
So we recap last week's shows. So Ryan had a really arrogant exit interview. I watched it, but decided not to blog about it, because I refused to give him more publicity. I am so glad that he is gone.
Back at the mansion, they all toast Ryan. Lukas says Ryan was very talented, but I guess Supernova did not see him as the frontman. Dilana laments screwing up her song. That song was awful, even if it had been done right. Lukas tries to comfort her and says you are only human. To which she retorts, you did it on "Celebrity Skin". Hello, she has learned nothing. Please eliminate her this week. She says that it was the worst performance of her life and it was the stress of being in the bottom three. She obviously does not handle pressure, criticism, or stress well. Just cut her! Then Magni smashes something in Toby's face. Everybody laughs. Then they all throw their drinks on Toby. Then it starts an all-out food fight. They conclude by jumping in the pool. Storm apparently got naked, or at least half way.
The next morning they are sitting outside the pool, just chatting and congratulating themselves. Magni says, we get to see the real Dilana now since she has screwed up. They all head to the Supernova room and listen to the new track that they have to write lyrics for. Lukas says that it is the best so far. Dilana says it is the kind of song that she has been waiting for: heavy, deep, and dark. I hate to hear the "cornball" lyrics that she will put with it. Lukas starts singing to the track. Toby complains that Lukas is hindering the rest of them with his melodies. So Toby runs away. He claims that this is such his cup of tea. He gets encores and to sing with Supernova. He says it is all working out.
Dilana says everyone is singing and writing down stuff. She just wrote down the arrangement and had no ideas. But I thought that you were waiting for a song like this. She wants to prove that she is a professional and that she can do this. Good luck with that.
Part 2: Songwriting with Gilby
So they head off to Gibson. So Storm brings in lyrics, tentatively calling the song "Maniac Night Life". She says that songwriting is very intimate, so she is nervous. Gilby says Storm is a pleasure to work with and is extremely professional. She has found the balance of having fun and getting the job done. She says collaborating with him was laid-back and easy. She says the chemistry is so important to the stage performance. Gilby says great job.
Next is Magni. He says he has a complex writing in English, because it always seems awkward to him. Understandable. He says, then I hear the other guys' lyrics and mine are really good. He has a great sense of humor. He says 90% of rock songs have the same vocab and cliches. That is not good to have that mindset for new songs. You need to be trying to break that, not write to that. Even if he is right. Gilby says he gets it, but let's color up the lyrics. Gilby says that he was disappointed with Magni's song, because the lyrics weren't exciting. That's what happens when you use the same stuff that everybody else does. Gilby asks about the title and Magni is like, I have no idea. Gilby comes up with "Camoflauge" and Magni is like ho-hum. Gilby says he can't tell if Magni is creative or not. Not a good sign for Magni.
Now for Lukas. He says that this is like what he has done before. Gilby think's Lukas' song was very good. Excellent, Gilby says. He didn't take the generic route, which is something that Gilby looks for. (Like the other 90% of rock lyrics.) Gilby says, let's work on a second verse. Gilby says it was irritating that Lukas came in with a verse and a chorus knowing that he can get by. He says that he had to do more writing with Lukas' than with anyone else's song. Not so good for Lukas. Gilby says, Lukas' competition is himself and I think he feels that this is his to lose.
Toby is up next. Gilby says, cool, excellent, some really good stuff on there about Toby's lyrics. He starts telling Toby about writing cliches and redundancy, but that this is not and it is really, really good. He says that Toby comes in with a fresh energy and approach and they need an energy like that. Way to go Toby. Gilby says he likes how Toby works the rhythms in and out of the beat. Gilby deemed Toby's contribution as the most complete. He says Toby has been listening to the music, where Lukas has been listening song by song. Toby got it, because he is listening to the whole package. Gilby says they don't want a puppet. (Not sure that Toby is the right choice then.) Toby says that Gilby inspired him to prove that he is right for the job. He says that he really doesn't have many suggestions for Toby.
Gilby starts with kncking Dilana's writing. He says that it was not where they had hoped it would be. He is curious to see what she has. She says she kind of has a melody and some lyrics. It's all from the heart, she says. Aww, how sweet. Her song is called, "Metamorphosis: Lizard Skin". It was about "people on the Internet, who vote for us... Basically a screw you kind of song." Is this the best type of song to be writing now? Some of the best rock songs out there are screw you type of songs, but you are still trying to get popular vote. Not such a wise choice to say screw you before you have the gig secured. Gilby says her writing was cliche. He is so disappointed. At least the lyrics come together to form intelligible sentences this time. Gilby says, although they are the best lyrics that we have seen from her so far (see last sentence), I could have almost predicted what she was going to say in the song. She could write for country music with that qualification. He takes her lyrics and says, here's some stuff. I don't want to make it too literal. Then she goes, oh yeah, you can go CTRL, ALT, DEL. Um, there must be a language barrier here about the word "literal". Gilby says that she lacks imagination. He continues to critique her lyrics. Then she slits her throat. She says, coming into this thing, I did not realize that the songwriting thing was going to be such a big issue. Do you listen to rock music? I have said it numerous times that rock music has to be original, so unless she expected them to write all the songs, she should have known this. You don't make it as a rock band without writing the biggest majority of your own songs. She says, I auditioned to be the singer. That's all I have done, is sing. It shows. You should go home now. Gilby says, it is easy to point out the problems, but you need to resolve them too. So why don't you do that with your song. Gilby finally says what I have been reiterating, that successful artists write their own songs.
So Gilby sums up the songwriting saying, these 5 people have gotten here by who they are. Now it is about what you will be bringing to the band. If you don't bring anything, why do I need you? (Read: goodbye Dilana and possibly Magni.)
Part 3: Song Selection / Rehearsal
So the letter says that the performers will do a set this week. A song from the board and an original. (Final nail in Dilana's coffin.) Dilana says, it is scary, because everyone who has done an original has left. Lukas and Dilana want "Behind Blue Eyes". Awesome song. Dilana says it is very fitting for her life right now. So she wants it. I wonder if Lukas will put a fight up this time. She says. let's talk about our reasoning. He says, who cares about the reason. I like the melody; it's a cool song. Magni starts playing it and Lukas goes, that is the old way. Lukas means the "new" version by Limp Bizkit. It rocks. Dilana says, I seriously want this song. A Beatles song and Bon Jovi song are left and Magni dares Lukas to pick one. Magni says, you choose and I will do the other. He triple dares him. He forgot the dog in the middle, but he is Icelandic, so maybe their playground dares are different. Lukas says, fine if you are all too chicken, I'll do it. (I assume he means Bon Jovi.)
Dilana says, ok I'm chicken. She just wants her song. Then she credits Magni with being clever for turning the tables and allowing her to get what she wants. She says Magni goes, if anyone could rock out "Living on a Prayer", it is you, Lukas, you weird freak. I think Magni did it much more diplomatically, but he pretty much did it as she said. Lukas says he took a huge risk with this song. Lukas calls an end to song selection by taking Bon Jovi. Then he goes, I'm screwed. He says, oh well, I can redeem myself with my original.
Storm: "Lady Like", Storm Large
We hear Storm practicing her original. It has a very mellow sound to it. Maybe she is just not to the rock part. She says that she lost part of who she was a few weeks ago by dressing slutty and she has to be true to herself. Now she starts rocking a little more. She says that Supernova really hasn't seen her yet. She says that she is a freak.
Dilana: "Behind Blue Eyes"
She says she only knows the Limp Bizkit version. I knew it was a remake, but not The Who. What has she done to that? Is this the original version? It sucks. Paul is even looking at her funny. Paul is amazed that she has never heard parts of the song. He says, wanting to change the song without knowing it before, you do it from a position of ignorance. She says it sounds country to her. She says that she has to win back her fans. Her version sounds more like Limp Bizkit, but soft. She says that she needs them (yes), and they need her (um, no).
Part 4: The credits
So they are all practicing their originals. Then Dilana has some trite lyrics and I am betting that those are actually her song. They break to them all playing pretend Double Dutch. Lukas looses his pants after several jumps. Magni pretneds to tangle in the ropes and fall. Then he goes, my eye!
So I am going to make a bold prediction that Dilana will be the one sent home this week, if she makes it in the bottom three. See you tomorrow night.