Monday 23 November 2009

Jaw-Dropping Show-Stopper


After what seemed like an incredibly long wait, Adam showed up with pimp-spot timing on the red carpet. The look was very understated in terms of sparkly embellishments and was one of the simplest I think I've seen from him. The look consisted of a skinny black tie and button-down shirt with pointy collars, underneath an elongated jacket with thin slivers for lapels. The bling was provided by patent leather boots and a knuckle-duster of garish chunky rings. His hair was styled in a high pompadour which I find smarter and more appropriate for the red carpet than his spikes. I thought he might have arrived in something more outrageous but because he didn't, it made me all the more curious about what he would bring to the performance. He looked fabulous nonetheless and was his usual charming self.



The expectations for this were virtually insurmountable as the hype grew with each ad break thanks to the AMA voice-over which I really didn't appreciate. The pressure must have been enormous. As the evening of bad sound and vocals progressed, my first doubts started to creep in but my confidence in Adam's performance skills swept them away until the performance. That Adam wasn't at his best made the viewing a little uncomfortable and less-than glowing performances are always the most difficult to write about but here you go.

Seeing Adam's name in lights was incredible and gave me a lump in my throat. Everything was dark apart from that and a dim spotlight locked onto the lone but powerful figure at the centre of the stage. The bright sparkly keys gave off a slightly oriental melody as Adam began to sing. It took a very dramatic turn, sounding like the score for the villain's entrance in a silent movie as Adam surveyed and sneered at his subjects. We got a close-up of his outfit, which possibly ranks as my favourite. I think it hit the spot that the Sebree look homed in on but missed. I loved the camp glittery silver three-piece suit and the gold tie that were complemented by the hardness of his glove and shoulder spikes. It was a grand opening full of theatrics and strong vocals and he commanded every one of us - I absolutely loved it.

With such a strong start, I had high hopes for the rest of the performance. But soon after the band kicked in, the thin and shaky vocals upset my engagement of the performance and I just couldn't get back into it. The rest went by in a bit of a blur. It was frustrating because the stream wasn't particularly good, there were silent spots, there was a lot of glare and the camerawork was a bit of a failure. The things I remember were swelling with pride, a huge mental 'Yes!' and cackling with glee at his sexual predator moves, wincing when I heard the backing singers, wondering if rolling on the floor was part of the plan, and thinking 'WTF?' when I thought I saw him snogging Lisa, the band's keyboardist.

It's only on subsequent viewings was I able to take it in properly. FYE isn't a song that sells Adam's vocals well with the verses in a low range that sits outside his sweet spot. I think it needs big notes to impress as a live performance otherwise it lacks power. There may have been some nerves but as he pulled the dancer across the floor, he wasn't really able to sustain the quality of the notes and think he would have perhaps done better in a higher key at the expense of a growly tone. He gyrated and prowled around the stage and I loved the visual of his whipping the dancer gimps on leashes, as if there were any doubt as to which bitch was in charge. I find myself bemused by the highly exaggerated claims of simulating fellatio and annoyed that not only was it muted, but the cameras were made to pan out to the audience. Do these people not understand what a blow-job is? That was nothing more than Adam rubbing a willing face into his horny crotch, that lucky bastard!

I still wince when I hear the backing singers kick in with the voices both dissonant and out of time I can't imagine how distracting it must have been for Adam. There was a crotch-grab before he tripped and did his best stuntman roll. It was only after multiple slow-mo replays that I've decided it wasn't intentional but a great cover-up. He fell a little hard on his knee but he expertly picked up the cane and rolled with it. It makes me wonder how he was supposed to pick it up and whether there was some sort of alternative roll involved. He seemed a little thrown by it and for some reason skipped the lyric 'Take the pleasure' but did recover. The interaction with the dancers after Adam walked through the mirrored door was the best part of the choreographed routine and was one of the only parts where the camera did it justice. He appeared to have some trouble finding the right pitch during the following high note which started quite flat but he managed to tune it back up towards the end. I intially had no idea what Adam was doing with the dancer's crotch at the chair until a HD replay, but it wasn't as lewd as it might have appeared and would have benefitted from a closer shot. He attacked the next high note and nailed it with a look of wild ferocity. The feel of the performance got aggressive, especially when he devoured Tommy with that violently passionate kiss. Had the camera been up closer, it might have taken the edge off the seriousness as Adam lit his eyes and raised his eyebrows singing 'Can you handle what I'm about to do?' before going in for the kill. It felt like Adam had gotten carried away in the heat of the moment and it was an expression of his frustration that the performance wasn't going well. The rest of it was much better as he let out more of his trademark big notes, especially the end note that was filled with plenty of emotion and grit. When I saw Adam's face at the end and he seemed out of breath, my heart sank and I felt sad and disappointed for him as he obviously knew the performance wasn't up to his usual standard.

As much as I try to convince myself otherwise, I found the performance disappointing because it wasn't well executed and I couldn't really connect with it. The sound was bad, the lighting glare and camera work made it much more of an effort to watch, detracting from the performance, and Adam was vocally below-par. It felt as though it was targeted at the theatre audience rather than the television one because the screen just seemed too busy. I wanted more focus on him and think the lighting should have enabled that. I did get the feeling that Adam was being destructive in mauling Tommy as my instinct was that it might cause awkwardness within the band.

I can see what he was trying to achieve with that performance though, which was unmistakably Adam. I liked the way the dancers moved in their kooky costumes even though due to having seen them in the spoilers I paid them little attention. I liked the colours of the performance with the set and costumes all reminding me of Duran Duran's 'Wild Boys' video. I liked the raunchy S&M bondage theme and the provocative character Adam assumed, although the anger/aggression could have been toned down a notch and the fun cranked up a few. I'm proud and love that Adam didn't shy away from taking such a risk and it was a ballsy, subversive 'Fuck you!' to generic bubblegum pop and to anyone who thinks he's de-gaying to pander to the audience. I do think giving the finger wasn't necessary though, and it should have remained implied. I so wanted that statement to have been made without giving the critics any ammo but the standard of the vocals lessened the impact. In that respect I can't place it with RoF, which was technically flawless. Although the kinky sexual nature might have been too shocking and gratuitous for many, I just think it was a bit of harmless groping, no more. It's similar to what he did for the Zodiac Show, which had plenty of grinding and crotch-grabbing and sexually suggestive moves. I don't see it as a cheap attempt to get headlines because he's staying true to himself bringing underground performance art to the masses and I hope he succeeds. I did feel uncomfortable watching the FYE because it didn't go smoothly and didn't do justice to Adam's mind-blowing talent. I was worried he might have ended up kamikaze-ing it after feeling it slip away a little and was sad for him. After watching the post-performance interviews though, it seemed fairly upbeat, which left me feeling reassured and more positive.

Being invested fans, we've been building up our expectations over a period of months and this performance got blown into a massive event. Perhaps we rested all our hopes and attached too much importance onto this debut performance. Yes this was a stumble and he may have alienated many, but I think the re-branding was successful and he couldn't distance himself any further from cookie-cutter Idol. He's shown that he can hold his own against established stars despite being sub-par. The result is it's grabbed plenty of headlines and gotten people talking. As their curiosity has been stoked, there will be many more who'll be wondering what he does next. Some of them will have opened Pandora's box by Googling him and seeing other amazing performances. Some may even have stepped off the precipice and been swallowed into this obsession. Adam is a brilliant rainbow and it's his spectrum of colours that's one of his greatest strengths. It's rare for anyone to like every colour so if you didn't like his vision for this performance, there will be many more to come that'll show off his other colours.


Apologies for the delay, it's been a tough day with the end of a relationship.

22 comments:

  1. He sucked and I'm sad. What the F was that? Please write something wonderful I need to hear it.

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  2. I love him as much as anyone but I think this was an unanticipated train wreck. I think most of America is not going to respond well to the sexual stuff going on. I love it, but conservative america (which is MOST of America IMO)will not. I have a terrible feeling about this. I hope I'm wrong. I think he's going to get roasted alive on the internet. A calculated mistake - that's my perception.

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  3. I think many people are going to think he's pushing the "gay agenda" on everyone with his blatant sexual moves. You can't force people to become more tolerant overnight. I think he crossed a line- it was a bit tasteless and I'm afraid of whats going to happen after this. Whoever his managment is, should know better. He really needs to reign it in if he wants to be accepted. I feel really bad for him now.

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  4. I think that Adam showed once again that ultimate success is not as important for him as to stay true to what he is and to bring a change. This was his response to "Dear Adam" and to all those who protested him on Idol tour, to that person who left a message on Arkansas FOX message board to leave "homosexual" out of the Adam-Kris_Alison free concert, and so on. Singing was secondary to him tonight. We really don't know him as well as we think we do. And I love him for that.
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  5. I love him and I don't care.

    Yay! today is the day.

    Naranja

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  6. i have watched it about 10 times so this is not my final opinion yet.(seriously) Overall, i thought vocally not his best performance and the adrenaline kicked in...a lot, but conceptually it was ALL Adam: Kissing, oral sex and crotch grabbings. And the whole point of it was simple, no discrimination when it comes to overtly sexual performances. I am surprised of the censorship. I mean i am allowed to see Miss Underwood's crotch but not his! Pick any two female artists tonight. If any of them had made out, it would something FUN!! for everyone, but him no..."he has alienated fans". America is conservative, and they would probably get this performance in about 5-10 yrs. from now. As I said before (on your "count down" post, he outgaga'ed lady gaga. Way to go my dear Adam Lambert!!!

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  7. I was soooo excited and couldn't wait to see him sang and blow everyone away...

    but this...oh boy....! I loved this song the second I heard it but it just wasn't happening tonight! Did Adam bring it? Hell yeah he gave his all as he always does but I guess nerves got the better of our little lamb! The fall was covered up as best he could...in fact it could have passed for an awkward roll only if not for the sound...the S&M doesn't make me bat an eyelash...thought it was fun and harmless and in keeping with the lyrics...but the kiss...ugh...let's just say THAT was something I never wanted to see and I'm going WTF BB?! I thought you wanted people to focus on your singing?? I have read so many negative comments even from Adam fans saying this was the end of the road...they were not going to buy his cd after this blah blah which makes me so sad and worried for Adam now!

    If Adam's aim was to get everyone buzzing he succeeded for sure...is there such a thing as bad publicity anymore?? I just wish they were talking about his singing! I hope my fears are unjustified and that for the most part people think that was a "sick" performance (in a good way!) and applauding his bravado!! I am an Adam fan because I think he is hot funtastic and fabulous and always brings it and I will continue worshipping my GlamLord as long as he makes great music! GO ADAM!

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  8. To me this performance was vintage Madonna - her erotica period as a performance piece. It was totally appropriate for the lyrics. I think the "shock" that is buzzing around is the fact that it is a man performing in what has become a woman's domain. It's a hard song to sing live (as many songs on his album will be) and with that intricate choreography I think he might have had more adrenaline pumping than normal and his vocals weren't flawless - which doesn't bother me at all in a performance piece. I don't particularly like that kind of visual (yawn - nothing new) but it was a marketing exercise after all. I think it has well and truly done it's job - jaw dropping is right. Nikki

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  9. Just for the record, I loved it. He did what he said he would do. He delivered. This was totally him, nothing unexpected here. Have you seen his videos on youtube? On the other hand, had he done otherwise, everybody would be talking about how lame his show was. This is Adam on his "entertainment mood", and this was all entertainment. The kind everybody will be talking about for days. I guess not many people could handle what "he was 'bout to do" Ha, ha.

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  10. WOW! (from australia) I'm speechless at this performance and loved it! Sure it wasn't Adam's best vocal performance, so what? we all know he is an incredible singer, but he's also an awesomely brave entertainer who takes great risks to entertain! whether you liked it or hated it, you are going to talk about it? Adam continues to push the boundaries in the same way, bowie, prince, madonna, & michael jackson did! As for those who choose to abandon ship and not buy his CD...well then you never understood Adam in the first place. We are not just witnessing an incredible singer, but more importantly an all round performance artist challenging the norms of the entertainment industry. Adam to me represents musical freedom and we should all be celebrating...go for broke Adam!

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  11. That's my Adam: fearless and intoxicating.

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  12. I'm real worried. For people who aren't already super familiar with Adam, this might have been exactly what's going to keep them from wanting to have anything to do with Adam or his music.
    I agree with the notion that this wasn't his best performance. At the end, it almost sounded like he had to work to hit those notes and the up and down of all that didn't sound as smooth. Previous commenters have chalked that up to adrenaline...maybe that's it. What I'm real ticked at is the idea that what he did last night was super shocking, while we've seen the same thing done countless times before...by female musical artists. It's only awkward and controversial because it's a guy doing it. Oye.
    The choreography went along with the lyrics and Adam's got lots of talent and then some. I just hope this doesn't hurt him.

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  13. Adam Bombed, my mind went blank! It's not because I don't enjoy his performance. It is the noise that blank me out.
    I can only quote what I've written in IDF. "It is not something we haven't seen in RoF. A lot of people thought he was doomed, but he wasn't even in bottom 3 that week. The week after, he performed Mad world, which wow the world and people came back for more. Big deal. He will be fine! The one who love him will continue to love. Some might be remained on the doorsteps for now, but never say never. The haters will continue to hate. And as for I, I will continue to love him. On the road there must be more bumps ahead. Whatever! It will be mixed with the things that I love. That is life. Have fun. ~K"

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  14. The only thing I am really upset is Adams vocal. It was his worst live performance I have heard. Due to many moves he was not able to control his voice. I was so disappointed about his singing that at first time I even did not notice most discussed parts of performance. After second watching (with turned off sound, sorry I just couldn’t listen it again) I was not so shocked on what I saw. Well it was over the top, but in contrast if female artists can do similar things on stage (and even more, some of them are almost naked or dressed like prostitutes) than way male artists can’t have fun on stage?! I am straight but at this point I agree with Adam, to condemn Adams performance is not fair. And finally I do hope that Adam will do some conclusions regarding balance between singing and dancing. Life performance on stage is not video where is possible do crazy things and at the same time “sing” perfectly. I am still Adams fan. My best wishes to Adam and to all his true fans. Take care! Diana

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  15. (From South America)I have read tones of opinions, watched the video at least a dozen times and still don't get it. What's the big deal. He did what he had to do and expressed himself, giving his best. Today everybody is talking about Adam's performance. I wonder how many of those who are now in shock ever saw him on youtube. Was it that different? C'mon!! I am not surprised, I am more than pleased because he completely delivered.
    Ok, his vocals were not the best, but were they that bad, giving the circumstances?? It was not supposed to sound like the original track, he improvised.
    I admire the guy, he is a risk taker and not always perfect (thanks god!). As K65535 said above, the effect could be even more powerful than when he sang RoF.
    It is not a question of understanding or even being tasteful, is a question of FEELING and Adam moved us all, for good or bad. This is nothing but good for an artist. So, be proud Adam. Go ahead and do your thing. You have supporters all over the world.

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  16. Thanks for all your comments and sorry for not addressing each one individually. It seems that the media has responded much more positively than expected, which is a good thing. Being such huge fans does have its drawbacks because we know he can sing much better so we were disappointed. It was a challenging performance and it's shame he didn't nail it but if we look at the show as a whole, he wasn't worse than the other acts. The reviews hardly touched upon his sub-par vocals and it only seems to be a small minority of ultra-conservatives who have kicked up a furore and caused the cancellation of his GMA appearance.

    Looking at how things have turned out, I don't think we need to worry because the Adam juggernaut is fully in motion and gathering momentum. It wouldn't be rock and roll if no one was outraged! Rebel with a smile indeed. I don't think it's done Adam any harm, the fact that CBS immediately snapped him up shows how much he's in demand. Although the performance caused 1500 complaints, there were over 40k comments, the majority of which were in support of Adam on the ABC website.

    Despite not wanting to be political, that's what he's become. He's sparked off a great debate about sexism, making people think about their hypocrisy when it comes to freedom of expression - which can only be a good thing. It's about time pop had a highly sexed-up male. Baby steps...

    I do find it a little odd why the crotch-nuzzling was censored. It seems that the USA is happy to condone violence but are shit-scared when it comes to sex. Go figure. I find it very sexy that he did things spontaneously in the heat of the moment. He was basically on fire, which brought more raw energy and passion and it's a shame not everyone could handle it. It's their loss.

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  17. I loved Adam on AI but for him to do what he did for anyone other than adults was just wrong. I am from the old school and sex should be kept to the bedroom or for consenting adults. What Adam did was force it on people that were NOT consenting. He took that choice from us and how many teens saw this. To me that is the same as rape. Oh well no more Adam for me. I think he just committed professional suicide.

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  18. I found it surprise how people can be disappointed and have to express their anger over a four minutes performance by a performer. As there are many matters happening in our world, including violence, war, starvation, hatred, the dissolving polar ice and our physically dying earth, to me no matter who is playing what, the effect to our society or even to our children over a four minutes show seems diminish. Music is a common language for love and joy. And to the one who once like his music, there are many other four minutes to choose from. The world is not simply about hate once and then hate forever. If this is the case, I'm afraid no one will ever love us.
    ~K :(

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  19. awesome blog xxoo

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  20. Anonymous, it's a shame you feel that way. As someone who's watched his Zodiac performances and followed his sexually charged antics throughout the tour, I felt that Adam stayed true to himself and I admire that. Not everyone's aware or likes that side of him but I thought that the announcer did warn us beforehand. As the subsequent performances have shown, there are plenty of other sides we can choose from him to enjoy. Adam isn't for everyone but I think he does have something for everyone.

    k65535, thanks for putting things into perspective. People have a right to speak out if they are against something but I don't think they should channel a disproportionate amount of effort into hate, especially as there is so much worse going on with the world.

    Anonymous, I appreciate your comment, thanks for stopping by!

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  21. AB

    Just saw your comment that it was a hard day for you on a personal level - I'm really sorry!
    The more I watch the AMA performance, the more I love Adam. It still pains me to see his fall and think what went through his mind at that moment. His pale ( I love that look by the way) and almost in shock face at the end of the ordeal makes me cry almost every time...But while I wish the vocals were his usual high standard, I wouldn't change anything else in that performance....even the fall. This performance showcased definitively the cultural change that is Adam.
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  22. ad, thanks, I still feel shitty about it but want to think it was for the best... there are doubts though.
    Did you see the Slezak interview (#4) where he was asked about his expression at the end? I don't think he knew he sounded as bad at the time.

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