This is only going to be a quick post otherwise I'll never manage to catch up with this media blitz. I intended to go to this gig and was more excited about this one than the HMV one. It was the first UK concert and to an audience of predominantly cute gay guys so I fully expected Adam to be in horny mode on fire playing up to the crowd. But I'd been out all day and all evening with friends I hadn't seen in a very long time so my timekeeping was slack to say the least. I swear that since I was born premature, my lack of punctuality has been making up for it ever since. I expected Adam to be late so arrived as a huge crowd of people were leaving, telling me that I'd just missed it. I was gutted. Here's a playlist of the best videos I could find:
It's difficult to comment on the performances from the available video but they are quite structured in their choreography. Adam is dressed to impress, looking debonair in his three-piece suit. His rolled up sleeves are a nice touch though, like he's ready to get down and dirty with a bit of action.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Thursday, 29 April 2010
GLAAD to Have Adam
After all the bullshit from GLAAD in the aftermath of the AMAs, it was very satisfying for Adam to have been invited to perform at these awards and I guess it serves as both a show of support, and an apology. I was excited as to whether he would really camp it up in terms of appearance and performance. My questions were answered when he graced the red carpet in a dashing suit. I still had hopes he would dial up the outrageousness for the performance but as he strutted on stage, he looked as sharp as ever in a bejewelled suit. Here's the playlist:
Despite Adam's best efforts, the audience lacked a pulse. It's frustrating to see such a conservative reception that doesn't quite seem to know how to respond to him. The songs were performed very dramatically with stellar vocals to match. I enjoy the choreography with the dancers in Fever as I think adds to the fun and helps to generate energy both on- and off-stage. And I find myself much more amused than I should be at that renegade tuft of hair breaking loose from the pompadour.
He finishes by getting a little political, but I think his point is a very valid one because it's something that has affected his career so far. It seems that there are a number of parties who want him to represent them but at the same time want to box him into a stereotype that they see fit in perpetuating. I agree with Adam that it's time to blast those boxes into smithereens.
Despite Adam's best efforts, the audience lacked a pulse. It's frustrating to see such a conservative reception that doesn't quite seem to know how to respond to him. The songs were performed very dramatically with stellar vocals to match. I enjoy the choreography with the dancers in Fever as I think adds to the fun and helps to generate energy both on- and off-stage. And I find myself much more amused than I should be at that renegade tuft of hair breaking loose from the pompadour.
He finishes by getting a little political, but I think his point is a very valid one because it's something that has affected his career so far. It seems that there are a number of parties who want him to represent them but at the same time want to box him into a stereotype that they see fit in perpetuating. I agree with Adam that it's time to blast those boxes into smithereens.
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
One Year
This blog is now a year old (plus a few days because I've been too busy flailing-celebrating winning tickets to see Adam in Heaven) and what a year it's been. For me it's bittersweet as it will always be tainted with sadness. I'd still choose complete ignorance of Adam over the circumstances in which I ended up discovering him. I would otherwise never have watched AI and would've been dismissive of anything that came out of it. Well, we all know how that turned out. The first thing that inspired me to want to write was RoF, and it was Googling him that pushed me over the edge into alien territory and I just had to describe this curious condition that many others seem to have shared.
It all started during Adam's stint on AI where we'd been hooked and stunned by performances like RoF and MW, then outraged and disappointed with the result. We were then relieved to have gotten the gay question out of the way, thrilled when his raunchier side came out playing with mic stands and whips while we listened intently through ear-bleeding static on the live streams for 'baby', 'woman' or 'honey'. Then we waited and waited for the faintest trace of new material as TfM was released, followed by the controversial album cover, the single, then and surprisingly eclectic album. We were shocked and hurt by the fall-out following the AMAs and showed solidarity as we made our support for Adam known during various campaigns while he went through a period of reflection. He gradually rebuilt his confidence as he went about damage control and FYE was scrapped for WWFM.
We started the decade on a high with Adam's first full set at Gridlock, followed by steady promo and performances and we cheered for every TV slot he landed. Then came that momentous WLL at Indio, wresting us from the comfort of fandom right back into the maelstrom of obsession. As he embarked on his promo tour, we stayed up until stupid o'clock glued to our computer screens following him and marvelling at his codpiece/no codpiece and his overwhelmingly positive reception from passionate fans all around the world. We whooped and celebrated Adam's majestic return to Idol as it became glaringly obvious how exceptional he is as he was awarded universal praise. Which brings us to now, where I'm looking forward to seeing him perform live for the first time, waiting for a miscreant volcano to start behaving.
Adam's list of achievements for the year is impressive and here I've listed only those I believe are most significant:
Magazine covers
Much has been written about the Adam Lambert Effect by various people but right now, I think one of the things that resonates is this: In almost every one of us I believe there's a battle between who we are, who we want to be and how we want to be seen. It takes so much effort to constantly keep up every aspect of what we do in order to portray ourselves in a certain way. It may be something as simple as wanting to appear stronger than who we really are or it could be as severe as being so fearful of being disliked that we remain completely closed. Adam has reconciled the battle by making us believe we can be whoever we want by following our true selves, and that what others think is irrelevant. By laying his true self open to scrutiny to a vast audience knowing full well he'd be hated by some, he's shown that the risk can be very rewarding. We've seen his extreme transformation from Apple Pie Adam, giving us hope that we too could be as fabulous if we believed and tried. The end of the battle and ceasing to give a shit about how others see us is liberating. He makes us feel that it's OK to freely express ourselves and has given us courage, paving the way for us. The effect is much further-reaching than just temporary escapism to weird and wonderful destinations with each performance, because he has allowed many of us to feel that little bit braver and has fired our imaginations to get our dormant creativity flowing. This has led to personal growth, newfound confidence and skills, and art that in turn inspires and puts us in touch with others who share this passion. I think this is the core of the Adam Lambert Effect, and as a result, our lives have been significantly enriched.
Thank you Adam, and thank you readers.
We started the decade on a high with Adam's first full set at Gridlock, followed by steady promo and performances and we cheered for every TV slot he landed. Then came that momentous WLL at Indio, wresting us from the comfort of fandom right back into the maelstrom of obsession. As he embarked on his promo tour, we stayed up until stupid o'clock glued to our computer screens following him and marvelling at his codpiece/no codpiece and his overwhelmingly positive reception from passionate fans all around the world. We whooped and celebrated Adam's majestic return to Idol as it became glaringly obvious how exceptional he is as he was awarded universal praise. Which brings us to now, where I'm looking forward to seeing him perform live for the first time, waiting for a miscreant volcano to start behaving.
Adam's list of achievements for the year is impressive and here I've listed only those I believe are most significant:
Magazine covers
- Entertainment Weekly
- Rolling Stone
- Details
- Out (shared)
- Rolling Stone Japan
- FYE Album: Gold - USA, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand
- WWFM Single: Double platinum - Canada; Gold - USA, New Zealand
- FYE Single: Platinum - Canada; Gold - New Zealand
- Winner - Young Hollywood Artist of the Year
- Winner - Teen Choice Male Reality/Variety TV Show Star
- #8 Time Magazine's People Who Mattered 2009
- Barbara Walters Most Fascinating People 2009
- #3 MTV Man of the Year
- #10 Time Magazine's Top 10 Songs 2009 for Mad World
- #1 Artist of 2009 Rolling Stone Readers' Poll
- #3 Top Twitter trend (people) 2009
- #5 OUT Most Influential
- Writing for an audience and maintaining a blog
- Experiencing fandom
- Voting for a reality show contestant
- Joining forums, live streams and twitter to cyberstalk
- Making videos
Thank you Adam, and thank you readers.
Friday, 16 April 2010
The Return of the King
Adam made an excellent mentor on his return to AI for Elvis week. Having a slick pompadour with a spiky modern twist, he was smart and business-like in his suit jacket for mentoring, and casually glamorous in his shirt and waistcoat on the show. He was much more bluntly honest than I was expecting, but every piece of advice ranging from presentation skills to vocal nuance to arrangement was spot-on and was much more useful than any of the nonsense dished out by the judges. It's just the contestants' loss that some frustratingly didn't follow through his advice. We saw contestant after contestant wussing out after Adam told them to push things further, take some risks and just let go. I can only conclude that it's a very difficult thing to do as fear seems to have debilitated everyone to some extent. One thing became clearer to me more than ever though, which is how much balls it takes to fully commit to going for it in every single performance. I would have loved to have seen Adam versions of all of the songs but none of the contestants would have been able to tackle any of his upbeat ones like Satisfaction, BoW, PTFM, BtBW or WLL, and neither do they possess the vocal mastery or emotional conveyance to successfully deliver RoF, MW or ACIGC. Adam Lambert is exceptionally brave but makes it look effortlessly natural with his powerful presence, dynamic range and electrifying energy on stage.
Here's a video I put together of all of Adam's parts during the show. It's not just a plain splice-and-stitch as I decided to take some artistic liberties. I hope you enjoy it.
DOWNLOAD Adam Mentor sessions AI9 v2 iPod compatible mp4 - 70.6MB
The excitement building up to Adam's performance on AI was unbelieveable. After enduring the rest of the show, when it finally got to Adam, I felt a hush sweep right through cyberspace where I was watching the stream. We held our collective breath as an air of nervous anticipation hung over us. I'd done my best to avoid any spoilers, but I had built up my expectation that this was going to be something special because Adam would want to exceed the standard he already set himself on the show. There were a number of options available, each one appealing in its own way. I was expecting to hear WWFM with a twist - perhaps one of the remixes or a surprising arrangement.
Our first view of Adam is as a solitary silhouette in front of a narrow laser spotlight ring. We wait for the spotlight to fill and brighten but it doesn't. We strain to see him, strain to see how he presents himself but he stubbornly remains shrouded in a mysterious smoke. We have to tune up our hearing sense to soak in this experience. The first ghostly elongated notes are a sublime a cappella, reminiscent of FYE at the AMAs, but there is an eerie echo. We are phantoms in an unfamiliar world, not sure where we are or where we're going. The spotlight widens to reveal turbulent clouds circling Adam in a barren alien landscape. The camera moves through the outer boundary limit and we are now sharing that dark inner space and realise we're enclosed inside a swirling vortex with the threat of something beautifully terrible looming ahead, and overhead is a portal we are both awed and frightened by because we know there's no return from it. The dizzying feeling is of floating and struggling to hold onto each other as we drift away aimlessly into an abyss.
In comes a hint of synthesiser, sounding like the slow build-up to a rave track as Adam slips from our grasp and we drift away from him. It feels like all is lost, our connection having been severed but then there's new hope as the voice becomes stronger and richer, the chorus kicks in with extra lights, and the spell that had banished us to that other world has been broken. We get our first close-up and can see Adam's hair and dramatic make-up but he remains elusive as he tries to emerge from the debris of that dark place. He's still lost in the thick fog. It leads us to some interesting camera angles where the stage looks huge and he looks so far away from everything.
It's in the second verse when we finally get to see his shiny beaded silver jacket, which I don't think is very flattering, and notice that his earpieces are glowing. The multitude of laser beams give off the feeling that Adam's in the line of fire as people are taking aim from all sides. That and the smoke make it seem like a noisy, confusing space we're now in and reflects the meaning of the song as he pleads to us. There are some breathtaking shots of Adam in iconic-looking poses singing to a spotlight ahead, but it's hard to make out his dancing. The timbre of his vocals is exquisitely rich and he hits some stunning notes in full belt. There are a few iffy notes here and there like in the final run, but in a performance like this, it doesn't matter because the audience is already spellbound. Even though I can't see him for much of the time, he owns the stage as my eyes are constantly trying to seek him out. I think he likes playing with us because he waits until we're all so desperate to see how he looks before unveiling himself.
Adam has come such a long way and it should be of no surprise that this return to the Idol stage is my favourite WWFM yet. The staging and atmospherics are staggering, the likes of which the Idol stage has probably never seen. The only thing I would change is for the smoke to get sucked away as soon as the chorus kicks in to deliver the visual impact of seeing him standing tall in the light. Impressively packed full of excitement and thrills, this is such an amazing multi-sensory spectacle to behold. I'm transported to another mood, another world. My expectations were shattered as he somehow manages to continually surprise us. Wow. What a show. Adam is king of the stage because you don't just see and hear his performances then question your senses, you are left with a lasting impression because you feel them and want to feel them over and over again.
Here's a video I put together of all of Adam's parts during the show. It's not just a plain splice-and-stitch as I decided to take some artistic liberties. I hope you enjoy it.
DOWNLOAD Adam Mentor sessions AI9 v2 iPod compatible mp4 - 70.6MB
The excitement building up to Adam's performance on AI was unbelieveable. After enduring the rest of the show, when it finally got to Adam, I felt a hush sweep right through cyberspace where I was watching the stream. We held our collective breath as an air of nervous anticipation hung over us. I'd done my best to avoid any spoilers, but I had built up my expectation that this was going to be something special because Adam would want to exceed the standard he already set himself on the show. There were a number of options available, each one appealing in its own way. I was expecting to hear WWFM with a twist - perhaps one of the remixes or a surprising arrangement.
Our first view of Adam is as a solitary silhouette in front of a narrow laser spotlight ring. We wait for the spotlight to fill and brighten but it doesn't. We strain to see him, strain to see how he presents himself but he stubbornly remains shrouded in a mysterious smoke. We have to tune up our hearing sense to soak in this experience. The first ghostly elongated notes are a sublime a cappella, reminiscent of FYE at the AMAs, but there is an eerie echo. We are phantoms in an unfamiliar world, not sure where we are or where we're going. The spotlight widens to reveal turbulent clouds circling Adam in a barren alien landscape. The camera moves through the outer boundary limit and we are now sharing that dark inner space and realise we're enclosed inside a swirling vortex with the threat of something beautifully terrible looming ahead, and overhead is a portal we are both awed and frightened by because we know there's no return from it. The dizzying feeling is of floating and struggling to hold onto each other as we drift away aimlessly into an abyss.
In comes a hint of synthesiser, sounding like the slow build-up to a rave track as Adam slips from our grasp and we drift away from him. It feels like all is lost, our connection having been severed but then there's new hope as the voice becomes stronger and richer, the chorus kicks in with extra lights, and the spell that had banished us to that other world has been broken. We get our first close-up and can see Adam's hair and dramatic make-up but he remains elusive as he tries to emerge from the debris of that dark place. He's still lost in the thick fog. It leads us to some interesting camera angles where the stage looks huge and he looks so far away from everything.
It's in the second verse when we finally get to see his shiny beaded silver jacket, which I don't think is very flattering, and notice that his earpieces are glowing. The multitude of laser beams give off the feeling that Adam's in the line of fire as people are taking aim from all sides. That and the smoke make it seem like a noisy, confusing space we're now in and reflects the meaning of the song as he pleads to us. There are some breathtaking shots of Adam in iconic-looking poses singing to a spotlight ahead, but it's hard to make out his dancing. The timbre of his vocals is exquisitely rich and he hits some stunning notes in full belt. There are a few iffy notes here and there like in the final run, but in a performance like this, it doesn't matter because the audience is already spellbound. Even though I can't see him for much of the time, he owns the stage as my eyes are constantly trying to seek him out. I think he likes playing with us because he waits until we're all so desperate to see how he looks before unveiling himself.
Adam has come such a long way and it should be of no surprise that this return to the Idol stage is my favourite WWFM yet. The staging and atmospherics are staggering, the likes of which the Idol stage has probably never seen. The only thing I would change is for the smoke to get sucked away as soon as the chorus kicks in to deliver the visual impact of seeing him standing tall in the light. Impressively packed full of excitement and thrills, this is such an amazing multi-sensory spectacle to behold. I'm transported to another mood, another world. My expectations were shattered as he somehow manages to continually surprise us. Wow. What a show. Adam is king of the stage because you don't just see and hear his performances then question your senses, you are left with a lasting impression because you feel them and want to feel them over and over again.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Entertaining Glamajuku
This video is for my Japanese friends (especially @bani_, who keeps me up to date with all the latest news on her fabulous Adamholic blog) for the passion and excitement they bring to this fandom. It's also to mark the cover of Japanese Rolling Stone and its collection of stunning photos.
It seems like such a long time ago that Adam performed in Tokyo but it was one that I'd been looking forward to for a long time mainly out of curiosity as to how far he would push it in an environment where his quirks are celebrated. This FYE is shortened and is one of the very few choreographed routines incorporating dancers. I remember thinking that he looked like a spiky glitterbomb. Enjoy!
UPDATED 14/05/10 - Watch just after the minute mark and you'll understand why I made a later version.
DOWNLOAD FYE v1 iPod compatible mp4 28.9MB
DOWNLOAD FYE v1 HD mp4 37.9MB
DOWNLOAD FYE mp3 2.2MB
DOWNLOAD FYE iPod compatible mp4 28.9MB
DOWNLOAD FYE HD mp4 37.9MB
I prefer the Rolling Stone Japan photos (thanks bani!) to the US ones, not only because we get more of them but because of their contemplative understated beauty. The US ones look rather static in comparison. The cover isn't as rich in symbolism as the US one but is just as striking. The high contrast highlights Adam's features with the lighting adding a hint of duality. On one side he's smooth and glowing brightly, the other, dark and brooding. Both his eyes are in shadow looking mysterious and his expression is commanding, leaving no doubt as to who's the bitch. If there's one thing I'd change about the cover shot, it would be to angle Adam's hand forward just a touch so his finger looks less stubby. I love this pale look of his which I think is a consequence of the different attitude in the Far East where porcelain white skin is prized over tanned. Sometimes I'd like Adam to keep this in mind before reaching for the bronzer, as at times, the result is a little too orange. I think his photo shoots have steadily improved since those early Sebree ones I wasn't keen on. These are much more flattering, with the poses looking less awkward and more natural. He also looks less plastic as much more of his personality is conveyed through his expressions and body language. According to the editor, the shoot was allocated only 45 minutes, which is very impressive considering the stirringly sensual results. Click for the bigger versions.
It seems like such a long time ago that Adam performed in Tokyo but it was one that I'd been looking forward to for a long time mainly out of curiosity as to how far he would push it in an environment where his quirks are celebrated. This FYE is shortened and is one of the very few choreographed routines incorporating dancers. I remember thinking that he looked like a spiky glitterbomb. Enjoy!
UPDATED 14/05/10 - Watch just after the minute mark and you'll understand why I made a later version.
DOWNLOAD FYE v1 iPod compatible mp4 28.9MB
DOWNLOAD FYE v1 HD mp4 37.9MB
DOWNLOAD FYE mp3 2.2MB
DOWNLOAD FYE iPod compatible mp4 28.9MB
DOWNLOAD FYE HD mp4 37.9MB
I prefer the Rolling Stone Japan photos (thanks bani!) to the US ones, not only because we get more of them but because of their contemplative understated beauty. The US ones look rather static in comparison. The cover isn't as rich in symbolism as the US one but is just as striking. The high contrast highlights Adam's features with the lighting adding a hint of duality. On one side he's smooth and glowing brightly, the other, dark and brooding. Both his eyes are in shadow looking mysterious and his expression is commanding, leaving no doubt as to who's the bitch. If there's one thing I'd change about the cover shot, it would be to angle Adam's hand forward just a touch so his finger looks less stubby. I love this pale look of his which I think is a consequence of the different attitude in the Far East where porcelain white skin is prized over tanned. Sometimes I'd like Adam to keep this in mind before reaching for the bronzer, as at times, the result is a little too orange. I think his photo shoots have steadily improved since those early Sebree ones I wasn't keen on. These are much more flattering, with the poses looking less awkward and more natural. He also looks less plastic as much more of his personality is conveyed through his expressions and body language. According to the editor, the shoot was allocated only 45 minutes, which is very impressive considering the stirringly sensual results. Click for the bigger versions.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
River Rocking Glam-mover
This concert has a different vibe to the Red Robinson one. Adam is so happy and a lot more chatty, providing explanations for many of the songs. It also feels more free-flowing with the jams, and a headbanded Monte teases the crowd with some famous guitar licks, driving them crazy with the possibility that there might be a new cover on the way. Adam's look is laid-back glam, combining pieces that shouldn't really work together. When he takes off the tailed Gridlock jacket, he looks the most casual I've seen during any concert. His hair is in a kind of 'just rolled out of bed looking fab' do. The set list has an unusual order, finishing on Music Again with WWFM as the encore. Here's my playlist of the complete set, which I'll be updating as better videos turn up. Use the arrows to change songs:
The set starts off with FYE where Adam unleashes some moves. I'm happy to see the perfect return of the original 'Scrayeeyayeeyayeeyaym' glory note without the slide up and it ends with some welcome variations. Strut should get the Adommy/Lambliff shippers squeeing in excitement for their moment of interaction. Surprisingly, DTRH is next and I really love the way that Adam often sneakily smuts up lyrics with 'Take the leash of MY animal'. It's a fierce performance and recalls tour memories as Adam picks up a red cat o' nine tails to play with. The mood is changed abruptly with a rather depressing intro to Sleepwalker. This is one of my favourite renditions so far, especially with the belting at 'You're everything that I want' and the improvisations towards the end. IIHY brings back a party vibe where he really has to stretch to touch the crowd. It's great to see the shots of the audience all bouncing along in unison. Off comes the jacket with MW. The acoustic foot-tapping head-nodding upbeat arrangement is sung powerfully with an incredible bonus freestyling jam at the end. His voice goes from an aggressive rock it to a floaty haunting whisper. Adam excels when it comes to making sure we never get bored of it.
I'm sure when Adam was introducing acoustic Broken Open, he was expecting A Loaded Smile to be the next song. It's beautiful and the pace doesn't seem quite as fast as yesterday's. The anthemic Soaked is so OTT dramatic as he touches himself and gets the booze out. My favourite part has to be the ghostly drawn-out note. The jacket comes back on for A Loaded Smile and he radiates such joy during his funny banter at the start. It's sung in a very soft falsetto which I think could do with a shade of fine-tuning but like yesterday, he adds some bluesy stylings at 'When you're not around here, I don't even notice that you're gone' that any soul diva would be proud of. Fever is next as Monte does his teasing licks. There are some parts of the arrangement that sound quite different with what I think are extra keys but it sounds good. With hat on, Adam assumes a crazy character dancing around the stage. It looks like he enjoys dressing Tommy up with the black feather boa. We get another marvellous little bonus 'Disco' jam at the end, motherfuckers! I find it endearing that Adam can never seem to get the lyrics right in Music Again. Perhaps it's just because he just likes the word 'betterer'. It's a bundle of energetic fun and I find myself laughing at the way Adam sticks his tongue out like a leering old lech during the guitar solo. WWFM expresses Adam's appreciation of his fans and concludes another fantastic concert.
DOWNLOADS - Cleaned up versions of justfreakout's recordings
For Your Entertainment mp3 8.5MB
Down the Rabbit Hole - mp3 10.2MB
If I Had You - mp3 9.4MB
Mad World (Acoustic) - mp3 12.3MB
Broken Open (Acoustic) - mp3 11.6MB
Soaked - mp3 10.7MB
A Loaded Smile - mp3 10.49MB
Fever - mp3 9.4MB
Music Again mp3 8.4MB
The set starts off with FYE where Adam unleashes some moves. I'm happy to see the perfect return of the original 'Scrayeeyayeeyayeeyaym' glory note without the slide up and it ends with some welcome variations. Strut should get the Adommy/Lambliff shippers squeeing in excitement for their moment of interaction. Surprisingly, DTRH is next and I really love the way that Adam often sneakily smuts up lyrics with 'Take the leash of MY animal'. It's a fierce performance and recalls tour memories as Adam picks up a red cat o' nine tails to play with. The mood is changed abruptly with a rather depressing intro to Sleepwalker. This is one of my favourite renditions so far, especially with the belting at 'You're everything that I want' and the improvisations towards the end. IIHY brings back a party vibe where he really has to stretch to touch the crowd. It's great to see the shots of the audience all bouncing along in unison. Off comes the jacket with MW. The acoustic foot-tapping head-nodding upbeat arrangement is sung powerfully with an incredible bonus freestyling jam at the end. His voice goes from an aggressive rock it to a floaty haunting whisper. Adam excels when it comes to making sure we never get bored of it.
I'm sure when Adam was introducing acoustic Broken Open, he was expecting A Loaded Smile to be the next song. It's beautiful and the pace doesn't seem quite as fast as yesterday's. The anthemic Soaked is so OTT dramatic as he touches himself and gets the booze out. My favourite part has to be the ghostly drawn-out note. The jacket comes back on for A Loaded Smile and he radiates such joy during his funny banter at the start. It's sung in a very soft falsetto which I think could do with a shade of fine-tuning but like yesterday, he adds some bluesy stylings at 'When you're not around here, I don't even notice that you're gone' that any soul diva would be proud of. Fever is next as Monte does his teasing licks. There are some parts of the arrangement that sound quite different with what I think are extra keys but it sounds good. With hat on, Adam assumes a crazy character dancing around the stage. It looks like he enjoys dressing Tommy up with the black feather boa. We get another marvellous little bonus 'Disco' jam at the end, motherfuckers! I find it endearing that Adam can never seem to get the lyrics right in Music Again. Perhaps it's just because he just likes the word 'betterer'. It's a bundle of energetic fun and I find myself laughing at the way Adam sticks his tongue out like a leering old lech during the guitar solo. WWFM expresses Adam's appreciation of his fans and concludes another fantastic concert.
DOWNLOADS - Cleaned up versions of justfreakout's recordings
Friday, 9 April 2010
Coquitlam Glam
There were no live streams so everything came as a most pleasant surprise as I've spent the last few hours watching the videos. There wasn't a monumental performance like the acoustic WLL from Fantasy Springs but this concert brought us the debut of A Loaded Smile. Adam seems so resourceful when considering his wardrobe choices as once again we have two looks to vary the mood. With the Cavalli jacket, he's relaxed and casual glam and his scarf seems to be strategically placed to tease the crotch gazers. Without the jacket, the scarf looks like braces, so in combination with the teardrop eye makeup and striped T-shirt, he looks like he's about to place his hands against an invisible wall as a punky mime artist. Here's a playlist of my picks of videos in set order - use the arrows to change songs. I'll keep updating this as more videos turn up. At the moment, we are still missing a Music Again and a complete Broken Open.
When I first heard FYE it seemed like there was a little bit of a false start as Adam comes in a little bit early. Then I thought the arrangement was changed up a lot so this was going to be a very different rendition. I didn't realise there were technical problems until the restart. It was the synths that were missing, and it seems that Adam was stalling with his ad-lib to allow them time to fix it. I have to give a lot of props to Monte for trying to pick up the slack and recreate them on the guitar. Makes me really want to hear the rock version without the synths. Adam deals with it brilliantly, even making the problems entertaining. I love this version with the return of mic stand affection, all the dancing and improvisation.
It seems like the sound problems continued into IIHY but it's full of joy. I think there may have been some lyric forgetfulness towards the end but it makes it all the more interesting. The shuffle-dancing puts a big smile on my face. WWFM is another great performance and my favourite part is the riffing during the instrumental break. I've missed them during the live versions. Strut brings us plenty of slinky poses and it seems very loose as Adam goes for it with the dancing and the impressively long glory note. The banter with the audience is very endearing at the start of SFW. He forgets his lyrics but he gives us staggering vocals as he adds in bonus glory notes. The loss of the jacket and Soaked changes the tempo of the set as we get to hear a very tender quavering voice. A Loaded Smile is very atmospheric and I think I prefer this live version where he moves out of his falsetto with some bluesy riffs and powerful wails. There are plenty of melodic variations to this bouncy acoustic version of MW to keep it interesting. Broken Open completes the acoustic interlude and sounds very different to the one at Fantasy Springs after having been sped up considerably. We don't have video yet for Music Again, which picks things up. Sleepwalker is performed with such passion and I love the part straight after the guitar solo. Fever is full of fun as Adam pulls off some pole dancing manoeuvres with the mic stand. The encore is once again DTRH, a dramatic and energetic end to another fantastic concert.
When I first heard FYE it seemed like there was a little bit of a false start as Adam comes in a little bit early. Then I thought the arrangement was changed up a lot so this was going to be a very different rendition. I didn't realise there were technical problems until the restart. It was the synths that were missing, and it seems that Adam was stalling with his ad-lib to allow them time to fix it. I have to give a lot of props to Monte for trying to pick up the slack and recreate them on the guitar. Makes me really want to hear the rock version without the synths. Adam deals with it brilliantly, even making the problems entertaining. I love this version with the return of mic stand affection, all the dancing and improvisation.
It seems like the sound problems continued into IIHY but it's full of joy. I think there may have been some lyric forgetfulness towards the end but it makes it all the more interesting. The shuffle-dancing puts a big smile on my face. WWFM is another great performance and my favourite part is the riffing during the instrumental break. I've missed them during the live versions. Strut brings us plenty of slinky poses and it seems very loose as Adam goes for it with the dancing and the impressively long glory note. The banter with the audience is very endearing at the start of SFW. He forgets his lyrics but he gives us staggering vocals as he adds in bonus glory notes. The loss of the jacket and Soaked changes the tempo of the set as we get to hear a very tender quavering voice. A Loaded Smile is very atmospheric and I think I prefer this live version where he moves out of his falsetto with some bluesy riffs and powerful wails. There are plenty of melodic variations to this bouncy acoustic version of MW to keep it interesting. Broken Open completes the acoustic interlude and sounds very different to the one at Fantasy Springs after having been sped up considerably. We don't have video yet for Music Again, which picks things up. Sleepwalker is performed with such passion and I love the part straight after the guitar solo. Fever is full of fun as Adam pulls off some pole dancing manoeuvres with the mic stand. The encore is once again DTRH, a dramatic and energetic end to another fantastic concert.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
The Student Becomes the Master
Wishful thinking often morphs into rumours through Chinese Whispers and I thought this was the case when it came to Adam being touted as a mentor on AI. He dispelled it during the Heat chat only for it to rear its head again yesterday via a DJ who claimed to have received an official notice. Many dismissed this but it was confirmed later to plenty of excitement and flailing. To mark the occasion, I've put together a video of all the mentor sessions from last season. Slash was the only one to have given Adam any advice and I remember wondering at the time how they would have been able to mentor him as I felt that the student had already overtaken the master.
I've always thought Adam would make an excellent mentor on AI for so many reasons. He is extremely articulate in expressing relevant opinions in a tactful manner. He doesn't mumble or babble self-indulgent shit and instinctively knows on what level to communicate in order to engage his audience. Although he says he doesn't have a filter, I think there is one in place that only allows interesting and useful stuff through. That's why we so often find ourselves hanging onto his every word. As far as I'm concerned, he's peerless when it comes to mastering the Idol game so no one is better to equipped to advise on it.
It's been a year since Adam was introduced to the world on AI, and I've wondered whether it would ever be able to recover. I thought that in the best-case scenario post-Adam, the judges may become more adventurous in their choices, or after having studied him we might have seen people be a little more daring. It's glaringly evident now how exceptional a talent he is by the absence of any excitement or comparable vocal quality from the current contestants. Adam has changed it and there is no going back as the bar requires intergalactic travel to get over. It will never be enough to be able to sing like an angel, to able to belt like a diva, to be a likeable personality, to have stage presence, to be visually compelling, to have a signature trait, to choose good songs, to be able to perform, to be able to interpret and rearrange songs, to be versatile, to be exciting and unpredictable. We need all that and much more to sustain interest because that is what Adam consistently gave us week after week without fail. Anything less is a serious disappointment. We saw how much the camera loved Adam for being such a fascinating subject and this year, despite there being some talent, no one comes even remotely close to generating as much interest or inspiration.
The show is broken and withered without Adam and is the embodiment of 'Meh'. The judges have had little patience, giving out confused and garbled advice after enduring one predictably lacklustre performance after another. I think it may be a consequence of Adam kicking out the rulebook as to what should or shouldn't work. I'll bet they wish there were someone similar this season but no one is able to pull it off. Ratings haven't been good so I'm guessing that the producers are trying to resuscitate the show with an injection of glitter-adrenaline to give it some pizzazz. I think it says a lot about their regard for their prized alumnus. Apart from the obvious draw of having him appear on the show, I would assume they thought he could have a lasting effect on the quality of performances. Last year, Adam expertly navigated his way through the rounds giving us a thrilling and varied collection of surprises. I think he's well qualified to advise on how to play AI to make it fit around the contestants, starting with how to get the most out of the available resources, song choice, vocal styling and arrangement from week-to-week. I also think he'd have plenty of valuable input on the performance aspect in the look, staging, mood, camera engagement and visual presentation which could help them all up their game. I don't expect him to work miracles as none have voices with the staggering range, power, control or dynamism that allows him to sing anything, but I think he'll provide plenty of ideas and inspiration. I look forward to Adam's return but it's a shame I'll have to tolerate all the rubbish to watch the Adam parts. Well, I'm glad I don't have to worry about voting this time round. If only they could dispense with the contestants and give the whole show to Adam so the master is free demonstrate his craft, then I'd be very happy.
DOWNLOAD Adam AI8 mentor interactions iPod compatible mp4 - 30.5MB
I've always thought Adam would make an excellent mentor on AI for so many reasons. He is extremely articulate in expressing relevant opinions in a tactful manner. He doesn't mumble or babble self-indulgent shit and instinctively knows on what level to communicate in order to engage his audience. Although he says he doesn't have a filter, I think there is one in place that only allows interesting and useful stuff through. That's why we so often find ourselves hanging onto his every word. As far as I'm concerned, he's peerless when it comes to mastering the Idol game so no one is better to equipped to advise on it.
It's been a year since Adam was introduced to the world on AI, and I've wondered whether it would ever be able to recover. I thought that in the best-case scenario post-Adam, the judges may become more adventurous in their choices, or after having studied him we might have seen people be a little more daring. It's glaringly evident now how exceptional a talent he is by the absence of any excitement or comparable vocal quality from the current contestants. Adam has changed it and there is no going back as the bar requires intergalactic travel to get over. It will never be enough to be able to sing like an angel, to able to belt like a diva, to be a likeable personality, to have stage presence, to be visually compelling, to have a signature trait, to choose good songs, to be able to perform, to be able to interpret and rearrange songs, to be versatile, to be exciting and unpredictable. We need all that and much more to sustain interest because that is what Adam consistently gave us week after week without fail. Anything less is a serious disappointment. We saw how much the camera loved Adam for being such a fascinating subject and this year, despite there being some talent, no one comes even remotely close to generating as much interest or inspiration.
The show is broken and withered without Adam and is the embodiment of 'Meh'. The judges have had little patience, giving out confused and garbled advice after enduring one predictably lacklustre performance after another. I think it may be a consequence of Adam kicking out the rulebook as to what should or shouldn't work. I'll bet they wish there were someone similar this season but no one is able to pull it off. Ratings haven't been good so I'm guessing that the producers are trying to resuscitate the show with an injection of glitter-adrenaline to give it some pizzazz. I think it says a lot about their regard for their prized alumnus. Apart from the obvious draw of having him appear on the show, I would assume they thought he could have a lasting effect on the quality of performances. Last year, Adam expertly navigated his way through the rounds giving us a thrilling and varied collection of surprises. I think he's well qualified to advise on how to play AI to make it fit around the contestants, starting with how to get the most out of the available resources, song choice, vocal styling and arrangement from week-to-week. I also think he'd have plenty of valuable input on the performance aspect in the look, staging, mood, camera engagement and visual presentation which could help them all up their game. I don't expect him to work miracles as none have voices with the staggering range, power, control or dynamism that allows him to sing anything, but I think he'll provide plenty of ideas and inspiration. I look forward to Adam's return but it's a shame I'll have to tolerate all the rubbish to watch the Adam parts. Well, I'm glad I don't have to worry about voting this time round. If only they could dispense with the contestants and give the whole show to Adam so the master is free demonstrate his craft, then I'd be very happy.
DOWNLOAD Adam AI8 mentor interactions iPod compatible mp4 - 30.5MB
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Springing Down the Rabbit Hole
Here's my latest edit of Down the Rabbit Hole from Fantasy Springs and I can assure you that this time there's no need to brace yourselves for any unwelcome surprises! Though I have to admit I did have a good cackle at the various WTF? reactions of my last one. Hope you like this one more. These edits keep getting increasingly complicated as I learn more and try to do more each time. I tried to generate a trippy effect with the throbbing bassline at the intro and then a rushy feeling of a thrilling ride.
Adam feigned impatience when it came to ordering everyone to dance to this last song. I doubt he realised what a mess he'd made of the audience after he'd stunned them with his acoustic WLL. It's no wonder people weren't dancing if they could barely function! He makes an excellent Mad Hatter radiating energy bouncing around the stage and acting out the lyrics. It's all very theatrical and at times the persona he takes on reminds me of that of a court jester. It's a hectic rendition with top-notch vocals that should get even the laziest Mother Trucker up and shuffling their feet.
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole mp3 - 13.3MB
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole iPod compatible mp4 - 50.7MB
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole HD mp4 - 96.4MB
Adam feigned impatience when it came to ordering everyone to dance to this last song. I doubt he realised what a mess he'd made of the audience after he'd stunned them with his acoustic WLL. It's no wonder people weren't dancing if they could barely function! He makes an excellent Mad Hatter radiating energy bouncing around the stage and acting out the lyrics. It's all very theatrical and at times the persona he takes on reminds me of that of a court jester. It's a hectic rendition with top-notch vocals that should get even the laziest Mother Trucker up and shuffling their feet.
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole mp3 - 13.3MB
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole iPod compatible mp4 - 50.7MB
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole HD mp4 - 96.4MB
Monday, 5 April 2010
Berning up Stockholm Squeeden
I think I got some karmic retribution for my last post in the form of internet failure over the last few days if that makes you feel any better! So this post is a little overdue. One thing I've learned about the Adam's trip is that there seem to be plenty of good cameras among the Swedes who brought us some stunning footage of this intimate little acoustic set.
It seemed like a very long time since Adam's last gig where I'd wonder about the outfit and the little changes he'd make to the song. It's extremely rare that I don't like Adam's look but I have to admit I am not a fan of the double-peak hair, which I liken to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. There's just something unpleasantly untidy about it going off in all directions, which is at odds with the smart uniform of the jacket. Here are my picks as a playlist - use the arrows on either side to select the song:
I get the feeling that Adam is a little cranky during this set after mentioning being tired. This last stretch of the promo tour was quite intense with no time to rest. There appear to be several sound problems and more of a caustic edge to the chastising of a nattering audience member. Music Again starts off bouncing along nicely, leading to the best WWFM I've heard in a while from the power with which he sings it. I find Sleepwalker a little imprecise when it comes to the riffing but the passion makes up for it. Mad World is attacked and has the best ending while Broken Open is beautiful. The set ends once again with the energetic DTRH where Adam can't resist getting those hips into action. Now it's back home for Adam and I'm feeling very jealous that the UK was the only country he visited that didn't get any performances. I would have really loved an intimate gig like this one as I think they're going to be rare and difficult to attend once he hits stardom here.
It seemed like a very long time since Adam's last gig where I'd wonder about the outfit and the little changes he'd make to the song. It's extremely rare that I don't like Adam's look but I have to admit I am not a fan of the double-peak hair, which I liken to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. There's just something unpleasantly untidy about it going off in all directions, which is at odds with the smart uniform of the jacket. Here are my picks as a playlist - use the arrows on either side to select the song:
I get the feeling that Adam is a little cranky during this set after mentioning being tired. This last stretch of the promo tour was quite intense with no time to rest. There appear to be several sound problems and more of a caustic edge to the chastising of a nattering audience member. Music Again starts off bouncing along nicely, leading to the best WWFM I've heard in a while from the power with which he sings it. I find Sleepwalker a little imprecise when it comes to the riffing but the passion makes up for it. Mad World is attacked and has the best ending while Broken Open is beautiful. The set ends once again with the energetic DTRH where Adam can't resist getting those hips into action. Now it's back home for Adam and I'm feeling very jealous that the UK was the only country he visited that didn't get any performances. I would have really loved an intimate gig like this one as I think they're going to be rare and difficult to attend once he hits stardom here.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Come on Foollow the Fantasy
Here's my latest edit of Down the Rabbit Hole from Fantasy Springs. Adam makes such an awesome Mad Hatter!
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole mp3 - 13.3MB
DOWNLOAD Down the Rabbit Hole mp3 - 13.3MB
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