Ellen - Better Than I Know Myself

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Hot off the heels of the Leno performance comes the next stop on the promo rounds, Ellen. Keeping his look consistent but in a more casual daytime affair, Adam sticks with sober colours, very little makeup and only a bit of jewellery for sparkle.



The mix is so much better than on Leno with each sound being more distinct. The bass and guitar are more noticeable with Adam's vocals right where they should be. His voice is clear, mellifluous and less whispery. Listen to the velvety smooth sound of truth with that little bit of vibrato. I could drink it up all day. The harmonies are delightful and I'm definitely feeling the fire in this one. There's less holding back from the beginning which makes the hunger for the crescendo a little less desperate but when it does come, it's an impassioned, spine-tingling moment that gets a huge cheer from me.

In the short interview, Adam touches on the two different sounds and moods on Trespassing. He acknowledges his relationship and falling in love before being quizzed about the drunken shenanigans in Finland over the holidays. Respect to him that he doesn't shirk it but handles his response with class. As well as give our dirty minds 'juicing' to smirk about as a euphemism.

A successful appearance and another gem for the collection for this second performance of BTIKM. Within the space of a couple of days, I'm shocked at how much room for improvement Adam was able to demonstrate, but by now I really should know better.

EQCA Equality California Awards

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I have a very busy few days so no time for comments, but here is my playlist for Adam at the awards. Included is the red carpet arrival, questions, an impromptu duet of Mad World with Kathy Griffin and his acceptance package with speech. I'm glad the LGBT community are finally giving him (as opposed to some straight "bi" popstrel) official recognition for being a visible role model. Well deserved Adam!

AdamBehindTheMusic

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I was unable to stay up to watch a live stream Adam Lambert on VH1's Behind the Music but here are all the videos and bonus clips with some brief comments:



As we'd already seen from the teaser trailers, we knew there was going to be a lot of coverage about Adam's sexuality but I still didn't expect it to feature so heavily that it would be more like "Behind the Gay" with so little about the music. Having said that, his sexuality has played a major part in shaping him as a performer and as a role model, the show giving out lots of positive messages about coming out.

Apart from watching Adam looking very fresh-faced and speaking softly in his trademark articulate manner, the parts of the show I found myself most drawn to were those from his pre-Idol days. Not only because it's before I started following his every move, but for the insights and new footage of him singing and speaking as a youth. Hands up those of you who, like me, ended up playing some kind of mental photo-Bingo? How did you do? I think I had about 95% of the photos that were shown. The new ones were a splendid bonus for hardcore fans who struggled to learn anything new. As expected, there's the revisiting of old controversies and we got to hear a little more about how he felt as his "Oops" moment unfolded. There was a little bit about music and certain songs but I got the feeling it was edited so only the songs relevant to the way the show was spun - "Coming out = liberation and empowerment" - got a look in. It was satisfying to have it re-iterated that Glam Nation was a huge worldwide success.

I did enjoy watching the programme, especially the bonus clips. If I were a casual viewer, I'd think it paints Adam as a talented, intelligent and fascinating person with an interesting history (that we'd all like to know more about, with videos please!) but has ultimately worked hard to deservedly get to where he is. I'd think that the way he has dealt with his struggles without compromising himself or his integrity is admirable and I'd want to find out more about him, maybe even Google him from which I know with hindsight there'd be no return.

A Flailworthy Return

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What a great time to return when there's so much to celebrate! Thanks for sticking around! I really needed that time off after the exhaustion of Glam Nation.

Here's what I missed in the past month in a very brief summary:

• Long hair with / without goatee
• Dark 2nd album
• Sauli
• Charity Water
• Cherry baby
• Grammy Social Media panel
• Pop-dance Aftermath
• Glam Nation DVD

And we've been spoilt rotten in the last couple of days with all the publicity appearances:

The Talk

Adam looks fresh-faced and happy as his disarming charm "Don't let the nail polish fool you!" reminds us why we all fell for him. If his vocabulary "rambunctious", "rudimentary" doesn't quite do it for you then his hero fireman or primal caveman certainly will. This appearance is made of win and it's impossible to keep a straight face as we see the love and excitement pouring out from the fans who are just too cute.

Extra TV - The Grove

Adam looks every bit the rock star that he is. That gilet is so retro-space but also reminds me of Michael Jackson's red Thriller jacket. The dulcet tones as he goes into a very brief a capella line from WWFM are just too painfully short and leave me wanting more.


Ellen


Adam performs an acoustic version of WWFM for the first time on TV, and since I haven't heard his voice for a while, I'm hit by its agonising beauty. It's so velvety and breathy and rich and soothingly mellifluous all at the same time. The start of the arrangement is similar to the Berlin NRJ performance where Monte gently picks the guitar and Adam whispers. Even after hundreds of performances, Adam still finds a way to refresh it for hardcore fans. There are changes in the timing and phrasing with the delayed "What DO you want from me?" making the question more direct and poignant, and much less defensive. The picking changes into a strum with the vocals building up to an unexpected intensity towards the end. The crescendo is stunning. I much prefer it when he stays away from his falsetto for "So DON'T give up". Sometimes this part can sound a little snatched or shouty when he stays in full voice but here the notes are given room to expand, sounding so smooth and full and resonant I just want to eat them up.

E! True Hollywood Story

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I managed to watch a little bit of this on the live stream after staying up until stupid o'clock but crap internet hasn't permitted me to watch it in its entirety yet. I did enjoy what I saw though and it was quite insightful listening to stories from Adam's friends, family and colleagues. Here's the show for now and comments will probably follow at some point in the future:

RSI Much? Video Awards

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CONGRATULATIONS ADAM!

I didn't stay up until stupid o'clock in the morning to watch this as I was too tired. The last two days I've actually had to send myself to bed earlier than usual because I physically couldn't continue using my mouse. My shoulder and arm ache and my hand is starting to claw from spending so much time on my laptop. I woke up to the best surprise knowing that it wasn't all in vain. Adam fucking won an MMVA! Here's all the footage:



He arrives in a classy pimpmobile looking nifty in a dashing suit spiced up with matching leopardskin tie and boots. I so want to stop his tie from peeking out under the button on his suit though. His hair looks new romantic, with soft feathered extensions. He's so poised on the red carpet, speaking with eloquence. I mean, who the fuck else would be talking about how touring is educational?

Blame the scriptwriters but I think the host is rather deluded if she thinks she can give Adam makeup tips and I have to snigger at that one. Girl, Adam was experimenting with makeup way before you were even just a horny twang in your Daddy's thang.

It seems like forever since Adam did a live TV performance in front of a big audience. I think the last time was his return to AI back in April so this is all exciting again. No lasers, but he's silhouetted against a blueish halo of smoke through a backlight. It seems strange to me that he's performing in his red carpet suit and didn't go for a costume change. I'm so used to seeing him sing WWFM in dressed-down gear that the clothes don't seem comfortable enough and he looks too elegantly overdressed. The hair makes him look fierce and the suit lends just a little too much confidence and power to him, taking away that vulnerability.

I give the camerawork and editing a fail as there are too many wide-angle shots and we don't get to see much Adam. We get an idea of the size of the audience though, which is awesome. The sound is fantastic, his voice is strong, the timbre is pleasantly rich and those vocals are absolutely beautifully flawless. I'm surprised to be feeling awestruck once again by how well he manages to sing that, especially straight after three nights of full shows on the trot. Just wow. And I'm so happy he gets some well-deserved pyro at the end.

On collecting the MuchMusic Video Award he seems so excited, enthusiastically swooping down like a plane holding his hands out to the fans before hitting the stage. It's a slightly awkward moment for me when he says he usually doesn't win things. I think the joke falls a little flat as no one really remembers he didn't win. His acceptance speech gets rudely truncated but I'm so grateful he thought to thank his fans first and foremost. No, thank YOU Adam! We fortunately get to find out what else he meant to say in his acceptance speech during an interview after the show. One thing that is bugging me slightly right now though, is how we managed to miss the other award that Adam was nominated for. Was it one that we couldn't vote for? I hope this is one of a long line of awards we can help Adam to win. Right now my arm aches, but it's happily celebrating.

JLC Good Times

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Adam Lambert is back on UK channel Five on Justin Lee Collins: Good Times. I've seen a few of these and it's quite an entertaining show with a more imaginative format than most. The host is from the West Country with a country bumpkin farmer accent. He looks like a hirsute teddy bear and used to team up with Alan Carr as his comedy partner. He tends to be physically affectionate with a habit of kissing guys on the lips so I doubt he'll be able to resist planting a smacker onto Adam.

The show starts at 23:00 UK, 15:00 LA, 18:00 NY, 07:00 Tokyo time. While we're waiting, please go and vote for the IIHY video and sign the petition for PPV online streaming.
If you haven't got your legit copy of CLYG yet, you can get it on For Your Entertainment (EU Edition) (Incl. Bonus Tracks) from Amazon US.

Well that was major technology fail on my part, but here's full uncut version from Five.tv that wasn't aired:

KISS 108 Concert

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Wow, there has been so much suckitude at this concert because no one seems to be able to sing live. Still, listening to people making my ears bleed is something I've gotten used to in the course of following Adam. Here's the media so far, which I'll be updating as the night wears on:

Backstage interview:


Playlist of full set - use the arrows to change songs:


DOWNLOAD Interview - Real Media file *.rm (Audio in synch, plays with RealPlayer/VLC Player) - 22.0MB
DOWNLOAD Adam Lambert's full set (Intro, WWFM, MA, Strut, Sleepwalker, IIHY) - Real Media file *.rm - 62.4MB

It's too late to write a proper review now, so here are my stupid tweets in the meantime:

WWFM!
He sounds very high, did they up the key?
Same jacket as on Leno with the mohawk on the back #kiss108
Spray-on pants! #kiss108
Same leather ones as on Ellen - except without strategically placed shirt
Are they missing the keyboards today? Sounds very different
Wonder what Tommy's solo's gonna sound like #kiss108
Tommy did a decent job, but the guitar sounds a little strange, kinda jangly.
First person tonight who can actually sing live and he sings fucking brilliantly. #kiss108
Bitch has the best strut going. #kiss108
Cameraman fail. Need to see those moves #kiss108
He seems to have an odd patch over the crotch area.
Sleepwalker!!!!!
Not the best start though
STOMACH SKIN!
Go Adam! Kill it! That is some serious belting going on!
Fist bump with LP - cute.
I almost thought he was gonna keep the language clean
Do-do-do-do-do-dooooo!
Wonder why he decided to leave out the dancers
Misbehavin' hair!
OMG that mouth is huuuuuuge!
Bouncy Adam is so cute

Adam's Cock-or-two on Ellen

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Adam is a bundle of infectious joy in this performance, decked out as a glam hippie in shiny bell-bottoms, reminding me a little of the PTFM look. They would probably be another be another talking point, were it not for the shirt left untucked. The dancing is great throughout and brings a lot of energy onto the stage. The backing track vocals sound a little dissonant at points but he nails the live vocal, which is awesome. It looks like he might have given in to singing some of the 'd-d-d-do' parts despite saying that he wouldn't when we eavesdropped on his rehearsal. Bring on the party!



The interview feels so much more of a happy affair compared to the first time he was on the show. Adam seems so much more confident and the charm is on display as he cheekily sneaks in some smut.

Live Stream from Studio Five

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Adam has an "amazing" interview lined up today on Live from Studio Five which I plan to stream here. It's on at 18:25 UK time, 02:25 Tokyo, 01:25 HK/Singapore 13:25 NY and 10:25 LA.

To save load on my PC, I won't be here on my blog but will try to be in the chat room so if there are any problems, let me know there. In the meantime, while you're waiting, I've put up my first-hand account of my very overdue Heaven review. Enjoy!

Adam on Jonathan Ross - Live Stream

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Well I've finally managed to get my blog mostly back up to date, so please check out the posts over the last couple of days. This is my first attempt at streaming a show so I hope it works OK. My little laptop is actually an antique with a measly 1GB RAM and powered by hamsters, so apologies if it doesn't work or keeps buffering. To keep the load down on my computer, I won't be tweeting during the show or watching the stream. I'll try and be in the chat room so if there are any problems, let me know there.

Although he has his funny moments, I'm not a big fan of Jonathan Ross. I think he's an annoying prat but his show is the most popular late night one, drawing high-profile guests and attracting audiences of a few million. It will be good exposure for Adam, and satisfying to see the universal effect of the charmicide.

It kicks off here at 22:45 UK time, 14:45 LA, 17:45 NY, and 06:45 Tokyo. Enjoy the show!

UPDATE: Looks like it's been delayed by 15 mins because of election coverage.
New times 23:00 UK, 15:00 LA, 18:00 NY, 07:00 Tokyo

Here are the YT recordings of the stream. They're not great quality and I cut out the Feeling Good clip for copyright, but it includes priceless Adam as a 'Southern black woman'.



I've left up the full-length Ustream recording too, for those who want to play a 'Spot Adam in the Green Room' drinking game.

Heating up GMTV

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I was excited and nervous about this first live performance on UK TV of Adam's debut single, postponed because of the volcano. Although audience numbers aren't huge and the performance wasn't scheduled during the peak time, GMTV is still the second most-watched breakfast TV show here. I did have some concerns over how the vocals would come across as it's a difficult song to sing live. The verses sit in his lower range where he doesn't have as much power. They are also quite wordy, allowing little space for the short notes to develop and the result is that it can sound a tad shaky. I needn't have worried though.



I was glad to see that the intro package was great and I agree with Lorraine that he looked stunning - so glam and made up for the morning while the rest of us were still trying to look awake. His hair is very slick, eyes smouldering, skin all peachy and radiant. The white shirt without a jacket dresses him down just a touch and suggests he's ready to get down to business, but fun business. I think there was a fair amount of nervous laughter during the short interview, but the charm worked and the exchange was sweet.



I love that initial expression on Adam's face where he looks so fierce and powerful. Right from the start, we see that he inhabits the song. With the addition of the bejewelled jacket, sparkly spats and very tight trousers, he looks incredibly sharp and chic. The choreography as far as I can tell is the same as for the performances from Japan and is given an edginess from the jerky dance moves. I think the kooky dancers complement (when they're not obstructing our view of Adam) the performance as they shadow his moves rather than compete with him. They also lend Adam a more commanding and domineering presence, which is key to the interpretation of the song. The vocals are solid throughout, unaffected by the dancing, but they really pick up at the bridge where he sets them on fire.

Pet Cactus on TV

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During Adam's brief visit to Scotland, there was plenty of excitement over whether he would wear it like a true Scotsman, i.e. commando. Well, he was kind enough to tweet us a photo of him rocking the #glamkilt and spiky sporran “It's like having a cactus - a little pet cactus” over tartan leggings. For those of you who'd never heard of it, a sporran is a little manbag to make up for the kilt's lack of pockets, and this spiky one was a gift from some of his fans. I love the hair, which is my favourite effortless-looking style so far. The only thing I would change about his outfit are his boots. The leather on them looks to be beautiful in quality but I think he would have done better to go with something heavier and clunkier because when I look at his lower half, it reminds me of a schoolgirl's uniform!

It may seem like a huge contrast, seeing a handful of dedicated fans as opposed to the scores who lined up on the previous stops to greet Adam, but there are a number of reasons for this. The tour takes in many cities, information revealing his schedule has been last-minute, but the main reason is he's still a relative unknown. Let me tell you about the exposure Adam has had so far. In the UK (population 60 million), we have five terrestrial channels; BBC1, ITV, Channel4, BBC2 and Five, (in order of audience size) which virtually everyone has access to. There are regional variations but altogether, they make up well over half the viewing share. American Idol is shown on ITV2 which has less than a 2% share. To put things into perspective, our most popular soaps draw in regular audiences of 10 million. Last year's X-Factor consistently drew in 10-15 million each week with the final peaking at 16 million. Last year's American Idol regularly drew in less than half a million, with the final at less than 850,000. We can see therefore, that the size of the AI audience is less than 5% of that of the X-Factor. 2012 was a box office success but the audience reach of cinema is comparatively small. So along with a couple of written articles, this was the only exposure Adam has had prior to now. His first single and first album are yet to be released.

Adam's music has now been featured on 4Music, the music channel with the biggest viewing share (though this stands at only 0.3%). Its most popular artists are spotlighted on Channel4 in the 4Music series where they have their own dedicated slots (we need to make this happen). Other popular music channels here include The Box, MTV, VH1 and Smash Hits, each with less than 0.1% share. It goes without saying that the aim for anyone wanting exposure to the biggest possible audience is to appear on prime-time terrestrial TV on shows like X-Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Britain's Got Talent, Dancing on Ice or any charity telethon. Out of these, I believe only Britain's Got Talent will be on but in the audition stages during Adam's next visit. Over The Rainbow could well be a possibility, though ratings-wise it won't be high as those listed above.



Yesterday was Adam's first UK TV interview on Scottish show 'The Hour', and one of the presenters was Michelle McManus, winner of the second season of Pop Idol who I'd thought had faded into obscurity after getting shafted because of her weight. They did such a great job with this delightful interview, and mentioning Brigadoon was a nice touch. For those who have no idea what Marmite is, I like to think of it as the vegetarian yeast cousin of Bovril, which is beef-flavoured extract. It's a thick dark savoury spread that is supposed to taste meaty. Anyway, it was good to have been spared the usual stupid questions with the actual music taking centre stage for once. I think we Brits feel we're liberal enough to be coolly blasé when it comes to sexuality, so that teamed up with political correctness means it's rather uncouth to ask someone about it directly. One of the situations in which I imagine it may be brought up is in mocking conservative Americans for their outrage. The latest radio interview from Liverpool's Juice FM is full of discussion about the music, including Adam's involvement in the music video. So far, so good.

Glamajuku Hits Japan

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I'd been very excited about Adam's visit to fashion-forward Japan, where there is no top to OTT and fanaticism is taken to a whole new level. It must have been quite an experience to have received such an enthusiastic welcome from the thousand dedicated fans who lined up to greet him at Narita. There could be little that's more validating than that and I'm so happy Adam is getting the appreciation he deserves overseas.

Sometimes I wonder what type of creative performances we would have seen from Adam if the AI audience were Japanese. We have been provided with a good glimpse though, and it's a joy to see him so at ease with really letting loose in expressing himself.

His first show on this trip for those few lucky fans was in Club Eleven in Roppongi. Decked out as a dazzling spiky glitterbomb with those now infamously flattering leggings (sans codpiece), he really rocked the joint in a couple of choreographed numbers. I love the setting and think that concerts are so much better when moshing rather than sitting. The atmosphere seems electric, with the videos capturing the feel of the small sweaty underground club of the FYE music video. Except I think these videos do it better because it's less staged and much more authentic. I wasn't keen on the dancers on SYTYCD in Australia, but I think the routines here work much better because Adam is an integral part and the dancers complement rather than do battle with him. Here's the set embedded as a playlist (use the arrows to choose the song) :



This is Adam's first live televised performance of FYE (below, second video in playlist) since the AMAs and there have been some notable changes. The vocal is much improved but the start is still a tiny bit shaky. I think this is because the verses are a little low for him so it's difficult to sing sustained notes with the same clarity and power as the chorus. As with the Roppongi rendition, it's been shortened and I notice that he's been sliding up to the high notes rather than jumping which makes it easier to find the right pitch, and pretty much pitch-perfect he is. He shows off some very slick new dance moves and the routine as a whole is made of win.

And the look! Wow! It appears that he really went with his 'More is more' mantra with make-up that truly is a work of art. There appear to be influences from Japanese kabuki theatre with the eye make-up, enhanced by the rhinestones and thick eyebrows. I think he looks like a cute anime sprite. The fiery colours are quite a departure from the cool colours I'm used to. Those along with the fur, spikes and claws complete a leonine look. Rawr!

DonorsChoose Live Chat

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Watch the whole chat from start to finish, courtesy of AO:




To make things easier for you, I've summarised the video so you'll know where to go to in order to re-watch your favourite parts:

00:00 - 10:00

• Who would be Adam's partner on the Amazing Race
• What he plans to do with his tour jacket
• His on vs off-stage persona
• Helping up and coming artists
• His favourite dessert
• Assembling the band
• What never fails to make him smile
• What songs he'd like to cover on tour
• His favourite thing about each band member
• Which instrument he'd like to be expert at playing
• How he writes songs

10:00 - 20:00

• What other star sign Adam would be
• Shooting a video for each song
• Future American Idol appearances
• How often he dyes his hair
• The best and worst pick-up lines
• His most memorable Burning Man experience
• How it feels to have his songs sung back to him
• The most difficult song to sing live
• Whether he walks/talks/sings in his sleep
• Fever lyrics
• Going back to natural look/hair colour
• The craziest thing to have happened on stage

20:00 - 30:00

• Being in another reality show
• The most interesting critique written about Adam's album
• What he does when feeling insecure
• Coconut drink 'plug'
• Going back to his old apartment
• Crushes on cartoon characters
• What artists make him happy when he is sad
• How Jewish he is
• Whether he gets paid for photoshoots
• 'Can't let you go' - new song on UK album
• His cooking skills
• Getting another tattoo
• Which gadgets he can't live without
• Advice he would give himself at ages 13, 18 and 21

30:00 - 40:00

• How Allison and Kris influenced Adam on American Idol
• How he feels about his image coming before the music
• 'This is live, calm down, conspiracy theorists!'
• 'Welcome to the jungle!' plant scene (34:00)
• How the room-mates got picked on AI
• Aesthetics he'd like to include in his music videos
• Cheetos vs ramen
• His drink of choice at an open bar
• His favourite jewellery
• How often he dyes his eyebrows

40:00 - 50:00

• How to get more men to dance
• What Adam would do during a zombie apocalypse
• His strengths
• Secret talents
• His feelings towards female fans over 40
• How he defines his eye and hair colour
• Exercise regimes
• His song 'Voodoo'
• Why he didn't wear sunglasses during the group dance
• 'Bonus round! This just in!' - questions to: adamcontest@19entertainment.com
• His thoughts about soulmates

50:00 - End

• Icelandic artists
• Whether Adam has seen ontd_ai
• Setting up a fan club
• An inappropriate question that he can't answer
• Whether he will perform more covers/unreleased songs at upcoming gigs
• His thoughts on sporks
• What he thinks of plaid

It's a very insightful chat with great questions interspersed light snark and plenty of gif-making material. I noted that he not only compliments his fans for their resourcefulness but also at various points gives us gentle reminders not to get too crazy on him. Adam speaks very openly and I love the honesty and familiarity with which he addresses us. There's a load of info to digest, some of my picks for the most interesting are:

• The band being a temporary one with Tommy initially auditioning for guitar, not bass
• Adam's strong beliefs on the astrological make-up of the band
• Wanting to cover 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and 'Enter Sandman'
• How he uses melodies to emphasise certain lyrics in the songwriting process
• Choosing songs because of their strong visual element
• 'Can't Let You Go' being an indie/emo rock song with powerful vocals
• Being averse to junk food but also not being a great cook
• Kris being unhappy about being left to duet with Danny Gokey
• His jewellery being very organised with dividers in his drawers
• Psychology as a career path if he couldn't sing
• 'Voodoo' being a dark industrial disco song with a hard electro beat and light breathy vocals
• His lack of sunglasses during disco week's group dance was unintentional
• He will be involved in setting up his new fan club, which Leila will probably run

Leno Plucking Adam Out

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I watched Leno in a very happy frame of mind after finding out Adam's album sales figures for the week, which were much higher than what I'd been expecting. Adam had already been a part of a few of Leno's sketches leading up to the appearance so I was looking forward to seeing the interaction between them.



I was amused by the house band's attempt to play FYE at Adam's entrance without any electronic effects, and the hug he gave Leno reminded me of the one he gave Randy Travis. Adam's look was the most casual I'd seen of late - no leather, not glam, and even slightly grungy. It most closely resembled that from the TFM video. There was plenty of make-up though, and I liked the jewellery, especially the snake.

The interview itself was one of the most enjoyable so far, talking about Adam's past and his family. He was so natural at endearing us to his human side and his voice impressions were funny. The pregnant pause and mischievous expression after Jay's emphasis on 'plucked' was a classic, and the 'safe plucking' response was hilarious, leaving us in no doubt once again as to his lightning-quick wit. It was reassuring that Jay was fanboying all over Adam, unable to resist touching him. One with lesser integrity and articulation skills may have nodded along and agreed with Jay's cynical take over the AMA furore, but it was admirable that Adam consistently continued to take responsibility for his actions. I loved the little sarcastic mention of Billy O'Reilly with a twinkle in the eye. I'm really curious to see them head-to-head, and whether he'd be able to resist Adam's charm.



Monte returned with the bejewelled guitar, with the foggy atmosphere and lighting Mad World-like. It was another beautiful and solid performance with a few changes like a low 'Please don't give in'. It just keeps improving. There was another back-to-back moment with Tommy but the camera went towards Lisa for the synth break. The sound mix was good and this was one of the best vocals of WWFM so far. Not glitzy, not angry, not sad but assured, very natural, understated and quietly confident.

I'll leave you the tweet of mine you liked the most, and as promised, part of the best plucking episode of Rainbow, a children's TV show - well worth watching for its innnuendo.

A View of Lions Tamed

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The quote of the day from Ringmaster Adam has to be “I'm a little different. My dreidel spins the other way.”

Impatience has a time-warping effect and it seems like such a long time since the last televised performance. It doesn't help that we know Adam gave performances at the Vevo and ADL events but have yet to see videos of those. His appearance as one of the ten most fascinating people was disappointingly short, just going over AMA and gay, with little more than a few sentences from him. There was nothing new there for fans, but at least there were plenty of clips showcasing Adam's voice. Again, there followed more controversy and proof of Adam's point about double standards because Gaga's same-sex kiss was shown but Adam's wasn't.

Adam's announcement about appearing on The View was one of the many WTF? moments recently, but it seemed that Barbara Walters had already been won over. The show would be pre-taped just so that ABC wouldn't have to concede complete and utter defeat in the matter. I guess they wanted to make a point to show that Adam hadn't earned back the trust of the network yet, rather than really believe he wouldn't be able to resist tempting everyone into simulating oral sex with him.

I'd never seen The View but had seen the clips of their conservative prude Elisabeth Hasselbeck criticising Adam's AMA performance. I thought this would make for an interesting showdown coming second only to one with Billy O'Reilly. It seems that she got warned (threatened?) by Adam's fans to be pleasant to him and in order to reassure everyone, she gave Adam her phone to tweet from.

Well there was never any doubt in my mind of the power of Adam's charms once the ladies got within his glittery aura. I'd seen it time and time and again throughout every single interview. Adam always manages to disarm even those with the sharpest of knives aimed at him and this was no different. From the photo that was released before the show of Adam with huge fluffy hair all coiffed up dressed as rockstar for the daytime, we could tell. From the body language of smiling eyes all fixed upon him and legs crossed towards him I could see that the ladies were putty. They weren't lions hungry for a mauling but kittens playfully tugging him for attention. Hasselbeck even ended up defending Adam's AMA performance and made sure to give him a chance to talk about his charity work.





We'd already seen three recent performances of WWFM, all subtly different though I couldn't help but feel that I was going to get bored of this being the only song that Adam would be performing on the promo circuit, much like I did with MW straight after AI. I don't find it the most exciting song and wondered how Adam would keep it interesting. That was answered the moment the camera showed the jaw-droppingly brilliant set. It was hilariously camp and reminded me of Top Of The Pops re-runs from the 70s. The crudely written ADAM at the back was in a punk style, but the pink, red and yellow neon were so cheesily OTT disco-glam. Are you sure there were enough lights Adam?! This, unlike the album cover, needed no explaining for it was extremely and unashamedly kitsch. Like a kid at Christmas, I was so mesmerised by the lighting I paid little attention to the song when I first saw it on the stream. I just couldn't believe that this set was on daytime TV on The View. Adam sang it beautifully and the mix sounded better than in the previous performances. It wasn't quite perfect though, as the guitar and the voice lacked a little richness for me, but the backing vocals showed no signs of dissonance nor were they overpowering. My favourite part of the vocals are the very soft extended notes with a little vibrato mixed in, like 'down' at 3:06. There were a few iffy notes after that, like the 'don't' which he's been sharp on before, but the final note with the breath at the end just takes my breath away.

This was family-friendly Adam being his charming self warning people this is no longer Idol but his career, and to expect a difference. With the cancellation of Larry King, let's just hope that this is the point at which a bright, neon-lit line has been drawn underneath the AMAs. This was a great interview from Adam, who was assertive, personable and quick-witted, the perfect combination of 'Aww!' and 'Phwoar!'

Back Down to Earth

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Despite seeming quite upbeat on CBS, it seems that Adam has done plenty of self-reflection since then in a really difficult week. It's disheartening to know that he's feeling the pressure and as a result of that, has had to respond and back down somewhat. He tweeted about taking things in a different direction in the aftermath of the AMA controversy. I really hope that it doesn't mean he'll be too cautious and over-think everything he does in future, because it's his subversive streak and his spontaneity — which makes every performance unique — that are the very things that add the passion to my fandom. Here is his interview on Ellen:



Again, Adam looked great, smart but very understated with minimal makeup, which seemed to distance him from AMA Adam. He wore a brown leather jacket that had the cut of the WATC one without the embellishments, dark shirt, black trousers and gold tie. This look seemed to say that this was Adam, the real, bare human being rather than the fiercely sexual rockstar performer.

From the interview, I think Adam has analysed everything to death and has come to regret that the AMA performance wasn't quite suited to the intended audience, but I'm glad he still feels the content of the performance wasn't a mistake. Unlike after RoF where he talked about getting a kick out of the love/hate split in reactions, I get the feeling that he was much less happy about the negativity amongst even the fan boards where many voiced their disappointment. For fans to be lukewarm about your big debut performance in which you put so much effort must hurt, and I imagine that he has been harder on himself than anyone else.

Adam is so many different things to so many different people that everyone has different expectations. His versatility in applying himself to any style — one of his greatest strengths — makes it an impossible task to please all fans and I hope it's not something he's going to focus on. It would be a shame if he felt the need to tone down in order to make himself more palatable to those who aren't as open-minded as he initially assumed. I was hoping that he would now have much more artistic freedom after the Idol days of staying on his best behaviour so people would keep him on their screens. Unfortunately it looks as if it's not going to be vastly different now. Back then, it was arguably down to individual votes, but now the power is all in the hands of the networks and corporations and that's a different matter. Adam inadvertently made ABC and CBS look like fools and they can't have taken kindly to it. He may have enough buzz now to attract a huge audiences, but like it or not he needs the networks for promotion and has to be careful to keep them on board. As frustrating as it is, there will still be that balancing act between keeping his subversive edge by staying true to his art, and being TV friendly. Through various iterations, I'm sure he'll manage to nail the right balance for TV and perhaps leave the risqué for his tour. Although I hate that Adam felt the need to back down and concede his shortcomings, I think his humility during the interview was enough to pacify many and win over some.

This week has been a bit of reality check for us all and we've rather depressingly been reminded that corporations rule over artistic expression, especially in the US. Adam, despite all his fabulous alien glitteriness, is still subject to their rules. There is plenty of hope though, as without him, the debate about male sexuality would not be taking place. Without him, individuals would not have campaigned to stop ABC from condoning violence with GMA's invition to Chris Brown. I'd like for Adam to know that there are plenty of us in other parts of the world who don't think he went too far. I understand that he'll have to make concessions, but for me it's his dedication to staying true to himself, taking bold risks and pushing boundaries that win my respect and admiration. I think he's learned a lot over the past week and believe his positivity will make him much stronger after this. For now, I hope he knows he has enough support to feel confident in continuing to be bold and unapologetically Adam.



This version of Whataya Want From Me? was a vulnerable one and the vibe I got from this was closest to his performance of One, where he seemed very exposed. There were a few shaky notes and it wasn't as perfect as the one on The Early Show but he poured in plenty of passion and I loved it when he let rip with his vocals at the end.

FU With a Loaded Smile - The Perfect Vindication

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The fall-out from the AMAs gave Adam plenty of publicity with the cancellation by GMA inadvertently giving him another huge boost and plenty of backing. That The Early Show immediately snapped him up just proves how much he is in demand. We were all curious as to how Adam would handle his first live TV appearance after the AMAs and I was eager for him to show the low-key side of him, reminiscent of the RoF-ToMT arc on AI. I wanted him to show everyone how well he could sing and that he wasn't a just gimmick meant to shock.

His morning look was great with light make-up and perfect imperfectly sculpted pompadour - very Elvis. He was still undoubtedly rockstar with his AMA red carpet jacket, some spray-on trousers with sparkle, clunky boots and fingerless leather gloves. There would no doubt be some questions about the awards show and Adam handled them with grace. Some of the questions were difficult and perhaps pushing for an apology or an admission of regret, but Adam seemed unflustered, speaking eloquently. He gave convincing and intelligent arguments, backing them up with valid examples and opened up a debate about sexist double-standards. He spoke with conviction and made me proud that he refused to back down.



Whataya Want From Me? was the ideal choice of song after all the controversy. The way it related to the situation gave it that extra poignancy. There was a slightly distracting plucky sound throughout the song but the arrangement stuck close to that of the album. Adam was pitch perfect in his heartfelt plea for patience and understanding. This was perfect answer and antidote to the criticism over his AMA performance. Bringing Leila on was a transparent attempt to turn him into sweet momma's boy Adam suitable for kids and daytime TV, but by doing that, it was also giving the finger to ABC for deeming him unsuitable for a morning show. And I loved the comment about the how shoulderpads help him bear the weight of the pressure.



Music Again had a completely different energy that was lively and fun. He did forget the lyrics by singing the betterer line twice and missed the first jump into falsetto but nailed everything else. I loved the interaction with Monte and the timbre of his vocals was beautiful. His interaction with the fans after leaving the studio only further endeared him.



Whataya Want From Me? on Letterman was filmed the day after the AMAs and Adam toned himself down to suit the occasion, looking smart in a satin jacket and tight sliver trousers. This wasn't as pitch perfect as the Early Show performance as some places could have done with a little fine tuning. The vibe was different though, being impassioned and angrier-sounding, reminding me much of his BoW performance. You could see that he meant every word of that song, which injected that extra intensity.

I think after these peformances, there may be people who will be revising their opinions on Adam after the AMA debacle, thinking they over-reacted. He's certainly proven that he can sing well live, he's shown himself to be articulate and charming under fire and demonstrated that he can tone it down to suit whatever platform he's on. As far as I'm concerned, Adam is the big winner out of this because he's rightly pointed out and made us question our hypocrisies while the networks have only further proven his point. He's expertly managed to deflect the bulk of the fire and remained consistently unapologetic for his actions. This was a measured 'Fuck You!' response to his critics delivered with a sweet and confident smile, earning even more respect from me. Well done Adam!

Intimate Details

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Before chiming in, I thought I'd wait to see the actual photos from the Details shoot rather than the distorted and slightly out-of-focus photos of the magazine that were in circulation. I had wondered beforehand where exactly 'racy' sat on the Adam barometer, thinking it would probably be very sexually suggestive, maybe a little kinky. In terms of this wave of publicity though, I think it came a little too soon after the leak of TfM. In the morning we were all excited about TfM and later on that day, it was all about the photos which ended up slightly overshadowing the music.

The cover shot features a heart-stopping look directly at you, brooding and slightly accusatory. The styling is Teddy Boy meets Top Gun, the result a dark and mysterious stranger. The pose looks a little unnaturally forced, but overall I like the result and I'm very thankful it wasn't artificially smoothed over with an airbrush.

When I first saw the portrait of Adam at the start of the article, I thought it looked very strange - it didn't resemble him and looked conspicuously photoshopped. He looked way too thin and angular but the light reflection suggested the magazine wasn't flat. No wonder Details was trying to get the photo pulled because it didn't do it justice. The black and white image is striking and you're drawn straight to his intense gaze. The feel of it hearkens back to classic Hollywood screen icons of the 50s. The chiselled features, the strong jaw, the slightly stubbly rugged complexion, the pensive gaze with the wrinkled forehead and thick furrowed brows all make him look classically handsome. The slicked hair, the simple white T-shirt with the gathered sleeves and the earring give off a rebellious air - the dangerous bad boy you want to ride off into the sunset with. It's a beautiful portrait.

The rest of the photos see Adam with closed eyes sporting a strange manicure posing with a naked model in various positions for some intimate shots. The photos are sensual but due to the light touch and positioning of Adam's hands, I don't see them as that sexual. Neither Adam nor the model look fully engaged in each other but absorbed in their individual pleasure. For the model it appears to be pride at achieving her conquest and for Adam it's the fascination of the female aesthetic. The kiss I find a tiny bit clumsy because their mouths are so far apart. The horizontal one shows his passion for the female form as if it were a work of art, a sculpture. His plain black T-shirt and position makes me think of him as an artist, maybe a dancer. The last one in the mag is the most explicit where he's sporting a Teddy Boy look. I think this is my least favourite because it lacks the believability factor for me. On seeing the rest of the photos on the site, the kissing one works better cropped without the hand cupping the breast, and the licking one works better without the model's rear on full display. I actually find the shots they didn't use in the mag more beautiful and prefer the one with the exposed nipple to the one where Adam's hand is on it.

The photos portray Adam as very masculine which I find very different to the RS shoot where I thought his effeminacy was highlighted. The imagery and feel of the photo shoot, although not quite as steamy, remind me of the work by Herb Ritts, who in addition to being a photographer, directed one of the most beautiful music videos - Wicked Game which I've included here. Watch it and you'll know what I mean. The portraits of Adam are quite reminiscent of the close-ups of Chris Isaak in the video.

The racy photos I'm sure have already been discussed to death but I might as well pitch in.  I don't see it as Adam betraying his sexuality and selling out. The shoot is for a lads' mag, and lads' mags aren't subtle and need breasts to sell. These are comparatively high-brow compared to the bulk of them. I think the point of those photos is to illustrate the sub-heading of the article 'Why does every woman in America want to sleep with Adam Lambert?' and to reinforce Adam's view that attraction isn't necessarily dictated by sexual orientation. Being gay doesn't exclude you from appreciating the opposite sex and the photos show him exploring that beauty. The editor decided to include in the mag the shots with the greatest shock factor, which I find a little vulgar and gimmicky. I'm fine with the nudity but I'm one who prefers the sexy to be implied and think the same message could have been put across without resorting to as much gratuitous flesh fondling. I think Adam was rather shocked himself on seeing them but seemed to get a kick out of it.  He liked the results and I consider them a success having achieved the goal of fuelling fantasies and generating quite a stir. It's kept us talking, given headlines to the magazine and helped maintain the buzz. It also gets the controversy over and done with should Adam want to put his bi-curiosity into practice or cavort with the opposite gender in his music videos. It's certainly keeping people very interested in what he does next.

The article, although eclipsed by the photos, is interesting and elaborates on what was said in RS. Adam appears to be getting comfortable with being more forthright in his speech. I felt he had an increased impatience towards the overzealous Christians who he's mentioned before, and more annoyance directed at those fans who think he owes them. Although he was a big tease about being tempted to make out with women, I think the article could have delved a little deeper. After all, that was supposed to be the heart of the article but I felt that it was more like an excuse to show the photos. He talked in a bit more detail about his past issues and his destructive streak. I have a liberal attitude towards recreational drug use and don't find it surprising, but I'd suspected he'd done speed rather than coke judging by some old photos where he looked very thin. It surprised me a little that he talked about having slept around, I thought he'd keep that a mystery but I guess its purpose is to lay the foundations for future eye-rolling if anyone steps forward with a tabloid kiss and tell. I'm pleased for his success and it's always reassuring to know that Simon Fuller recognises what a rare talent Adam is, putting him amongst the all-time great singers. I often find myself shaking my head in disbelief when I remember that Adam came out of Idol. Looking at this latest article, it seems he couldn't be further from it.