« Sheila E.'s Next Great American Band Blog
Message for the Final Four: Change Is Good!
Yesterday, I celebrated my birthday on set so that was a nice distraction. John and Dicko got me a cake and the audience started singing "Happy Birthday" to me before they even brought it out. It was overwhelming and kind of caught me off guard but it was very sweet!
There are four bands left and each one had to learn three songs this week. They had to pick their favorite original song, a song picked by the producers, and a song picked by us judges.
I chose four songs from four different artists for The Clarke Brothers because I wanted to give them different options but, at the same time, something they could have fun with. Each judge chose a song for a different band. There were a lot of great moments but I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say the top three blew me away.
I really hope this whole experience has been enlightening for them. I remember the Old #7s saying, “We never would have thought we’d be playing different types of music from these artists.” Musically, it’s going to change them and I think that’s a good thing.
It’s a little difficult to stand up there and play, do your best and still be critiqued by a panel but I hope they take the good and the bad from what little advice we could give them. Learn from not mistakes, but things you would have changed, make it better and enjoy it!
Fox's Next Great American Band airs Fridays at 8 pm/ET
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Dec 13, 2007 10:49 PM
|
I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say the top three blew me away.
But honestly, what hasn't? To be fair, you're the Randy of the group, bringing a respected, well-informed opinion to performing chaos, and aside from the occasional lapse into flirtation, you've been pretty stalwart about your criticisms, and we appreciate that. But not only haven't the bands really blown this impartial observer away, the praise and the critiques have a sameness about them. Johnny just likes everyone, Dicko goes out of his way to bring the Cowell-like snark forth, and you've been the main source of reason but without much differentiating in your critiques. But then, of the bands left before tonight's show, two of them already had record contracts with major labels, and two of them probably never would have without the current exposure. The odds of a true unknown winning the competition seemed to have died a couple of weeks ago, and that's what has harmed the show's credibility a little bit.
My criticism isn't of you per se; Randy is very similar on Idol, relying on either someone being "pitchy" or "that was on fire, dawg". My wish was that something truly was mind-blowing, enough so that it hasn't been called out on a bi-weekly basis and rendered a rather meaningless praise phrase. I don't think any of the bands have been honestly capable of that, because "professionalism" and "competence" can't translate into catching someone off-guard; this should've been about finding an unknown quality, not giving a former successful band a second chance. There's little surprise about a polished band out for a second try at stardom.
That's my admittedly long-winded point.  With some tweaks in the audition/selection process, I'd like to see the show get another shot, maybe in the summer season in 2008.
|
|
Dec 14, 2007 8:31 PM
|
