news articles 12 february

[Inside Australian Idol]

Murmurs ...
February 12, 2004

A VERY demure Courtney Act, or as our spotter tells us, it was actually the man behind the woman Shane as he wasn't dressed up, was at the Stonewall on Oxford St on Tuesday night.


Interestingly, it was karaoke night and he didn't go anywhere near the stage. "Maybe because he can't sing," Confidential was told.

  

THOSE who thought bling-wearing Levi Kereama should have taken the title as Australian Idol can show their support by popping down to the Hunter Bar in the city tomorrow night. He'll be performing there with the group Lethbridge in which his brother Jules – who moved a nation to tears (well Marcia Hines at least) when he helped Levi through his farewell song – also plays.


  


dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1266&storyid=882893

[Elle]

Brisbane Courier Mail 12 February 2004

FARM BOY IN LAP OF LUXURY

(includes large photo 10 ½ by 18 cm, of [glow=red,2,300]Shannon Noll[/glow]seated with a cuppa in his hands)

caption under photo:
SUITE dreams....... Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll at the Stamford Plaza Hotel is Brisbane, yesterday. Picture: Glenn Barnes

Emma Chalmers – Entertainment reporter
_________________________________

It is a long way from the country comforts of the bush to the opulence of a plush hotel, but Shannon Noll is taking it all in his stride.

The lifestyle of the 27-year-old Australian idol runner-up has completed a dramatic transformation since his gutsy performance on the reality TV show last year.

“It’s a fair bit more flat out than what I was doing,” Noll said yesterday. “Twelve months ago I was probably just driving the tractor here and there and doing a bit of crutching.”<br>

The farm boy from Condobolin in NSW has had a full schedule since the show finished last October and this week he launched his debut album, That’s What I’m Talking About ahead of a regional tour of Queensland next month.

Yesterday, about 6500 people packed into the Logan Hyperdome {large shopping complex} south of Brisbane to hear Noll perform his hit What About Me and Drive, a song penned by Bryan Adams.

As his career takes off around him, Noll has sought some peace of mind by bringing brother Adam on board behind the scenes.

“I haven’t had 5 minutes to go to meetings or anything like that with Tour Managers and Ads just there trying to keep everything above board that he can find out and make sure we’re not getting touched anywhere,” he said.

When he hits the road next month, Noll also will be accompanied by brother, Damien, who will play the drums in his backing band.

For Noll, his trip out west will mark the first time he has been to regional Queensland and he hopes to make the most of it despite the gruelling schedule of 15 shows in 11 days.

“I think I’ve got a day off before we start……..so I might throw a line in and try to relax before we start,” he said.

Page 10, Courier Mail, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

[TeenQueen]

Herald Sun, 12 Feb 2004, Page 5:

Duo take field for big night
By: Jane Metlikovec and Cameron Adams
THE number one is something that Australian Idol's Shannon Noll and Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist have in common.
Noll holds the No. 1 song on the charts with his single What About Me, and Gilchrist was crowned best one-day player of cricket's tri-nation VB series recently.
And both will be at Crown's Palladium for the Allan Border Medal tonight.
The Australian Idol runner-up will fly solo at cricket's version of the Brownlow, where he will sing a tribute to David Hookes.
Noll's fiancee, Rochelle, and two children are at his temporary Sydney home as he tours the country promoting his first album, That's What I'm Talking About, which is expected to debut at No. 1 next week.
Noll said he never tried to hide the fact he was a family man during the hit TV show last year.
``I never wanted it hushed up,'' he said, referring to the record company practice of hiding girlfriends -- and family -- to make stars look attainable.
``I had people close to me tell other people close to me, `He won't get down to the final 10 because he's got kids', which was a little disappointing to hear from loved ones.''
And while the song he is singing at tonight's awards is being kept under wraps, Noll said he was just happy to be performing.
``I am just stoked to be there, because I love cricket and it's in my blood,'' he said.
Noll is a relative of Steve and Mark Waugh.
His grandfather's sister is the twins' grandmother. ``I went and watched Steve play his last game at the SCG,'' Noll said.
And it seems Australian Idol was no stranger to our top cricketers either. ``We were on tour in India, and every Tuesday morning when we were on the bus, someone would ring home to see who got through,'' Gilchrist said.
The Allan Border Medal names the one-day international cricketer of the year and Test player and state cricketer of the year.
Noll tips Australian captain Ricky Ponting to take out this year's honours. ``He has scored three double-centuries in the last year, so he has got to win something,'' he said.
And the reigning Allan Border medallist agrees. ``I think Ponting will win, but you can't just rely on statistics,'' Gilchrist said.
``I went last year not expecting to win at all, so you never know.''

[TeenQueen]

Herald Sun, 12 FEB 2004, HIT section
q&a
Shannon Noll tells CAMERON ADAMS about music, fame . . . and staying true to the original

Guy Sebastian got four days to make his album, how long did they give you to make yours?
About 4 1/2 weeks.

Did you have much input into choosing the songs on it?
Yeah, we had a core group of songs and I listened to all of those. I liked them all, except a couple were a bit R&B for me, but I got two rippers in their place; Drive and New Beginning, so I was stoked.

Was there a discussion of how you wanted to sound?
Well, we knew it was going to be tough because we had to get it done quick so there wasn't going to be time to be overly creative or anything. Hopefully, with the second album I'll get more time to write some songs and put a bit more of a direction to it.

You've only written one song there, that's obviously important if only for financial reasons . . .
Yeah, and for some credibility. The show's a great stepping stone and put us all in a great position. But now we've got the opportunity we have to prove why we deserve it. So for the next album, if I have two or three on there that's fine. I want top-quality songs on there, I don't want songs on there just because I wrote them, what I write might be a heap of s. . .!

On your album, What About Me is very close to the original, the Bryan Adams-penned Drive sounds like a Bryan Adams song . . . do you think you've found your own sound yet?
It's hard. It comes from playing in a covers band for 4 1/2 years, you become a really good mimic. It's hard to break away from that and find yourself. I like Creed, Nickelback . . . I enjoy playing that music so I think I'll enjoy writing that kind of music.

What covers did your band Cypress play?
Creed, Nickelback, Blink-182, 3 Doors Down, all that kind of stuff.

Is being a mimic a skill?
Definitely. Being in a covers band, a) it's not fair to the people who wrote the song to make your own version, and b), people don't want to go and hear four dickheads' version of a song they like. I wanted the songs exactly the same as they were on the album or the radio. I'm not into stealing anyone else's thunder by trying to make out it's your song.

That's one of the criticisms of What About Me -- you haven't added anything to the original.
I didn't want to change it. One thing I hate is all these great songs from years ago and they remake it by putting some dude in the middle going `Yo!' I didn't want to go and change that song around because it's a great song, I just wanted to have me singing it and that's it. No one's done that song since it was a hit and obviously people like the song the second time around, and there's plenty of people who had never heard it before.

But there's not a lot of creativity for you?
That's right, that's why I only did one cover on the album. That was the moment from Idol, which I took on the album, the rest are originals. I found it a little hard at the start to get the demo singer from the songs we sourced out of my head; that's what I'm used to, it's hard to break out of that mould. My vocal producer would wait and then he'd go, `Now we're getting you on there'.

Have you had feedback from Garry Frost who wrote What About Me?
They rang him while I was on Sunrise and he said his kids call me Santa! That was excellent. It's good he's making a bit of money out of it, it's a great song, he deserves it.

Has it sunk in you're No.1 and triple platinum?
It's weird, someone told me early on in the show about people suffering from post-reality TV syndrome. I always kept that in my head, the idea it could all be over as quick as it started. So when it comes to things like No.1 hits I have that same mentality, which I probably shouldn't. Little things trigger you, like I shipped 40,000 more copies of my album than the last U2 album, which was the best album they've ever done.

Did you think your cover band would make it?
Yeah, I think this whole thing is not so foreign to me because I always thought we could do this as a band. But we stayed stagnant for too long, we got stuck in the rut of playing all around the country. I always thought we had something to offer. It was probably a childish dream, but I sort of prepared for something like this earlier. And when it didn't happen I'd started to lose the dream a little before Idol started. I'd had two young kids, I thought it might have been time to grow up and find a job. But my mum always said if it's going to happen it'll happen wherever you are. But as if someone like Dicko is going to be hanging around a pub in Forbes. But it's ended up Mum was right. If it's meant to happen it will, look at me.

You've become a heart-throb through Idol, but are women respectful of the fact you've got a fiancee and a family?
They are, really respectful, actually. All I ever hear is how beautiful the kids are, how pretty Rochelle is and good luck with the wedding.

No one tried to make you keep your family a secret to make you look more attainable?
I didn't want that to happen. I had people close to me tell other people close to me `He won't get down to the last 10 because he's got kids' . . . which was a little disappointing to hear from loved ones. But I never wanted it to be hushed up.

How lucrative has Idol been?
A little bit. If the album sells well I might make a bit. You hear stories about bands like Human Nature who still haven't recouped (any money). I can't believe that.

Most of the Idols overseas sign the winner and the runner-up, did you have a suspicion you'd get a record deal?
Yeah, I knew from overseas the runner-up got looked after. It was very up and down in that show, so much stress and pressure each week. I think that's why I've got a few grey hairs!

People have criticised your voice and questioned whether you hit the high notes . . .
I did Angels Brought Me Here a semi-tone higher than Guy on my recording, so if anyone's questioning that, they don't know what they're talking about. I'm pretty cool with myself, where I'm at. My record outsold the song at No.2 six to one in the ARIA chart, so whatever!

That's What I'm Talking About (BMG) out now|

[Inside Australian Idol]

Noll takes field
By Jane Metlikovec and Cameron Adams
February 12, 2004


THE number one is something that Australian Idol's Shannon Noll and Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist have in common.



Adam Gilchrist and Shannon Noll play some air guitar.

Noll holds the No. 1 song on the charts with his single What About Me, and Gilchrist was crowned best one-day player of cricket's tri-nation VB series recently.

And both will be at Crown's Palladium for the Allan Border Medal tonight.

The Australian Idol runner-up will fly solo at cricket's version of the Brownlow, where he will sing a tribute to David Hookes.

Noll's fiancee, Rochelle, and two children are at his temporary Sydney home as he tours the country promoting his first album, That's What I'm Talking About, which is expected to debut at No. 1 next week.

Noll said he never tried to hide the fact he was a family man during the hit TV show last year.

"I never wanted it hushed up," he said, referring to the record company practice of hiding girlfriends - and family - to make stars look attainable.

"I had people close to me tell other people close to me, 'He won't get down to the final 10 because he's got kids', which was a little disappointing to hear from loved ones."

And while the song he is singing at tonight's awards is being kept under wraps, Noll said he was just happy to be performing.

"I am just stoked to be there, because I love cricket and it's in my blood," he said.

Noll is a relative of Steve and Mark Waugh.

His grandfather's sister is the twins' grandmother. "I went and watched Steve play his last game at the SCG," Noll said.

And it seems Australian Idol was no stranger to our top cricketers either. "We were on tour in India, and every Tuesday morning when we were on the bus, someone would ring home to see who got through," Gilchrist said.

The Allan Border Medal names the one-day international cricketer of the year and Test player and state cricketer of the year.

Noll tips Australian captain Ricky Ponting to take out this year's honours. "He has scored three double-centuries in the last year, so he has got to win something," he said.

And the reigning Allan Border medallist agrees. "I think Ponting will win, but you can't just rely on statistics," Gilchrist said.

"I went last year not expecting to win at all, so you never know."

Herald Sun

entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,8659544%255E10431%255E%255Enbv,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Shannon Noll Album Set For Number One



Shannon Noll's 'That's What I'm Talking About' will easily come in at number one in Australia next week, according to early figures from HMV.

Noll's record has been outselling Norah Jones 'Feels Like Home' two to one at HMV with the midweek chart showing it comfortably at number one and set for a top spot ARIA debut next Monday.

Norah has been a strong seller in the USA, with predictions of sales about 600,000 in the first week. EMI shipped 2.3 million copies of 'Feels Like Home' into stores, following the success of her last record 'Come Away With Me' which sold 7.5 million in America.

A strong debut is also expected from Courtney Love on the Australian chart next week, with going figures tracking it ripe for a top 20 debut.

Other top 40 album debuts in Australia next week will be Dave Grohl's metal project Probot and Harry Connick Jr's new album 'Only You'.


By Paul Cashmere

www.undercover.com.au/news/2004/feb2004/20040212_shannonnoll.html