news articles 27 april

[Inside Australian Idol]

Noll rocks home town
April 27, 2004


NOT even Jimmy Barnes could pull a crowd like Australian Idol's Shannon Noll, who created history in his home town of Condobolin at the weekend.


History: Shannon Noll drew huge crowds in in Condobolin.

About 12,000 people descended on the western NSW town, with a population of 3500, to hear Noll sing during the Anzac weekend concert - which was a thank you to the town's people for all their support during the Australian Idol competition.

In 2000, Barnes held a concert in nearby Temora and attracted only about 3000 people.

Damien Noll, Shannon's brother, yesterday said they were nursing a few sore heads but it was well worth it.

"It was just a sea of faces, we quadrupled the population of the town . . . it was probably the single biggest thing that has happened here," Damien said.

"It was a once in a lifetime moment, you won't see this in Condo again."

And yesterday, Shannon was still on a high, taking to the track for a bit of motorcycle action.

"He's been riding his bike around, thinking he's Mick Doohan," Damien said.

The event raised $100,000, which will be divided and handed out to several charities.

Herald Sun

entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,9401829%255E10431%255E%255Enbv,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Fans out for Nature boys
From Sydney Confidential
April 27, 2004


MORE than 35,000 fans of Human Nature can't be wrong.
That's how many copies of the band's latest album, Walking The Tightrope, were put on the shelves yesterday to satisfy the demands of fans.

While critics lazily dismiss them and radio stations cautiously add their latest single to their playlists, thousands wanted to be among the first to own the new album.

Hundreds of their loyal followers crowded around a small stage at Myer's Bondi store yesterday to see Phil Burton, Toby Allen and brothers Andrew and Michael Tierney perform three new tracks.

The front row of besotted female fans sang along to every word despite only the first single, When You Say You Love Me, being aired before yesterday.

Most of those at Bondi have loved Australia's enduring vocal group - don't call them a boy band - since their debut release,Telling Everybody, in 1997.

"People look at them and they just think 'boy band'; they don't take the time to listen to the music," admirer Shannon Friedman told Kathy McCabe.

"They are not a boy band, they're a group and they wouldn't have lasted this long if they weren't talented.

Christine Iannazzo admits she cops a ribbing from some of her friends and family

because of her fondness for Human Nature. "They're cool to me. I think they are very easy to relate to and I love the way they harmonise," she said.

Human Nature, who remain in huge demand for major events, can also command the kind of peer respect few artists realise.

Former Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes was inspired to write When You Say You Love Me for them.

And Barry Gibb gave them a track, Love Is Blind. It had never been recorded by the Bee Gees.

The Bee Gees also gave permission to the Australian group to record a new version of the hit, Guilty, with guest vocalist Guy Sebastian.

The Daily Telegraph

entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,9396703%5E7484%5E%5Enbv,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Anastacia makes her move
April 28, 2004


Three new entrants shake-up the singles chart this week.

D-12 take the number two spot with My Band, while Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll's single Drive grabs the number four spot.

And Canadian skater-punk Avril Lavigne takes tenth position with Don't Tell Me.

Australian Pete Murray's album Feeler is pushed from its number one spot in the albums chart this week by Anastacia's self-titled album.

Meanwhile, the biggest mover on the albums chart is Vancouver vocalist Michael Buble with his swinging self-titled album, which jumps 13 spots, from 16 to three.

Australian singles chart

1(1) F**k It (I Don't Want You Back) - Eamon (JIVE/BMG)
2(-) My Band - D-12 (UMA)
3(4) Left Outside Alone - Anastacia (EPI/SONY)
4(-) Drive - Shannon Noll (BMG)
5(6) Black Betty - Spiderbait (UMA)
6(3) Suga Suga - Baby Bash (INI/UMA)
7(5) With You - Jessica Simpson (COL/SONY)
8(2) Yeah - Usher feat. Ludacris & Lil' Jon (ARI/BMG)
9(7) Hey Mama - Black Eyed Peas (INI/UMA)
10(-) Don't Tell Me - Avril Lavigne (ARI/BMG)

Australian albums chart

1(8) Anastacia - Anastacia (EPI/SONY)
2(1) Feeler - Pete Murray (COL/SONY)
3(16) Michael Buble - Michael Buble (WARNER)
4(2) Confessions - Usher (ARI/BMG)
5(4) That's What I'm Talking About - Shannon Noll (BMG)
6(10) Greatest Hits - Guns N' Roses (GEF/UMA)
7(5) Sunrise Over Sea - The John Butler Trio (JAR/MGM)
8(3) Fallen - Evanescence (EPI/SONY)
9(7) Feels Like Home - Norah Jones (EMI)
10(9) On And On - Jack Johnson (MOD/UMA)

AAP

www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/27/1082831556642.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Idol Troy says he's not worried about knockback
Tuesday, 27 April 2004

April 20

Inverell Idol, Troy McLachlan was not disappointed when he was turned away from Australian Idol auditions on Wednesday.

He said his performance was good and the judges agreed but they said there were stronger male voices there on the day.

Although he was not chosen to go on Troy said he might make it onto the show regardless.

"They did the opening shots and I sang in front of the cameras,” Troy said.

"They came along and said 'Who's auditioning today?' and my friends yelled out that I was and pushed me out to sing.

"So I might be on there.”<br>
He would have liked to audition for Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Ian Dickson but was happy to get some constructive criticism from his judges who gave him advice on how to develop his voice further. He also questioned the kinds of singers which were chosen to move onto the next round.

"It makes you wonder where they get the bad people for the show because they were letting all these good people through,” he said. Not unlike fellow Inverell contestant Melinda Luxford, Troy also had a long wait for his audition. He arrived at 8am but wasn't called in for his audition until 4pm. He said the long day was made less tedious by Australian Idol hosts Andrew G and James Mathison, who entertained the crowd, talked with contestants and signed autographs.


inverell.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=302277&y=2004&m=4

[Inside Australian Idol]

Shannon sings for charity in his town
KIM BARTLEY
Tuesday, 27 April 2004

Australian Idol star Shannon Noll is helping to distribute the profits from his Condobolin concert that drew almost 10,000 people and left tears in the eyes of locals and their favourite son.

The singer and members of the community who banded together to stage the one-off event, put their heads together yesterday to sketch out a plan to support Condobolin charities and others considered worthy of a helping hand during the worst drought in living memory.

Condobolin's fire-ravaged St Joseph's School is reported to be one of the beneficiaries.

While there were no exact figures available the morning after a "sea of people" converged on the showground, a spokeswoman for the organisers said expenses of about $60,000 would have been "very adequately" covered by ticket sales.

"We've never seen so many people here before," Lindy Hall said yesterday as her husband Dave and an army of local volunteers cleaned up at the showground.

The same army of unpaid workers had made "it all happen" with only two weeks' notice.

On Sunday they rolled up their sleeves and watched in amazement as a long queue formed at the showground gates, hours before Noll turned on his talent for locals and visitors.

Streets near the showground were lined with cars and people of all ages as they made their way to the "biggest single event" ever to take place in Condobolin, which has a population of 3500.

"One person said to me the last time they saw so many coaches they were in Hong Kong," Mrs Hall said.

Fans from Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Coffs Harbour, Sydney and throughout the "central west" had grabbed the cheap tickets to see the local boy made good.

The alcohol-free and family-friendly concert was a gift to the bush from the singer for making him runner-up in the national competition.

It kicked off with two support acts including local band Cypress, featuring Noll's brothers Adam and Damien.

They later joined their now-famous sibling after the crowd's constant chants of "we want Shannon" brought him out to a "deafening roar".

Mrs Hall said his 90-minute performance generated plenty of heat on a cold Anzac Day night and ended with high emotions, both on and off the stage.

"A tear came to his eye at the end...he was overwhelmed with the success of it and the money that would go to charity," she said.


dubbo.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=302236&y=2004&m=4