Post by Inside Australian Idol on May 24, 2004 3:27:32 GMT 10
Idol hopefuls keep their cool
SUSAN HEWITT
If you thought you were cold at home on Saturday night, spare a thought for a hard-core group of pop star wannabes.
About 100 people - contestants and their support crews, including mums, dads and mates - camped at Ascot Racecourse for the chance to be among the first auditions in the latest round of Australian Idol.
Danielle Ellis and her mum Wendy drove from Bunbury on Friday and spent two nights camped in the cold. By 5am yesterday the crowds started arriving and by 8am the Ellises were swamped.
About 3000 hopefuls from around the State turned up to audition and organisers are expecting the same today.
Brooklee Puls flew down from Broome where she usually performs a Marilyn Monroe act. Jason Schram drove for 6½ hours from Kambalda, where he works in an underground mine.
Many in the crowd were there to offer moral support, but by 2.30pm anyone in line was waiting for today's auditions.
Channel 10 producers listened to 1300 singers yesterday - most of whom seemed to genuinely believe they had a good chance of making the cut.
Most were wrong.
By 9.45am Ms Ellis' dream, at least for this year, was over.
She was the fourth person to sing before the first round of judges, and the fourth person to be rejected by them.
Round one required hopefuls to sing a chorus, unaccompanied, in front of three Channel 10 producers. Those who passed got a blue slip, and moved to another room to wait for a second audition.
About 120 of the 1300 made it to a second audition in front of three executive producers who handed out pink slips to successful contestants.
That narrowed the field to about 60, who will audition before the infamous Idol judges, Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Ian "Dicko" Dickson, tomorrow.
Mr Schram will have to extend his Perth stay to make tomorrow's audition. But the 26-year-old underground mining driller's assistant is pretty sure the judges chose him for his personality not his voice.
"I guess I was looking for my 15 minutes of fame," he said after getting his pink slip.
"I just really wanted to get on the tele, maybe they think I will make them laugh."
Kirsty Vidich has her eyes more firmly fixed on fame.
The 18-year-old singing and dancing teacher from Beckenham was back after unsuccessfully auditioning last year.
This year she had more luck and her rendition of Jessica Simpson's With You won her a pink ticket to tomorrow's final audition.
© 2004 West Australian Newspapers Limited
All Rights Reserved.
www.thewest.com.au/20040524/news/general/tw-news-general-home-sto125430.html
SUSAN HEWITT
If you thought you were cold at home on Saturday night, spare a thought for a hard-core group of pop star wannabes.
About 100 people - contestants and their support crews, including mums, dads and mates - camped at Ascot Racecourse for the chance to be among the first auditions in the latest round of Australian Idol.
Danielle Ellis and her mum Wendy drove from Bunbury on Friday and spent two nights camped in the cold. By 5am yesterday the crowds started arriving and by 8am the Ellises were swamped.
About 3000 hopefuls from around the State turned up to audition and organisers are expecting the same today.
Brooklee Puls flew down from Broome where she usually performs a Marilyn Monroe act. Jason Schram drove for 6½ hours from Kambalda, where he works in an underground mine.
Many in the crowd were there to offer moral support, but by 2.30pm anyone in line was waiting for today's auditions.
Channel 10 producers listened to 1300 singers yesterday - most of whom seemed to genuinely believe they had a good chance of making the cut.
Most were wrong.
By 9.45am Ms Ellis' dream, at least for this year, was over.
She was the fourth person to sing before the first round of judges, and the fourth person to be rejected by them.
Round one required hopefuls to sing a chorus, unaccompanied, in front of three Channel 10 producers. Those who passed got a blue slip, and moved to another room to wait for a second audition.
About 120 of the 1300 made it to a second audition in front of three executive producers who handed out pink slips to successful contestants.
That narrowed the field to about 60, who will audition before the infamous Idol judges, Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Ian "Dicko" Dickson, tomorrow.
Mr Schram will have to extend his Perth stay to make tomorrow's audition. But the 26-year-old underground mining driller's assistant is pretty sure the judges chose him for his personality not his voice.
"I guess I was looking for my 15 minutes of fame," he said after getting his pink slip.
"I just really wanted to get on the tele, maybe they think I will make them laugh."
Kirsty Vidich has her eyes more firmly fixed on fame.
The 18-year-old singing and dancing teacher from Beckenham was back after unsuccessfully auditioning last year.
This year she had more luck and her rendition of Jessica Simpson's With You won her a pink ticket to tomorrow's final audition.
© 2004 West Australian Newspapers Limited
All Rights Reserved.
www.thewest.com.au/20040524/news/general/tw-news-general-home-sto125430.html
