It was all about Bressie's suit, Olly Murs result's show performance, and Conor Quinn's crocodile tears on The Voice of Ireland this weekend - and unfortunately we had to wave goodbye to two more contestants (Bring back Gari!).
TEAM BRIAN: It's difficult not to fall under Brendan Keeley’s charming spell. He is an extremely likeable character, with an intriguing voice to boot. In previous weeks, I haven’t been blown away by Brendan (especially his song choices), but last night it felt like he really found his groove. It was a terrific song choice (Walking In Memphis), and it really allowed him to showcase his raspy voice. I disagreed with Sharon when she said that he “struggled with the higher range." I thought that he sounded pitch perfect throughout the song.
Brendan looked great up on stage, but I don’t think he needed the leather jacket to look the part of the rock star. Hopefully, in the coming weeks Brendan will push the musical boundaries and surprise us with an up-tempo number.
Brendan Keeley is a natural born performer - but he is yet to show us that he is versatile!
I really do have a soft spot for Alan Fitzsimons, but his song choice of David Guetta’s hit track Without You was dire. There is no denying that the former OTT boy band member can sing, but he consistently keeps on picking songs that fail to showcase his amazing voice. It probably would have made more sense if he remixed Without You, but another well known record so it didn’t seem like there were massive instrumental gaps in his performance. I also found it a tad cringey when he shouted “I wanna see you up on your feet, it’s time to party.” I totally agreed with Sharon when she said “That song is more of a production than a great melody.” I have a feeling that Alan will have to strip back to basics, to remind us all why he deserves to be in the competition. Bring on the ballads!!!
Alan Fitsimons needs to get back to his Purple Rain glory days
I commend Sinead Fox for going down a completely different musical avenue, and showing that she isn’t just a one trick pony. However, her performance of I Love Rock n’ Roll just didn’t work for me. Sinead looked like she was out of her comfort zone, and that she was trying to be something she’s not. I am holding the coaches partially responsible for her exit, as they previously told her to “break away” from her “little girl persona” and act like a “woman”. It seems that Sinead thought a sexy leather outfit, and scantily clad dancers accompanied to a raunchy song would be her saving grace - but ultimately it contributed to her downfall.
Last night we waved goodbye to Sinead Fox
At this stage in the competition it looks like Richie Hayes has become a firm favourite among viewers and the coaches. He can’t seem to put a foot out of place, and each week he keeps on getting better and better. Unlike the majority of contestants in the competition, Richie knows what songs compliment his voice, and he uses this to his advantage.
I thoroughly enjoyed his heartfelt performance of Somebody to Love, and I enjoyed the emotional journey he took us on with the song. Bressie said “you have an amazing personality, and I love your voice, while Sharon pitched in “It was a wonderful performance, you were totally in control.” Even Kian managed to mutter a few nice words saying “You told a story, and it is beautiful when you do it.” I have a sneaky suspicion we well be seeing Richie in the final!
Richie Hayes has proved the point that 'the best things come in small packages'
TEAM BRESSIE: I am devastated that cheeky chappy Gari Deegan has left the competition. I really enjoyed his performance of Stevie Wonder’s Lately, and thought it was one of the best performances of the night. It was refreshing to see a serious side to Gari, instead of the constant chart topping pop music that he usually belts out. It was hard to fault his heartfelt and soulful overall performance.Although the dancers were slightly distracting! Sharon said: “In rehearsal I didn’t think you delivered it well, and tonight i was a bit pitchy, but you got the emotion right.”
Meanwhile Kian stated: “I thought the first half of the song was really strong, but you have to be one of the best singers in the world to sing a Stevie Wonder song.” Here's to hoping that there will be a wild card round and Gari will be voted back in!
Bring back Gari Deegan!
Is there anything Conor Quinn can’t do? His performance of MGMT’s Kids. He made the song sound like it was written especially for him. Conor has the rare girt of making each song he sings sound unique to him, and he manages to put his own stamp on everything he does. The poor thing was completely overwhelmed by all of the coaches comments, and his eyes welled up. Even his own mentor Bressie, and the show's presenter Kathryn Thomas looked like they were ready to shed a few tears. I agreed with Kian when he said: “This is what you need to come out and do. Your voice sounded amazing, you are the one to beat in the competition.” However, the top comment of the night came from Bressie who compared his own act to Jay from The Inbetweeners!
Is Conor Quinn "the one to beat" in the competition?
Pat Byrne gave a beautiful rendition of Ocean Colour Scene’s We Caught The Train, and as always he had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. Pat knows how to work the stage to perfection, and I am not surprised that he is starting to catch the eyes (and ears) of celebrities outside of the show (Amy Huberman is now following him on twitter). Brian said “I’m a huge fan. That was a really solid performance", while Kian added “I drifted in the verses but still came back. The chorus was brilliant. There is nothing to fault. A great performance.” However, Sharon found a few glitches in Pat’s performance explaining “That was one of the most difficult songs of the night and even the series. I thought it was difficult for you.”
Amy Huberman is now following Pat Byrne on twitter
I was very surprised with Keira Byrne’s performance last night. It was refreshing to see her prancing about the stage and giving a high-energy performance instead of sticking within her ballad comfort zone. She really thought outside-the-box when it came to her rendition of No Doubt’s Just A Girl, and I felt like I was watching a concert. It was a fun-filled performance, and a terrific ending to the show. At last, Keira has finally given a performance that makes her stand out from the crowd. I look forward to seeing what she will do next.
Keira Byrne worked that stage!
With just three acts left on each of the coaches teams, it really is anyone's game.
Who do you want to see in the final?
Laura Delaney
