Mu$ic i$ the Door: The Voice Of Ireland: Season 1: The Blind Auditions!

Published by Kevin Mc Stravock

After the massive success of The Voice Of Holland and The Voice of America, everyone else seems to be getting their own series. BBC One will be airing The Voice of UK later this year with Jessie J and Tom Jones amongst the coaches. However, I would never have predicted that RTE would pick up the series in place of another series of the (frankly awful) variety programme The All Ireland Talent Show, seen as Ireland's answer to the Got Talent format that was limbered by rubbish judges and a mostly poor standard of talent.

So have RTE tried to resolve this issue in their line-up of coaches? It's not that bad! Hoping to find some talent are Northern Irish singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy, one quarter of singing siblings The Corrs; Sharon Corr, Westlife member Kian Egan and finally, the one I'm most excited about, gaelic footballer turned hurler turned Leinster rugby player turned rocker and frontman of The Blizzards; Niall 'Bressie' Breslin. So yes, it's not exactly up there with Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green but they'll do, I hope.

Recap and videos after the JUMP ...

Week 1

Onya Gray - Sings 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush/Placebo

Yes - First up is Onya Gray, she's from Limerick and she may be best known to everyone as being part of Black Daisy who represented Ireland in 2009 in the Eurovision Song Contest alongside Sinead Mulvey. Oddly, she's now operating under a different name to when she was part of Black Daisy when she was known as Lesley-Ann Halvey. She's singing Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush and absolutely smashing it. Andrea presses her button straight away, swiftly followed by Bressie. Bryan Kennedy also presses his button, only Kian doesn't but let's face it, he's not rock, he's barely even a pebble. She chooses Sharon, to be honest, I half expected it to be Bressie after he showed an extensive knowledge of modern rockers but Sharon will no doubt lead her well.

Darren Bates - Sings 'Patience' by Take That

No - The next hopeful is Darren Bates, he's got the Ed Sheeran look about him so I kind of expect him to be quite poppy. He wants Kian as his coach. He's singing 'Patience' by Take That, he's okay but he's got a very generic voice, probably a bit like a poor imitation of Damien Rice or David Gray. He misses most of the notes in the chorus and nobody turns their chair around. I do think nerves got the better of him to be honest and none of the judges thought he was bad but a little bit like a wedding singer. He's no massive loss.

Kate Donohue - Sings 'Mustang Sally' by Mack Rice/Wilson Pickett

Yes - Kate is from Dublin, she has already performed as a backing choir for Westlife and infront of The Queen. She's singing Mustang Sally and has a really interesting tone to her voice, not quite Paloma Faith, not quite Debbie Harry, it's very unique and all the judges are tapping their feet. It looks like nobody is going to choose her then Sharon presses her button just as the song is about to end. Kate is delighted as she wanted Sharon to choose her but Kian has some feedback for her telling her that she was a bit too cabaret. Sure what would he know?

Conor Quinn - Sings '9 Crimes' by Damien Rice

Yes - I'd be lying if I said my first thought wasn't what in under God is he doing when Conor first opened his mouth. He has quite a unique voice, it's not dissimilar to Aiden Grimshaw off The X Factor UK in 2010 and he has a similar stage mannerism, what I'd describe as standing with the posture of the Hunchback Of Notre Dame. Bressie presses his button and nobody else does. His voice doesn't seem to match his look as he resembles Niall from One Direction so I kind of expected him to sing a pop song but I'm pleasantly surprised. The other judges all agree that they didn't want to press their buttons as they felt that Bressie is the best judge for him. I hope that Conor goes far as he's very unique albeit definitely needs to work on his diction when singing.

Kim Burke - Sings 'Price Tag' by Jessie J

No - 19-year-old Kim from Limerick automatically screams 'attitude' to me. I don't know what it is about her but the way she walked in as the camera panned after her reminded me a bit of Cher Lloyd who wasn't renowned for being shy and retiring. Straight away, her interview pretty much lets us know that she'll be full of herself as she claims she's good ''at most genres''. She's singing hit single Price Tag. It's not bad to be fair, it's a little bit pitchy but I've heard much much worse. Definitely wouldn't be enough for me to justify turning round though, her voice is actually a little bit like Cher Lloyd but the growling is just a straight carbon copy of Jessie J. She doesn't get through and isn't impressed, evident when she gives Kian some backchat when he tries to offer her constructive criticism. It's nowhere near as dramatic as the deluded auditionees who argue on The X Factor but it's probably the most melodramatic audition so far. Bressie makes me laugh again telling the other judges 'She just needs a hug'.

Chris Currid - Sings 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' by The Darkness

No - Unlike the other auditionees, we aren't shown Chris' face as he is interviewed whilst presenter Kathryn instructs us to play along at home. Chris is singing rock song 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' and to be fair, it's not a half-bad attempt to sing the song. The only thing is that his high notes are very very pitchy and he does sound a bit too much like Justin Hawkins for my liking. I personally wouldn't choose him as I don't think he's very original. And none of the judges disagree with me as nobody presses their button meaning so far, only Sharon and Bressie have actually got any acts yet. In fact, Kian has yet to turn his chair around for an act. What's he waiting on? A girlband comprising of Irish girls and one English girl who is a former soap actress? Oh wait, he already tried to make one of them.

Christina Foran - Sings 'You Can Go Your Own Way' by Fleetwood Mac

Yes - Art student Christina is the next hopeful out. She's one of the youngest auditionees, aged 18 and compares herself most closely to Ellie Goulding. She's picked quite a unique song choice, I can't say that I expected someone of a similar style to Ellie Goulding to come out singing country-rock but she's actually rather brilliant at it. She's singing it in the similar breathy style to Ellie and to X Factor 2011 contestant Janet Devlin actually. She's good although it starts off slightly pitchy. And Sharon becomes the first to press her button, or does she? Kian also presses the button in what looks to be parallel to Sharon. So she has two potential coaches to choose from. I would choose Sharon if I were in her shoes but that might be because I don't really like Kian much incase you haven't noticed. She chooses Kian, fair enough, now there's just Bryan left to get at least one act tonight.

Gavin Kenny - Sings 'Hurt' by Christina Aguilera

Yes - He has a very unique tone. I wouldn't say he has a male diva style voice but it's not a million miles away from it, it's quite soulful which is refreshing as we haven't had any urban artists so far tonight. Bressie presses his button which is a surprise as I didn't think he would be into any of the more urban or pop artists but I do think he will be a great coach for Gavin as he, along with Sharon seems to have the most wide taste in music and has already given some great advice tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Gavin sings later in the competition.

Angela Shanny - Sings 'Listen' by Beyonce

No - I usually like the big voiced diva-singers but when you choose a song as massively challenging as 'Listen', you really need to be prepared to completely smash it or you'll be torn apart. Maybe it's just me but she completely falls apart, it's pretty much consistently pitchy thoughout the song and her tone is completely wrong for the song. She also does some odd over-emphasised songs in the chorus. Bryan is the first and only person to pick her and Kian says he would have pressed the button if Bryan hadn't already pressed his button. Bressie calls it the best vocal performance, I completely disagree, it wasn't awful, none of the auditions have been awful but the standard she set for herself by choosing that song was about twice what she delivered. Oh well, maybe Bryan can change my mind in the later rounds.

Dan Twomey - Sings 'Nella Fantasia' by Sarah Brightman

No - Dan is a tenor so naturally enough, it's classical music that he's going to be tackling. He's singing Nella Fantasia based on the theme 'Gabriel's Oboe'. I'm no classical music expert so there's no way I'd press my buzzer and from what I can gather he does it pretty well, although I do feel like he lost his way around the middle of the song. Surprisingly, Bryan Kennedy, who I expected to choose him doesn't press his button but luckily, Sharon presses hers at the last minute meaning Dan is through even if it is by the skin of his teeth.

Gari Deegan - Sings 'Forget You' by Cee Lo Green

Yes - This is pretty good, it's a tiny bit old fashioned and he goes a little bit out of key at one point but I don't quite know whether he's the best we've seen so far. The judges seem a little bit excited however as Sharon presses her button whilst shuffling to the music in her chair. Bressie is the next to press his button and Bryan Kennedy also decides to vye for being Gari's coach. Ironically, when Bressie is speaking, he mentions manufactured music off a factory assembly line and the camera pans over to Westlife star Kian Egan, some cameraman has a sense of humour or else a death wish. Anyway, Gari struggles with picking who he'd like to be his coach but eventually settles upon Bressie, most likely the best choice for him although I hope he doesn't give him really quirky choices that suck away all his retro funk rock vibe.

Sinead Fox - Sings 'Smile' by Charlie Chaplin/Michael Jackson

Yes - This is possibly my favourite audition of the night, Sinead has an absolutely stunning tone to her voice. It's really soulful but really sweet at the same time and she could be singing the alphabet for all I care, it sounds really sincere and heartfelt. Her falsetto is absolutely flawless, the tone is just superb. Bryan presses his button, I was beginning to think that he had fallen asleep as he barely does anything and Kian is the second and only other coach to press his button although both Bressie and Sharon appear to be tempted, maybe thinking that Kian and Bryan may be better suited to Sinead's style. She gets fantastic comments all round and now comes the important part, does she opt for Bryan or Kian to be her coach? Bressie says she reminds him of the lead in the production of 'Wicked' that he went to see recently, I get what he comes from and she's delighted by the comment as she loves the musical. Bryan is her choice of mentor, I do think he'll probably work really well with her.

Stephen Griffin - Sings 'Everything' by Michael Buble

No - This is a very dull performance, I have nothing against Michael Buble but he's not my favourite singer in the world and this isn't anything spectacular at all, you would see all the same at any pub on a Saturday night or at a wedding, he just has nothing unique about his voice. There are some pitchy moments in the song, I'm quite surprised that Kian eventually chose him, pressing his button at the end as he's the hardest one to please and Sharon reveals that she was tempted to pick him. I do think it's probably a good match for him as the whole swing-pop vibe is what a lot of Westlife's songs were about a few years ago so he's probably the best choice for him, I wouldn't have picked him personally though.

Tara Blaise - Sings 'Living On A Prayer' by Bon Jovi

No - Tara is an established artist who previously had a recording contract from which she released two albums. She does have a very nice voice and reminds me a little bit of Tori Amos vocally but the nerves have clearly got to her as she falters quite a bit on the chorus and the judges appear to be really unsure of whether or not to press their buttons. Both Bryan and Sharon have met her previously and are absolutely gutted when they realize that it's Tara. I do feel extremely sorry for her, especially as I loved her albums back in the mid to late noughties and I know that she can sing. A shame but maybe she'll try next year.

Week 2

Nikita O'Rowe - Sings 'Never Forget You' by The Noisettes

Yes - I might be slightly blinded by the fact that this song is one of my favourite songs but I'm not sure on this as of yet. Shingai Shoniwa is someone who you literally can't better on 'The Noisettes' tracks. Oh wait, as she gets into the chorus, things begin to pick up considerably. I really like her style actually even if she does come across as a little bit of an Amy Winehouse wannabe. Okay, judging hat on, I would turn my chair around for her. Sharon, Bryan and Bressie all turn around, Bressie first, followed by Sharon and finally, Bryan. Kian doesn't turn around again, quelle surprise. I would be picking Bressie if I were her and unsurprisingly, that's exactly what she does. Good pick! I hope she continues the high standard in the latter stages of the competition.

Laura Rice - Sings 'Dynamite' by Taio Cruz

No - I like the way she proclaims herself to change dance and pop songs into stripped back acoustic songs. However, as she begins to perform, it's apparent that this is covering up the fact that she has a pretty weak voice. What frustrates me is that it seems to be down to nerves because I've seen her on YouTube and she's quite good on some of her videos. The vocals were, let's be honest a bit lacking however I do appreciate the fact that she did something unique. It's a pity that she had a dodgy throat because I really liked that she was a bit like artists such as Feist and Laura Marling, maybe she'll get callbacks.

Conor J Ryan - Sings 'At Last' by Etta James

Yes - This is quite a surprise, looking at him, I completely assumed that he would be an indie rocker singing an Oasis or Colplay song but he's actually a jazz singer who teaches drama as a dayjob. I'm not quite sure what to make of him though, I do like his style a lot but he does have a bit of an old fashioned vibe to him. Ooh! All four judges turn around. I really like that he has something quirky about him, he could be commercial but he'd need an awful lot of work especially if he's working alongside Kian and Bryan who are probably the more old-fashioned coaches. I completely agree with Bressie that he can't just go down the boring swing route or he'll end up going a little bit 'Michael Buble' wannabe. It's hard to choose who he should pick but I do think that because Kian is familiar with the old-fashioned style that he might pick him but I would choose Bryan if I were him. Oh, and he must have heard me because he chose Bryan again!

Liam Geddes - Sings 'The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)' by Roberta Flack

No - Liam reveals that he only became a good singer when his voice broke. He's singing a song that became a lot more popular when Matt Cardle sang it last year on The X Factor. Okay, he's a great singer and he is absolutely smashing this song but for me, he isn't commercial whatsoever, he's just like a young Bryan Kennedy who hasn't been very successful in the charts, he may be well renowned but he's not topping the charts and I don't know about Liam. I personally wouldn't turn around as he isn't my style of singer although he's good. However, he gets three judges interested in him, Bryan, Kian and Sharon with Bressie not choosing to turn around because he felt that he isn't the right person to coach Liam. Liam chooses Kian as his mentor.

Leighann Mitchell - Sings 'Firework' by Katy Perry

No - Leighann used to be in a girlband called 'Bubble G' but after the management team decided to make changes to the band, Leighann was given the boot. She's singing 'Firework' by Katy Perry and she's okay. I like her but she did start off quite badly on the song. As it progresses onto the chorus, she does definitely improve, something Kian disputes as he tells her that she got worse as the song progressed. None of the judges turn around, I actually would have been tempted to turned around as I believe that she needed a bit of vocal training but had the potential to be very good but maybe she could be back at callbacks if they're needed.

We're shown a montage of a few female singers next with none of the hopefuls getting through. Some of them are good singers but aren't stand-out enough to get the coaches to turn around.

Jessica Pritzel - Sings 'Billy Jean' by Michael Jackson

Yes - Wow, this is absolutely stunning, smooth as silk, the vocals are really interesting, I absolutely love her voice. She reminds me a little bit of Norah Jones mixed with Avril Lavigne, a bit acid-rock, a bit jazz. She sold the song really well, it was quite an oddly sensual performance which I really loved. I had a panic attack there when nobody appeared to be turning their chairs around but at the end of the song, Bressie and Sharon both decide to press their buttons with sneaky Bressie only turning round at the very last minute. I would choose Sharon, infact I'm glad Bryan and Kian didn't turn around as they would kill her individuality and style, I don't see either of them really working well with her quirkiness. She chose Bressie probably because he seemed really interested in the performance and said it was sexy. I'm glad that she's through, definitely the best so far.

Richie Hayes - Sings 'I Wish' by Stevie Wonder

No - He reminds me a little bit of Olly Murs, he's a lot older but he has that faux-reggae vibe to him. I'm totally hating this performance, it's very old-fashioned performance with a lot of charisma but a lot of flaws. The main flaw is that he could literally be anybody, he has no individuality and there are so many half-rate cabaret singers who do the same thing as him. Yeah, I don't really like the old style singers, I do like Stevie Wonder, don't get me wrong but it's just a very average one-dimensional performance, he has a voice which is more suited to musical theatre in my opinion. Only Bryan turns around so he gets Bryan as a mentor, I won't lie, I don't see him going far.

Dick Hayes - Sings 'Wind Beneath My Wings' by Bette Midler

No - Dick is Ritchie's father, he was signed to a major UK label in the 60's but was dropped in favour of the iconic 'The Kinks'. I don't like this song very much and whilst it's a perfectly acceptable vocal and Dick is a lovely little old man, I don't see him having any chance of success whatsoever. The charts are focused on youth these days and considering that Bette herself can't get a look in, I doubt Dick would make any impact on the charts so I wouldn't turn my chair around even if he's got a better voice than his son Richie in my opinion. It's sad that nobody chooses him but he did take it incredibly well.

Ailbhe Hession - Sings 'I'll Be There' by The Jackson Five

Yes - My favourite cover of this song was on The X Factor France by the amazing Marina D'Amico and this is every bit as good as that version. Absolutely adorable performance, really loved her vocals throughout the song and I wouldn't hesitate once in choosing her. Surprisingly, only Sharon hits her buzzer which is a little bit disappointing as she sang it pretty much note-perfect. Kian, however, completely disagrees again and makes a sly dig at her saying that she never quite had that wow moment he was waiting for, I won't make reference to Westlife's songs, tempted as I am. I do think that it's for the best that Sharon chose her as she's the perfect artist for her. I'm really looking forward to seeing a lot more of Alba the primary school teacher as long as she doesn't start moaning about her job *cough* Beverly Trotman *cough*.

Dara Molloy - Sings 'I Will Always Love You' by Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston

Yes - The 'What would you do?' game is played again with us as Dara's face is not shown to the camera with Kathryn telling us to 'Decide whether or not we would choose her based purely on vocals alone'. She starts off quite roughly but she hones her vocals in as the song continues and Bressie decides to press his button. Even though I'm not a massive fan of the old-fashioned styled artists, she does what she does incredibly well and I was quite taken by her quirkiness as a performer. Only Bressie picks her and the look of delight on her face is evident, she's very outgoing and I think she could be a big character on the show, let's see what happens.

Neil McGrath - Sings 'Use Somebody' by Kings Of Leon

No - Up next is Neil who has the Damien Rice/Chris Martin underdog look about him, he's what is commonly referred to on talent shows as a WGWG (white guy with guitar), I do like this song and he can definitely sing but he's nothing special, there are plenty of buskers whom I have seen perform equally well in the street. Bryan presses his button and he seems to falter in the song, perhaps because he's relieved and excited that he has a judge turning around however for me, this slightly puts me off him. He's good but he's nothing special and even though he got Bryan to turn around and got through on his team , I don't think I'd have done the same.

Kelly Blaise - Sings 'Fallin' By Alicia Keys

Yes - Like Tara last week, Kelly also has some musical experience having been signed in the US and moving over to America where she released a pop album that didn't quite work out. She looks a bit like Ruth Lorenzo who was on The X Factor and has not dissimilar vocals to her too. Wow, what a fierce vocal she gives, it's full of quirks and little notes that really surprise me. Bressie knows her but surprisingly he doesn't pick her, it's only Sharon who does, which is a shame as she should really have all four judges turning around. This is a lovely performance and I think she is possibly my favourite so far. Loved it!

Brian Doyle - Sings 'Your Song' by Elton John/Ellie Goulding

No - I'm quite interested by this guy, he has a YouTube channel so I will definitely checked out. As for his performance, well he does what Janet Devlin does which is performs the song in a similar manner to Ellie Gouldin. There's nothing really unique about him, Janet carried it off because she had more depth to her performances than Brian does. He looks a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights and his vocals are sadly a little bit on and off. I wouldn't pick him and none of the coaches decide to choose him either. Brian is visibly upset by the rejection but I do think that it was probably due to how nervous he was. A shame as like Tara last week and Leighann earlier, he did show promise.

Siobhan McKenna - Sings 'Listen' by Beyonce

Yes - Oh dear, Siobhan is originally from America and moved over here 10 years ago. The 'oh dear' comes because she briefly mentions having been bullied for being overweight when she was younger. However, it's just about touched on and thankfully we don't see montages of her looking sad nor hear sad music play in the background. This is absolutely flawless, we had Angela sing this song last week and I personally hated her performance of it but Siobhan completely stomps all over Angela's rendition. This is definitely up there with Melanie Amaro and Alexandra Burke's versions of the song. Only Kian and Bryan turn around but Bressie says that he didn't choose her because she was TOO perfect. She cries a little bit then decides to pick Kian. Putting aside my dislike for him, he is the best choice out of him and Bryan. Best vocalist so far and what a way to end the night!

Week 3

Emma-Jane Riley - Sings 'Halo' by Beyonce

No - Emma-Jane works backstage on a television programme so she is used to television but not so much the on-stage area of it. She's singing Halo and to be honest, I'm not sure, it's quite nice but it's a bit too shouty for my liking and she misses most of the notes on one of the verses. Nobody turns their chairs around and it's a shame as she had potential but just wasn't really stand-out for me. The judges all agree that she let her nerves take control of her performance and her vocals didn't work very well. Kian is very overly harsh about her and I think it's completely uncalled for. She handles it really well and you never know, she may be at the callbacks round later on in the competition if they're necessary.

Rory Quinn - Sings 'Man In The Mirror' by Michael Jackson

No - Rory is playing guitar and singing this Michael Jackson classic. Maybe it's because this song is so overused on other talent shows like The X Factor but I struggle to get into the performance. His guitar playing is beautiful and the emotion is good but his vocals are a little bit pitchy for me. I definitely see potential for him however and I'm glad that Bressie did turn around as he has a unique style that I reckon will work well with Bressie as his coach. I look forward to see what he can do later in the competition.

Annie Gribbin - Sings 'The Island' by Paul Brady

No - Annie is a make-up artist for the stars, she has known host Kathryn for years as she has done her make-up in the past for various television shows. Her voice reminds me slightly of Jessica Walter who played Tabitha Wilson on 90210 who sang a few songs on the aforementioned drama and it's a lovely song but although I disagree that she didn't connect with the song and felt that she delivered an emotional performance, I agree with the judges on whether or not to pick her and wouldn't turn my chair around purely because I feel like she has an old-fashioned style which isn't going to sell very many records.

Nollaig O'Connor - Sings 'With Or Without You' by U2

Yes - This is absolutely stunning. It's one of my favourite songs and she is absolutely smashing it, I love her vibrato, I love her stage style, I love the little quirks in her voice and she reminds me a little bit of a female Damien Rice. Oh and she gets all four coaches turning round for her, only the second person to manage that so far. It's probably amongst the top performances so far, definitely on par with some of my favourites such as Onya, Kelly and Conor. Kian is really irritating me again tonight, he tries to contradict Bressie and says that she could get boring easily with Bressie biting back and saying that Adele is an example of how you can sing with essentially just one style for example piano or acoustic backing and do incredibly well. Bryan and Sharon seem to talk the most sense and don't bother bickering and it's perhaps why she chose Sharon as her coach. A great pick for her.

Emma Wigglesworth - Sings 'You've Got The Love' by Candi Staton

Yes - We play along for this performance and aren't shown Emma's face. She's got an incredible set of lungs on her and sings the performance probably more in the style of Candi than of Florence Welsh who famously covered the song a few years ago. How nobody has turned their chairs around is beyond me. The audience are not too happy, they're booing the coaches who definitely have made a mistake here. I disagree that she's just another belter as she puts so much more into her performance and I sincerely hope that she gets another shot at callbacks because she was a brilliant singer who deserved to get through.

Lucy O'Byrne - Sings 'Smile' by Michael Jackson

Yes - Lucy has a bit of a sob story. She's a shy girl who is dedicating the performance to her dead grandfather who was her biggest supporter alongside her granny. She reminds me of Janelle Monae vocally actually, she has that vocally rich tone that is quite good, having seen this song being performed by Sinead Fox in Week 1, it doesn't measure up but it's still good enough for her to get through for me. Unfortunately, the coaches don't seem to agree as none of them turn...... wait what? At the very last second, Kian turns around, her family are shellshocked as they had convinced themselves that she wasn't getting through when nobody appeared to be turning around. She's good and I think Kian will work well with her, I'm interested to see what she sings later on.

Mike Bartlett - Sings 'All I Want Is You' by U2

No - He has that rock vibe about him but surprisingly, he chooses a more subdued U2 song when I sort of half expected him to choose a metallic rock song. Bressie knows him having gigged with him in the past but none of the judges turn around. It's not a surprise sadly as although I definitely could see some potential there, the song choice that he chose didn't really show off the true extent of his vocals and felt a bit diluted for my liking. I wouldn't have turned my chair around personally, I just don't feel like he was anything special really.However, maybe he will get a second chance if he is asked back for the Callback Rounds.

Vanessa Whelan - Sings 'Rule The World' by Take That

No - This is a bit of an unusual performance, Vanessa received training in the Royal Irish Academy by Dr. Veronica Dunne so sings Take That song 'Rule The World' in Italian in an operatic style. I actually really like this, it's very unique and different but I, like Bressie wouldn't turn around my chair as despite loving it, I have absolutely no idea how I would work alongside her. Kian says he'd like to go down the Il Divo route with her whereas Sharon says she wouldn't want to change her style as it is. For once, I sort of get what Kian means but he doesn't come across well in his comments. She has Sharon, Kian and Bryan to choose from but she decides to pick Sharon as she feels like she can connect with her because she's a mother much like herself. Vanessa is a very exciting singer.

Lindsay Hamilton - Sings 'Faith' by George Michael

Yes - Ooh this is maybe one of my favourites so far, Linzi is very bizarre, she has a very strong personality and she's very individualistic but I like the way in which she sings the song. Okay, when Bryan chooses to turn his chair around, I kind of go off her as she starts to go a bit mad and becomes too quirky for her own good, maybe because she knows that she's through. Bryan seems to be cringing a tiny bit when she starts to go a bit kooky and when the other judges turn around, she shows her feisty side. Kian once again ends up arguing with a contestant telling her that her performance style was put on. Linzi doesn't really take kindly to what he says about her and gives backs as bad as she gets. Overall, I would have turned around for her but I do worry that she might turn people against her by being a bit overbearing, not dissimilar to acts such as Kitty Brucknell from The X Factor but with a more Amy Winehouse-inspired style.

Lorna Jordan - Sings 'Summerfly' by Cheryl Wheeler/Maura O'Connell

Yes - Lorna is a bit of a traditional artist, she has a guitar and she's singing this Irish take on a Cheryl Wheeler folk classic which was covered in 1993 by Maura O'Connell to much acclaim. She has an excellent voice, very rich and very unique and she's definitely provoking some sort of reaction from the coaches as they're all looking at each other. Sharon is first to spin her chair around and she begins to click her fingers, she's obviously enjoying the passionate performance from Lorna. Kian is the second and only other judge to press his button but he waits until near the end of the performance before opting to turn his chair around. Lorna now faces a tough decision as Sharon appeals to her to choose her to be her coach as she feels very strongly about the performance and tells her that she believes that she has hints of Mary Black in her performance style. However, Lorna opts to go for Kian to be her coach, I'm excited to see what else she can offer the competition.

Sandra-Jane Hyland - Sings 'Imagine' by John Lennon
Yes - Ooh this is really funky and soulful actually, despite being a song that doesn't neccessarily represent the funk genre, I definitely see hints of Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder in Sandra-Jane's voice. She is currently studying theatre and I definitely see the theatrical experience come through in her performance style as she really gets into the deeply rooted meaning of the song and taps into the emotions of this beautiful track. Bressie is the first person to turn around, I could definitely see him working well with Sandra-Jane's individualistic style but then again, I have a feeling that some of the other coaches will be eager to recruit her for their team. As expected, Bressie isn't alone and Kian turns around too. I love the tone to her voice, it's got a fantastic quality to it which will probably allow her to show versatility later in the competition. She chooses Kian as her coach!

Ellie McMahon - Sings 'Black And Gold' by Sam Sparro

Yes - I really like Ellie's style, she reminds me a bit of Pink mixed with Stine from Alphabeat styling wise and her vocals aren't a million miles away from Swedish electro-pop singer. She gets really into the performance and her vocals are really cutesy and cool, I really like her actually. The audience seem to be enjoying it but the judges don't seem to be overly impressed and surprisingly, nobody turns their chair around. I'm utterly shell-shocked, much like Emma earlier on, I thought that she was definitely worth a punt, infact her style was one of the most original so far. Cue all of them kicking themselves and a chorus of boos for the coaches. Bressie, in particular was extremely annoyed at himself for not spotting potential and turning around as he believed that her styling was perfect for the charts. I hope she does get another chance whether it be callbacks or in the next series, next year as I loved her performance! Missed opportunity judges!

Lata McCarthy - Sings 'Nella Fantasia' by Sarah Brightman

No - Lata is from Co. Down and she used to be a television presenter before her three children took over and she's now a full time mother and housewife. She first became interested in music when she first started classical training at the age of 10. She has a fantastic voice and much like Dan who sang this song in Week 1, I can't fault her voice but I once again have no clue what route I could take Lata in as I have very little knowledge of classical music. However, some of the coaches think they can as Bryan turns around being a big fan of classical music. I love her voice, it's absolutely superb but I wouldn't turn around as at the end of the day, I don't think I could do her any justice. Bryan is the perfect coach for her.

Kiera Byrne - Sings 'Ride On' by Christy Moore

Yes - This is absolutely superb, she, like Kellie Blaise from last week reminds me of Ruth Lorenzo from The X Factor. She has a very unique tone to her voice and choosing a song by Christy Moore definitely highlights her originality, this was a genius touch and I would be jumping at the chance to coach her. Bressie is the only coach to turn around but all the other judges have great comments for her with Sharon in particular saying how much she enjoyed her falsetto. Bressie tells her it's the best vocal performance so far for what must be the 100th time now, he really is very fickle. In all seriousness, Bressie and her will work really well together, I can't wait for more.

Week 4

Megan O'Riordan - Sings 'Price Tag/Where Is The Love' by Jessie J/The Black Eyed Peas

No - This was a little bit disappointing, Megan had built herself up as a deep voiced, quirky artist but her voice was totally wrong for the song she was singing. Whilst I admire her for taking a risk and choosing a mash-up to perform instead of just singing one song, she was almost completely out of tune throughout the song, for some reason singing this song isn't working out well for the contestants and although I agree with the judges for not turning around, Kian is a tiny bit overly harsh on her telling her that she isn't being herself, how does he know if she isn't being herself? I don't really think Megan could go very far in this sort of competition unless she has an awful lot of vocal training.

Alan Lawlor - Sings 'Everything' by Michael Buble

No - I'm not exactly blown away by Alan. He can sing in tune but he's not what I'd call exciting whatsoever, it all comes across as a little bit karaoke for my liking. Much like Stephen from Week 1, there's nothing very unique or interesting about him as an artist, only Bressie doesn't turn around which is surprising as I really didn't think he was anything extraordinary. He chooses Sharon, I really hope that she's able to convert me and do something special with Alan in the future rounds because he's someone who really needs a more clear direction or he may come across as being a bit of a generic cabaret performer. I'm slightly intrigued so hopefully he can improve from his average enough audition.

Olivia Luc - Sings 'True Colours' by Cyndi Lauper

No - Olivia arrives to audition alongside her cousin Claire. She's a mother and she's determined to get through the auditions alongside Claire. She's singing this pretty averagely, there isn't really anything unique about her voice, it's all a little bit throwaway for my liking and nothing about the performance makes me feel wowed. Unsurprisingly, none of the judges decide to choose her for their team and Olivia goes back to her family and friends without a place in the Battle Rounds.

Claire O'Loughlin - Sings 'Alone' by Heart

Yes - This is spine-tingling, I adore this song choice and it's almost perfectly fitted for her voice, it starts off very well with a very breathy and haunting style to the chorus. However, it's when she gets into the chorus when she really comes into her stride, that note is just superb, she reminds me of so many artists and she has so much scope. Finally, someone turns around and it's Brian Kennedy who decides to choose her. None of the other judges decide to turn around, I'm a little bit disappointed that only one has turned around as she's easily better than quite a few people who have had more than one or two judges turning around. I'm thoroughly excited to see what Clare can come up with next under the guidance of Brian, I really hope that she can do something special in the future rounds.

Liam McCarthy - Sings 'Forget You' by Cee Lo Green

Yes - This is very unique and interesting, I absolutely love seeing people do something different with a song and not just doing a straight cover thus I adore this performance. However, the judges don't seem to be in agreement as nobody turns around saying they want something unique. Absolute rubbish! This is extremely quirky and it's their loss in not choosing him as Liam is without a doubt one of the best acts in terms of originality and uniqueness and by not choosing him, they're losing out. I really hope they don't miss any other opportunities tonight as so far, they've been making some seriously weird decisions, I much preferred this performance to the earlier performance of Michael Buble's 'Everything'.

Joanne McGrath - Sings 'Killing Me Softly' by Roberta Flack

Yes - This is pretty much vocally flawless, I really like the rocky edge to her voice and I'm definitely pretty sure that she's got the lungs to pull off some unique stage performances. What's going on with the judges tonight? For the second time, I'm really wondering what is up with the judges, again they've seriously missed a chance with Joanne. She had it all, she was likeable, she had the vocals and she had originality too but the judges seem to be wanting people who are very unique which is something they can never hope to achieve as everybody has some sort of similarity to a particular genre or a singer. Another missed opportunity here, that's four people who I would have chose who the judges didn't turn around for now and oddly, it's only in the past two weeks where I've started to disagree with the judges on rejected acts.

Pat Byrne - Sings 'The River' by Bruce Springsteen

No - I like this performance, it is quite good but for me, there's something a little bit too niche about that vocal. I love Bruce Springsteen but by doing an Irish Folk style cover of the song, he severely restricts himself in the direction in which he can be taken and that is why I wouldn't turn around, I don't think I would have the right ideas in mind for him but the judges seem to all be very impressed as he has no sooner started playing the harmonica than a chorus of judges turn their chair around with all four judges expressing interest in quick succession, he isn't sure what to do and would be happy to have any coach mentoring him but he chooses Bressie who is fast becoming my favourite coach on the show. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with as he's a fantastic talent and one of my favourites but he just wouldn't be right for me.

Fauve Chapman - Sings 'Wonderwall' by Oasis/Ryan Adams

Yes - This is really really good. Fauve has already been on a talent show, having taken part in You're A Star previously and coming 6th. Although the whole quirky girl think is getting a bit exhaustive now, it's still a fantastic performance. Although the song is by Oasis, Fauve's arrangement seems to be more in line with the well received Ryan Adams version of the song and I'm excited to see what else she can do in the competition because that was sultry, sexy and quirky and I loved it. Sharon is the only judge who can be persuaded to turn around but she receives unanimous praise from the judges with all of them really enjoying her obscure performance. I can't wait to see what else Fauve manages to do in this competition.

Jim Devine - Sings 'Better' by Tom Baxter/Boyzone

No - Jim is from up near me in Co. Tyrone and he's a farmer. I do think that he has a very nice voice and I can see that the whole pop ballad thing works for him but the problem is that the song choice wasn't a song that allowed him to stand out from the crowd and show what he offers to the competition that other acts do. However, there's no denying that the guy is talented and the judges do seem to like him as Kian turns his chair around him saying that he really loved his emotional delivery of that song, the other judges are complimentary of his performance too but think it was possibly a little bit too mainstream pop and weren't a million percent sure about him as an artist. Let's see what Kian does with him.

Brian Masterson - Sings 'Mustang Sally' by Mack Rice/Wilson Pickett

No - Brian arrives at the Helix with his bandmate Graham. Graham is the lead singer of the band in which Brian plays the drums for and unlike his bandmate, Brian isn't used to singing infront of a crowd infact he never sings. You probably would know that from the performance as although it's excellent for someone who isn't used to getting up and singing infront of a large crowd of people, he has poor stage technique and poor vocal technique, warbling a little too much on some notes and going way off on others. I like his rock voice but I don't think he would have the ability to translate those vocals onto a lot of other songs as well, he lacks experience and possibly also lacks vocal ability. The judges don't turn around but are very complimentary of Brian's bravery at getting up on stage despite being used to playing drums rather than singing. I'd like to see him return next year after getting vocal training perhaps.

Graham Dowling - Sings 'Come Together' by The Beatles

Yes - Graham is up next and having seen his friend not getting through, he is understandably nervous. He has a much richer and more controlled vocal tone than his friend and having seen some dodgy versions of this song before, I'm very pleasently surprised by this performance. It's not perfect, after Kian turns around, he falters and loses track of what he's singing but it's certainly an impressive performance and he is one act who deserves a chance in the next few rounds. I hope we do see something other than the stereotypical rocker coming from him as his voice is definitely fit for just about any type of song thrown at him and Kian definitely could be a great person to coach him through the process, I'm excited to see what Graham is capable of singing later in the competition.

Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Sings 'The Power Of Love' by Huey Lewis

Yes - Ryan has been on television before having acted in 'Fair City' for an incredible 9 years but he left the show to be part of a boyband called 'Mission 4' who never really took off. He's fitted quite a lot into his 19 years and here he is hoping to blow us away with this song. It's not incredible, it's one of the more good but not great auditions but his americanized tone on the song is quite refreshing and for once, I completely disagree with Bressie who says after the performance that he didn't sound like he was having fun. I feel like this is an incredibly light and quirky performance with a more upbeat style and I have to say, that's what I like about it. Brian is the only person to turn around and although he will need help on his breath control during the songs, he should quite easily be able to make some form of progress in the competition.

Kevin Keeley - Sings 'Travelling Soldier' by Bruce Robison/The Dixie Chicks

No - I love this song but there's something about it that just doesn't sit with me in talent shows, I think it's because despite only being penned in the 90's, it has quite an old style to it which ages it considerably. I completely understand hiw beautiful some country music is and artists like Martina McBride and Garth Brooks have incredible talent but for me, I want something very exciting and unique and whilst Kevin does a perfectly nice rendition of this moving song, it's not very distinct or different and it kind of just blends in for me. There's no faulting his vocal ability but I don't really think I would be of much use to him as a coach. Luckily Sharon seems to think that she is up to the job as she turns around quite quickly and Kevin has a place in the next round. Kian nearly turned around but decided against it but says that he thinks Kevin can be a dark horse.

Kate Gilmore - Sings 'Use Somebody' by Kings Of Leon

Yes - We've had an incredibly high number of quirky girls so far, girls with quirky, unique voices in a vein to the likes of Ellie Goulding and Dido and it's the latter who Kate most resembles vocally with her lovely rendition of the Kings Of Leon hit. She has all the hand movements of the likes of Diana Vickers etc. but she has a more rich tone to her voice hence the Dido comparison. This is beautiful, one of the best of the night if not the best tonight. She hits a few bum notes at a point but I'm sure she should be okay as Bressie turns his chair around, being very into that sort of unique, almost choir like voice which really seems to be hitting the big time. The emotion is just perfect for the song and she pours personality and passion into the song, an incredible performance, really excited to see what else Kate is capable of.

Week 5

Ellen Maguire - Sings 'Beautiful Disaster' by Kelly Clarkson

No - Another Northern Irish contestant after Jim from last year getting through. Ellen is from Armagh and she says that she's afraid of not getting any judges to turn around. I think that she has a really nice voice at the start of the performance although as the song gets on, she begins to miss quite a few of the larger notes. It's a pity, she's really talented but she chose a song that was a little bit too big for her. Nobody turns around for her, Bressie is disgusted that nobody else picked her saying that he felt that he didn't have anything to offer her but wished that somebody else had took a chance on her as he felt that it was a beautiful performance. This is quite an emotional audition, lots of tears but maybe she'll return next year.

Carolann Haskins - Sings 'Last Name' by Carrie Underwood

No - Caroline is a larger lady who has been rejected a few times due to not conforming to the standards of a stick thin, conventionally pretty lady. Bressie isn't hanging around as she's just about started when he turns his chair around for her. She has a really rocky voice, like a mix of Carrie and Christina Aguilera on some of her more edgy songs like 'Fighter'. The only reason that I wouldn't turn my chair around for her is that I felt that although she definitely got into the performance and it was really fun, it was a tiny bit too nasally for me and I felt that her pronunciation didn't quite work. So Bressie has one more act to add to his team now.

Elliot Canavan Doyle - Sings '9 Crimes' by Damien Rice

Yes - Another person singing this song. I really like Damien Rice as an artist and both performances of this song have been very very good. I have to admit that I slightly preferred Conor's performance of this song way back in Week 1 but hairdresser Elliot is really great at this song too. I would definitely give him a shot as he's my favourite of the night so far but I can see that he's a popular choice as Sharon, Kian and Brian all turn around for her with Bressie admitting that he probably should have went for him too. It's a tough battle between the coaches with Kian criticizing Sharon's pitch, it's clear that it's everyone out for themselves but he eventually decides to go with Kian with the Westlife man feeling pretty smug after being picked.

Nicole Chaney - Sings 'What A Feeling' by Irene Cara

No - Ergh, I feel really sorry for Nicole, as the song began, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised as it felt like she was making a really good start but as the performance went on, she became a little bit out of her depth and it wasn't anywhere near as good as it had been at the very start. Poor Nicole is very graceful and nice about not getting through but I do think she has some way to go before she has the voice to go really far in a competition like this. Maybe in a few years' time she can return and wow everybody with her improved voice. You never know with this competition.

Kyle Kennedy - Sings 'Just The Way You Are' by Bruno Mars

No - Kyle simply doesn't have a great voice and that's me being brutally honest. The performance is pretty pitchy throughout and after the rejection of Nicole and Ellen who were no worse, I am very confused when Kian turns his chair around. Maybe he's in a hurry to get his team filled up, I don't know, there are some nice points in the performance but apart from that, it's just an okay karaoke performance, the big notes are pretty bad and overall it's just far too generic for my liking. I hope Kian can manage to convert me in the Battle Rounds otherwise I don't see Kyle making it into the live shows, he just comes across as filler material for me, not as big a competitor as the likes of Siobhan and Elliot in Kian's category.

Jenny McCabe - Sings 'Hurt' by Christina Aguilera

Yes - This is a really lovely, heartfelt performance of a very tough song to sing, I'm seriously impressed that Jenny is managing to hit so many notes in the song as I seriously didn't know whether she could do it. Nerves may affect her ever so slightly but they're not bad at all and I don't notice them a lot. I have to say, tonight, the judges seem to be rejecting quite a few contestants and after Kyle got through just there now, I'm shocked to say the least that nobody picked her. Sharon gets quite emotional at having to send her home and all I'll say is that they all missed a trick, Jenny delivered a stunning performance of a very tricky song and it's really weird that she hasn't been picked as I thought she had an awful lot of potential and has shown that she has the voice for big songs.

Alan Fitzsimons - Sings 'True Colours' by Cyndi Lauper

Yes - The vocals weren't perfect but what I liked about Alan's performance was that it was full of passion. He used to be part of a boyband called OTT who didn't last very long but now he's determined to make it big as a solo artist. For me, this isn't the best audition but I definitely feel like he deserves a shot as his vocals on such a challenging song were superb. He gets more than one coach to turn around for him, first of all Brian and then Bressie. And just when you think Alan is going to deliberate over who he wishes to mentor him, he shrewdly announces that he's sure of exactly who he wants to be coached by and without hesitation, chooses Brian!

Fearghal Kelly - Sings 'Cry Me A River' by Justin Timberlake

Yes - This is a really quirky unique audition and although the vocals are a tiny bit pitchy at one point, I really love that Fearghal tries to be different with this acoustic folky take on the popular song. I'm a bit disappointed when nobody chooses him for their team as although Fearghal isn't quite perfect, he has an awful lot of potential and I really would like to see a lot more of him in the show as he's an interesting performer who could be brought in a number of different directions.

Kim Hayden - Sings 'I Will Always Love You' by Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston

Yes - I never would have matched this song choice to this performer as she's pretty young and I had imagined her as being a bit of an indie artist similar to the likes of Paloma Faith. However, putting that aside, her vocals are excellent and it's not long before Sharon Corr is pressing on her button to express her interest in coaching her. At one point, I'm not sure if she's quite in tune or not but those big notes are pretty damn good so it's definitely a good thing that she's through. An excellent performance from Kim and I hope Sharon can help allow her to shine in the battle rounds.

Dervla Magennis - Sings 'At Last' by Etta James

Yes - Wow the talent is coming in thick and fast now and Dervla is no exception with her fantastic performance of At Last. I adore the song and Etta James in general and this was a superb performance in general. She completely smashed the big notes in the song and showed exactly why she deserves to go far in this competition. Thankfully, some of the coaches turn around her namely Brian and Bressie, she now has the tough decision of choosing between the two coaches who turned around. Both of them show their passion for her music but it's Bressie who she chooses to coach her.

Bressie's team is full

Eric Campbell - Sings 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey

No - Eric is here with his wife Sharon who is also trying out but more on her later. Eric has an okay voice, it's a little bit pitchy on this song but it does definitely have a rocky edge to it which I really quite like. As for whether or not I'd choose him, I'm not quite sure, he's okay but I don't think he has the vocals to justify picking him for the later rounds, not a terrible singer but not versatile or vocally equipped enough to handle the Battle Rounds which take place from next week. And the coaches agree as none of them turn around for him, it's a bit of a shame but not a massive surprise really.

Sharon Gaynor - Sings 'Think (Freedom)' by Aretha Franklin

Yes - Eric's wife Sharon is up next and after her husband failed to get through the blind auditions, Sharon is unexpectedly apprehensive about her audition fearing that she may go the same way. As soon as she opens her mouth to sing, I'm pretty sure that this won't be the same fate as she's got a massive vocal range. Aretha Franklin is a very tricky artist to do justice to do as displayed by Amelia Lily's shoddy performance of this song on The X Factor. Sharon's performance however is very very impressive and it's Kian who decides to choose her with none of the other judges hitting their buzzers and competing against Kian to coach her. I think Sharon could be a real dark horse in the competition.

Kian's team is full

Joseph Kavanagh - Sings 'Nella Fantasia' by Sarah Brightman

No - With just Sharon and Brian waiting to fill up their teams, Joseph is up next singing Nella Fantasia for the third time in the competition. It might be just me but I'm a bit fed up of classical singers by now, we've already got a few who are very talented and although Joseph is no doubt an accomplished singer, he doesn't really offer anything new that we haven't already seen before. The coaches do seem to agree as neither Brian nor Sharon can be persuaded to turn around for him, possibly because both already have classical singers in their category and probably don't think that they can offer anything different in coaching Joseph.

Ingrid Madsen - Sings 'I Can't Make You Love Me' by Bonnie Raitt

Yes - Ingrid actually looks a tiny but like Sharon funnily enough and this song that she's singing is a brilliant song that although slightly cliched is almost always guaranteed to be met by a round of applause because of how emotive it is. Ingrid doesn't disappoint, she has a lovely voice which is sure to go down well with the public should she make the live shows. And she's through as Sharon decides to turn around thus giving her a place in the Battle Rounds and giving Sharon the final act to make up her team of twelve. Funnily enough, Sharon continues her habit of not pressing her button until the very last second and leaves everyone on tenterhooks. Looks like it's just Brian left to find another act now.

Sharon's team is full

Colin Hand - Sings 'Smile' by Charlie Chaplin/Michael Jackson

Yes - Again a third outing for this song but this time by a male vocalist. Colin is from Northern Ireland, another fellow Northerner and he's singing this song mainly because it has an emotional connection for him due to his daughter Charlotte suffering from Rett's Syndrome and not being able to speak. This is a very tender and emotional performance and it seems to be right up Brian's street, I really enjoyed this performance even if it's not the most contemporary performance in the world. He reminds me vocally a little bit of Brian and also of Michael Buble. And he's through as Brian selects him for his team, meaning everyone now has their maximum team of twelve acts each without using Callbacks.