Vizage

So things didn't go so well for Vizage last night. I spoke to Sam today to see how they were doing and they are both fairly upbeat although very disappointed to be buzzed off. Especially with the way in which it happened.


I have always felt that by the time they get to the live finals the buzzers should be removed. It's fine to have them for the auditions, but at this stage every act remaining should be allowed to complete their spot. If the judges don't feel they are good enough then they should never have been put through to the finals.

In my opinion Sam and Vicki handled themselves very well in front of the judges, they acted in a highly professional manner. A complete contrast to the reaction from the Dean's of magic the night before.

It was always a huge gamble to go against the judges advice, but lots of people, myself included had told them to stay with the act they've been working with professionally. Did we all give bad advice? I don't think so, they are Vizage, a vocal illusion act. It's what separates them from other acts on the circuit. To drop the singing aspect would be to go against what Vizage is and that would be just as bad for them in the long run.

In my opinion the show put far too much emphasis on the singing. Sure Vicki isn't as good as some of the singers on the show, but that isn't the point. The main focus of the act is the quick change, it's something that was almost completely ignored during the build up. The viewers were led to believe that if Vicki dared to go against the judges it would be a complete disaster. They were at a huge disadvantage before they even began. But the response from the audience both during the act and when they were stopped was indicative that it was being enjoyed and people wanted to see it to the end.

Staying true to their act is what they wanted to do and they are both still convinced they did the right thing. As Sam stated, the judges are entitled to their opinion, that doesn't make them right. What is frustrating is when underhand tactics are employed, such as Simon hitting Amanda's buzzer. That really shouldn't be allowed and Amanda was clearly very annoyed with that.

So what's next for Vizage? Well I think it's safe to say they haven't committed professional suicide. They have already received several offers of work, a couple of them sound very exciting. They may not be appearing on the Royal Variety Performance, but they won't be short of work. They are a professional act that have been working for years and they will continue to do so. This show has raised their profile and I can't see anything but good coming from it in the long run.