Cast your mind back to 2005. A whole whopping 14 years ago. A simpler time where reality TV in Australia was still a kinda new thing and a little show called Australian Idol was in its fifth year. 2006 was also the height of a second, more colourful wave of emo, and the two worlds crossed over in the shape of a pierced and tattooed man named Lee Harding.
Now it’s 2019 – some 14 years later – and he’s returned from the reality tv grave to throw his hat in the ring at The Voice.
[jwplayer gssa9APh]
He’s grown his hair out into its natural curl and taken out a couple of piercings (I mean, the man’s 35 and nearly a dad of two now, growing up happens) and he took to the stage last night for the blind auditions to perform a rendition of Rage Against The Machine‘s ‘Killing In The Name Of‘.
Shoot your shot, my dude. I don’t know if I’d have the guts to put it all on the line again in a singing competition after coming 3rd behind one half of Young Divas, Kate DeAraugo and Emily Williams.
I’ll admit, I actively contributed to the fact that Lee Harding’s breakout hit ‘Wasabi‘ went #1 in Australia when it was released. I absolutely owned that single on CD, and 100% fell into the trap of Australia’s Most-Prominent Emo. But I also was extremely the target audience, who cut her own hair in the bathroom and fawned over eyeliner-clad young men with jagged fringes and sprayed-on jeans.
Anyway, Lee Harding’s return to reality TV ended with all the judges turning around to watch him finish off the track as the New/Real Lee Harding, and he chose to be on Boy George‘s team which is an interesting decision, so let’s see how that plays out.
What they DID miss, however, was Sonia Kreuger attempting to headbang backstage, which has now been seared into my retinas. Try and spot it in the video below.
Hell yeah, twenty nine-scene is still here baby.
