Admin
14-09-2006, 04:35 AM
LOS ANGELES -- Lukas Rossi is the latest Canadian Rock Star.
The 29-year-old from Toronto was chosen Wednesday to front the band Supernova, ending the TV talent search on Rock Star: Supernova.
Rossi beat out Dilana Robichaux, a transplanted South African now living in Houston.
He follows in the footsteps of fellow Canadian J.D. Fortune, who won last year’s show and now sings with Australia’s INXS. Fortune and his band are currently touring Down Under.
Rossi’s new bandmates are drummer Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), guitarist Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses) and bassist Jason Newsted (Metallica). Supernova’s debut show is Jan. 1 in Las Vegas with Canadian dates scheduled for Jan. 23, Montreal, Jan. 24 in Toronto and Feb. 19 in Vancouver.
The band may be looking for a new name, however. Entertainment Tonight Canada reported Wednesday that California punk band Supernova has won a stage in its legal fight to keep its name.
The other Rock Star: Supernova finalists were Iceland’s Magni Asgeirsson and Australia’s Toby Rand. Eleven other would-be rockers, including Vancouver’s Jenny Galt, were sent home earlier in the series.
The drama of the series finale was slow to build. A review of past episodes took up much of the opening.
The taped show got downright confusing when it came back from commercial midway through and there were only three finalists, with Magni seemingly out of contention. His elimination somehow got lost.
Rossi, Rand and Robichaux were the final three, with Australia’s Rand the next to go.
When the dust settled, Rossi was the last man standing. Robichaux was invited to join the tour as a support act.
Rossi, a former Hooters fry cook, who said he was “broke as a joke” coming into the show, is entering a new snack bracket, staying in five-star hotels and flying first-class.
Wednesday’s finale capped a talent search that started with 25,000 applicants worldwide. And it found a receptive audience, especially in Canada where 1.4 million watched the first half of this week’s finale Tuesday.
Right from Day 1, Rossi made his mark. “I came here to win,” he told his rivals early on.
“I’m absolutely the real deal,” he added.
Lee seemed to agree. “You’re raising the bar — and I’m pulling up a barstool,” he said after one performance.
Rossi was the exotic among the male finalists with a fashion sense that ranges from foppish to rock star chic.
He has always looked the part of a rock star — his spiky black mop of hair accessorized by a swirl of blond, above a nose ring and stylized beard. Tattoos, giant sunglasses, caps, crosses and nail polish were usually part of the picture.
Fans seemed to warm to him, with signs proclaiming the “Rossi Possi” showing up in the studio audience.
“Lukas could go on stage, lay on the floor and sleep — and I would still vote (for him),” one fan wrote in a forum on the Rock Star web site.
Rossi is no musical johnny-come-lately. Previous bands include Cleavage and Rise Electric and he has spent more than 10 years on his music career. His voice has been used in music for commercials (McDonald’s) and cartoons (Rescue Heroes and Beyblade)
The Canadian with the guttural voice won his new gig over some stiff competition in the final four although the singing style of some of the earlier contestants seemed ill-suited to Supernova.
Robichaux was seen as an early favourite along with Rossi, but managed to talk her way down the pecking order with some intemperate remarks about her rivals. She seemed to bounce back Tuesday, however, rocking hard.
Rand, who had come on strong in recent weeks, was good but did not score a knockout Tuesday. Magni was rock-solid, if unspectacular.
Each week the rockers performed and viewers voted. Those in the bottom three of the fan vote sang again on a show aired the next night, with the band then sending one of them home. Rossi landed in the bottom three just once, last week, but was rescued by Supernova who plucked him out of the firing line before axing another contestant.
While Rossi drew some fire from his fellow competitors for his blunt opinions behind the scenes, he was always one of the quieter rockers on TV when shown sitting off stage watching others perform. His eye was always on the ball.
“This isn’t a joke to me,” he told his fellow rockers in one episode. “If you’re going to roll with big dogs, you better have a pretty mean bite.”
Now Rossi is a top dog.
The 29-year-old from Toronto was chosen Wednesday to front the band Supernova, ending the TV talent search on Rock Star: Supernova.
Rossi beat out Dilana Robichaux, a transplanted South African now living in Houston.
He follows in the footsteps of fellow Canadian J.D. Fortune, who won last year’s show and now sings with Australia’s INXS. Fortune and his band are currently touring Down Under.
Rossi’s new bandmates are drummer Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), guitarist Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses) and bassist Jason Newsted (Metallica). Supernova’s debut show is Jan. 1 in Las Vegas with Canadian dates scheduled for Jan. 23, Montreal, Jan. 24 in Toronto and Feb. 19 in Vancouver.
The band may be looking for a new name, however. Entertainment Tonight Canada reported Wednesday that California punk band Supernova has won a stage in its legal fight to keep its name.
The other Rock Star: Supernova finalists were Iceland’s Magni Asgeirsson and Australia’s Toby Rand. Eleven other would-be rockers, including Vancouver’s Jenny Galt, were sent home earlier in the series.
The drama of the series finale was slow to build. A review of past episodes took up much of the opening.
The taped show got downright confusing when it came back from commercial midway through and there were only three finalists, with Magni seemingly out of contention. His elimination somehow got lost.
Rossi, Rand and Robichaux were the final three, with Australia’s Rand the next to go.
When the dust settled, Rossi was the last man standing. Robichaux was invited to join the tour as a support act.
Rossi, a former Hooters fry cook, who said he was “broke as a joke” coming into the show, is entering a new snack bracket, staying in five-star hotels and flying first-class.
Wednesday’s finale capped a talent search that started with 25,000 applicants worldwide. And it found a receptive audience, especially in Canada where 1.4 million watched the first half of this week’s finale Tuesday.
Right from Day 1, Rossi made his mark. “I came here to win,” he told his rivals early on.
“I’m absolutely the real deal,” he added.
Lee seemed to agree. “You’re raising the bar — and I’m pulling up a barstool,” he said after one performance.
Rossi was the exotic among the male finalists with a fashion sense that ranges from foppish to rock star chic.
He has always looked the part of a rock star — his spiky black mop of hair accessorized by a swirl of blond, above a nose ring and stylized beard. Tattoos, giant sunglasses, caps, crosses and nail polish were usually part of the picture.
Fans seemed to warm to him, with signs proclaiming the “Rossi Possi” showing up in the studio audience.
“Lukas could go on stage, lay on the floor and sleep — and I would still vote (for him),” one fan wrote in a forum on the Rock Star web site.
Rossi is no musical johnny-come-lately. Previous bands include Cleavage and Rise Electric and he has spent more than 10 years on his music career. His voice has been used in music for commercials (McDonald’s) and cartoons (Rescue Heroes and Beyblade)
The Canadian with the guttural voice won his new gig over some stiff competition in the final four although the singing style of some of the earlier contestants seemed ill-suited to Supernova.
Robichaux was seen as an early favourite along with Rossi, but managed to talk her way down the pecking order with some intemperate remarks about her rivals. She seemed to bounce back Tuesday, however, rocking hard.
Rand, who had come on strong in recent weeks, was good but did not score a knockout Tuesday. Magni was rock-solid, if unspectacular.
Each week the rockers performed and viewers voted. Those in the bottom three of the fan vote sang again on a show aired the next night, with the band then sending one of them home. Rossi landed in the bottom three just once, last week, but was rescued by Supernova who plucked him out of the firing line before axing another contestant.
While Rossi drew some fire from his fellow competitors for his blunt opinions behind the scenes, he was always one of the quieter rockers on TV when shown sitting off stage watching others perform. His eye was always on the ball.
“This isn’t a joke to me,” he told his fellow rockers in one episode. “If you’re going to roll with big dogs, you better have a pretty mean bite.”
Now Rossi is a top dog.