IF DAMIEN HADN'T WON IDOL?

[Crazy]

This is a hyperthetical.

Supposing Damien had not won Idol (impossible thought I know). Maybe, for sake of argument he hadn't even been in the top 3. Would you still be here, at this forum supporting him. There would be no winners CD to rave on about and discuss, possibly no recording contract on the table. Would you still be enthusiastic or not? If yes, how would you plan to support him? and why?

[Mi chiamano Kami]

Interesting question.

Yes, I believe I would still be here. Out of all the Idols I've supported, I have believed the most in Damien's talent and chances of success, and I really like all the people I've met here - other fan forums have not seemed so friendly, so I ended up drifting away from the fanbase after Idol and attempting to support those artists quietly. The conversation might have flowed a little more slowly had he not won (or not; thankfully we'll never know for sure about that side of things!), and I've no idea how I would have supported him in that situation, but I would have wanted to know how his career was going. And I honestly believe that even if he hadn't won Idol, he would have been releasing music within the year anyway.

[Neski]

Hmmm very interesting, Yes I would still be here, and I would still love him as much as I do now.

If he hadn't won, and hadn't gotten a record deal, I would rally a potition to get him signed. And if he had been signed I would have been doing doubleing the voting of airplay that I'm doing now.

[thebraff (Braffy)]

Yes I think I would be here. I have never been on a forum before and i was here before he won or lost. I like the people here and I would have been certain that he would have scored a recording deal. We would be here talking about the upcoming album, pretty much like we do now anyway.

[shimmery]

I absolutely would still have been here supporting him - once I heard his voice and saw his character, I wanted to see Damien succeed - whether that be on the large scale or still doing the gigs around town - as long as his music was getting out there and he was able to perform, that would be the ideal. So, if I wasn't seeing him in concert halls in future I'd be going to support his performances at the pubs.

However, cream rises to the top and once Australia and the world saw a talent like Damien, he now needs the larger venues to contain his audience of everyone who knows how good he is

[sunshine]

If Damien hadn't won Idol, I think he still would have been offered a contract, either by Sony BMG, or someone else.

[hyperrune]

YES!!!! I would be signing petitions to get Sony to give him a record deal, even if it took the Fight of my Life!
Either that, or sulking in a corner, lamenting the unfairness and shallowness of the voting public
Or listening to mp3s over and over is defiance and despair. For the rest of my life.
One of those. But I'm sure we'd all be sobbing together in frustration. After all, I taped the last three Idol shows just in case it was the last time I ever saw him!

[crushangel]

Absolutely I would still be supporting him...Damien has had my full support since his first audition and whether he won or lost nothing would change that....I think he would of got a record deal anyways...but he was destined to win and it's at it should be.

[auntybesure]

as if!!!

[auntybesure]

ha ha! only joking...of course I'd still be here! And if he hadn't got a contract yet, I would be out there fundraising to produce one for him myself!

[Bahamagirl]

I'd definitely still be supporting him. He had me from the audition because of his talent and his character. He is the only person on any reality TV show that I have ever voted for. This is also the first forum that I have ever joined, after lurking around for at least a month, but I joined because of the quality of the members. Win or lose, I would be buying anything that Damien produced, and all of us here would have been bombarding all the record companies to sign him if he had lost.

[Crazy]

mmmm...i came up with the thought while i caught up with 2006's ironing yesterday while watching TWJ.

AI is fairly unique amongst the reality TV shows in that it is just the beginning of a journey for the contestants - but for the viewing public, once the final credits roll up it is all too easy for us to forget about them and focus on the following year's offerings. Think Casey Donovan, think Kate DeAraugo. How many of the Top 12's can you list from the past 4 series? and yet they all had you hooked at one time.

Last year I half-heartedly supported Kate. I bought the winners single because I didn't want her to be an Idol flop, but by the time the album came out my focus was on other things. Kate who? The year before I supported Chanel Cole. Was nuts about her, felt that there was no justice in the world if she didn't win. To me she had the X factor and a very listenable to voice. i liked her song interpretations. i followed her on the forum for about 6 months - but then decided to get a grip on my life and to focus on what was happening on my side of the computer - and life really did go on without her.

There is no doubt with Damien that, whether he was on Idol, or had climbed up the ladder the more conventional way (or even been in a band playing at my Uni) - I would have sat up and taken notice. I don't just appreciate his singing and musicianship. He really is performing the stuff that I want to listen to. He has the style that I want to watch. I've always liked the rock balladeer with guitar and mike. I genuinely like the songs that he writes - I'm not forcing myself to like them. So on the one hand I do feel confident in saying that I have no trouble calling myself a fan and seeing myself supporting him in the long term.

On the other hand. Yes, I liked Damien from the very start. but the same could be said for several other contenders. I didn't start visiting the AI forum until Damien was in the final 5 because I know just how addictive these forums are. I didn't relent and join up to this forum until Damien was in the final 2 for the same reason. What if I had never heard Damien singing Sky? - would I have realised the guy was not just another great singer - but a great songwriter too? Had i not seen Damien play guitar, play piano?

I want to say...Yes ofcourse...Damien is the Best - I loved him from the start. I would be petitioning record labels to get him a contract. Checking out his live gigs. There would be no sense in someone as hugely talented as Damien not getting a break.

On hindsight it's very easy to say that.

[Womby]

If Damien hadn't won Idol..........I would still love him and be desperately looking for any sign of him or a possible record deal, and yes I would probably still be here for the same reasons. But just think about all the threads that wouldn't exist - Fan Encounters, Sunrise, Blacktown, Robina, Warringah, anything to do with TWJ or NOML, the Aria Charts, countless photo and media links. Dede and Winter's jobs would have been a lot harder and we would probably have a lot less members. But I'm sure that we would all be pouring our energies into doing whatever we could to see that Damien eventually received the recognition (and recording contract) he so rightly deserves.

[KrisLovesDamien]

HELL YES I WOULD STILL BE HERE!!!!!!!!.

[shimmery]

For me the key is that Damien is the first person on any of these shows who makes the kind of music I would actually buy or go to a concert to see Add to that the type of person he is and I'm there to support his career wherever he takes it, and wherever it may have ended up going I'm just happy that he found his huge audience who were waiting for someon like him to arrive!