Liam (Full name Liam Sebastien Andréasson) is a 19 year old male who is from Loueske, which is one of the quiet, behind-the-scene cities in Britonisea, though despite it's quiet background, Loueske is one of the main tourist attractions for people looking to find a winter break from surrounding nations within the Ultimaverse, though Liam moved to Estogium's Estogium City - which is the most Southern Estogian City. Liam followed the education system, in Estogium, like any normal child would; he went to Loueske West Primary School, which is one of the few primary schools in the city, where we excelled at subjects such as Mathematics and English and so was put in the express class for both subjects. However, in primary school he found creative subjects more difficult, and this was down to - according to his parents - his strict view on himself, and what the world should be. He did not do well in drama, a subject which is hugely popular in Estogium, Music nor Art. He did not know where he placed in Estogium, which lead him to being an outcast going in to secondary school. In Secondary School, Liam faced being an outcast of his year group, as he had no main interests, being from Britonisea without having any interesting background and because he was quite abrupt. Going in to his eighth year, he had to decide his options for his KEWQAE examinations, and he had to pick one of the subjects mentioned above that he didn't do so well in. He decided to do music, and as he took the course, he started to realise that he was quite good at singing, and he quickly picked up how to play the guitar. Liam also was an avid dancer, and loved to express himself through dance. As he reached nearer to the E-Years (or examination years), he would perform at local gigs within Estogium, while also going to Kyvivre, the nearest Britonish city to Estogium City, to perform in a group, him and his friends made. After receiving 134/145 in his full KEWQAE (you can find his total result below) he received an A1 - highest A - , which was seen as a huge success for him, and was 17 marks passed the passing rate. After this, he decided to go to sixth form and later, he started receiving more gigs.
After passing his KEWQAE results with flying colours, the very young boy at the time wanted to perform more, and so he asked for help from his brother Markus - who is also performing tonight - who is a singer and guitarist, similar to Liam himself. The pair then went to countries around the region, focusing on nations such as Ekoz, Aurevbush and their homeland Estogium. They also appeared in Brityunik Mehlodhifehstivalhen, though they did not win and so left their birthplace, they tried to make it big in Estogium. Performing on shows, and having multiple interviews with hosts of chat shows worked in their favour, and when Liam had just turned 19, he was invited to perform at Estogium's Radio & Television awards in front of 16,000 people - not including the 8.5 million people watching on the television. Soon after, the boy received a tip from ESTOGIUM: THE BIG REVEAL who reveals the participant to the World Hit Festival and/or the WorldVision Song Contest. Liam quickly accepted without hesitation and stated that he was working on a song called "Jump The Gun" which was about to be finished after another day of work. However, Liam soon realised that he was not the only person who could be given the title of representative in the World Hit Festival 29, and that title could also be given to a few other Estogian artists, including Dotty Rag Girl and popular Aloquirbic group ZEKSO who placed 14th place in WorldVision 45. After a live sound check, he was picked among the rest, to be the representative at both the World Hit and WorldVision Song Contest.
Performance Details
Main Singer: Liam Andréasson
Guitarist 1: Markus Andréasson (Also Tenor)
Guitarist 2: Quincey Buttons
Pianist 1: Dean Ashwood
Drummer 1: Vernon Brunswick
Backing Vocalists: Marc Summerhayes (Tenor), Xavier Finley (Bass), Xand Agogo (Tenor), Nila Sampson (Soprano), Mia Ora (Alto)
Lyrics & Music: Liam Andréasson, Markus Andréasson, Kieran Whithers
Unlike his performance in Izmedu, the song did not start as the audience began clapping for it. Here, there was sounds as if you were shallow under water. It was not very clear. Slowly you saw a figure in a shadow walk towards it as it got smaller and clearer in view. The image was that of him and his guitar. As soon as the song started properly, he started singing... He placed his mouth gently open the microphone, and his right hand over the microphone which had a pick for the guitar in it. he was still behind a semi-opaque wall and you could him strumming the guitar as he began;
Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm
Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm
Your words capture me.
They’re so strong, they hold me down.
Believe me, you’re all I got,
Don't forget the things I've once said.
He had removed his hand from over the microphone, and he positioned his the pick of the guitar as he was about to play. The lights of did develop throughout the verse, but it was still kept minimalist: another light, which matched Liam's, had shone on 4 other people on the stage - every 4-5 seconds and showed other instrumentalists (guitarists, pianist, drummer) and at which, the camera - for the audience at home - had quickly flickered to them. As the camera would flicker on them, it would return back to Liam, who was the main person, and who stood in front of the whole of them. He then walked more towards the semi-opaque wall and it jiggle to the wind of him moving.
I'm shy, quite weak,
Don't take advantage of me.
Tell me, tell me straight,
What you think of me-
This song does mean something to Liam, it is quite a personal song. The broadcaster wanted to show that he will develop his maturity in this song. As he finished singing this verse, the song quickly took a turn. The lights went off and as they turned back on, Liam came from behind the semi-opaque wall to the front and joined his brother and other players - but he didn't have his guitar with him. The lights, which were blue, swirled around from the stage and on to the audience. The stage then lit up in quite murky colours, such as bayou green, swamp brown and deep sea blue. And though the colours were a damper, the way that they were shining in accordance to each other made it look quite appeasing onstage.
As I believe you want me,
But baby,I won't jump the gun.
Are you gonna’ embarrass me?
Are you gonna’ make the people shun?
And you know say,
Slow Down, Slow Down - The time ain’t now.
And even though I say,
Okay - that's not what I want.
In this performance, the Estoge were going for a polished performance, something that built up. Throughout the previous chorus, the murky colours kept on flashing on the stage, with the blue on the audience. The camera would twitch between the instrumentalists on the stage, Liam and the backing singers- who wore suits and dresses comparable to the murky colours which filled the arena. During the chorus, though, the backing singers' (the male singers only) microphones were turned up, so you could hear them with their harmonies more, which blended very well with Liam's voice. The single blue lights traveled their way from around the arena back to the stage, the middle part of the stage, where Liam began singing the next part of the song.
Driving, late at night
Glare of the lamps blind me.
My mind’s numb, fingers too.
And I can’t survive much longer.
On the screens behind Liam, glares of white lights were coming closing and faded away, as if you were looking through the back window of a car, on the motorway, at night. When he started singing about how his "mind's numb, fingers too" he let go off the guitar pick and put his hands up above his head and backed away from the microphone, which still picked up his voice quite well. The camera would flicker to a left camera shot of him before going to the front of him.
I drive to get away,
Far from this toxicity.
Don't call, don't wonder.
My mind is in two-
On the screens behind him now, the white lights now went in to a circle motion to form one big white light. The audience swirled their heads - as if they were hypnotised by this performance which happens behind them. The white light kept on growing in size, and would soon reach all of the LED lights along the walls. The camera, for those at home and those who like to look at the mega screens, would slowly go over the performers - in an aerial view, with Dean Ashwood, the pianist, looking up at the camera and winking the camera. As Liam finished singing this part of the song, and went in to the second chorus of the song, the white light gained full cover over all the LED walls and "exploded" all over the arena, with the white lights over the arena flickering on and off, and it felt as if we were in the middle of a lightning storm.
As I believe you want me,
But baby, I won't jump the gun.
And without you, there is no need for me.
My friends and family? They're gone.
It's like a stab to the heart.
But this is what I had to live for.
No one, but I defied the odds.
Now where is my other half?
The colours which appeared on the stage were blue, and a more happier tone of green which looked better on the camera than the colours before. During the chorus, the female singers also joined in with the males, creating a larger range of voices within the song creating a hair-raising sound to those engrossed in the song. Lights above the arena flashed white light on and off white the camera swirled around Liam.
Even Though you say,
"Slow Down, Slow Down - Please, not now"
And even though I say,
Okay - that's not what I want.
With the drum roll entering this part in, the camera came from behind the drummer, forward, behind the guitarist, and past Liam towards the audience, who had switched on their phones torches and waving it high in the air along with the root beat of the song.
Burning starting within my throat.
Bleeding out, I cannot stop.
Anger, range, it's filling in - and I can't take anymore.
Look at me, look what you have done.
Messed me up, more than I could've thought.
I rise my hands, I'm asking!
Can you tell me where I've gone wrong?
As he started to sing, you could see that he was going red, you could see that his eyes were watering as he grabbed the mic away from the stand... The blue lights, had quickly changed in to red symbolising the hate and the blood which helped inspire this song. The camera slowly zoomed out as the red became deeper and deeper.
Then, another change since his other performance. The whole stage, every LED was set to symbolise water. Shots of him drowning in water flashed upon the screen as it would cut back to him when he slowly lifted his head up. The final time the camera switched, he looked up at the camera and then stared. He then sang a Capella, before the instrumentals came in for the last time and the camera zoomed out quickly.
Oh, I believe there's a you and me.
But darling, I won't jump the gun.
Are you gonna’ stand up to me?
Or are you gonna’ hide within the dark?
And I'm done with waiting…
You're holding me by the neck.
And I'm gonna’ break free, yeah.
You're no longer having hold upon me.
The colours of the arena were somewhat happy, and the camera angles and shot were less jerky. The audience started to sing along with Liam and started to clap their hands along with the song which had meet it's peak. He walked to the edge of the stage, and for the first time he smiled (fully) for the first time. He decided to not sing that part of the song, and rather, he would direct what would say to the audience.
"What do they say, guys??"
Slow Down, Slow Down (Ain't Jumping, Ain't Jumping that gun -no) - The time ain’t now.
Okay, Okay? Ain't jumping that gun -no….
When he asked the audience what they said, he held his microphone to the crowd and they replied with "Slow Down, Slow Down." He then began to hum the final part to the song here;
Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm
Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm
Liam started tearing up, he enjoyed singing this song, and the odds were stacked against him, this could be the last performance from him. "Thank-you ever so much!" he shouted through the tears.