Photos: Arthur Chung, Dave Ellers and Reggie Chang
Making Simon Powell Proud – AJ’s Got Talent Heat 1
Words by Freya Hellstrom
The deafening applause of hundreds of participants and leaders crashed through the mini arena on the 9th of January during the first of the AJ’s Got Talent heats. By the end of the evening, the heat had become so popular that the sides of the marquee had to be opened to allow for the hordes of people flocking to watch. The atmosphere in the space (located at the end of the mall near the NSW and QLD Contingents) was resoundingly supportive and enthusiastic, allowing room for neither judgement nor critique.
Emcees for the night, Scott ‘ScoRo’ Romanis and Mason Howard, exploded onto stage at the beginning of every act to introduce the rising talents. Including the many brilliant singers who stepped up and blew us all away, including Mary (who sounded like they had arrived right out of a Broadway musical), Melissa (who rivalled One Direction’s own skills with their cover of This Town), and the dynamic duo Zana and Alina, showing up in stunning matching fits to complement their gorgeous synchronisation. Gabby was the only dancer the whole night, and did a truly incredible job of it, capturing everyone’s attention and admiration. Several comedians (Liam, Grace, and Oscar) graced the stage for a warmly welcomed laugh break, and Ethan brought his guitar for a cover of Wonderwall. Notably, Owen with his Rubiks cubes, challenged the judges to complete a simple cube before he was able to solve his own, far larger, cube. Needless to say, the judges didn’t win this round!
The first AJ’s Got Talent heat went spectacularly. Congratulations to everyone who performed!
A Night of Surprises and Stellar Performances at AJ Got Talent – AJ’s Got Talent Heat 2
Words by Rohan Tootell
The excitement was palpable at AJ’s Got Talent's second round of heats, as the crowd packed into the Mini Arena for an unforgettable night of performances. Returning Emcees Scott ‘ScoRo’ Romanis and Mason Howard were back on stage, energizing the audience and preparing them for the array of incredible acts that would soon take the spotlight.
One of the most surprising moments of the night came from Jason, who took the stage dressed as a dinosaur and wowed everyone by playing the keyboard blindfolded. It was a moment no one expected, but as they say, seeing is believing!
Among the many standout performances, Freya's Ukulele rendition was a crowd favourite. Her tone and technique impressed the judges, earning her a spot to move onto the next round. The atmosphere in the Mini Arena was electric, and it wasn’t just Freya’s performance that had people buzzing. When the rain started to pour, the venue quickly became standing room only, with eager fans rushing in to catch the action.
Another highlight of the evening came from a talented three-piece band, headlined by Oliver who rocked the stage with their cover of Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer,” and the crowd went wild.
Ashley also had a moment to shine when she performed an original song on the keyboard. Her heartfelt composition drew loud applause, and it was clear that she had earned her place in the spotlight.
The night ended with the promise of even more talent to come as AJ’s Got Talent heats up.
AJ REALLY has talent! - Heat 3
Words by Daisy-May Creighton
The third AJ’s Got Talent Heat was introduced once again with hosts Scott ‘ScoRo’ Romanis and Mason Howard, hyping up the audience and boosting the vibe for a fabulous final heat. The performances started with Isabella showing her skill with Poi, performing to the song ‘Friend Like Me’ from Aladdin, and earning herself a spot in the AJ’s Got Talent Finals. Quite a few others demonstrated unique skills, such as James' cup stacking, Marcus solving Rubiks Cubes in what was surely record time, and Olive performing a skit called “Welcome to the Internet”. We also heard some great impressions and accents, my personal favourite being Shrek, and another group amused us all when frontman Blake played the Squid Game theme on recorder through his nose while the rest of the group backed him up with an interpretive dance.
Lots of powerhouse voices graced the stage with a duet singing 'Lovely' by Billie Eilish, Lyla singing 'Love Story', Sam singing 'Welcome to Wonderland', and Ruby singing 'Riptide'. A highlight was when Ian, a Scout, was cheered on by a huge crowd from his Unit as he sang the song ‘Viva La Vida’. Kirrawee Gang Show had the audience wrapped around their finger with their performance to ‘Dance the Night Away’, and the Canadian Contingent brought the house down with their Canadian Stereotype themed rendition of ‘Bar Song’. Miles, who is a professional musical theatre performer when not doing Scouts, sang ‘Electricity’ from Billy Elliot, which took him through to the Grand Final. Joining him was Lyla who sang Love Story and Isabella with her light up Poi.
These three heats show that clearly, AJ does have lots of talent! The fact that so many people bravely stepped up to the stage shows a lot of courage and skill. Congratulations to those who performed, I can speak for myself and other Service Leaders, Unit Leaders and youth, when I say that we are all incredibly proud of all who gave it a go.
