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The Voice South Africa

Five key Craig Lucas performances on The Voice SA!

News
27 June 2019
#TBT to a few of the stunning stage outings that turned The Voice SA tide in Craig’s favour.
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Season 2 winner Craig Lucas returns to #TheVoiceSA stage this Sunday (30 June).

Here are a few key performances from the season 2 winner:

Blind Audition:

The first time we got a taste of that crazy Craig range as he performed the iconic “House Of The Rising Sun”. Kahn turned first – before the end of the second line of the song – which ultimately scored him his second win in a row on The Voice SA. His coaching skills are also something to behold! The other coaches weren’t far behind Kahn’s turn, with Karen claiming that she’d been lost in the music. And LIRA’s comment was pretty prescient: “That is a winning performance”. Some revelations followed: Craig had just finished studying economics. And his mom is the real MVP!

The Battles:

Craig was pitted against Dylan Pretorius in his Battle, and Kahn chose another epic tune for the twosome, Muse’s version of “Feeling Good”. “A classic Battle,” said Karen Zoid. Kahn then came up with the description of the season: “Craig, you’re like the lovechild of Freddy Mercury and John Legend. There’s soul and there’s rock ‘n’ roll, all in one voice.” The good news for Dylan? A surprise steal from LIRA.

Knockouts:

Craig was up against Mia Pretorius in the Knockouts, and her rendition of “Not Ready To Make Nice” by Dixie Chicks had all of the coaches raving. Kahn told Mia that if she wasn’t signed by a record label the moment she leaves the show, he’d be amazed. But it was Craig’s cover of FUN’s “We Are Young” that had the coaches and the audience alike absolutely stunned. “You have the control and the soul,” Karen told Craig. “You left your blood and guts on that stage, what an incredible performance.” Kahn told Craig that if he kept performing like that, he could follow in Richard Stirton’s footsteps and win this competition. With that, Craig went into the Live Shows.

The 5th Live Show:

This was Craig’s “Sound Of Silence” moment. It’s widely believed that Richard Stirton won over the voting public in season 1 with his version of the Disturbed take on Simon & Garfunkel’s classic. For Craig, it was Prince’s “Purple Rain” (which we coincidentally suggested for him!) Everything about it seemed right: the staging; Craig’s passion and soul. And that goosebump-inducing voice. “In a world of fleeting pop, where everything has become disposable, what you did tonight, it felt like a keepsake,” his coach commented. “Like a piece of art that I want to hang in my home forever – thank you for being brave; that was art.”

The Finale:

The cherry on top really as Craig had already secured the necessary votes to win. But when he chose to sing Chris de Burgh’s “Lady In Red”, his mom’s favourite song, many were concerned. It really is a love-it-or-leave-it tune. But the consensus on social media was that even if you didn’t like the song before, Craig sold it. Backed by a mini-orchestra, Craig showed off some amazing high notes, and showed poise – consider that he’d been announced as being in the Top 2 literally a minute before. When the dancer, who had been dancing with a lady in red, then danced with Craig’s mom, we had a collective lump in our throat. “Your voice is like art,” said Kahn Morbee. And great art deserves the ultimate accolades.

Well done Craig Lucas!

PS. Since his win, Craig has released many fine songs, including this one, 'Smother', with Idols SA winner Paxton:

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