The Conway Sisters - X Factor Final 12 Show

The Conway Sisters
Song: S.O.S.  Check out 'S.O.S.' at Amazon.co.uk (Abba  Check out 'Abba' at Amazon.co.uk)

The Conway Sisters - Clockwise from top-left: Sharon, Sinéad, Laura and Marie.
Sligo siblings The Conway Sisters (pictured above: clockwise from top-left: Sharon, Sinéad, Laura and Marie) start off their Abba number in back-to-back formation. Marie makes a great job with the opening lead vocal, but unfortunately when the sister harmonies creep in they are shrilling rather than thrilling.
Their formation opens up as the sisters form a line across the front of the stage, criss-crossing in pairs.

The girls have put everything into the performance, but in the end their vocal arrangement as well as their choreography just seems a little overdone.

In the earlier stages of the competition they have proved they've got what it takes vocally, and a simpler more effortless vocal arrangement may have worked better for them on this song.

The Conway Sisters give it their best, but their Abba arrangement doesn't really work tonight.
Even their mentor Simon sounds downbeat about the performance, but promises the sisters that if they make it through to next week he'll select a better song for them to showcase their vocals.
"Crikey!" exclaims Kate, as though she's never heard Simon admit he was wrong about anything before!

Panel-Bites:

Simon Cowell:  (Introduction) My second girl group tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, The Conway Sisters.

Intro clip...

Marie:  Now it just feels really like the pressure's on.

Sinéad: It's great to have your family around you when you're doing something like this because there's been a lot of highs and lows.

Marie:  This is where you have to focus, this is where it gets serious.

Simon Cowell:  I like them because they're a family group... great harmonies because they've worked together for so many years. Incredibly ambitious. I have a very good feeling about this group because they're good singers.

Sharon:  When we walk out there on Saturday night that's probably when it will really register with us what we're doing.

Laura:  It is going to be the biggest thing in our lives.

Marie:  It's so exciting, it's overwhelming.

The Conway Sisters sing...

Kate Thornton:  Sharon?

Sharon Osbourne:  Ah girls, great voices, ahm, you look great, but I'd like to see some more passion from you. I think you're a bit 'nice'. We like nice, but not too nice, and I'd... I'd like to see a bit more oomph from you. Do you know what I mean?

Sisters:  (Marie, Sinéad and Laura nod) Yeah...

Laura:  Definitely.

Sharon Osbourne:  A bit more conviction in what you do.

Marie:  (Smiling) Thank you.

Kate Thornton:  Okay, thank you Sharon. Louis?

Louis Walsh:  Four great Irish girls with amazing voices. Natural... they're just natural singers and they've only one problem... girls, Simon gave you a really, really bad song and you were sending out an S.O.S. for help. (Laughter, including the Conways) But he gave you the worst song. Simon I'm surprised you didn't pick Dancing Queen or something? You know I think....

Simon Cowell:  (Scratching his nose) They'll play that at your wedding Louis. (Laughter, especially Sharon!)

Louis Walsh:  I think you've got the talent... (responds to the laughter) ...Yeah, well you'd be dancing to it. Girls you've got the talent, I know you can do an awful lot better than this, but Simon's going to have to pick much better songs.

Laura:  Thank you.

Kate Thornton:  Okay Louis, thank you very much. Ehm, Simon? (Laughs)

Simon Cowell:  (Intake of breath) I think Louis' right. I think I chose the wrong song for you tonight girls. Uhm, because I think you're better than that song.

Louis Walsh:  They are Simon. They absolutely are.

Simon Cowell:  Uhm, and ah... if you get through tonight, I will do a better job for you next week. Because it was a bit gimmicky. But I think you're great and I think you're very talented. I think you deserve to stay in the competition. Ehm, and as I said, if you are given a second chance I promise I will give you a better song to showcase your voices next week.

Sisters:  Thank you.

Kate Thornton:  Crikey! Okay, thank you judges. (Kate joins The Conway Sisters on stage) I almost don't know what to say after that. Were you happy with that song choice?

Sisters:  Yeah!

Marie:  It was good fun. We had fun on stage.

Laura:  It was fun.

Sharon:  We enjoyed it.

Kate Thornton:  I mean ABBA is a notoriously difficult act to cover aren't they?

Marie:  Well they were brilliant, they had brilliant songs, you know...

Kate Thornton:  Yeah.

Marie:  ...but ehm, we gave it our best and... (Shrugs)

Kate Thornton:  Are you gonna, gonna bring back some oomph next week if you get the votes?

Marie:  Absolutely.

Laura:  (Crossed fingers) If we get through.

Kate Thornton:  For Sharon?

Marie:  If we get the votes, definitely some more oomph for Sharon? And we promise that if... you know we will prove what we can do.

Simon Cowell:  (Shouts out) Give them another chance.

Louis Walsh:  Yes. (Applause)

Kate Thornton:  Okay, you heard it. All right ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for The Conway Sisters! (Off mike) Well done girls. (The Conway Sisters exit)

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