Final 4 - X Factor 3 - The MacDonald Brothers - Shang-a-Lang

The MacDonald Brothers
Song: Shang-a-Lang Download 'Shang-a-Lang' at iTunes Check out 'Shang-a-Lang' at Amazon.co.uk (Bay City Rollers Download 'Bay City Rollers' tracks at iTunes Check out 'Bay City Rollers' at Amazon.co.uk)


The MacDonald Brothers, Craig and Brian, looking forward to singing Shang-a-Lang an old favourite of theirs from their wedding singing days.
Craig and Brian's own song choice for their 2nd appearance tonight, the mysteriously titled Shang-A-Lang, sparks up a bit of a Bay City Rollers revival. It's as though a torrent of tartan has just poured into the studio. Louis Walsh is looking even more Scottish than Simon Cowell (ie. more than Simon's latest estimate of 50%!) and the sight of him in his tartan scarf tickles Kate. Now don't get the wrong idea, he's wearing his other clothes as well!
This is probably the most fun The MacDonald Brothers have had playing on The X Factor stage. The scarves are swaying, the boys are playin', pussy footin' and puttin' it around by the judges table. Everyone's boppin' and hoppin' especially Louis, and the brothers have the whole studio jumpin' to the Shang-a-Lang sound... ¯ of the music ¯ hey, hey ¯ rockin' to the music ¯ ...
Excuse us, we're getting a bit carried away! But so is everyone, except of course killjoy Cowell. Simon feigns "surrender" in the face of an applause onslaught, but like any true nemesis he prepares his counterpunch. With emphatic gravitas he predicts this will be the MacDonalds' final week in the contest.
It'll be hard whoever goes tonight, but we kind of hope The MacDonalds stay. We certainly haven't been their staunchest supporters throughout the contest, but we can't ignore how much they've improved over the past 8 weeks on the live shows. Now at last they're feeling the fun factor up on stage and if they survive Simon's prediction it will be interesting to see if they can crank things up another notch for the semifinals.

Panel-Bites:

Introductions...

Kate Thornton:  Now, normally on The X Factor the judges and their acts work together to choose the songs that they're going to sing, but tonight for their second performance each act has been given the chance to choose their own song. So Louis? ... (Suprressing laughter as she notices that Louis is wearing a tartan scarf!) ...Oh, Louis!... Louis, we're back with you!

Sharon Osbourne:  (Laughs)

Louis Walsh:  Okay, guys, now we have Brian and Craig. They need your votes. I want them in the semifinal. Please help me. It's The MacDonalds.

Intro clip...

Brian: It was great that we got to choose our own song this week.

Craig: We picked a song that we used to perform all the time as wedding singers, so it just takes us right back to our roots.

Louis Walsh:  It's about where they're from and they're just going to go out there and sing it with pride.

Brian: We absolutely love this song. It used to be a song that got everybody at gigs up on their feet and tonight we just want to get the whole nation up on their feet.

Back live...

Kate Thornton:  Please welcome back The MacDonald Brothers.

(Cheering and Applause)

The MacDonald Brothers sing...

¯ (Come on!) ¯ We were rippin' up ¯ We were rockin' up ¯ Roll it over and lay it down ¯ We were shakin' up ¯ We were breakin' up ¯ We were rockin' to the Shang-a-Lang sound of the music ¯ (C'mon!) ¯ Hey, hey ¯ Rockin' to the music ¯ Hey, hey ¯ Rockin' to the music ¯ Rockin' every night and day ¯ Hey, hey ¯ Well we sang Shang-a-Lang as we ran with the gang ¯ Singin' doo wop be dooby do ay ¯ We were all in the news ¯ With our blue suede shoes ¯ And out dancing the night away ¯ And we sang Shang-a-Lang ¯ As we ran with the gang ¯ Doin' doo wop be dooby do aye ¯ With the jukebox playing and everybody sayin' ¯ That music like ours couldn't die ¯ We were movin' ¯ We were groovin' ¯ Pussyfootin' it and puttin' it round ¯ We were hoppin' it ¯ Argh, we were boppin' it ¯ We were jumping to the Shang-a-Lang sound of the music ¯ Hey, hey ¯ Rockin' to the music ¯ Hey, hey ¯ Rockin' to the music ¯ Rockin' every night and day ¯ Hey, hey ¯ We sang Shang-a-Lang ¯ As we ran with the gang ¯ Singin' doo wop be dooby do ay ¯ We were all in the news ¯ With our blue suede shoes ¯ And out dancin' the night away ¯ Shang-a-Lang ¯ (C'mon, more!) ¯ Shang-a-Lang ¯ (Louder!) ¯ Shang-a-Lang ¯ Shang-a-Lang! ¯ Shang-a-Lang! ¯ Shang-a-Lang! ¯ Whorr! ¯ We sang Shang-a-Lang ¯ As we ran with the gang ¯ Singin' doo wop be dooby do aye ¯ We were all in the news ¯ With our blue suede shoes ¯ And out dancing the night away ¯ Dancing the night away ¯ Night aw-a-a-a-y ¯

(Cheering and Applause. Louis Walsh is up on his feet.)

Simon Cowell:  You know what? I surrender. (Audience cheers and laughter) I don't think this has got anything to do with singing any more... (More laughter) ...I don't. Um ... I'm gonna make a prediction. I think this is your final week. (Audience boos. Simon looks across the table at Sharon and Louis.) I do. I do... I do.

Louis Walsh:  I don't.

Simon Cowell:  (To Sharon) Do you agree?

Louis Walsh:  I don't. He knows I don't.

Sharon Osbourne:  Hmmm? I... (Gulps) ...Listen, I'm not gonna predict anything. I'm not mystic Meg, I'm Mrs O, so I don't know about that. But um, guys, listen, you know, you made everybody here very happy... You know...

Simon Cowell:  Well, not everyone.

Sharon Osbourne:  Well...

Louis Walsh:  Yes, they did. Brian and Craig, you did a classic pop song...

Sharon Osbourne:  (To Simon) Who 'do' you like?

Louis Walsh:  ...It was great, great fun.

Sharon Osbourne:  (To Simon) Is there anyone you like?

Louis Walsh:  You know, people like you guys! People like you, I hope they vote for you. I hope they don't listen to Mrs Cowell. (Louis sits back and grins)

Craig: Thanks very much Louis and Sharon. Thank you.

Kate Thornton:  Okay, boys, tonight Simon surrendered to you but also predicted tonight would be your last night in the competition. What do you want to say back?

Brian: Well, I think just basically, we're just having an absolutely fantastic time here and it's the public we're doing it for at the end of the day, you know what I mean. (Cheers) And if they like it, then... just... (Cheers and Applause)

Kate Thornton:  Do you guys feel you've got the public behind you?

Craig: It's just, I mean we're just having so much fun now, because we believe in the public and we believe in us and we just hope they stay with us until the final of the competition.

Kate Thornton:  Well this is your chance. Tonight it's all about the public vote. What do you want to say to the people at home?

Craig: Just, I mean, so glad you've kept us here so far and we just pray that we're still here in another couple of weeks... But thank you so far.

Brian: Thanks very much.

Kate Thornton:  So are you going to answer their prayers? (Kate gives out the voting details) Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for The MacDonald Brothers.

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