Storm unleashed

In the most stunning reality show blow to the gut, Storm Large was voted out of contention for lead singer of SuperNova, the band made up of fading stars in their final throes. Storm was way too much for them to handle. They never gave her the opportunity to play with them on the show -- and this, after seizing the show and blowing everybody off the stage on Tuesday's performance episode. In last weekend's webisode, she handily passed the lyric writing clinic with Gilby Clark. She looked a cinch to go into the finals, but via fan voting, she ended up in the bottom three with the two major contenders: Canadian skunk-boy Lucas and They-wan-her Dilana. They had to vote her off the rock and roll island. She wasn't "roit" for the band.

I read the spoiler board when I got home from work yesterday. I could not bring myself to watch it go down last night. I've got it recorded for viewing some time this weekend. Evidently, she went out in tremendous style and had everybody crying with a Bottom 3 kick'em-in-the-gut vesion of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," dedicated to her mother. Her mother died awhile back, having spent most of her adult life institutionalized for schizophrenia. The Floyd song was a tribute to Syd Barrett, their bandmate who also fought mental problems. Reportedly, Storm brought everybody to tears.

Storm is a rarity in this society's climate of repressed sexuality and fundamentalist attacks on freedom of expression. She writes songs about girls and women who never fit the stereotypes -- just as Storm herself resisted the styling staff at the CBS show who kept trying to make her dress like "a girl."

I have ordered the single "Ladylike" and recomend it to you. It's available for download at MSN I hear. I ordered the single on CD. Limited edition with both the PG and R rated versions. "What the What is Ladylike?"

I'd point you in the direction of her official fan page, but it blew up the moment Supernova gave her the axe last night. Thousands of people all at once trying to post on her forum brought the site crashing down along with her fans' hopes and expectations. I've been hooked on those Storm boards since before the show started in July. Pre-internet fandom was such a lonely affair. Not anymore. Fan communities gather online from around the world. Today I read a heartfelt post from a new fan from Wales! And while I've enjoyed the benefits of internet fandom with my fellow Kinks fans for many years now, I've never experienced something like this -- an explosion of fan attraction, media attention and internet buzz in a matter of a few weeks time.

Storm put herself through a huge ordeal, but ended up with an immense global following, after spending years plugging away in local scenes up and down the west coast. Thank dog she did the show, even though it ended with such a blow to the emotions. She is going to be heard!