Jack Hughes, a 29-year-old from Fazakerley, impressed the judges on the latest episode of The Voice Australia with his rendition of Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive, a song he traditionally performs at karaoke in Liverpool pubs like Coopers and The Grapes.
From Liverpool pubs to Australian TV
Jack relocated to Sydney nine years ago to be reunited with family after the breakup of his band, Cabezudos. He continued his career as a performing musician Down Under and decided to apply for the Australian edition of the talent show on a whim a few months ago.
Speaking to the ECHO, he said: "I've always had an eye on these type of shows and thought, 'Would I do it?' To be completely honest with you, it was after a couple of pints, I seen a link to it on Facebook and thought, 'I'll give that a go'." Jack put the application to the back of his mind once he'd sent it in, but received an email to let him know he'd been invited to the audition stages a few months later.
Mel C turns her chair
The concept of the show is the same as in the UK as performers sing to celebrity coaches in a blind audition round. If their voice impresses, the judge decides to turn their chair around to progress the contestant through to the next round. Mel C, part of the panel this season and a fellow Liverpool FC fan from Warrington, was the first to put Jack through to the next stage.
Jack said it was special to be recognised from someone with a shared connection to the region: "To be on the other side of the world and then have that connection with someone who is a complete stranger. But you have known in the public eye your entire life was surreal."
Emotional moment and Liverpool roots
Jack first joined a band 15 years ago and was overcome with emotion the moment Mel turned around. He added: "The camera doesn't show, but as soon as Mel turned around, my eyes just went and I was crying my eyes out. It's vindication for all those years of slogging it and getting ready, changed in bathrooms [ahead of a gig]."
Jack is a product of the Liverpool music scene, with his first gig at The Picket 15 years ago, and recalls playing in the Zanzibar and being on the line-up of the Hope & Glory festival before it was cancelled. Being part of this circuit alongside peers like Red Rum Club and The Cheap Thrills raised his own game.
He said: "I was naturally competitive because I wanted to be thought of the best frontman and in the best band. Coming here, I took the approach that we are Scousers and we feel a bit different. We can be a bit combative sometimes. I've been trying to put my best foot forward and not be afraid of anything. It helped me out big time."
Jack remains proud of his Liverpool roots and returned home earlier this year to get married. He added: "You know what it's like being from Liverpool. You're so proud of your home. Nowhere competes or compares. I've lived [in Sydney] for nine years and I still don't think it competes with Liverpool."
No subtitles and looking ahead
He joked his accent has softened slightly, but he only had one wish when his audition was broadcast to millions in Australia last week: "I said please don't give me any subtitles. Nothing would break my heart more than if you give me subtitles. Luckily, on that one, there was no subtitles."
He last performed Wanted Dead Or Alive in Liverpool in Coopers, which is a surprise hit Down Under. He said: "Coopers makes the news in Australia and reporters say, 'Now to the loveliest pub in the UK, Coopers, where people go and make their dream come true.' Having to explain to people here that it's just a pub that is a place you wouldn't expect or to be what it is."
Jack has been performing the song for the past 12 years, recalling an earlier memory in the Grapes: "I remember doing that in the Grapes in town on a Tuesday afternoon. I was swinging the microphone around. I get to the end and the guy says, 'You might be a cowboy mate, but stop swinging my microphone like a lasso or I'll knock you out.'"
There was certainly nobody threatening to knock him out after his last performance. He said: "It's all a bit ridiculous and it still feels a bit ridiculous. Mel turning around and the crowd reaction was an outer body experience. When I'm stood talking to the coaches after the performance, I felt like I was watching myself. It's something that I'm constantly smiling about and I've relived that day over and over again since doing it."
He is now excited for the next stage, where he will compete against other members of Mel's group. Jack, who also runs an LFC podcast with his brother titled Red Down Under, is confident his grounding in Liverpool means he has what it takes to go further, drawing inspiration from a comment by fellow coach Richard Marx: "He is a hero of mine and said, 'I sing like I've got the voice of a V8 machine'. Sometimes I'm in the shower, washing my hair and I'm like, 'V8 engine, eh?' If he's good enough for Lionel Richie [who gave Richard a break in the industry], it's good enough for me. So yeah, V8 engine. Love that."
