Idle Interview: Laurence Soares
Laurence Soares of American Idol 5 fame stopped by Idle Idols to answer a few questions. Larry is the American Idol contestant who exuberantly sang C+C Music Factory's Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now). Larry was only shown for about ten seconds.
We had a second opportunity to see Laurence Soares on American Idol's season 5 Boston auditions singing C+C Music Factory's Gonna Make You Sweat and also during Michael Sandecki's pre-audition footage. Larry is the guy who told Michael to turn it down a tad, to no avail.
Novac from Idle Idols: For the record: What is your name? What is your quest? What is your favourite colour?
Laurence Soares: ah… monty phython. my name is Larry Soares. My quest is to show the world I'm the funniest man alive, and it's a tie between blue and silver
Novac: American Idol displayed your name as Laurence. Do you prefer Laurence or Larry?
Larry: either's way is fine.
Novac: You have said that you hadn't really watched AI before you auditioned. If you didn't watch the show, how did you decide to audition?
Larry: a lot of my friends have seen me sing the song i did before at karaoke… so they pushed me to try out, it was close at gillette stadium so i said hey what the hell maybe ill get through maybe i wont
Novac: Where'd you get that American Idol shirt you wore on the show?
Larry: the day of the first audition… they had a booth selling them so i bought one to sway the decision of the producers…. i guess it worked
Novac: How did you come to choose Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)? Simply chosen because you had sang it at karaoke?
Larry: i heard the rumor they wanted people who were unique, different, and entertaining… something they have never seen SO that's the first song that came to me… plus it's a crowd favorite here. it sets me apart of everyone else. i don't know anyone who can sing a duet by themselves… do you
Novac: There was that one AI contestant who was dressed half-man, half-woman . . . I'm sure that was a duet.
Larry: ah… but was it good? lol. i switch my voice very quickly too
Novac: Well, that wasn't a stipulation of the question!
Larry: true
Novac: What sort of music do you generally listen to?
Larry: mostly rock. i play hip hop top 40 music all day so i can't stand to hear it when i'm away from work. i can't listen to the radio either just cd's or my ipod. you know what i mean
Novac: Indeed. It's like bringing your work home with you. You produce a morning show on Fun107, and you've been with the station for about ten years now, right?
Larry: yep… this particular morning show i"m doing now just started after 9/11. before that off and on from 97' to 2001
Novac: You're also in the improv comedy group Speed of Thought Players.
Larry: yeah… i've been with them since may of 2000. it's a good release from daily stress… improv comedy, kind of like who's line is it anyway
Novac: What's your favorite improve game to play?
Larry: sound f/x i'll grab the mic and sit in the crowd while the other sotp player acts out the scene making no sounds, i provide them
Novac: In fact, you displayed some of your sfx/beatboxing abilities on your American Idol audition.
Larry: heheh a little yeah. i love doing voices too… my two best are jack nicholson and bill cosby. maybe i'll send you an mp3 tomorrow
Novac: If you do, you really must say "Puddin' Pops" . . . it's a requirement for Bill Cosby impressions.
Larry: that and jello and kodak and we can't forget the coca cola. oh and "ruuuudee" and "theeooooooh" and all the kids on the cosby show
Novac: Most people seem to have forgotten about Picture Pages. I miss Picture Pages.
Larry: mortimer snerd yes. i used to make the sound of the pen when i watched it on nickelodeon
Novac: You're also the vocalist and saxophonist of alternative/rock/pop band Sweet Set Murder (formerly Third Rail).
Larry: yep i've been with those guys for about 12 years now. mostly alternative rock with some pop stuff too
Novac: Original music or covers?
Larry: mostly original but every show we have we like to cover a couple to let the audience enjoy some favorites. dave matthews, a-ha, we even covered the full house theme song
Novac: Is it now obligatory that you cover C+C Music Factory?
Larry: i won't sing that one for the band, just karaoke now. i like to keep that seperate
Novac: What did your band think of your audition?
Larry: they loved it… they even put it up on our myspace site for all to see
Novac: What's the coolest thing that has happened as a result of your 15 minutes of national fame? Has your national exposure opened any doors for you? (And by "15 minutes," I refer to your literal "10 seconds.")
Larry: not yet, actually i'm being interviewed by a FOX news station, and i'm slipping them a dvd of my performance so they can take a better clip to show new england at least. they feel massachusetts was poorly represented on audition so they're spending some extra time just talking about mass
Novac: Clearly, your MySpace profile has seen plenty of traffic since your audition aired. Do you think Speed of Thought Players or Sweet Set Murder will enjoy any extra audience from this?
Larry: i think so. some people who watch something that interests them, want to know a little bit more about that person's way of life, are they in a band, what do they do for fun, so i purposely threw that stuff on myspace to kind of give them that opportunity to learn more about me. and i have seen more traffic hit their sites as well so i know it's working
Novac: By the way: Your MySpace profile includes an animated picture of The Truffle Shuffle on it. Thanks for that.
Larry: hey, can't wait for goonies 2 to come out. WB is debating whether or not they should. chunk's the man
Novac: Did you watch the Goonies DVD with commentary from all of the actors?
Larry: no i haven't yet.
Novac: Corey Feldman acts like an attention-starved jerk, as usual, and it's far too many people for an audio commentary to talk all at once. But still, it's a novelty.
Larry: i'll have to check that out
Novac: Speaking of attention-starved people . . .
Larry: who mike
Novac: Exactly. Later in the show, we see you stuck right next to Michael Sandecki, an obnoxious Clay Aiken lookalike. You tried to get him to "turn it down a tad," but Michael just kept hamming it up. You then turn to the camera and claim that "If I'm stuck next to him the whole time, I'm going to go insane." How long were you stuck next to Sandecki? What didn't we see that you had to endure?
Larry: well first off, mike's a great kid. HOWEVER, you gotta realize when you're stuck or I should say right next to someone when you have no control over it, you want to be next to someone who's a little less hyper than well… mike. the camera guys i'm assuming were frightened to even think about going near him fearing he would tackle them or something that's probably why you didnt see any extra footage. he did from time to time calm down but only in 5 second bursts
Novac: 5 second "bursts" of calmness?
Larry: i counted. then it was WHOOO HOOO AMERICAN IDOL YEAH!!!! I basically jinxed myself when i made that comment , because i made it BEFORE we went in the room.
Novac: So the energy continued, even when the cameras weren't on?
Larry: if he saw a camera he flipped the switch.. i mean no one could humanely act that hyper all the time. there were times he was normal, but it didn't last long if he saw a camera
Novac: Since only a small fraction of your audition was televised, how did the judges react to your performance?
Larry: well… simon didnt even recognize the song… funny how seacrest said in the clip I contributed to his headache. Paula said she'd never see something like that in her lifetime, whih was cool, and randy suggested i should go cross country and sing that song professionally. i'd make a lot of money, sso maybe i will. anyways simon said no. paula said yes, and randy said i was very entertaining but not what they were looking for
Novac: Did they let you sing the entire song in your audition, or did they cut you off soon after the televised portion ended?
Larry: get this…. they let me sing for 2 minutes straight, and they chose that ten second clip to try to make their headache montage.
Novac: In comparison to the other 1 minute 50 seconds, is that much worse, then?
Larry: i have never heard anything but praise when i sing that song. i've had people who look like they would NEVER comment to me, say "WOW, THAT WAS AWESOME." It's almost like it would bother them if they didn't say something
Novac: So, when you auditioned, did you think you had a good chance at going through to Hollywood, or did you know that you would be rejected?
Larry: well, when i went to the first audition i thought. eh, I probably woon't get through this one, but I did. Then the second audition came and i said, ok if i dont make it no big deal i got further then a lot of people, then i got through, then when it came to randy paula, and simon i said wow, i could go to hollywood, and that's where the train stopped…. for idol at least.
Novac: Nearly every single reality show contestant complains about editing. Other than the other minute and fifty seconds of your audition, did the editors cut out anything that you had hoped would air?
Larry: i wish they played the judges reaction. actually i wish they played my audition like everyone else. not throw me in some montage and edit how they see fit to make me look like an idiot. especially when they're comments aren't bad at all. The worst thing simon said to me was, you remind me of a streetperformer where people throw money in a hat. Actually those people make a VERY good living doing that. No "You're horrible, you're horrendous", or other Simon catch phrases. He's actually VERY nice (if you can believe that) off camera. It's all hyped up for the show
Novac: It's obligatory, isn't it? Simon is, after all, known as the rude Englishman, right?
Larry: they edited that out. lol. if he's not rude… it's gone. he disappointed me really. i thought he'd tear me apart, but no. nothing
Novac: How did the AI audition process stack up with your expectations?
Larry: very well up until the last day. see, when you say something, stand by it. When you say to contestants, we're looking for something different, something we never see before, and you have thirteen girls in the contest in the top 12 looking like carrie underwood, that upsets me. bottom line, if the music industry wants to flourish again… go for the talent, not the look. I'm not saying I'M in that category, I'm just sick of seeing the SAME people singing the SAME thing. maybe they'll learn… someday.
Novac: Yes, it's undeniable that girls looking like models with questionable talent have been sent to Hollywood. Just look at "fit model" Ashley Jackson. Paula told her that her audition wasn't going well. The only thing we see after that is Ashley singing with her mouth closed, and she is passed through to Hollywood. Go figure.
Larry: my audition process was a great experience. and it'll give me a little bit more of an insight to NEXT YEAR'S AUDITION
Novac: So does that mean you're auditioning for American Idol 6?
Larry: yes i am. I should of taken the place of crazy dave, the animal psychic. and this time, i will be singing a completely different song. taking it very seriously because it's the last time i can do it
Novac: But Crazy Dave, a.k.a. Mr. Dubious, didn't last too long in Hollywood.
Larry: i would have switched gears once i was in hollywood. what people dont know is, i can really sing. if the judges tell me differently next year… well, there's always the comedy route. lol
Novac: What about the novelty singer/songwriter route? Dr. Demento and all that jazz?
Larry: i actually grew up listening to weird al who gets played all the time on demento. i can make up novelty songs, but really not interested in that right now
Novac: How can fans keep up with you in the future? There's your MySpace profile and your brand new website, noblueones.com . . . the site is in its infancy, but you plan on adding plenty to it.
Larry: yeah i plan on doing more with it like adding video skits, pictures, perhaps novelty songs, now that you've mentioned that, and keep up the myspace as long as it lasts, and try to find which road gets me to hollywood. myspace is probably the best bet right now to get a hold of me. it basically links anyone to everything i'm involved in
Novac: No Blue Ones dot com. You love SweeTarts, but you hate the blue ones. Have you informed Willy Wonka of this?
Larry: i did. then all the oompa loompas came out of nowhere, and sang me a good bye song, and then the next thing i remember i woke up in my room. so, in a way i STILL didnt get the golden ticket
Novac: Double whammy. Deep Roy has a way of doing that to you.
Larry: word.
Novac: Jennifer Love Hewitt. Discuss.
Larry: (faints) she is my wife plain and simple. she has the most beautiful eyes, smile, and… well most perfect body i have ever seen. i find it difficult no guy has contacted her for valentines day. gimme the number JLH's agent!!!!! I'll sweep her right off her feet
Novac: So you haven't used your newfound contacts to meet her in person yet?
Larry: lol. no not yet. next year i'll wear a "JLH call me" tshirt. then ill sneak the number in the audition somehow
Novac: A word of advice: Shy away from any of her songs for your American Idol 6 audition.
Larry: will do. i'll probably be in the vicinity of dave matthews or john mayer type songs
Novac: Just two last obligatory questions, and I’ll let you be on your way . . .
Larry: shoot
Novac: If you could be a condiment, which condiment would you be?
Larry: lol. ketchup. it's my favorite. plus, it goes well on EVERYTHING. john kerry's wife teresa told me to say that
Novac: Well, you could always use the alternative W Ketchup.
Larry: ooh. never. she'd kill me
Novac: Indeed. You, being a Bay Stater, are still under her thumb. [I would like to formally congratulate myself for using the proper Massachusettes adjective. Now I need to go interview someone from Connecticut so I can refer to them as a Nutmegger.]
Larry: nah.. now that her husband isn't prez… i'm good. we'll see what happens in 2008
Novac: I'm afraid that in 2008, you'll be worried more about my state's senator than yours.
Larry: probably 
Novac: Last question: Ginger or Mary Ann? (Sorry, no JLH option here!)
Larry: damn. ginger… maybe i'll get to hollywood that way heheheheh
Novac: Between Ginger and Seacrest, I'd have to say: Seacrest OUT!
Larry: lol
Novac: Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to chat, Larry. I thank you, the readers thank you, and Abe Vigoda thanks you.
