Dean walked onto The X Factor stage with long hair, a calm smile and a guitar. He was 22, and when the judges asked where he was from, he said all over the place, though he was based in Melbourne at the time.
Music was his living. He said he tries to play five nights a week, no matter where. A year earlier he had hurt his back while carrying an amplifier through a doorway, so music was what he could still do.
He chose an old song, Bette Davis Eyes. It started quietly, and then he turned it into pure rock and roll, with a raw, gritty voice that filled the arena 🤘.
The judges were blown away. One told him there was no question that he had talent and feel, and said he had the same star quality and mystery as the late Michael Hutchence. Another said that everyone in the country was going to fall in love with what he does. One judge called it one of their best auditions ever.
Another joked that someone needed to check his passport, because he was out of this world. Dean got four yeses and went straight through to bootcamp, and the audience stood up again as he walked off the stage 🔥.
