Rachel Johnson: On the Wall

X-Factor rock chick Ruth Lorenzo will be strutting her stuff at Revenge nightclub, Brighton, this Friday.

For the first three weeks in December, whoever is voted out of the hit ITV talent show each Saturday will perform the following Friday at the town centre hotspot.

With X-Factor viewing figures topping ten million every Saturday and plenty of controversy, Revenge Manager Andrew Roberts knows he is on to a winner.

He said: “With all the shenanigans that have gone on and all the fireworks, it’s even more high profile than it has been in previous years.  Since it’s been on I’ve noticed that people aren’t coming out until after the results show.  About 20 minutes after it finishes, the bar suddenly fills up.

 “It is the third year of doing this at the club, but we’ve never had such a full programme.  Last year we had Same Difference and the year before, Eaton Road, and we’ve developed a relationship with the X-Factor.”

Each act will follow cabaret drag performers The Lollipop Girls, and will sing at least four songs from the show, including the No 1 hit Hero.  Fans will then get a chance to meet them and have their photo taken with their idols in return for a donation to local AIDS charities.

Roberts has his fingers crossed that boy band JLS are booted from the show, so they perform at the club. “I want JLS,” he said.  “And the word on the street is that it looks like they might be out before the final.

“It’s funny, the feedback at the club is that girls seem to want to see Ruth and all the boys want JLS.”

According to the bookies, Roberts may be in luck, with JLS currently long shots to win, with some offering odds of 9:1.  Alexandra Burke has overtaken Diana Vickers as the favourite after receiving a standing ovation from both the audience and the judges for her rendition of Beyonce’s Listen in what Simon Cowell described as “the performance of the series”.

In this week’s semi-final, contestants will again sing two songs each, but this time one will be chosen by their mentors, one by themselves.  The decision as to who is out again rests solely with the public vote.

X-Factor Fridays will be happening at Revenge on the Old Steine on December 5^th, 12^th and 19^th, with the runner up performing in the New Year.  Doors open at 10.30pm with the finalists taking to the stage at about 1am.

Roberts advises getting there early, though, as advance tickets are not available; entry is on a first come first served basis.  “If past experience is anything to go by, we should be seeing queues round the block,” he said.