GRANT Denyer, host of “Australia’s Got Talent”, has described Queanbeyan busker/singer/songwriter Owen Campbell’s audition on the show as “awkward and uncomfortable”… You can say that again.

More than 270,000 people (and counting) have watched Owen’s audition on YouTube, where he was rejected by judges Brian McFadden and Dannii Minogue for being rude, despite a standing ovation from the crowd and the judges describing him as “very talented”.

Owen’s audition didn’t start well, with a minor slip-up calling Kyle Sandilands, “Karl”.

Before he started to play he said to the crowd: “We’ll pretend the judges aren’t there for a while and I’ll just entertain you lovely folks.”

The comment appeared to offend the judges; with Kyle asking: “Why did you come out and try and make an enemy of us before even singing?”

McFadden seemed most offended.

“You know it’s only the three of us who decide whether or not you are going through?” McFadden said.

“You can impress everybody, but it’s down to us. Part of being in this industry is you have got to have smarts as well.”

Owen who tried to butt-in, was told by McFadden to listen, replying with “Okay, boss”.

“Are you actually that cocky?” McFadden said. “Because you are very talented. You can be the most talented person in the world, but if you act like an arse, then people won’t like you.”

“I was only joking,” Owen said to the camera after the audition. “Maybe I have got a bad attitude.”

Owen, a slide guitarist, is often seen playing in City Walk. But if you haven’t seen him in a while, “CC’s” heard that he’s been booked out with gigs between Sydney and Canberra for the next six months.

Adam shares his secrets

HE beat the Sydney big shots to be named AHFA NSW/ACT Hairdresser of the Year 2012 and now Adam Ciaccia is sharing his styling secrets on YouTube.

Ciaccia, a haircutter at Axis Hairdressing, has created Adam Ciaccia Hair TV – a series of online videos that show him creating the latest styles.

The channel averages 1000 hits per day.

“My videos, I hope, will provide insight into how I cut hair,” he says.

Head to www.youtube.com/user/AdamCiaccia

Bias? Not us!

TO avoid any possibility or perception of political bias in the upcoming ACT election, the Inner South Community Council has appointed Anne Forrest as its spokesperson, from now until the October poll. And why?

Well, president Kevin Gill is a card-carrying member of the ACT ALP and council member Gary Kent was a candidate for the Liberals at the last election and a party member still.

And, clearly, neither of them wants the council embroiled in party politics. The ISCCC will contact all Molonglo candidates shortly with details of its public meetings, including candidate-specific meetings .

Andrew’s got Klout

KLOUT – a tool that measures social media influence – shows that Deputy Chief Minister and Treasurer Andrew Barr is one of, if not THE, most influential Canberran online, with a Klout score of 64. Josh Dugan from the Raiders rates highly on 51 and social media consultant Bree Winchester is on 49. The National Gallery is Canberra’s most influential institution on 45. (To put things into perspective, Barack Obama has a Klout score of 94).

Jorian’s big night out

ONCE again, we’ll see some familiar faces turning out for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout next month. There are all the usual suspects, The Brumbies’ Andrew Fagan, ActewAGL’s Ayesha Razzaq, Lollypotz’s Louise Curtis and Public Service Commissioner Stephen Sedgwick to name a few.

But “CC” thought something was amiss when we heard Canberra’s own would-be shock jock and former “CityNews” reporter Jorian Gardner was planning to sleep rough for the night, too.

“I have been appointed CEO of Capital Radio 2CC… okay, only for one day as I take on the challenge of the Vinnies ACT CEO Sleepout,” Gardner says.

“I will be sleeping rough for the night in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Australia on June 21. Predictions are that it could be -6 and all I get is a piece of cardboard and a sleeping bag! Brrrrrrr….”

HERE’S something that tops even the abomination of the cigar lounge… and only in Las Vegas. “CC” was invited to write a story on, wait for it, the world’s first luxury gun lounge at Machine Guns Las Vegas.

“With strict gun laws in Australia, the newly launched 10,000-square-foot facility is an opportunity for Aussie tourists to let rip with an AK47 or the M60 used by Rambo,” the PR flak coos.

Depressingly, Machine Guns Vegas is the brainchild of New Zealander Genghis Cohen, but reassuringly there are military trained “gun girls” at hand to help tourists handle their “real gun experience”. Prices for shooting a real machine gun start at $A85 and don’t stop before $A699.