Euroband - This Is My Life

As you have probably guessed from reading my blog, I am currently a huge fan of Iceland's Euroband, who were my favourites from this years Eurovision Song Contest. In my opinion, they should have come much higher than the 14th place they ended up with. It's not all bad though, as not only were they the first act for Iceland to qualify to the final since the introduction of the semi-finals, but they have also released an amazing album which is just as feel good as their infectious Eurovision track, "This Is My Life" from which the album borrows its name.


Ever since I got Euroband's album I put it on after I've had a bit of a bad day or I'm feeling a bit down and it instantly lifts my mood. There is just something so joyous and infectious in listening to each track that you just can't help but smile. Both Fridrik and Regina are amazing singers with a great quality to their voices whether they are belting out the glittering, discotastic "This Is My Life" or harmonising on the slower paced and more melodic, "By Your Side". The first thing I noticed about the album was that it wasn't all disco and dance orientated as I expected it to be, Euroband do slower tracks just as well as they do the uptempo numbers like "A Ba Ni Bi" (which is their next single). Two of my favourite tracks on the album are the English language versions of Fridrik and Regina's Icelandic national final Eurovision solo tracks, "Thinking Of You" and "Fire" as it gives an indication of the sort of sound they have away from Euroband. Other highlights from the album is Regina's amazing take on an English language version of Celine Dion's winning Eurovision song, "Don't Leave Without Me Now" and Fridrik vastly improving Johnny Logan's "Hold Me Now" - only Fridrik and Euroband could make me like a Eurovision song I previously hated!! For all budding Euroband tribute acts (like myself) there is even a karaoke version of "This Is My Life" to sing to. This album is so much more than a collection of Eurovision covers - it's the cure to beat even the worst depression.

You can purchase the album here:

http://www.tonlist.is/Music/Album/6555/eurobandid/this_is_my_life/?

Eurovision Winners Party

The Saturday after I got back from Eurovision was the UK Eurovision Winners Party at the Scala in London so I took myself along for one of the last big Eurovision events of this year. To be honest, the title "Winner" only applied to two of the acts - Bucks Fizz and Dima Bilan as from what I can remember, Sonia, Nikki French and Ani Lorak didn't win... I would have much preferred a Eurovision "Favourites" party with a line-up of my favourite acts like Euroband, Kalomira etc.

With no Euroband on the line-up, it was left for me and my friend Moa to form our own tribute to them. We co-ordinated ourselves in outfits and were armed with Icelandic flags to complete the look. The turnout wasn't as impressive as the Eurovision Preview Party and the audience waiting to watch the show consisted of mainly Russian girls and really die-hard Eurovision fans (even a lot of my friends didn't show-up). The first artist out to perform was 2nd place runner-up in 1993, Sonia, who looked a bit worse for wear and didn't seem to know where she was as she "performed" - I say "performed" but it was more like a sing-a-long karaoke with her leading the way (maybe she doesn't know the words to her songs anymore??). The mostly Russian audience looked bemused when Bucks Fizz took to the stage to perform their "extended set" - in honesty even the hardened Eurovision fans only wanted them to do their 3 UK no1's and then get off stage. If the Russian's didn't know what to make of Bucks Fizz, well they didn't have a clue what was going on as Nikki French (16th place) managed to squeeze herself in the actual jacket she wore at Eurovision. Fortunately for the Russians (who looked like they were about to commit murder by this point), Dima Bilan came out. Dima looked like he didn't want to be there as he went through the motions of his 2 song set. He didn't even come back for a reprise of "Believe" - hardly the gracious Eurovision winner... Ani Lorak saved the evening with a great performance I have come to expect from her (even though she is STILL wearing the same dress - really hope she has washed it). The response "Shady Lady" got from the audience suggested that perhaps the wrong song had won in Belgrade. Ani went one step further by performing Tina Turner's "The Best" - perhaps she was sending a message to Dima Bilan?? While Dima may have taken the prize in Belgrade, it was clear that Ani is the unoffical winner of Eurovision 2008.
With the performances over it was Moa and my turn to perform as our tribute to Euroband - though they were not there at the Scala they were with us in spirit!!

Eurovision - Day Seven

It was day seven in Belgrade and the night of the Final of the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest, my sadness at the contest being over for a year was equally matched with excitement to see who would be the outright winner.

The atmosphere at the arena was amazing when I arrived - there was such a hive of activity. There were seas of flags being waved, and people from all nations talking to eachother about their favourites from the contest. I couldn't help but think how wonderful it was to be part of this unifying experience. I made sure I was armed with my Iceland and Norway flags as I headed into the arena ready to support my two favourites.

The show itself was fantastic in the arena - it was one big party. Andy Abraham for the UK did well despite being the second act but it was clear he wasn't going to do well in the votes as his performance was not memorable enough to standout. No Angels gave a better vocal performance but it still wasn't up to the standard of some of the other acts. By the time Euroband came on stage my phone went crazy with all my friends back home that were watching on T.V to say how great they were. One of my friends even said that Fridrik looked like me on stage!! (I wish!!). I didn't think it would be possible for Euroband to raise their game in their performance as they were already so good but they did - giving without doubt the strongest vocal performance in the contest. Their efforts were rewarded in the arena with one of the best reactions of the night. Charlotte Perrelli's performance underwhelmed me slightly in the final and she was totally upstaged by Ani Lorak. It was obvious that out of the two divas in silver, that Ani would come out on top as her performance was much more memorable than Charlotte's. Booing in the arena was directed at Spain with people that obviously didn't think that the "song" was good for Eurovision. Dima Bilan also received a fair amount of boos when he took to the stage. My other favourite, Maria from Norway closed the show with a beautiful performance of "Hold On, Be Strong".

With all the 25 countries performed, it was now the moment of truth - the scores. My personal top 5 were Iceland, Norway, Ukraine, Sweden and Greece, so I was hoping for any of those countries to do well. As the scores started coming in I noticed that suprisingly Sweden were not getting any points. Norway and Greece in particular, were doing well, Iceland had a few points and Ukraine wasn't doing as well as I expected. At the top of the leader board was Greece and Russia and I secretly hoped it would be Greece that would take the prize over Russia. As more countries voted, my dreams for Eurovision in Iceland started to fade and I resigned myself to the fact that I would be going to Russia next year. With only one country left to vote, Demark, the game was over and it was to be Dima Bilans night. The moment that I was most annoyed about was Iceland's Euroband not having their moment of glory on the screen from the green room when they got their 12 points from Denmark - trust Dima Bilan to steal their thunder!! With the voting over, my top 5 finished like this: Iceland (14th), Norway (5th), Ukraine (2nd), Sweden (18th) and Greece (3rd). I was most disappointed for Euroband as I so desperately wanted them to do well.

In my opinion, I think the top 5 (though not all my favourites) were deserving though I would have prefered Ani Lorak's Shady Lady as the overall winner as opposed to Dima "I think I am God" Bilan. I was particularly pleased with Maria's 5th place with "Hold On, Be Strong" for Norway. I'm not sure where it went wrong for Sweden and my favourites Iceland - I guess the whole East v's West is still very much a part of the final despite it balancing out the qualifiers from the Semi Finals. The UK found themselves at the bottom of the table again which wasn't deserved (neither was Poland to be fair). With talk of Terry Wogan resigning and countries pulling out, I wonder if rules for the final will be changed for next year??

The aftershow party was a little sad as it was time to say goodbye to all the friends I had made over the week. I was able to catch up with a few of the artists at the party but the one act that I wanted to see Euroband, wasn't there. I really wanted to tell them how well they did and that it was a great triumph that they qualified to the final. As quick as the week had begun, it had ended and until next year, Eurovision was over.

Eurovision - Day Six

Day 6 arrived and it suddenly dawned on me that the Eurovision bubble I have been living in for the past week was about to burst. There was no time for me to feel sad about it as I had the dress rehearsals of the Final to attend.


I was generally really happy with the songs that did qualify from the two Semi Finals - the new system had really worked as no-one can complain that the final is dominated by the East this year. It was a real victory for both Iceland and Portugal in particular, who have both qualified to the final for the first time since the semi finals were introduced. In fairness, both countries deserved to qualify as they had great songs and both acts gave amazing vocal performances.



By this point, there were 5 acts in the final that really were in my opinion streets ahead of the other 21 acts - my ultimate favourites Euroband, were absolutely amazing to watch they sound and look great on stage - they give 100 percent every time they take to the stage with an infectious high energy that electrifies the arena; Maria from Norway with her classy performance and one of the best songs in the contest; Portugal’s dramatic, theatrical performance delivered by Vania; Charlotte Perrelli's schlagertastic "Hero" and lastly, Ani Lorak with her performance that had all the right elements of a Eurovision winner: Fierce female vocalist, Great song, Amazing stage performance with a fantastic dance routine.

Today was the first opportunity I got to see the Big 4 perform alongside the other qualifiers (I had seen their rehearsals separately). Germany’s No Angels haven't improved at all as vocally they are terrible. I hadn't seen a performance where they have been in tune - it was a great shame as I really like the song (well, in its studio version). France was disappointing for me as there isn’t really much to write about the performance except that Sebastian arrived on stage in a golf buggy. Spain had probably the worst song in the competition with a performance to match. Andy Abraham for the UK delivered vocally but his dancing was questionable as was his suit, it was a bit like your dad at a family wedding trying to be cool and failing miserably.

Eurovision - Day Five

Before I knew it I was already on my fifth day in Belgrade and what would be a very important night for me as I would find out if the new system of the two Semi Finals really worked and if my ultimate Eurovision favourites, Euroband would qualify to the final like they deserved.

Euroband didn't disappoint me and as always gave the most fantastic performance both visually and vocally. Even though they were the first act out they were the best performance of the night in my opinion. Fridrik looked so cute when he smiled into the camera after he opened the song and I couldn't help but smile myself. The performance looked amazing on the big screens in the arena and the camera work was excellent especially when Regina appears as if from nowhere and Fridrik disappears out of shot. Everyone in the arena was up dancing most of all me!! My other favourites, Charlotte and Ani were equally very good and the camera work and lazers during Charlotte's performance looked impressive on the big screens. Tereza from the Czech Republic hadn't improved and her performance looked like one big mess. I was also so disappointed that Morena hadn't raised her game either. Once everyone had performed, I again waited nervously to see if my favourites from this Semi Final, Euroband would qualify. Fortunately I didn't have to wait as long for Iceland to be called out as I did for Norway, but once Iceland was announced I screamed and jumped about so much that I missed the next four countries to qualify!! I was so pleased that all three of my favourites (Iceland, Sweden and Ukraine) had qualified to the Final on Saturday. I wasn't too happy with Europe’s decision to put through Croatia but I can’t really complain as EUROBAND made it. What a show it was – there was definitely a lot more tension before this semi final compared to the first one as people were expecting a shock result. I think the only shock for me was Lativia qualifying over the Swiss entry – obviously there are a lot of people in Europe that like pirates?? For me, the performances of the night were definitely Euroband who had so much energy on stage and flawless vocals, which must have been really difficult as they were the opening act; Charlotte Perelli, who gave a slick performance; and Ani Lorak with a fierce routine that had everything you want from a Eurovision entry.

"Shady Lady" Photoshoot

After the results I headed to the Press Centre to catch the press conference. Ani Lorak said she believed that “the winner was in the room”. I wasn’t sure if she meant one of the other acts or if she meant herself?? Fridrik from Euroband made my heart melt when he said that “If Eurovision was a little baby Reykjavik would take good care of it” - he really does seem to be the nicest guy ever. When asked how Euroband felt about winning, Regina said, “We are pleasantly surprised; we couldn’t be in a better place. It’s a dream come true”. Charlotte Perelli was asked whether she was under pressure to qualify to the final and win to which she replied, “We had no expectations at all. We shall do our best in the final”. As the finalists left the press conference, I congratulated Euroband who looked so happy.

The next thing to do was to make my appearance at the after-show party. Last years winner Marjia, performed the DANCE REMIX of her winning entry Molitva - I personally prefer the dance mix and I was glad that it was that version she performed.

At the party I consoled a defeated Morena from Malta, who was able to let her hair down as the pressure was now off her. Morena said “Malta had put in a lot of effort this year” and that they had worked with “a Swedish songwriter and Swedish backing dancers” she sighed, ”but it still wasn’t enough”. Poor Morena and poor Malta. I told her that despite “Vodka” not making the final, I was sure that it would become a fan favourite and will be played at Eurovision parties long after this contest, she replied, “I hope so”.

Eurovision - Day Four

With the First Semi Final out the way, day four saw me at the dress rehearsals of the Second Semi Final, which was a big one as it boasts a strong line-up – including my favourite Eurovision entry.

The Second Semi Final got off to an amazing start with my favourites, EUROBAND. Their performance of "This Is My Life" is full of energy, with a tight-but-simple and effective dance routine, and it really is all about them and their fantastic voices - Fridrik and Regina have in my opinion the best vocals in the whole competition and sound perfect every time they perform. Despite being first out they give a performance and get a reaction that you would expect from an act performing in the middle of the show.

Next up was the comeback queen and former Eurovision winner Charlotte Perrelli with her schlagertastic "Hero". Charlotte hadn’t changed anything from her Melodifestivalen performance – and why should she when it worked so well??

Ani Lorak is in a league of her own with her performance of Shady Lady. This performance is SO Eurovision and has everything – dancers encased in mirrored boxes that light up, a full dance routine and just when you think it can’t get any better, Ani climbs on top of the box towards the end of the song!! It really is amazing performance and slightly upstages Charlotte Perrelli.

Lithuania and Albania’s performances didn’t really do anything for me as I didn’t like the songs, so it was the perfect opportunity to get a drink while they’re on. "Era Stupendo", performed by Paolo Meneguzz, was slightly disappointing for me as he seems disinterested on stage – although he did improve in the second dress rehearsal I saw.

"If You Wanna Have Some Fun", performed by Tereza for the Czech Republic, is a bit of a mess and looks like a bunch of schoolgirls playing in their bedroom. Poor Teresa was out of tune the majority of the time and was a complete difference to accapella that I heard her sing the other day.

Ruslan looked petrified as he performed "Hasta La Vista" and is wearing the same outfit that Koldun wore for Belarus last year -maybe they didn’t have the budget to buy a new outfit?? Pirates Of The Sea from Latvia is something you would expect to see at Disneyland, and was this year’s "Vampires Are Alive".

Croatia, meanwhile, was the one song in this semi final that I HATE, as it is RUBBISH. Deepzone, with the amazing Joanna, were just what I needed after Croatia with "DJ Take Me Away", and I was impressed with Joanna’s vocals. It really is all about Joanna in this performance. Simon Matthew gives a rousing performance of the singalong "All Night Long" - this is the one song that instantly has you singing along by the end.

Morena’s “Vodka” was very disappointing for me. Despite the fact that I really like her and think the song is great fun, her performance is a mess. Sadly, she was shouting her way through the song and it’s all a bit frantic and sloppy.

My runaway favourites from the Second Semi Final were the fantastic Euroband, followed by Ani Lorak and Charlotte Perrelli.

Eurovision - Day One

I arrived in Belgrade on the Sunday before the final. By the time I had arrived, the artists and delegations had already been in Belgrade for a week or so. At the Sava Centre (the Press Centre which was to be my home for the week) the buzz of Eurovision was well underway. Press conferences were taking place - Sweden’s Charlotte Perrelli, a former Eurovision winner, described the event as a “circus” at her press conference, and I knew what she meant as there is so much going on. Early favourites at the press centre in Belgrade were Ukraine, Russia, Iceland and Sweden – but it was still very much anyone’s game.

The first night saw me invited to the official opening party at the Royal Palace. Naturally I attended, as I knew it was the perfect opportunity to mingle with the delegations and the artists and hopefully catch up with a few people I had met at the Eurovision Preview Party in London.


My first meeting was with Joanna, the sassy vocalist from Bulgaria’s Deep Zone. When I asked her what she thought the key to Eurovision success was, she replied: “To be yourself”. Joanna was definitely being herself dressed in a very eye catching outfit.


My old friend from Malta, Morena, told me that she was going to “have fun on stage and have a party” and with an infectious song like "Vodka" I was sure she would. Morena also talked about her Euro competition. When I asked her if she had any tips for me, she said: “The competition is always really tough and there are often many good songs”.


Simon Matthew from Denmark told me that a good Eurovision song needed to be an “anthem”, much like his entry this year, "All Night Long". He added that a good Eurovision song needed to be “memorable and sing-a-long”.

Kalomira, the entry for Greece, told me that she couldn’t give away her Secret Combination but that she felt that each Eurovision entry needed its own "gimmick to make it unique".

Later on I was reunited with the lovely Maria, with whom I danced on stage with at the Eurovision Party. Maria was one of the people I was most looking forward to see as along with Iceland's Euroband, as I was supporting both her and them as my two favourites in the competition. I asked Maria if she felt there was any other standout entries in her opinion, she told me that she didn’t feel that there was an “outright winner” this year. I was then introduced to the writer of "Hold On, Be Strong", Mira Craig.

The other artists I was most looking forward to see were my Eurovision favourites, Euroband. Whenever I see Fridrik and Regina they make me smile as there is just something about them that is just so likeable. They are without doubt two of the nicest, friendliest people I have met. In my opinion, Euroband are everything that Eurovision is about - two amazing singers and performers that are doing something that they really enjoy. I know it sounds a bit corny, but whenever Euroband are around they light up the room.

I was lucky enough to steal a moment with last years Eurovision winner, Marija Šerifović who agreed to pose for a photo which I was very happy about as I knew it would be the envy of my friends!!

The biggest acts at the party were Verka and Charlotte Perrelli, who were very much in demand. Unfortunately I was unable to seize my chance to ask them what they thought it takes to win Eurovision and pose for a photo!! I didn't notice Russia’s Dima Bilan, Ukraine’s Ani Lorak and the UK’s Andy Abraham at the party - maybe I was too busy at the bar??

Just as I was leaving the party I caught up with another of the entrants I had met at the Eurovision Preview Party, Isis Gee. The first thing I noticed was how much tanning she had been doing!! With the end of the party at the Palace, I headed off to the Eurocafe with my friends to continue the party elsewhere!! What a fantastic first day it was!!

Squeezy x

Eurovision Preview Party - Part 3

As we waited for our moment to go on stage and dance back-up for Maria infront of over 1,500 people Alex and I were in a prime spot to watch the artists performances from the side of the stage.

The opening act were Eurovision legends, Bucks Fizz who opened with "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)". They followed with the UK no1 hits "The Land Of Make Believe" and the Eurovision winner "Making Your Mind Up" - complete with the obligatory ripping the skirts off.

After a great start, it was the lovely Maria from Norway who came out to perform her Eurovision song "Hold On, Be Strong". Maria looked stunning in an orange dress and as Alex and I waited for our moment to join her on stage we could see all the audience singing along with her. Before we knew it Maria had finished "Hold On, Be Strong" and was begining her second song a cover of the 80's hit, "More More More". Despite the audience not being that familiar with the song they all got into the swing of it especially when Alex and I came out to join Maria to dance. It was a fantastic experience for Alex and I as we felt so happy to have been asked to participate. After our "performance" Maria thanked us backstage and told us that she was "amazed" everyone was singing along to her song.

Ruslan from Belarus was next out to perform "Hasta La Vista". Following Ruslan was Romania's entry Nico & Vlad who performed their Eurovision entry, "Pe-o margine de lume" and "Beauty & the Beast". To liven up the mood, Malta's "volcano" Morena erupted onto the stage with the frantic "Vodka" which went down well with the audience.

To close the first half my favourites, Euroband came out and gave an amazing set. From the moment they came on stage the atmosphere was amazing and they definitely got the best reaction from the audience. As they performed you could see they were really enjoying themselves as much as the audience. Not only did they give an fantastic performance of their Eurovision track "This Is My Life" but they performed a medley of past Eurovision hits that sent the audience crazy and a brilliant cover of "A Ba Ni Bi". Both Fridrik and Regina are extremely talented vocalists with two of the best voices I have heard. For me, Euroband were definitely the highlight of the party as they really gave 100 percent on stage.

Following my favourites, Euroband as the opening act in the second half was was never going to be easy, but Nanne Grönvall managed to do well. Nanne gave an energetic crowd pleasing performance including her second place Melodifestivalen entry, "Håll om mig" which had the audience singing along despite it being in Swedish!!

Pall Oscar followed Nanne in a dazzling white suit. Laka had clearly cheered up since I had spoken to him backstage to give a quirky performance of "Pokušaj". Armenia's Shirusho certianly came alive onstage and was a completely different character to how she was backstage when she performed "Qele Qele". The Polish entrant, Isis Gee looked stunning in a full length pink gown and sung her beautiful ballad, "For Life". To end the evenings performances, Ukraine's "Shady Lady", Ani Lorak took to the stage. Looking gorgeous in a silver outfit that resembled Charlotte Perrelli's silver Melodifestivalen dress, Ani gave a fierce rendition of her Eurovision entry, "Shady Lady" and a cover of Tina Turner's "The Best" - was she sending out a message to anyone??

With all the performances over, it was time for me to say goodbye to the acts I had met backstage and head to the dancefloor to dance to the Eurovision hits past and present.

Squeezy x

Eurovision Preview Party - Part 1

With the countdown to Eurovision 2008 and the national selection process completed, April saw me at the UK Eurovision Preview Party at The Scala in London. Not only was it the perfect opportunity to catch live performances from Eurovision entrants new and old but it gave me the chance to meet some of my favourites from this years contest.

The first person Alex (my podcast co-host) and I caught up with was Morena who we had met briefly in Malta after her win. Morena told us that she was "very excited to be in London" and was ready to perform "Vodka" for the audience.

Isis Gee an American representing Poland with her ballad "For Life" confessed that she "didn't know much" about Eurovision but that she was "glad to be taking part". I couldn't help but get the impression that she didn't really know where she was or what she was doing there.



Alex and I interviewed Iceland's 1997 Eurovision entrant Pall Oscar, who talked us through the evolution of Euroband's original "Fullkomið Líf" to the version "This Is My Life" that we know now. Pall also invited Alex and me to Iceland for his Eurovision party - we are definitely going to take him up on his offer!!

When Euroband were announced on the line-up I couldn't have been more excited. Ever since I had heard their Eurovision entry "This Is My Life" and watched their performance it had become my ultimate favourite from the competition. During our podcasts for ESC today I raved about the song and gave it a full 12 points because I absolutely loved it. For me, it wasn't only just the song that hit the spot for me it was the performance from the two vocalists Fridrik and Regina. Not only did they both look so cute but you could tell they were really enjoying themselves onstage - seeing them having fun was really infectious and I couldn't help but smile everytime I watched it back. The song itself its an instantly catchy dance track that captivates you from the begining - one listen and I was hooked.

I was lucky enough to meet and interview Euroband for my podcast at the Eurovision Preview Party and I have to say they didn't disappoint. I found them to be two of the nicest, most charming people I have met. It was wonderful to talk to two people that knew about Eurovision (as they are in a Eurovision tribute band) and actually cared about the contest. During our conversation I asked Fridrik to sum up Euroband's "This Is My Life" in one sentance - he gave me a cheeky smile and replied, "Winner!!"

Squeezy x