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 2

After meeting some of the artists taking part in the performances later in the evening, Alex and I went to change into our matching outfits as we were to join Norway's Maria on stage to dance during her second song, a cover of the 80's hit "More More More".

The host of the evening BBC's Paddy O'Connell said that we looked like Amy Winehouse's backing dancers - we are not sure if he meant that as a compliment or not!!

When Alex and I were asked if we would dance for Maria we jumped at the chance as during our podcasts for ESC today we had both liked Maria's Eurovision entry for Norway - the jazz inspired, "Hold On, Be Strong". I, particularly enjoyed the song as there was a quality to the sound of Maria's voice that I really liked and the fact that there was something so likeable about her as a performer. I'm glad to say that Maria is as likeable as she comes across we chatted and went through our routine with her backstage as we waited to go on.

Whilst backstage, Alex and I met Eurovision legends Bucks Fizz who were really nice, Cheryl told us all about the new Bucks Fizz album that was due to come out "The Lost Masters" whilst Mike told me that he still has his sweater that he wore for Eurovision all those years ago!!

One artist that Alex and I were very excited to meet was Nanne Grönvall who was waiting to go on stage with her two dancers. We told her that we had been to Sweden earlier this year for Melodifestivalen and that we hoped that she would enter again. From the look in her eyes it seemed that she was thinking the same thing - could we see Nanne return to Melodifestivalen next year??


Bosnia and Herzegovina's entrant, Laka wasn't looking too happy backstage. Alex and I enquired why he was sad to which he replied, "I don't like to work overtime" - !!?? Despite him not being very happy he still posed for some amazingly crazy photos as did his sister.



The gorgeous Shirusho representing Armenia was a complete contrast to the unhappy Laka. Despite having a big voice and a big song "Qele Qele", she was tiny and really quiet as she waited to go on - I think she was saving all her energy for her stage performance.

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

Smiling In Love - Melodifestivalen round-up

Much of my February and March was taken up by Melodifestivalen. If I wasn't in Sweden watching it live I was in a Swedish pub in London watching it on the big screen. What I love about Melodifestivalen is that it has so many good songs in the competition - most of which would do well at Eurovision.

Here are my favourite 10 songs from this year's Melodifestivalen:

1. Hero - Charlotte Perrelli

The ultimate Melodifestivalen song and a worthy winner.

2. Smiling In Love - Caracola

Amazing feel good schalger song with a cute dance routine and a wonderful key change.

3. Lay Your Love On Me - BWO

Discotastic - great to dance to.

4. Love In Stereo - Ola

80's sounding dance-pop - a great floorfiller.

5. Thank-You - Amy Diamond

Cute electro-pop.

6. Deja Vu - Velvet

Another great dance song from a disco diva.

7. Hur svårt kan det va? - Linda Bengtzing

Great schlager - what we expect from Ms Bengtzing

8. Empty Room - Sanna Nielsen

Beautiful and emotional ballad.

9. Razborka - The Nicole

Just for fun - not to be taken seriously!!

10. One Love - Carola & Andreas Johnsson

Big anthem from two big stars.

Hero - Charlotte's glittering comeback

March saw me return to Sweden for the Melodifestivalen final with Alex. We were guarenteed a good show with six of my favourites from the competition in the running for the chance of representing Sweden at Eurovision. For me, there could only be one winner and that was the "comeback queen" Charlotte Perrelli.

During the day of the final I was able to catch a PA from Ola and meet him. Upon meeting him he seemed surprised that I had come from the UK to catch the final of Melodifestivalen and even more so when I told him that I had seen him perform at his semi-final a few weeks previously.

At the final Charlotte Perrelli was first up with her schlager-by numbers "Hero", wearing a fantastic silver dress she gave a flawless performance that was amazing to watch - Charlotte really set the standard for the rest of the finalists.

Next out was the cute Sibel with "That is Where I'll Go" for a tiny girl she could really belt out this power ballad. Following Sibel was Rongedal with their Scissor Sisters sounding "Just A Minute" with kitch dance routine - it was a good performance and certainly got the audience dancing. Linda Bengtzing's "Hur svårt kan det va?" was a great song but sadly was a bit of a car crash performance onstage as it was just too frantic and messy with Linda running around the stage. Christer Sjogren followed Linda with the extremely dated "I Love Europe". The youngest performer in the final Amy Diamond gave an energetic performance of her Rachel Stevens sounding "Thank-You" which was one of my favourite songs of the competition - sadly Amy got a bit out of breath during the performance and her vocals occasionally went screachy.

The emotional ballad "Empty Room" changed the mood of the final when Sanna Nielsen performed next, it was a beautiful and flawless vocal delivered by Sanna. Carola and Andreas Johnsson's nemesis, Nordman (who beat them in the second chance round the week before) was next and was popular in the arena. Frida & Headline the act that in my opinion didn't really deserve to be in the final came next with "Upp o Hoppa" as they performed I couldn't help but think it should have been Caracola with "Smiling In Love" there instead.

The last song of the final came from the mighty BWO with the discotastic "Lay Your Love On Me", it was a great stage performance with a big production using a metal cage that elevated lead singer Martin above the stage. With the ten songs performed I thought it had to be either Charlotte, Sanna or BWO that would be going to represent Sweden in Belgrade. As the results came in I was prooved right as Charlotte took first place with Sanna taking the runner-up position and BWO coming third.

Squeezy x

One Love - Or was it??

February saw me travel to Sweden for the second semi-final in the Melodifestivalen competition which was held in Västeras. The "wildcard" entry for that semi-final was the pairing of former Swedish Eurovision winner Carola and Andreas Johnsson. It was wildly assumed that with the pairing of two huge stars that they would sail through to the final. This wasn't the case. Neither of them had reckoned on the popularity of Rongedal's catchy and Scissor Sisters-esque "Just A Minute" and Sanna Nielsen's beautiful ballad "Empty Room". Carola and Andreas though having a good song, didn't have the performance to match and watching it looked like two solo artists trying to out sing each other as opposed to dueting. As a result, the pair found themselves in the second chance round along with Ola who performed one of my favourite songs from the contest - the 80's inspired "Love In Stereo". Other highlights in this semi-final was The Nicole's "Razborka" which didn't seem to go down well with anyone apart from me and my friends. Though she wasn't a very good singer, the song and performance was great fun and very entertaining and is still a favourite of mine.

On our way to Stockholm from Vasteras my friend Craig and I encountered Andreas and Lina from one of my favourite groups, Alcazar. They had been in the area promoting their fantastic comeback single, "We Keep On Rockin'" and informed us that they were working on a new album. When we told them that we had been to see the Melodifestivalen semi-final Andreas told us that the third member of Alcazar, Tess has choreographed the routine for Ola's performance.

At the end of our weekend in Stockholm we went to the club Patricia which is on a boat. There we were treated to a PA from a previous Melodifestivalen entrant, La Gaylia. We were really excited as we already had heard her entry for the Romanian selection for Eurovision, "Dr Frankenstein" which she performed. After her performance we spoke to her where she revealed that she knew that she wasn't going to win the Romanian selection and that she would "try again next year". Here's hoping that she does!!

Squeezy x

Vodka - It's the secret code

Since this is a new blog and it is coverring my adventures from this year I am going to backtrack to January where I visited Malta with Alex and Richee to cover the Maltese Eurovision selection final.

This was really the begining of Eurovision 2008 for me as it introduced me to Morena who became one of my early favourites from this years contest. When I heard the songs that were in the Maltese final there were three that instantly caught my attention. Two of the songs I liked were sung by the same artist, Morena who had the most powerful voice - it was no surprise to hear that she is called the "Mediterranean Volcano". What I liked about Morena's two songs, "Vodka" and "Casanova" is that they were both catchy, uptempo numbers that you could have a good dance around to. The other song in the final that I liked was also a similar sounding uptempo track by Claudia Faniello, "Caravaggio". Both Morena and Claudia had two songs each in the final - Morena had the aforementioned "Vodka" and "Casanova" and Claudia had "Caravaggio" and a typical Eurovision sounding ballad "Sunrise". Morena seemed to prefer "Vodka" and urged her fans to vote for that so that her votes wouldn't be split which worked in her favour as the energetic and furious "Vodka" went on to win Song For Malta and go on to Eurovision.

At the aftershow party I was able to catch a few moments with former Maltese Eurovision entrant Chiara who thought that "the right song had won". Upon asking Chiara what made a good Eurovision song she told me that it needed to "have the right ingredients". Probing her further she went on to say that a good Eurovision song should "move you". Chiara was a delight to meet and talk to and she even hinted that she might represent Malta in the contest in the future if she "found the right song" - you read it here first!!

Squeezy x