2010!!

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you are all looking forward to National final season!!!

Have a great one

x

Darin is Melodifestivalen Joker 1!!!!

Eurovision comes to Dublin!

Tired of harassing the DJ for a Eurovision song every time you go to a bar/club? Fear not as next weekend Dublin will become Eurovision central.

The annual ESCnation.com fan meet-up has been running for several years and is a great opportunity for fans of the Eurovision to get together from all over Europe. This year the event is taking place in Dublin.
There are two Eurovision themed nights taking place during the first weekend of November. Friday November 6th is the launch night at Panti Bar on Capel St. in the downstairs area.

The evening will be a chance for fans to get together and dance all night to the non-qualifying Eurovision entries from years gone by, so expect lots of fantastic Melodifestivalen classics!

Whether it is songs that just missed out on the ticket to the finals or an entry that flopped like a lead balloon, plenty of fan favourites will be featured on the night. Expect plenty of schlager and key changes!

Saturday November 7th is our main event in the upstairs area once again at Panti Bar and several Eurovision singers from previous years will be attending and performing such as Jean Elliott ( 3rd place in 2004 NF ), Donna McCaul (Ireland 2005) and Sinead Mulvey (Ireland 2009). Mainstream ESC hits will feature throughout the night.

Most importantly, we'll be raising money on the Saturday for the Gay Marraige Support Group. Raffle tickets will go on sale with Eurovision related prizes for the winners on the night.

Both nights will run from 9pm until 2am WITH FREE ENTRANCE and we're expecting a huge turnout! Looking forward to seeing you then!

For further information please see: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=87754499503http://www.pantibar.com/

Bettan is Back!

As the rumours of what artists are part of the 3500+ entries received by SVT one of the most exciting ones is that Elisabeth Andreasson four time Eurovision star is in the line up!

Will it be another classic like' I Evighet' ?!

Others said to have submitted include:

Anna Book

Arja Saijonmaa

Jessica Andersson

Brolle Jr

Danny Saucedo as a soloist

Arash (Half of Azerbaijan 09)

Darin

Pernilla Wahlgren

Sibel

Kevin Borg

Johan Palm

Mans (As a songwriter)

Guess who is the new Sugababe? (hint-the one on the left!)

Today Jade has been announced as the new Sugababe replacing Keisha and not Amelle as previously reported.

Jade's debut solo single 'My Man' is also released today!

Congratulations Jade!

Amy Diamond - Up (New single from the album Swings and Roundabouts 2009)

Check out the new single from Amy!

The cities and dates for Melodifestivalen have been released!
Heat 1: 6 February 2010 Swedbank Arena, Örnsköl
Heat 2: 13 February2010 Göransson Arena, Sandviken.
Heat 3: 20 FebruarY 2010 Scandinavium, Göteborg.
Heat 4: 27 Februari 2010 Malmö Arena, Malmö.
Andra chansen: 6th March 2010 Conventum Arena, Örebro.

Final: 13 March 2010 Globen, Stockholm.

To celebrate check out Nanne's new single above!
Will she be in the line up?!

Tickets go on sale via Ticnet on the 19th of October

Everybody wants a bit of Johnny!

Recent rumours arose that Johnny Logan had been contacted by the French braodcaster to write an entry for France 2010.

In yesterday's Irish Times Johnny stated what Ireland need to do to be successful at Eurovision once more. He also said that he had been contacted by 3 different countries in relation to songwriting for Oslo!

Next year is the 30th anniversary of his first Eurovision win; of it he says, “it seems like yesterday”.

He is presently considering requests from three countries to write their Eurovision song. Despite what he regards as the prejudice of entering or even winning the contest, he accepts it “would be very hard to write a song for any other country except Ireland.”

As for Ireland’s Eurovision hopes, he thinks the wrong people are involved. “They’re like headless chickens – they know what result they want, but they don’t know how to get there. Successive Irish attempts at putting together the winning structure have put it into such a bad state that we’ve become a joke.

“The best chance Ireland has of winning it again is to take it seriously, and that means putting something into the Eurovision that has a chance of winning. And that requires the country being involved. What the Irish entry in the Eurovision has become is the property of a small group of people. It doesn’t belong to the country anymore, and that, ultimately, is the problem. In order for it to get back to some semblance of respectability, the song has to be representative of Ireland.

We have to prove ourselves again, and we can’t presume that just because we’re Irish that everybody loves us. Those days are gone.”

Would you like to see JL return to Eurovision?

Split voting results to be revealed 31st of July!

No Prague 2011!

The Czech Republic will not be present at Eurovision 2010.

Kateřina Fričová, program director of the Czech Public Television CT claimed they have withdrawn due to lack of interest from the public.

Hmm... would the real reason be the 'fantastic' results they have had in their 3 year history gathering just 10 points in 3 years? 9 of which given to Tereza Kerndlová(above) who performed 'Have Some Fun' in Belgrade in 2008!

Will you miss them?

Fancy a flutter?

Boylesports have some interesting odds for Ireland and Eurovision!

Ireland Not to Qualify To The Final In 2010
EVS

Ireland Not to Qualify To The Final In The Next 5 Years ( 2010-2014)
16/1 :(

Ireland To Win In The Next 5 Years
4/1 :):)

Johnny Logan to Represent Ireland Next Year
12/1

Linda Martin to Represent Ireland Next Year
66/1

Johnny Logan / Linda Martin to Represent Ireland Next Year With A Duet
100/1

What do you make of that?!

Fornebu is the new Telenor!

The Fornebu Arena will play host to the wonderfullness that is Eurovision 2010!

The Fornebu Arena is located in Bærum which is 15 minutes south of Oslo.

The two Semifinals and the Grand Final, along with all rehearsals and press conferences will take place exactly there.

It was selected ahead of the Spektrum, home of the Melodi Grand Prix final and previous Eurovision Song Contest host arena. The Spektrum has a smaller capacity and lacks the size to cope with the media circus that accompanies the competition.

The Telenor/Fornebu Arena is the largest indoor arena in northern Europe and opened in February 2009 and can host 15,000 spectators for football matches, and 23,000 for concerts.

Get ready for us Oslo!

Yohanna to Stockholm Pride!

Iceland's Yohanna who was runner up in Moscow will be one of many Euro stars to be making an appearance at this years Stockholm Pride.

The artists set to perform is often kept very secretive until they arrive on stage but it promises to be full of fantastic schlager stars.

In other news Malena releases her new album today La Voix Du Nord is a 2 disc album with 22 songs including an acoustic version of La Voix!

Industry - My Baby's Waiting

Check out Ireland's number 1 single this week from new band Industry featuring Eurosong 2008 finalist Donal Skehan!

The band are all set to support The Pussycat Dolls later this summer.
Congratulations to Morgan, Michelle, Lee and Donal.

I think it is fantastic that we have a mixed pop group in Ireland that create great pop music!

Find out more at http://www.industryofficial.com/

Enjoy!

Ireland 2003 - Lisa Bresnan - I'll still be right here

A beautiful song sung by Lisa Bresnan who was in the final 3 of 'Your a Star' 2003 which was won by Mickey Harte.
I loved it then and still listen to it today.
Lisa has such a smooth captivating voice.
Enter Eurosong 2010 Lisa!

Ireland's entry for OGAE 2nd chance round - Laura-Jayne Hunter - "Out of Control"

Can you imagine living ON Globen?

Swedish artist Mikael Genberg placed this little house on Globen and hopes one day to put a similar one on the Moon!




(Pic: Metro.co.uk)

La Voix in Lithuanian!

Helena Paparizou for Melodifestivalen 2010?

In an interview with Alpha TV Helena Paparizou hinted at a possible return to the Eurovision stage.

For the first time she stated that representing Greece again is out of the question and if she is going to get involved in a Eurovision again it would be for Sweden!

Could she accept Christer's wildcard for 2010 or is it too soon?

Back from Mockba!

Hi all!

I am just about recovered from my hectic weekend in Moscow, sorry for lack of updates!

So Eurovision 2009 is over! It was a truly fantastic year for Eurovision. The show, the spectacle, the songs, the high profile it has received has really boosted Eurovision and with 'Fairytale' breaking chart records for Eurovision winners it is looking very positive!

As readers of this blog will know I have been a big follower of 'Et Cetera' and I thought they performed really well on Semi 2. Vocals were great, they caught the camera angles and looked relaxed and confident on stage. It was a pity they didn't make it but 11th place is commendable and they are now number 6 in the Irish charts.

After we arrived in Domodedovo airport in Moscow we boarded our lavish limousine (dodgy lada!!) which took us to the Aerostar hotel. Although it was listed as an offical hotel for delegations it turned out there were none there bar a few French cameramen!

On Saturday we got to the arena to collect our accreditation and check out the Olympisky. We ended up on Portuguese television and chatted to some friends and felt the exciting build up to the great night ahead.

Wwaving our Swedish and Irish flags we arrived nice and early on show night to soak up the atmosphere. Although there was an alcohol ban within the Arena and its environs people were in good spirits!

Our seats were outstanding 11 rows back from the stage amidst all the OGAE fans. We were next to a big bunch of Swedes so we fitted in well!

The arena looked magnificent, the stage was definately breathtaking!

Listening to the opening music for a Eurovision final is possibly one of the highlights of the year and the show was opened by a very impressive show by Dima Bilan.

Our final presenters were a lot more competent that the two nuts we had for the semi final!

25 songs flew by with some amazing performances.

Patricia Kaas gave me goose bumps and the emotion that came across was inspiring.

Chiara brought a tear to my eye having watched her over the years and to finally see her right in front of me was every euroboys dream!

It was great to see support for every song (maybe Croatia were the exception! Jury vote why why?!)

The biggest reaction on the night was obviously for Russia along with Turkey, Greece,

Azerbajjan, Norway and UK.

The interval act was stunning. There was so much going on around us it was hard to keep up!

It was beautiful and enthralling and it was all very unique.

Mr. Rybak won by a landslide but I was so happy to see Iceland and the U.K. score so highly. Surprised that Sakis didn't feature as I thought his performance was vet impressive. Disappointed for Malta and Sweden.

We then made our way to Euroclub to party and spotted Russian 'Flyer' Sergey Lazarev!

The following day I met Jade at the airport!!!

I am happy Norway won. He is a charming performer and it is a great song. In the run up to the contest I didn't think he would be such a runaway winner but Oslo 2010 suits me 100%

As much as I enjoyed this year I felt Moscow was quite oppressive. The city itself was not very welcoming and the staring my God! The heavy military presence and strict nature was funny at times but tiring! Maybe the size of the city didn't help and this is where I think Oslo will flourish.

Now we have to fill our time before the build up to 2010 begins!

I am back from Moscow! What a great show!
Pictures et cetera coming soon..

Reactions in the Greenroom Semi 1!

Direkt till Olympisky!!!

What an exciting night! I am thrilled with the qualifiers! All of my favourites bar Andorra and Switzerland made it. I thought Switzerland were not as strong vocally as I had heard them before.

I was so proud of Malena I thought she looked and sang brilliantly. Many were critical of her background but I found it enchanting!

Iceland gave me goose bumps!

Portugal was charming!

Israel was better than I expected!

Malta was wonderful!

The presenters were shockingly poor! She looked out of it and was unable to even read her cards! Thankfully we won't see them in the final!

The stage looked magnificent and came across really well. Some camera angles were a bit off but fingers crossed all will be ok for final.

Great draw for Finland and Romania but it is the U.K. that will benefit here. Go Jade!

Israel got the Andy Abraham spot i.e. the killer number 2!

A wonderful night and we have another semi to go yet!

As many of you know I will be flying to Moscow on Friday for the final and I could explode with excitement!

I so hope Ireland qualify as it would make it very special on Saturday night. From semi 2 I want to see Norway, Denmark,Hungary, Greece and The Netherlands make it through.

I will be back next week with updates from our adventure!!

Enjoy it everyone..What a wonderful addiction Eurovision is!!!

A Magical Moment!

This is Our Night!!!

It is just over 2 hours to go until Eurovision 2009 kicks off!!!

Tonight I have everything crossed for Sweden, Andorra, Portugal, Malta, Switzerland, Romania and Finland!

The only song I really dislike is the Czech Republic and I can't see them making it.

Turkey, Armenia and Bosnia+Herzegovina are definate qualifiers!

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAYS TO GO!

Sinead's Catsuit!

Interview with Sinead Mulvey Flying the flag for Ireland!

Schlagerqueen: Hi Sinead!

Sinead Mulvey: Hi Aidan!

SQ: How are plans going for Moscow?

SM: The plans are going really well! we are havin so much fun too!

SQ: You won Eurosong by a landslide how did you feel?

SM: Yeah I couldn't believe how much we won by it was great we were over the moon! The song is so catchy though!

SQ: It is a great song. What was it like performing at the London and Amsterdam preview parties?

SM: London and Amsterdam were fantastic!

We had a ball and it was great meeting the other countries! Sasha Son from Lithuania was really friendly and Serbia were really funny to talk to. It was a great experience for us before Moscow!

SQ: Have you heard the other entries for Eurovision 2009? What songs do you like/dislike?

SM: Yeah I have heard most of them at this stage. I like them all in different ways! Lithuania'ss song is gorgeous and Serbia's song is funny!

I also like Ukraine's song its very upbeat which is good! :)

SQ: What are your outfits like for Moscow?How will the song be presented on stage?

SM: Our outfits are a surprise u will love them they are like wow! he he! I can't wait til u see them!

SQ: How do you feel about being 2nd in the running order?

SM: I am ok with second! They will all be watched and it means we are earlier in the reprise! Obvoiusly last would be nice but that is the luck of the draw!

SQ: That is true. In both semi finals last year song number 2 qualified for the final. What do you think of the new Eurovision rule where in the final the voting will be decided by jury and public this year?

SM: I think it's fantastic it stamps out any block voting! its a great idea! well done EBU ha ha!

SQ: Will you still be flying high with Aer Lingus alongside your music career?

SM: Yes, I would like to stay there but I will have to see how I get on with this because I would like to further my music career more so than anything!

SQ: Congratulations on your record deal with Sony. What does the future hold for your music?

SM: Thank You! Yes, I am thrilled, I hope to release a second single and maybe an album if all goes well so fingers crossed!

Thanks Sinead and the very best of luck for the 14th!

Thanks you so much Aidan!

It's Moscow Baby!

I must say watching and reading about this weeks rehearsals on AKOE and On Europe has been so exciting.
The coverage is fantastic and as entertaining as always. Thanks guys!
The most impressive rehearsal from semi 1 was Bosnia Herzegovina. I have never been a fan of the song from the audio or video I have seen but when I saw them rehearse there were definite signs of a ‘Lejla’ style powerful performance. I can see it sailing into the final and being top 3. Some people wisely got this at 80/1 I settled for 28/1!

Malena who clearly had a fight with a swan made no major changes in her 1st rehearsal but that could change.

Portugal had a charming presentation with a colourful background.

Sakis, Svetlana and co gave us a glimpse of their big stage show.

Some had dodgy vocals..Yes, Poland you heard me!

Sinead and Black Daisy had sound issues but all seems to be sorted out now.

The excitement is palpable and Moscow seems like they are doing a good job so far with impressive facilities for press and a Euroclub that is perfect for all Eurofans.

In my mind it is still anyone’s game. Norway, Greece, U.K. and Bosnia+Herzegovina are looking very strong in my book but you can rule out very few. Plus, we have yet to see the big 4 and Russia rehearse.

It is a pity that Spain are unable to vote in Semi 1 as Andorra and Portugal deserve as many votes as they can.

There is still time for those who experienced problems to remedy any flaws.. Some flaws though cannot be repaired..Thats right Gispy.cz I mean you!

The hosts have also been announced The hosts for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest have been announced! The semifinals will be hosted by Andrei Malakhov and top model Natalia Vodianova. The final will be hosted by Ivan Urgant and Alsou, the Russian Eurovision entrant from 2000!

"La Voix" in rehearsal.

Get ready Olympisky!

Rehearsals will begin tomorrow morning with Montenegro kicking off procedings. You will find a full list of the schedule here.

Reports from those already in Moscow are very positive. The arena itself is still being finished but the stage is said to be magnificent! With a budget of 35 million in comparison to Serbia's 9.3 million there are great expectations!

Eurovision producer Tarmo Krimm said 'This is the biggest stage for Eurovision that has ever been built. My breath catches even when I speak about this. To build it is almost like building a skyscraper'

You can follow the stage construction on the Eurovisiondiary website.

400 students will work as volunteers during the contest build up. The opening ceremony will take place on May 10th at 10pm local time.

Channel one also plans to merge the opening party with a 'Legends of Eurovision' event featuring Lys Assia, Ruslana, Marija Serifovic and Dima Bilan.

The Euroclub will be launched on May 5th and they are expected to welcome 1,500 guests daily.

For those travelling to Moscow the underground map is vital. Click here.

Sinead and Jade on TV!

Eurovision hopeful Sinead Mulvey will be appearing on The Late Late Show on Friday night at 9.30pm. She will be performing followed by a short interview. This will be the first time we will see what outfits Sinead and Black Daisy are wearing for Moscow and it sounds promising!
If you miss it or you are outside Ireland check it out here.
The foursome will then be playing at The George Nightclub after the show.

Sinead has also signed a recording contract with Sony.

'Et Cetera' will be in the shops on Friday!

Meanwhile Jade will be sharing the couch with Andrew Llyod Webber on The Jonathan Ross show on BBC1.
What a great night’s television!

OGAE Ireland want a fairtytale ending!

Last Saturday night we travelled to Enniscorthy for the OGAE Ireland party.
Norway was the runaway winner followed by Sweden, Greece and Denmark. Ireland scored highly coming in 6th overall.
Jade didn’t score as well as expected but still recevived one point in the final results.

Slovakia was the only country not to score a single point from 60 people (even Czech Rep. got points!)

I seemed to be the only one cheering for De Toppers! Poor fellas!
It was a great night and lovely to see everyone again.

Thanks to Mr. President Diarmuid Furlong.

Interview with Alexander Rybak!

It is time to interview the red hot favourite to win the 2009 Eurovision. The wonderful Alexander Rybak!

SQ: Hi Alexander!

AR: Hi Aidan.

SQ: How does it feel to win MGP 2009 with such a high margin over the other artists and knowing that your song is so well received by everyone?

AR: I am very thankful, of course. But then I have also worked really hard to find a concept that fits the Eurovision formula. And to be honest, I was reaching for the international finals right from the start, so therefore it is a great relief for me that the Norwegian people found my song national as well. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

SQ: This is your first time you participated in MGP right? Why now?

AR: First of all, my song was written “accidently” last summer, when I was standing on top of a beautiful mountain playing violin. Suddenly a melody came, and I thought to my self that this is by far the grandest melody I have ever written. This had to be in Melodi Grand Prix. And when I found out about the finals being in Moscow, there was no longer any doubt.

SQ: How did it actually all started for you? How did you end up in music?

AR: Actually, I don`t remember so much of how I “started”, other than my mother and father pushing me a bit when I was five years old, making me practice violin every day. First when I became a teenager, I began to understand how lucky and talented I was. The kids at school didn´t think of it that way though, and I got bullied around. Therefore I soon started to play other genres than classic, trying to “fit in” with the kids. And at the age of 17 I started singing, trying to impress the girls. Some years later, I started to blend all the genres I played, and stuff like “Fairytale” started to unfold.

SQ: What do you like the most about being an artist?

AR: Playing the songs I like the most in front of a great audience is priceless, especially if they don’t throw tomatoes at you. And soon I will get a chance to tell a bunch of new fairytales to my sweet fans.

SQ: What do you like to do to relax?

AR: Playing videogames! My favourites are Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess for Nintendo, and GTA 4 for X-box. By the way, one of my biggest dreams is to contribute to a new videogame.

SQ: What kind of music do you like to listen to?

AR: I like to draw inspiration from music that is very far away from my own. That way I can widen my musical horizon. I can never get enough of boys like Sting, Andrea Boccelli, and Michael Jackson. They all have a concept that is rock hard, and that is undeniable.

SQ: “Fairytale” is the favourite win Eurovision. How do you feel about that?

AR: That is pretty scary, although it´s nice for Norway to be “pre-favourites” for once. Frankly, I try not to think about it.

SQ: Do you think participating at Eurovision will make a big impact on your career?

AR: At the moment, Eurovision IS my career, and I love it. But I am preparing myself for the worst; that is namely being forgotten. But even if people will grow tired of me, I will still have a memory for life.

SQ: Could you tell us what we can expect from you in the upcoming months? Will you do a promo tour ?Will there be an album?

AR: I am recording my new album now, and there will be a promo tour for the release. My management and I are discussing it these days. This summer I will tour and play a lot tighter with Frikar, the dancers from Eurovision.

SQ: What do you think of the new Eurovision rule where in the final the voting will be decided by jury and public this year?

AR: Very wise! If it is in my favour, remains to be seen.

SQ: Thanks a million Alexander. The best of luck for Moscow. See you there!

AR: Thanks Schlagerqueen!

Caption Time!

Alexander celebrating after winning MGP 2009!

Insert your caption below!

Easter Update!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you are all having a great weekend.

OGAE Ireland have selected "Out Of Control" sung by Laura-Jayne Hunter which finished third in the Irish national final to represent us in the 'Second Chance Round'. Check out her performance here.

Sinead Mulvey and Black Daisy have been confirmed to appear at the UK preview party in La Scala on April 17th and at the Eurovision party in Amsterdam the following night which will feature 23 of this years entrants along with hunky Mans!

This Wednesday I will be attending Eurovision Extravaganza! in the National Concert Hall which will feature the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Paul Harrington, Charlie McGettigan, Niamh Kavanagh, and backing singers. Presented by Maxi with guest appearance by Dustin the Turkey.

Get your tickets here.

Counting Down the Days!

Eurovision 2009 is only 40 days away!

On Saturday night I attended my first preview party of 2009 and as always there were mixed views!

The results were:

12: Ireland

10: UK

8: Sweden

7: Norway

6: Netherlands

5: Portugal

4: Malta

3: Andorra

2: Hungary

1: Finland

A wonderful result and I would be delighted if any of those countries took the prize!

These were followed closely by Turkey, Spain and Poland!

Bringing up the rear were Czech Rep, Ukraine and last were Serbia.

Switzerland proved popular along with Slovenia and Slovakia all getting positive comments.

This time of the year is always exciting. All the songs are selected, tours are ongoing, official videos are released, performance details are leaked and the excitement is building.

This year has something for everyone and I feel very positive that 2009 will be a great year for Eurovision. There is no obvious winner and the impact of 50/50 voting will hopefully provide us with a close finish.

Despite our bias Ireland's entry was loved by all at the preview party. For some reason it is not proving popular in other online polls and it certainly is an underdog with many feeling qualification will be a struggle.

I am hoping the 2nd position in the running order will help Sinead and Black Daisy particularly coming after Croatia. Both Sweden and Israel qualified from that position last year.

I have a great sense of pride in our entry this year which is quiet different from my feelings about Dustin!

I have no doubt all of the girls will put in a stellar performance.

I think the song deserves a final place and fingers crossed we will see Ireland come out of an envelope on May 14th.

Vote for Ireland!!

I am all booked to fly out to Moscow on Friday morning for the final. Our accomodation is sorted, accreditation done, (visa ongoing!).

Jade and The Lord!

A Hotel inspired by 'Hero'!!!

Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh has designed a 120 meter high hotel inspired by Charlotte Perrelli's microphone from 2008!

The 300 room Scandic hotel in Kista in northern Stockholm was inspired by Charlotte's performance at Melodifestivalen.

Wingårdh stated that 'The glittering is so wonderful you will probably get a sense of stars'

Is this the best hotel in the world?

Check out more pics here.

Thanks to Steve.

Chiara on a Sugar Rush!

Chiara would blow the arena down with this version!

Yes it is true!

The wonderful Fridrik Omar of Euroband fame will be singing backing vocals for Iceland's 2009 entry 'Is it True'.

What a great duo they were in 2008. Being such a big fan of the contest I am sure he will be back again very soon for another shot.

See ya in Moscow Fred!

SVT Schlager Panel!

SVT have announced the names of the panel who will preview this years songs.

The panel will be chaired by Christer Björkman who will be joined by Charlotte Perrelli, Tango Tango Petra Nielsen, Marie Serneholt, Christer 'After Dark' Lindarw and Thomas Lundin! Fantastic!

Don't forget the Ukeurovision schlager party is on tomorrow night.

Get yout tickets here.

Maybe the answer is just a simple song?

Hey All!
Well I am just about recovered from Stockholm and now all focus is on May and the build up to Eurovision 2009.
With the draw playing a big part in many countries I am hopeful that Sinead and Black Daisy take one of the places in the final just like Charlotte and Boaz did last year in that spot.
I have my favourites and am going to be passionately supporting them on here and elsewhere and hoping I see them come out of those famous envelopes on semi night.

This year seems so open with the big players Russia, Serbia and Ukraine not the power houses they have been in the past.
So far Norway, Turkey and Greece look like they could be the contenders along with the U.K. and Sweden but anything could happen and many opinions change when we get to rehearsal stage.

So today it's time for De Toppers the perfect anti-recession song!

Melodifestivalen 2009 It's My Time!!

I am back from one of the most amazing experiences of my life Melodifestivalen 2009!
It was a truly outstanding trip that every fan should enjoy.
Here are some highlights of our trip:

On Friday we arrived in snowy Stockholm and checked into our beautiful Hotel Rival which I would highly recommend. The hotel is owned by Benny from Abba and each room comes complete with an Abba CD to get you in the MF mood!
The staff was so helpful and even listened to my ramblings on MF whenever I got the chance!
On Friday night we made our way to Globen for the rehearsal. Coming out of that tunnel as you approach Globen was so exciting. Seeing the spherical building glowing with the MF logo emblazoned on it was an image I’ll never forget! It was beautiful.

Making our way inside to our seats it was thrilling to realise you were in the same venue where so many of my favourite stars have sung and strutted over the years.

As well as that, memories of Stockholm 2000 and that iconic opening were fresh in my mind.

The rehearsal impressed me. I was anxiously awaiting my favourites Mans, Alcazar and Malena but was also impressed by Agnes but thought Sofia was not as powerful as she could have been.
E.M.D. got a great reaction mainly by the little girls who would crush you to death to get near them!

After the rehearsal we made our way to Paradise in Slussen. To be in a nightclub that played predominately schlager and have such a diverse mix of Melodifestivalen and Eurovision hits was fucking fantastic!

It was so much fun to dance to and we met some great guys from Dublin who were so much fun to party with all weekend.

We bumped into Donal Skehan, Jonathan Fagerlund, Lisette Vares and hundreds of other Euro fans and bloggers.
Everybody was speculating on what would happen on Saturday night.
We did our best to get Ireland’s entry played but the DJ was having none of it!
A fabulous drag act then performed and got us all going with performances from the likes of Verka, Charlotte, Anna Book and BWO classic!

Then Queen Velvet arrived on stage and I nearly cried!
She opened with her wonderful 2009 entry The Queen and spoke a lot to the audience about her upcoming releases and that dress from this year. She ended with Déjà vu and I almost passed out!
I even got to touch her hand lol!

On Saturday we spent our time checking out Stockholm and trying to stalk as many Melodifestivalen stars as we could!

I could have spent hours wandering around the music stores finding so many CDs!
I was hoping to find some Nordman or Caroline of Ugglas in the bargain basement bin!
We then enjoyed a long leisurely dinner in preparation for the night ahead. I had reindeer!
We got to Globen and met our friends who we had arranged to meet including the famous melodiman!

Even though our seats were only purchased a few days previously we were thrilled with our seats as we were up high at the side of the stage and we were able to take in the whole atmosphere of the Globen watching everyone go crazy!

Plus we were able to get a very good view of the green room area and the reactions of the artists coming on and off stage. (Plus there was good access to the bar as well!)
The stage manager told us there was one minute to go and as we did our Mexican wave, my heart was pumping. I was so hoping it would be a good result and that Caroline would not win.
The contest was wide open and I could see 9 out of the 11 songs winning with Sofia and Emilia being the exception.

Mans kicked it off and was brilliant as always. Caroline still did nothing for me, ok maybe her wellington boots were growing on me!
E.M.D. had shown some improvement since they performed in their heat. Their routine was a bit slicker and tighter but I still though the outfits didn’t fit.
Agnes was a bit off in parts. Heat rocked the place. Alcazar nearly blew the roof off and the audience loved them.
Emilia and Sofia were good, still loving the drums. Does anyone else thinks she looks like Becky from Coronation Street?
Molly was beautiful and she impressed me a lot which is why I was so surprised she was totally forgotton about when it came to voting time.
Sarah Dawn Finer wasn’t lifted up as much as before probably because it looked quite shaky and uneasy on Friday night!
Then came to the deal breaker, the glorious Malena!

I love everything about this entry and loved hearing it in Globen.
Before voting I was still hoping it was Malena, Alcazar or Mans.
I would have been happy with Agnes and others.

As Moto Boy sang ‘Hero’ I couldn’t believe when Charlotte arrived on stage. A dream come true. What s star!

Then Bruno and Marija came on to give the International Jury vote who had clearly favoured SDF all the time.
Mans was out in front with 96 but Malena was way down at 38. The jury votes were really mixed which made it clear that it would all come down to the televote.
As the televotes came in we lost Mans followed closely by Alcazar….and then there were 2 Caroline vs Malena. I was trying to come to terms with the fact that Caroline was gonna do it and suddenly Petra announced that Caroline got 120 so Malena got the 144!!!!!
I cannot describe that feeling of euphoria that exploded in me!! I couldn’t stop jumping up and down.
A truly magical moment! Just what I had wanted a tension filled voting that produced an ideal winner.
Thanks Sweden!
The only surprise for me was that Molly came last. I really thought it was going to be Sofia.
We floated our way back to Paradise with our friends and met more there to celebrate this great night. I danced so much the bones in my legs ached!!

On Sunday we did a lot of sightseeing and took to the boat to the Vasa museum which was magnificent. We had so much fun strolling around this beautiful city eating gorgeous food and drinking nice wine!!
The people are so kind and helpful and the city itself is beautiful and very efficient.
After two heavy nights of partying we could have been sensible and have an early night before out Monday morning flight but knowing Magnus Carlsson was singing on ‘Patricia’ it would have been criminal not to go!
I got to meet him twice and got a photo. I told him to come back to Melodifestivalen next year!
He certainly got a great reaction when he sang ‘Live Forever’ Go Magnus!
I could live forever after that weekend.
We partied the night away stopping every now and again to realise that we are dancing to Melodifestivalen songs on a boat in Stockholm!!

The following morning the ‘Irish Delegation’ arrived at Arlanda for our flight after not very sleep but with smiles on our faces!

I had the time of my life. Thanks to everyone we met you were all fabulous and you made the trip magical. Big thanks to Tim, Mark, Rob, Greg, Ciaran and Dave!
Thanks especially to Mick for understanding my madness!

X

I'm Back from Stockholm!

Full report coming soon!!

Schlagerqueen has gone direkt til Globen!!
Alcazar, Malena or Mans have got to win!
Back Monday with all the gossip....
x

Offical Video of 'Et Cetera'!!

NO NO NO NO!

Ladbrokes have now made Caroline favourite at 2/1!!

Although Markoolio was also a favourite on this site a few months back and see what happened him!

I feel sick at the thought of 'Snalla Snalla' winning over the fantastic 'Stay the Night', 'La Voix' and 'Hope and Glory'!!

Don't let me down Sweden! It was bad enough she has a final place over the likes of the sisters and little Amy but the buzz around this song worries me.

Only 2 days to go before I make my 1st trip to Stockholm and I am unbelievably excited!

Who will sing 'Hero' on Saturday Night? Maybe these guys..

Check this out!

A pregnant Linda Bengtzing and Markoolio sing 'Varsta Schlagern' at a party in Norkopping last night while dolphins swim in the background!
What a great night!

Laura to win!!

Who is going to Globen?

This Saturday we will have our complete line up for Melodifestivalen 2009!

Andra Chansen takes place this weekend in Norrkoping with a great head to head competition that is always exciting and often surprising.

Will there be a Nanne 2007 and Androla 2008 shocker?!

Will one of them do a DQ 'Drama Queen' ?

So here are my thoughts:

BWO vs Lili+Susie

This will be close as both have a big fan base and I would love to see them both in Globen. I would pick the Finnish sisters for pure fun and that 'Gimme gimme gimme'! But who will the Swedes choose

Sarah Dawn Finer vs The Scotts

Despite The Scotts popularity due to their recent stint on Swedish t.v. I think Sarah is a definate winner of this duel and I think she deserves it over The Scotts as their song is pleasant but dull!

L+S vs SDF= Sarah Dawn Finer to Globen

I think SDF has this half of the duels sorted and will win the place in Globen but then again I had thought she would qualify direct from Malmo so who knows what could happen!

Caroline vs Rigo and the Topaz Sound

I wasn't happy that either of these got through to AC but if i had to choose one to move on it would be Rigo! 'Snalla Snalla' leaves me cold and I feel it is overrated but i think it will get more votes than Rigo and move on.

Amy Diamond vs Star Pilots

Now we are talking! What a great duel! I am happy with with either making it through as I love both songs but I think Amy will do it.

Caroline vs Amy= Caroline

Aas much as I would not want Caroline to get the place in the final I think she may do it but I will be rooting for Amy or Star Pilots from this half of the draw.

International Jury Vote

The only act that is not in Andra Chansen is Sofia with 'Alla' which could possibly give her an advantage? I was impressed with Sofia's performance and her Greek lyrics could help her with the jury.

What I think is that SDF and Caroline are popular with the jury but if they were to qualify through AC then maybe this will be a battle between Amy and Sofia!!

By the way who else is on this jury except for Bruno?!

What do you want to happen on Saturday?

Malena to Moscow!

What an unforgettable end to the Melodifestivalen heats!
Saturday nights' Melodifestivalen was a stomper and it provided us with plety of fantastic songs and a good schlager boost!

The stand out performance for me was Malena!
‘La Voix’ was a powerful performance of an enchanting, engaging and strong song. Everything worked for me. Her cheeky smiles to the camers, the choreography, the use of the masks, her elegant dress. I was cheering for her all night and was thrilled when she made it into the duels and a little shokced when she beat Sarah Dawn Finer to a place in Globen!

She is a real contender for winning and I think this song and performance would have a lot of appeal at Eurovision.

Agnes had a ropey start but pulled it together. The first line of the song is strange it seems like she is speaking the line instead of singing? Her song is catchy and a real radio hit and I was happy she will be in the final complete with gold outfit!

It was Andra Chansen for Sarah Dawn Finer which I don’t think anyone was expecting. Although after Shirley in heat 1 anything is possible!
Her vocals were strong and the lift was impressive with a beautiful shot of the audience.
Not as blow away as some had prepared us for but with a 2nd chance and the jury backing her it is almost certain we will see her in the final

Star Pilots ‘Higher’ got the 2nd spot! I really like this song and though the staging was unusual with Johan to the side and the remaining ‘pilots’ effectively functioning as dancers! Great song in the same vain as ‘In the Heat of the night’/’Eye of the Tiger’!
I didn’t expect them to make it and I thought Thorleifs would have taken their place but I’m delighted!

Speaking of the Thorleifs.. You gotta love their danceband schalgerness! The song wouldn’t have made any impact on a Eurovision platform or in Globen for that matter but it was nice to sing along to!

Anna+ Maria who had both been to Eurovision before 2002 and 2008 sang ‘Killing me Tenderly’ which was a lovely song. Both are big fan favourites in the Eurovision world and like many I met Maria in La Scala at the preview party and she was one of the nicest people to chat to.

I always knew they would be risking when it came to voting and sadly we won’t be seeing the girls in Globen.

Susanne and Next 3 were very boring for me. Susanne looked like someone’s aunt who would carrying around a bad of boiled sweets and would drink a small sherry!
Well done to the lads from Next 3 for making it this far but I knew the song would fall flat as it is the token ‘alternative’ song that appears in nearly every heat but doesn’t win over the Swedish public.

So that makes it 8 in the final with 2 more to come from Andra Chansen and 1 jury selection. It is 11 days to the final!!!!

I am 'La Voix'!!

Schlagerqueen is looking forward to another great Eurovision Saturday!

The most anticipated Melodifestivalen will be coming live from Malmo and it will be a tight competition tonight!

Based on the clips released by SVT I can't wait to see Malena perform 'La Voix'

The clip sounds very powerful to me and I am hoping the disco operatic performance blows us all away!!

The chorus has a 'Nessun Dorma' feel to it! Will she be the first wildcard of 2009 to go direkt?

I also am impressed with Anna+Maria, Agnes and Star Pilots and I am hoping to love all performances based on what I have heard.

Thorleifs could pose a real threat and could be a sneaky qualifier. Hard to give an opinion on the song as the clip doesn't incorporate much of the chorus but dansband is very popular in Sweden at the moment! Oh by the way doesn't it sound like a song Linda Bengtzing would enter?

Sarah Dawn Finer's song is expected to be the stand out performance and is said to be in with a major chance of winning this night 2 weeks. 'Moving On' didn't blow me away but it is always difficult to tell without the full song.

Next 3 and Susanne do nothing for me and I hope they are not in the 5 that get through to the next round but as always anything can happen take last week Rigo and Rickfors making top 5?! Madness I tell you!

Whatever happens it is set to be a cracker of a show with Darin performing at the interval!

What I want to happen

DTG: Malena and Anna+Maria

AC: Agnes and Star Pilots

What I think will happen

DTG: Sarah Dawn Finer and Thorleifs

AC: Anna+Maria and Malena

Spain, Croatia and Portugal will all decide tonight!

Spain: It is completely a two horse race between Soraya and Melody. I would be happy with either!

Croatia: Even though they didn't win the semi last night I am rooting (as I always do) for Femminem. It would be fantastic to see the ladies back on the Eurovision stage!

Portugal: It is beginning to look like Luciana Abreu 'Juntos vamos conseguir (yes we can)' is the clear favourite. Check out her rehearsal here. I am loving the folk group Flor de Lis which reminds me of Lucia Moniz 'O meu coração não tem cor' which placed 6th for Portugal in 1996.

Let me know what you think..

What a cool stage!

Check out the first picture of the stage for 2009! Designed by John Casey who designed the stages in the Point Theatre Dublin in 1994 and 1995 his design incorporates Russian avant garde art with a contemporary setting.

I love it!

It is big, spacious and modern with plenty of potential for variety with the plenttiful supply of LED screens.

I have a feeling Russia will stage a very strong contest!

Will Malmo be the strongest heat of 2009?

This weekend sees one of the most anticipated Melodifestivalen heats take place in Malmo.

Maria+Anna, Agnes, Malena and Sarah Dawn Finer are all rumoured to hace cracking songs!

Postergirl has described Malena's 'La Voix' 'As a furious grandiose declaration of love set to the combination of pop and opera (and danceable), is, according to those who've heard it, going to send schlager fans into absolute meltdown...and maybe with the fact that Malena is (or at least was) planning a performance with what she describes as "good-looking broad-shouldered men" they'll have reason to be excited about more than just the song'

How exciting!

I am excited about 7 out of the 8 songs with Susanne being the exception. My heart wants Anna+Maria to go direkt 100% along with whoever is best from Agnes, Star Pilots, Malena and SDF!

Thorleifs could be a threat aswell!

Let's hope it is a great heat!

I'm in love with this Fairytale!

Over in Norway the Fairytale was selected as the Norweigan representative. This entry is very strong and the buzz around it is well justified as I think it could have a very good chance in Moscow. The song has mass appeal and is well sung by a charismatic performer.
Oslo 2010 would suit me perfectly!

Molly and E.M.D. book a place in final!

Saturday brought us another 8 entries to the wonderful world of Melodifestivalen. Having listened to the snippets I was worried that some songs were not as strong as I had anticipated but the live show proved me wrong.

Velvet's performance was glamorous, camp and vwey well choreographed. Her dress which produced the backing dancers was magnificent and I liked the musical hooks in the song.

It was always going to be an outsider but I was hoping she would get a place in Andra Chansen but sadly it was a case of Deja Vu for poor Velvet.

Rigo+ Topaz Sound were next on stage. I liked the opening shot of the 60s style T.V. set. This Carribbean style sound wouldn't stand a chance and I was unimpressed and shocked when they won a place in AC!

Molly was next and looked beautiful and elegant. Her delivery of Så vill stjärnorna was simple and vocally strong and was a deserved winner of a final spot and so far is the only ballad in Globen which gives it a distinct advantage.

E.M.D.'s tuxedo styling had me wondering if it was all a bit complicated. The song itself didn't have as much of an impact as I had hoped for but it could certainly grow on me and was a predictable qualifier.

Mikael was dreadful and looked very grumpy during the whole night! I was appalled that he made top 5 but relived he didn't make the duel!

Maja Gullstrand provided us with a soft latin style song by Mr. G'son which i liked but failed to advance.

Sofia impressed me with Alla and the staging worked well. How cool were those transparent drums?! I was thrilled she received the jury vote and fingers crossed she will advance.

The minute it was announced that B.W.O. would sing a ballad fans were sceptical. Although not their strongest entry I was more impressed than I had expected to be. The vocals were consistent and the sabre lights and jump suits were funky! How awful though that they are drawn against Lili+Susie in Andra Chansen boo!

Only 1 semi left!

Eurosong 2009 What a night!!

What an unforgettable night! Ireland has selected Sinead Mulvey as our 2009 representative in Moscow!! Check out her performance here.

Schlagerqueen had a fantastic night at Eurosong 2009! The whole show was very impressive with an entry I will be very proud of in Moscow!

The panel consisted of chairperson of the jury that selected the final 6 songs and Eurovision royalty Linda Martin, Irish commentator Marty Whelan and American T.V. star Jerry Springer who really got into the spirit of Eurovision!

M.N.A - Flying

Written by Riverdance performer Ronan McCormack, 'Flying' provided an upbeat start to the show.

The girls impressed me with their performance. I thought their choreography was quirky and fun but I still felt they would be an outsider when it came to the results.

Laura-Jayne Hunter - Out of control

I dubbed Laura Jayne 'The Voice on speed'! I like the mix of tribal, haunting and celtic elements of this song. If this entry had gone to Moscow it would have needed some tigthening but had a lot of potential and appealed to the tele voters more so than juries.

Lee Bradshaw - So what

Pre contest I thought Lee was one of the biggest sources of competition for Sinead but watching his performance I felt he looked nervous and and a little uneasy!

The song is a nice ballad but I was unimpressed overall and would worry about Lee's performance in a big arena.

Johnny Brady - Amazing

Johnny's performance was confident and colourful with a song that is catchy and reminiscent of Eurovision in the 90s. it would probably have been lost in Moscow but the chorus had a feel good factor about it.

Kristina Zaharova - I wish I could pretend

Kristina looked stunning in a beautiful dress. A beautiful song with that was over complicated and overshadowed by busy staging.

Sinead Mulvey & Black Daisy - Et Cetera

From the outset Sinead rocked RTE! The atmosphere in the studio was dynamic throughout her performance. It was 3 minutes full of energy!

Sinead's vocal was strong and her use of the camera was very professional. All the girls looked great and the black and pink styling was very edgy.

The audience reaction was intense! My absolute favourite out of the 6 songs.

Overall I felt we had a strong line up of songs that were diverse and contemporary. Unlike last year there were no 'big' names that were guaranteed victory so that made the voting very exciting!

Then it was time for Eurovision guru Paul G to treat us to some 'special' Eurovision moments.

When the voting lines had closed the panel gave their predictions

Pat & Marty: Out of Control

Linda, Jerry, & Paul: Et Cetera

The phone lines opened and we were treated to a beautiful performance from 1994 Eurovision winners Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. What a nice surprise!

As the juries gave their votes it became apparent that Et Cetera was a clear favourite. At the time I was surprised Lee was scoring so low but it makes sense looking back on it.

Et Cetera received top marks from 3 juries Cork, Limerick and Sligo with I Wish I Could Pretend scoring the maximum from the Dublin jury.

It looked like a 2 horse race heading into the public televote but I was absolutely thrilled when Sinead scored the maximum 40 points and won Eurosong 2009!!!

After all the votes were counted the scoreboard looked like this:

1st Et Cetera 38+40=78

2nd I Wish I Could Pretend 32+24=56

3rd Out of Control 09+32=41

4th So What 10+16=26

5th Amazing 20+04=24

6th Flying 15+08=23

I think this pop/rock style will hopefully appeal to Europe and book us a place in the final. The entry is modern and catchy, looks good live and will stand out from other countries particularly if our semi is ballad heavy.

I was thrilled to meet everyone afterwards. Sinead is a sweetheart! I also met the wonderful songwriting team Niall, Christina and Jonas who were very satisfied with the win! It is always great to meet people with an incredible passion for music and Eurovision.

I also got to chat to Ms. Martin who was really lovely!

Oh and I met Gerry Ryan aswell..;) (He was a bit wooden!)

We then headed to the Eurosong Extravaganza Party!