Romania Rings in the New Year!

Tonight Romania choose their 2011 entry for Germany aided by international judges Niamh Kavanagh, Johnny Logan and Chiara!

The fan favourite is Claudia Pavel with a powerful song written and produced by a team of Swedes, how could i not be fabulous?!

There are a number of strong songs and 1 rubbish one (Facebook Girl!). Others of interest include:

Dalma (She made it to bootcamp in this years UK X Factor!)
Blaxty Girls (They have made it to the Romanian final a number of times, could this be their year?)

Directia 5
Laeticia
Hotel FM

These are three big contenders with Laeticia's 'Dreaming of You' offering something that could stand out amongst the 13 finalists.

It all kicks off at 8 CET. Happy New Year!!!!

Have a fantastic Christmas Euro Lovers!

What a mix!

This years Swiss selection is certainly different, so far we have Malta's Rosman Pace, Johnny Brady (Eurosong Ireland 2009), Todomondo (Romania '07), Maggie Toal (NF Ireland '90, '95 and '97), American Idol contestant Sarah Burgess and Big Brother's Kemal Zuleyka!

Check them out here.

Bengtzing is Back!

The Bengtzing is back!! Melodifestivalen 2011 is already shaping up to be a cracker with Linda announced in the first four performers with 'E de fel på mig' or 'Wrong with me'
Written and composed by: Pontus Assarsson, Thomas G:son and Jörgen Ringqvist!!

This sounds amazing!

Here she is(Yes, it really is her!) looking like she is ready to release that schlager diva again in 2011!

It is Eurobash weekend here in Dublin.To celebrate here is Pernilla's schlagertastic song submitted for Melodifestivalen 2008. More of this for 2011 Christer!

Happy Friday!

Dusseldorf is espected to be announced as the host city in the coming days according to Bild with the Esprit Arena being the main contender as the venue. It can hold up to 60,000 people!!

In other news, The melodifestivalen deadline passed yesterday with a total of 3832 songs submitted! I want to listen to them all!

This is a record number of songs with a big increase from 2010.

Year Number of Songs

1995 600 songs
1996 1 475 songs
1997 1 223 songs
1998 1 126 songs
1999 1 315 songs
2000 1 394 songs
2001 1 567 songs
2002 1 830 songs
2003 2 620 songs
2004 3 228 songs
2005 3 131 songs
2006 3 326 songs
2007 3 234 songs
2008 3 489 songs
2009 3 440 songs
2010 2 794 songs (incl 180 Web wild cards)
2011 3 832 songs (incl 424 Web wild cards)

The Countdown Begins!

Our Eurovision queen Niamh will be mixing with the burly bears and tiny twinks as she plays Limerick Pride next weekend!

The committee is headed by Alternative Miss Ireland queen and Ireland's Verka Serducha, Shelia Fitpatrick Shinnors. Check out the launch with Heidi Hotlips! and Mr. Gay Limerick on Thursday the 9th@ 31 Thomas St.

They have put so much into this project and I hope everyone can support this fabulous event!

Check out www.limerickpride.ie for more details

Have a blast:)

Eurovision singer says sorry..

Nadja Benaissa a member of the German girl band No Angels has admitted to having unprotected sex with several partners without warning them that she was HIV-positive.

Nadja Benaissa, 28, was speaking at the opening of her trial in the German city of Darmstadt.

"I am so sorry," she told the court.

She faces charges of grievous bodily harm for allegedly infecting one man, and attempted bodily harm over two men who were not infected.

If convicted, Ms Benaissa faces a prison sentence ranging from six months to 10 years.

The singer was arrested in Frankfurt last year, shortly before she was due to perform a solo concert, and spent 10 days in custody.

Aids gala declaration

Aids campaigners were critical of the authorities' handling of the arrest and warned against a rush to criminalise the transmission of HIV, the BBC's Tristana Moore reports from Berlin.

According to prosecutors, Ms Benaissa knew she was HIV-positive as early as 1999.

A former lover, who is HIV-positive, has said the singer infected him in 2004 and is due to appear in court in Darmstadt as a co-claimant.

Last November Ms Benaissa appeared at an Aids charity gala in Berlin and openly declared: "My name is Nadja Benaissa, I'm 27 years old, I have a daughter - and I'm HIV-positive."

No Angels were formed in 2000 on the international TV show Popstars, before recording a series of hits and emerging as Germany's most successful girl band.

They re-formed in 2007 and competed in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing 23rd with the song 'Disappear' with a total of 14 points – taking 12 points from Bulgaria, band member Lucy Diakovska's native country, and 2 points from Switzerland only. Only the United Kingdom and Poland placed below the four-member female band.

4th Time Lucky for Chiara?

Our favourite Malteste diva Chiara has said she is interested in returning to the Eurovision stage for the fourth time!
Speaking at Stockholm pride where she was wearing a very fetching rainbow dress..ahem Chiara said “Eurovision has become like a drug to me. Every time I think of Eurovision I get this thrill going on in my mind saying, Yes I want to be there again..and again..and again! I just loving being part of it. I am in love with it. The experience is so nice! Even if the outcome is not as expected, the experience is still unique.’

Her family are reluctant to see her return as they struggle to deal with the negative side of the press.

She also said she would consider entering Melodifestivalen in the future and confessed her love of schlager! 'Schlager makes you dance! You just cannot stand still. It’s amazing. I really like it. I do feel comfortable performing it too.’

Chiara has a clear love for the contest and has the same addiction that we all understand, no it's not chicken wings its Eurovision!!

Which City will it be?

The 2011 host city will be announced next month. 8 cities have expressed an interest in hosting with the main contenders being Berlin, Munich, Hanover, Frankfurt and Cologne.
In terms of population these cities have quite a range from Berlin at 3.2 million to Lena's city of Hanover at just 516,000.

Many have expressed their wishes for which city they would like to see hosting. In my opinion I want a city that is able to cope with the demands of hosting eurovision and providing the buzz about the contest throughout the whole city just like Oslo did.
Moscow on the other hand was too large and swallowed up the atmosphere.
Either way I am positive that the German's will present a very efficient show that is well organised and will be a comfortable and enjoyable place for all us lunatics that arrive next May!

What do you think?

Reconnect me!

Former A Teens star and girlfriend of Mans, Marie Serneholt has said she is looking at suitable songs for her return to Melodifestivalen in 2011 following her debut in the contest in 2009 with 'Disconnect Me'! A Teens were rumoured to be a wildcard at this years contest and their renuion could be a possibility.
Either way I am thrilled to see Marie back in the game!

The Netherland will be represented by 3Js in Germany. One of the earliest announcements to take place During a radio show, the band made this public with the Dutch broadcaster, Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS) also announcing the bands candidacy. With the band saying: "It's about the song again", after the Netherlands poor results in recent years.

The band will produce five songs before the end 2010, which will be performed at the national final (National Songfestival) in early 2011, during which the public and a professional jury will vote for their favourite song.
.

Sexy Slovenia!

I have just returned from a fantastic holiday in Lake Bled in Slovenia. Having visited the beautiful capital Ljubljana I think it would be a perfect host city for Eurovision. Great nightlife, not too sprawling, great food and friendly people!

Here is one of my favourite entries to get you all in the holiday mood! Go Karmen nanananana...

Austria Return?

Despite earlier reports that they would not return Austria are now considering returning to Eurovision!

Since winning in 1966 Austria have struggled to find the top of the scoreboard and in recent years their best placing was with Alf Poier with his comedic fiasco which placed 6th.

Let's hope Austria sends something fabulous! They should send Petra Frey whose 1994 entry deserved a lot better than 17th place, or maybe The Rounder Girls!!

15 wildcards for Melodifestivalen 2011!

SVT have announced some changes for Melodifestivalen 2011. The contest which is rumoured to be Christer's last will accept submissions from foreign composers and artists as long as they work with a Swede in the process.

The biggest change is that there will be 15 wildcards instead of 4 with the panel selecting another 15!

The final 2 songs will come from the web selection that was introduced last year and was represented by 'Come and Get me'

This one feels like a corker!! Get that schlager in there!

Today's gossip is that Kylie's song 'Aphrodite' from her new album of the same name was originally offered to Helena Paparizou for Eurovision 2010!

Check it out above!

May 14th 2011 we will do it all again!

Yesterday the date for Eurovision 2011 was confirmed. On May 14th we will once again be going crazy waving flags, partying, singing, laughing and dancing!

That's certainly what we did in Oslo! It was an amazing experience. A great city, wonderfully kind people, great restaurants and a city that totally absorbed the Eurovision experience. 2010 will be remembered for 2 great semis and final, professional presentation and camerawork and a deserving winner. Obviously Ireland's placing was a big disappointment and clearly it was not the year of the ballad as most of them finished towards the bottom.

I never thought Germany would do as well as expected but clearly it is a song that appealed to a mass audience and that is what makes a eurovision winner. It is a positive step forward for Eurovision and the style of music is modern and contemporary. It has been confirmed that Lena will return to defend her title in 2011 which is surprising but commendable. This hasn't happened since Lys Assia returned after winning in 1956!

The fate of Sweden was the biggest shock in the semis and Anna was stunned at the result. Many feel that Christer will be evaluating his approach to Melodifestivalen for what will apparently be his final year running the contest. When I met him at Club Latter I did excitedly tell him to bring back Nanne Gronvall!!

I also thought Croatia were in with a great shot at qualifying but it wasn't to be.

The moment Ireland came out of the envelope in Semi 2 will always stay with me! I almost choked on my feather bowa with all the excitement!
It felt so good to see Ireland qualifying and all the fans were so behind 'It's for You'

The buzz outside the arena on both nights was fantastic. We got so many pictures taken and sang so many songs to T.V. cameras from a selection of Melodifestivalen songs to the special 'Irish medley' on the hill on the Saturday night! We even began taking requests at one point!!

Going into the arena on final night there was a definate sense that about 14 songs could be in with a shot at winning. This added to the openness of the show in that there was not a clear winner and that is something I love.

It was great to see Belguim and Cyprus in the final. Both songs I have such a soft spot for.
Schlager was still strong with Denmark and Iceland proving so popular and at the beginning of the voting I thought Denmark were in with a definate shot.

I caught up with great friends, met many new friends, saw some eurovision legends perform (Bobbysocks), met some euro stars (Safura, Marcin, Thea, Graham Norton, Michael von der Heide, Josh, Rosman Pace and Christer Bjorkman to name a few!)

Oslo you were a star and I can't wait to return!

Thanks to everyone who made it so special especially young Mick!
x

We love you Eurovision!!!

It is here!! Eurovision week is in our lives again!

One day to go to Semi 1 and 3 days to go before we fly out to Oslo to celebrate the 55th Eurovision Song Contest.

As we approach semi 1 I'll be rooting for Iceland, Belarus, Slovakia and Belguim tomorrow night and I have high hopes they will qualify.

Club Latter announced their line up for the week and we are so looking forward to seeing:

THURSDAY MAY 27 th: 2.semi afterparty
Charmed - My Heart Goes Boom
Queentastic - Absolutely Fabulous
Malin Scavenius – Under Stjernene

FRIDAY MAY 28 th: ESCTODAY 10 years anniversary party
Bobbysocks – La Det Swinge
Euroband – This Is My Life
Christine Guldbrandsen - Alvedansen

SATURDAY MAY 29th: Grand Finale afterparty
Velvet Inc – Tricky


Pure MGP and Eurovision fabulousness!

Unlike 2009 we don't have a clear winner which makes it even more exciting!

The welcome party was a pink parade with Niamh as life and soul of the party as usual!

Enjoy every minute of it and hope to see you all soon!

Aidan.

Rehearsal rundown!

Now that all semi final songs are rehearsed at the Telenor Arena it is time for a round up of what I'm thinking!
This time next week the Irish gang will be lumionous in our green, white and gold and going mental! It feels so great to feel so proud of our entry and to be in with a strong chance is so exhilarating.

Niamh's rehearsal was strong and consistent. I like the podium and this will be covered in the purple dress that Niamh will wear on the night. The colours of green changing to orange are complimentary of the song and of Niamh. The movement of the backing singers didn't impress everyone but I am sure the camera angles will portray it well. Niamh was saving her voice in parts which is a clever move.

Reaction in Oslo has been all positive and Ireland's odds continue to drop (now at 16/1 @ Boylesports)

The Irish press conference was great to watch! Niamh's experience with the media and overall charisma is captivating and she is always positive.

Denmark lacked a spark in their rehearsal and need to work on a number of things including staging.
Azerbaijan came across well in their rehearsal and I like the choreography and staging even if a win by Safura scares me for 2011!

Georgia have overcomplicated a simple song (similar to 'I Wish I could Pretend' Eurosong '09) and the crazy choreography now reminds me of Montenegro's entry in 2009

Croatia were strong and Turkey will easily qualify as the musical style is different and they have a lot of support in Eurovision.

Sweden has been well received and seems to have boosted its position in terms of popularity.

Belguim and Slovakia have changed little from their national final performance but both are very strong and will sail through to the final.

One of my favourites Belarus has divided opinion but I think the wings albeit strange are fun! The dresses are fabulous and the song still sounds strong.

Finland seemed to have added an extra sparkle to their performance and could still have an outside shot of making the final.

This may surprise many but Serbia has impressed me! I enjoyed Milan's quirky nature and the colourful staging kept me watching!

Tomorrow rehearsals go back to semi 1 even though I would love to see the 5 finalists rehearse to get a fuller picture of it all.

Right now these are my predictions:

To Qualify
Semi 1: Moldova, Bosnia(not for the song!),Serbia, Sloavkia, Belguim, Albania, Greece, Belarus, Iceland and Portugal.

Semi 2: Armenia, Israel, Denmark, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Turkey, Sweden and Romania.

The winner of semi 1 will probably be between Belguim, Greece and Slovakia and Semi 2 will very likely be won by Azerbaijan.

Well done to Keith, Andrew and Peter at AKOE who are keeping us all up to date with the excitement.

Next Thursday cannot come quick enough! Hoping to see you all then!

SQ

Go Niamh!

Best Rehearsal of day 1: Slovakia!

Interview with Hera Bjork (She has that special something!)

The lovely Hera Bjork will represent Iceland at Eurovision 2010 in 11 days!

Schlagerqueen: Hi Hera. Thanks you for agreeing to do this interview! How are preparations going for Oslo?

Hera Bjork: Amazingly good, thank you for asking:) Everything is on schedule and I know this will all turn out in the best possible way! My Team and I are getting very good in solving little problems with a big smile on our face:)

SQ: You have a wonderful history with eurovision. You appeared in Selma's video in 1999, sang the classic 'Someday' and backing vocals for 'Is it True', How different does it feel this year?

HB: Not so different really! I had such a great time both in Moscow and with "Team Someday" and that fantastic feeling is still there:) I decided to take this not too seriously and focus on having fun fun fun with my favorite people around me on&off stage! This is a 3 minute window for Europe to get to know me and I just wanna look my best, do the best i can and be sincere!

SQ: That's what its all about! What is the message of 'Je ne sais Quoi'?

HB: Enjoy & Love:) You meet people every single day that you are drawn to without being able to explain why? It´s that certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" about you that I love and I can´t put my finger on it but it´s there and it´s feel damn nice;-D

SQ: Have you heard the other entries for 2010? If so which songs do you like?

HB: I like them all so far:) Some are bad and some are genius but the magic will happen in Oslo when I hear them live and meet the people behind them! But I can never choose just one song...I always love about 15:)

SQ: What is your favourite Eurovision song of all time?

HB: Ohhhh how can you ask such a question?:) I cannot choice one!! I simply will not:-)

SQ: How did you feel to get such a great draw in the running order?

HB: Ohh I cried like a Beauty Queen I was so happy:) I was in London when I got the news and we popped one Champagne to celebrate our lucky number 17:-)

SQ: Iceland would be one of my dream eurovision locations. What would eurovision be like in Reykjavík?

HB: I know it will be fantastic because we have the perfect little city to host this! Iceland is the most gay friendly country in the universe and because of that we could actually make it a true celebration of the rainbow of music & people on this planet of ours:-) Hope to see you here soon;-D

SQ: looking forward to it! How do you feel about the current ash situation?!

HB: I try to be optimistic about it! This is not the end of the world and it is in no way appropriate for me to complain over this...even though it might delay some flights! Mother Nature needs to speak out and so it is! I feel for the people in this world who have hunger & war upon them. We are all OK up here and everyone is doing their best to help the farmers who are getting all the ash over their crop and animals! But everyone is alive, getting hugs and plenty of food and fresh Icelandic water:-) So, no complaints from this lady!

SQ: What 5 words would describe Hera Bjork?

HB: Honest, loving, positive, grateful & happy:)

SQ: Have you any message for the readers of schlagerqueen?

HB: Keep smiling and life will unfold itself in front of you full of schlagers and glamour:-D Looking forward to see you in Oslo:-) Knús&kram, Hera Björk

SQ: Fabulous! Thank you so much Hera. I will be there cheering for you in Oslo!!

Check out Hera's new video:

Oslo here we come!!!!!!

Eurovision countdown Part 1

In case you missed part 1 of the Eurovision countdown shown on RTE last here you can find it here.

Interview with Dame Hera Bjork coming soon..

Dança comigo!

Date: Thursday, 06 May 2010
Time: 20:30 - 23:00
Location: Meeting House Squaure

Tonight the Eurovision flashmob dance for the interval act of Eurovision 2010 will come to Dublin! Bow and arrow!!!

I am getting my twinkle toes down there later this evening. Hope to see you all there!

Location:
Time: 20.30-23.00
Dresscode: colourful and happy!


We are looking forward to seeing YOU there!!


SHARE THE MOMENT

Baku, Dublin, Zagreb 2011?

Tonight three weeks Eurovision 2010 will be kicking off at the Telenor Arena in Oslo!
I am beyond excited and I have a feeling this year will be a very exciting contest with a great host city, a strong Irish entry and no clear winner at this stage.

I will be there from Thursday morning until Sunday and am delighted to get semi 2 in this year. We are staying at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel which was originally the home of the euroclub but this has since changed!
Accreditation is sorted, flashmob has been practised for the Irish edition on Thursday in Temple Bar (part 4 is damn tricky!)but looking forward to being part of it having missed the postcard filmed at the Spire.

This Saturday I am meeting a number of Oslo bound eurovision fans to have a pre Oslo day which involves lunch, drinks, shopping for Irish flags, leprechaun hats and feater bowas and general euro chat!

At my Eurovision preview party we had a great night. It was won by Denmark and Ireland was 2nd (just like the OGAE vote in Enniscorthy!)

Others that did well were Iceland, Bealrus, Romania, Belguim, and Azerbaijan.

Portugal was a surprise favourite and as usual the U.K divided opinion. Ireland would have stormed to victory but thanks to 'That's how David D's it' who didn't score Niamh this didn't happen!

The big losers on the night were Russia, Poland and the Ukraine which was no surprise. Thanks to the guys for a fantastic night!

Niamh will be joined by an extra backing singer for Oslo and they are 2 weeks away from flying out to Norway for rehearsal. A full list of rehearsal can be seen here.

Niamh has returned from Romania, Belguim and the U.K. where she performed on a number of TV shows and was a resounding success at the Preview Party in The Shadow Lounge in London.

Everyone is wondering who could win at this stage and I think that Azerbaijan, Croatia and Ireland are definately up there with a shot as I think they will appeal to bothe televoters and juries. The thoughts of Baku 2011 puts me right off unfortunately but may the best song win...It's for You!!!

Preview Party Time!

Tonight I am hosting our fabulous preview party (Thanks to Peter for the dvd!)
I will post the results when we have them..Something tells me you could guess who will get the 12 points!

NRK are coming to Dublin on Monday (volcanic dust permitting!) to film the introduction segment for Ireland's entry. The proposed setting is the GPO. We will be there waving the tri colour!

Niamh is on the promo trail in Sweden on Monday performing at Golden Hits in Stockholm.

OGAE Ireland will be having their annual preview party on Saturday 24th in Enniscorthy. Having predicted the winner in 2009 and 2008 will we get it correct again?!

JLC song for Eurosong!

Just in case you didn't hear Justin Lee Collins submission to Eurosong 2010 here it is..

Hi Everyone,

Just back from a mini break in Malta. I didn't share a bucket of chicken wings with the fabulous Chiara but I had a great time nonetheless!

Oslo feels so much closer now and speculation and guessing about qualification goes into overdrive at this point.

Our semi final has 7 countries with a 100% qualification record which makes things more testing for Ireland but I have full confidence that we will be amongst the ten envelopes.

Countries like Greece and Azerbaijan are certain qualifiers but things can always change and it will remain to be seen how the 50/50 voiting will impact the results.

Germany now seems to be top with the bookies having overtaken Azerbaijan in recent days. A nice song that I really like but I don't see it as a winner at the moment. Ireland has gone from 50/1 at Boylesports to 25/1 at the moment, definately worth a bet!

The Euroclub has moved location aswell despite my booking of the original hotel for convenience!

I hope you all checked out Shelia Fitzpatrick's tribute to Niamh. If you didn't you will find it here!

A UK rag also published a story yesterday stating that Josh would no longer be singing the UK entry but that Sonia would be entering and renewing her battle with Niamh from 1993! At least Eurovision April fools jokes are getting published!

Read it here.

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter. Hugs x

Anna Bergendahl - This Is My Life (Kaveh Azizi Remix)

Check out this remix of the Swedish entry!

Eurovision 2010 - All Songs

When the Ukraine finally get their ass in gear we will have our full line up for 2010!

Yesterday's draw proved positive for Ireland in between two very different songs and away from the big players eg. Croatia.

I am delighted that Belarus and Iceland will close the first semi as these are two songs I love!

Despite reservations by many that 2010 was going to be a very poor year for songs I think the momentum is picking up with updates of many entries and a furthur listen to certain songs.

Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Croatia, Denmark, Israel, Cyprus, Armenia, Belguim, Norway, Romania and Ireland seem to be favoured by many for the win but the contest is still wide open with a lot of contenders for victory.

It is only a few weeks to go before Oslo 2010 kicks off, let's hope it is a fantastic show!

Looking forward to seeing Niamh's video coming soon!

Who do you want to win?

Check out clips of all songs (minus Ukraine) in the above clip!

Interview with Niamh Kavanagh!

Hi Niamh,

It is an honour to interview such a Eurovision legend!

SQ: Congratulations on making the final 5 at Eurosong 2010. Why did you decide to return to the contest this year? Describe your song 'It's for you'.

NK: The decision to go back to Eurosong this year was primarily about the song. 'It’s for you' is a strong ballad and I liked it very much when I first heard it. As you know I have always said it would have to be a great song to bring me back and I think it is. The song is about believing in love and is at times inspirational. It has the right emotion for me. I had an amazing experience in my first Eurosong and Eurovision, and I did think that I couldn’t top that. Maybe that is true but if I have learned anything over the last 17 years is that no two experiences are the same, so this will be wonderful in it’s own way, no matter what the outcome on Friday night.

Do you feel under extra pressure having won the contest?

I am looking forward to the show on Friday, it will be great fun to be back in the euro club so to speak. I don’t feel any extra pressure, all five entrants have the same job, to convince people that they will do the best job in Norway with the best song to represent Ireland. That is a pressure for us all. So far there has been a fantastic support for me, and I am very grateful for that. But I know I have a good song, if it doesn’t get picked then if nothing else I have done my best, and pretty much that’s all any of us can do.


What would it mean to you to win on Friday night?

Firstly I think there may be some light refreshment on the night, and perhaps a small party! But seriously, it would be wonderful, I know what fun and fantastic memories we all have from previous eurovisions I have attended and taken part in. To win would be a big reward for all the work both myself and the writers have put in to this song.

What can Ireland do to regain our status as Eurovision winners? Why do you think we have failed to qualify for the final in recent years?

Well there is no fool proof way for us to regain our status as Eurovision winners, the truth is all we can do is send the best song with the best performer. I think we have lost sight of the song lately, it tended towards the performer as people were choosing who they liked and not necessarily the best combination. We have more than proven ourselves in the past I think there is no reason why we can’t make the finals at least this year.


Have you heard any of the other entries for Eurosong and Eurovision?

I haven’t heard any of the other Eurosong entries yet, I will hear them the same time you do, on Derek Mooney’s show on Thursday, although I am due for rehearsal at that time in RTE but I am sure I will hear them soon after. I am really looking forward to it. Actually I am really looking forward to hearing them sung live. It will be a better indication of the song.


Who will be your biggest competition in Eurosong?

I don’t consider who will be my competitor in those terms. There are five songs and five performances, so I have four competitors. Five if you count the fact that I have to sing well. I know we are all there to win, but each person has their own strengths to bring to the competition. It would be foolish to discount anyone.


Would you have preferred if RTE chose you as internal selection to sing 5 songs at Eurosong or do you prefer the competition of 4 other performers?

No, I would never allow anyone to choose my song. I choose what I should sing, because I know what works for me. But I will say that it is better for the Eurosong to have multiple entrants. It is a better representation of the songs in the competition.


What are your memories of Millstreet 1993? Have you remained a fan of the contest since your win?

I have so many memories of Millstreet, actually I was watching Why not Millstreet only yesterday with the boys to show them what it was all like for me. I loved the whole thing, too many to really go through. I have watched Eurovision since I can remember. I can’t say I follow it religiously but I do watch every year. I suspect this year I will be watching it a little closer.


Who would be your dream dinner guests?

Dream dinner guests, would be Bonnie Raitt, Stephen Fry, my husband Paul and pretty much any of my family and friends.

Describe yourself in 5 words?

Fun, faithful, friendly, frustrating and fabulous!

Anything else you would like to say to readers of Schlagerqueen?

I would like to say thank you for all the support you have shown me to here. Here’s hoping we all get to sing our way round Oslo xxxx

Interview with Niamh Kavanagh coming soon...

How Fabulous!

Pernilla has begun a 'Save the Schlager' campaign at Melodifestivalen!

She has even changed her artist badge to 'Schlager MILF'!

She will perform 'Jag vill om du vagar' in Malmo tomorrow night.

Ireland Eurosong 2010 Rejected Entry by JLC and Ronan!

Can they reach the Headlines?

After two average heats at Melodifestivalen, this weeks batch from Goteborg sound a lot more promising!

Based on the 1 minute clips I am impressed with Alcazar's 'Headlines'!

This song was initally offerred to Eric Sadde who won last weeks heat with 'Manboy' and the rumoured group who submitted the demo were the colourful Caracola!

There is a lot of strong competition in this heat with a mix of everything from schlager in girlband Timoteij and The Lion King in Yeba!

The final is dominated by testosterone so it would be nice to see some of the girls make it tomorrow night. I think Darin is a dead cert qualifier with the other direct spot most likely for Alacazar with strong compeition from 'Sweden's Got Talent' winner Eric Linder.

The other remaining spot could be Crucified Barbara (what a frightening name!) but I would love to see Timoteij or Elin make it.

It is all about Alcazar for me. This is a group that never fail to provide us with fantastic fan favourite songs every time they enter. Many questioned their return this year particularly after 'Stay the Night' but this is a very different song similar to 'Alcastar'. They always provide us with fun pop that makes us feel good.

Many in Sweden believe that it could be their time to be sent to Eurovision and I agree!

Check out the clips here.

RTE will announce Finalist tomorrow!

After a thrilling Eurovision weekend RTE Ireland's national broadcaster will announce the 5 finalists for Eurosong 2010 on Wednesday morning! I can confirm Niamh Kavanagh, Leanne Moore (Your a Star winner 2008), Austrian singer Monique, Boyzone's Mickey Grahame and songs written by Ralph Seigel and Brendan Grahame (The Voice and Rock and Roll Kids). Can't wait!

If only they could be a late wildcard entry!

Charlotte, Sonja and Nanne will provide the interval act at tonights Melodifestivalen heat!!

She is back for 2010!!!

Scandi Super Saturday!

These are the 10 songs competing in this Saturday's DMGP 2010!

'All About a Girl' is co written by Ronan Keating but it is all about Sukkerchok for me!

As Scandinavian Super Saturday is only a few days away the excitement is building as Norway and Iceland also select this weekend!

In Iceland I am hoping Hera wins and I think she is in with a great chance as her song is so different to the othe finalists.

Over in Norway I am torn between a few favourites, I love A1, Dridrik and Venke and have a soft spot for Maria.

I like Rolf Lovland's song but I felt Maria was weak vocally during the semis.

Alexander's entry doesn't grab me as 'Find my Girl' did.

'Yes Man' is catchy and may be in with an outside shot.

KOK is the one song I fear and hope that Norway doesn not vote for it as there are much better and more appealing songs in their final for the Eurovision audience to enjoy.

In the end I think it will be between Dridrik and A1 and it's a tough one to call!

Tickets still available for what promises to be a fantastic night!

Ticket information here.

Are you going

to be there?

Eurosong 2010 to be held on March 5th!

RTE have confirmed today that Eurosong 2010 will take place on March 5th as a Late Late Show special!

5 entries will be selected for the final and the winner will be chosen by 50% jury and 50% televote.

Having enjoyed being at the Eurosong final for the last two years here is hoping that Eurosong 2010 will be extra special!!

Hera Björk - Je ne sais quoi (Eurovision 2010 Iceland) Semi-final 3

This is fantastic! Hera to Oslo!

1st MGP CLIPS ONLINE!

Albania have selected, Malta is ongoing and this Friday sees Norway and Finland kick off their national finals!

Melodi Grand Prix heat 1 will take on Friday 8th in Orland.

This heat contains 2 of schlagerqueen's favorites Lene and Maria!

This will definately be a highly contested heat. I will be shouting for Lene and Maria but I am also impressed by the clips by Elisabeth Carew 'Rocketfuel' and Bjorn 'Yes Man'

You can hear the 5 clips here

Over in Finland 2 songs stand out in this heat Amadeus- 'Anastacia' and Nina Lassender- 'Cider Hill' with Amadeus in with a great chance in my opinion if the staging works.

Check out the Finnish finalists here

I will be updating a lot more now that Euro season has finally kicked off again and focusing on Eurosong and Melodifestivalen in particular!

Enjoy x