Schlager Queen

The Hero returns!

2011-11-29T09:01:00.001-08:00

Need we say more?

Welcome back Charlotte. You are 'The Girl'!

2011-11-16T09:12:00.001-08:00

Check out the infectious song that was in the Swiss Pre Selection. Totally cheesy but downright feel good!!

Please Vote For 'My Beat' in the Swiss selection!

2011-10-27T04:02:00.000-07:00

Just 2 days left to vote for our song 'My Beat' sung by German dance artist Mave O' Rick in the Swiss Eurovision selection.

Written by: Mave O' Rick and Aidan O' Connor
Composed by: Mave O' Rick and Ian Coleen

http://www.eurovisionplattform.sf.tv/videos/my_beat

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The videos are arranged in alphabetical order. Click through them and take time to listen to the

entries. Feel free to vote for any of the other 215 entries ahem!

You have four votes to cast. You can vote for one entry four times. Any votes would be greatly appreciated!

To vote for your favourites, you need a user account with SF. If you already have one, all you have to

do vote is log in. If you do not yet have a user account, please go to SF Login to register.

The entries that have qualified for the decider show will be announced after mid-November.

Mave has another exciting project ongoing at the moment.
38 years after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 for Luxembourg, Anne Marie David has been working in collaboration with Mave O'Rick to re-release her winner Tu Te Reconnaitras(Encore Un Fois) for the 2011 market!

http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=39443&_t=anne_marie_david_re-releases_1973_winner

To vote in the Swiss Selection:
Go to:

www.eurovisionplattform.sf.tv

If you speak German it will be very straight forward but if not here are the translations you will need:

Press „SF Login“ in the small

the left side

Press

„Neu Registrieren“

Fill the form

Anrede* - Title

Herr

– Mr.

Frau

– Ms.

- Country

E-Mail*
-E-Mail Adresse
Geburtsdatum*
(TT.MM.JJJJ) - Date of Birth
Benutzername*
User Name
Passwort*
Password
Passwort wiederholen*
- Repeat your PasswordVorname*
- First name
Name*
- Name
Adresse*
- Adresse
PLZ*
- Postal Code

only 4 Numbers

Ort*

- Village
Land*

Thanks!!

Picture of Melodifestivalen jury beginning their judging!

2011-09-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Melodifestivalen jury have sat down today to go through the 2915 songs in submitted in the 'regular' contest (570 go through the Webjoker selection)

There is an interesting article here (In Swedish) Power ballads and dance tracks seem to be quite popular this year but as usual a diverse range of styles have been received by SVT.
I am thrilled to have submitted songs to Melodifestivalen this year as I have so much love and adoration for their national final.

Rumours of who has submitted entries has already started with two former winners Charlotte and Helena Paparizou expected to be in the mix. Others include Timoteij, E.M.D.(as soloists), Magnus Carlsson, Lina Hedlund, Marin (BWO), Jenny Berggren (Ace of Base, DMGP 2011) and Molly Sanden.

Check out the Aftonbladet article here.

Semi 1 Predictions!

2011-05-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here are my predictions for tonight:

To Qualify

Azerbaijan
Russia
Norway
Hungary
Serbia
Greece
Turkey
Poland
Finland
Armenia

Borderline:

Iceland
Albania
Georgia

Not Qualifying:

Portugal
Malta
San Marino (would love it to be a shock qualifier!)
Lithuania
Croatia
Switzerland

Happy Eurovision Week!

2011-05-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

As semi 1 is only 3 hours away I just wanted to wish everyone an amazing eurovision week. We all know how special this contest is to us and Dusseldorf will be epic!

Have fun, keep smiling, dancing and partying!!

Stella arrives in Dusseldorf! Let the madness begin!

2011-05-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Vote for Jamie!

2011-01-30T05:43:00.000-08:00

My song is in the Maltese selection 2011!!!

2011-01-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2011

Good luck Jamie!!!

Romania Rings in the New Year!

2010-12-31T06:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-23T02:26:00.000-08:00

What a mix!

2010-10-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

2010-09-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

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..

2010-08-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-08-09T02:28:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-08-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-08-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-27T07:28:00.001-07:00

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?

2010-07-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-09T08:14:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-07-07T01:29:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-05-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-19T08:43:00.001-07:00

Best Rehearsal of day 1: Slovakia!

2010-05-16T13:58:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!

2010-05-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Eurovision countdown Part 1

2010-05-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-05-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

2010-04-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-03-26T09:44:00.001-07:00

Check out this remix of the Swedish entry!

Eurovision 2010 - All Songs

2010-03-24T12:26:00.001-07:00

2010-03-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

Interview with Niamh Kavanagh coming soon...

How Fabulous!

2010-02-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-26T09:09:00.001-08:00

Can they reach the Headlines?

2010-02-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-06T01:57:00.000-08:00

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

She is back for 2010!!!

2010-02-04T13:18:00.001-08:00

Scandi Super Saturday!

2010-02-02T09:48:00.001-08:00

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!

2010-01-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-18T09:17:00.001-08:00

This is fantastic! Hera to Oslo!

1st MGP CLIPS ONLINE!

2010-01-05T06:16:00.001-08:00

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

2010!!

2009-12-31T02:40:00.000-08:00

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

Have a great one

Darin is Melodifestivalen Joker 1!!!!

2009-11-03T08:42:00.001-08:00

Eurovision comes to Dublin!

2009-10-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

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=87754499503 http://www.pantibar.com/

Bettan is Back!

2009-09-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

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!)

2009-09-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-09-10T09:25:00.001-07:00

Check out the new single from Amy!

2009-08-27T06:41:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-08-10T04:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-28T02:18:00.001-07:00

No Prague 2011!

2009-07-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-07-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-29T05:33:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-23T10:59:00.001-07:00

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"

2009-06-21T07:51:00.001-07:00

Can you imagine living ON Globen?

2009-05-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-27T06:08:00.001-07:00

Helena Paparizou for Melodifestivalen 2010?

2009-05-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

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

Reactions in the Greenroom Semi 1!

2009-05-13T09:12:00.001-07:00

Direkt till Olympisky!!!

2009-05-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

This is Our Night!!!

2009-05-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

DAYS TO GO!

Sinead's Catsuit!

2009-05-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Interview with Sinead Mulvey Flying the flag for Ireland!

2009-05-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-05-03T03:07:00.001-07:00

Get ready Olympisky!

2009-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-14T09:06:00.001-07:00

Alexander celebrating after winning MGP 2009!

Insert your caption below!

Easter Update!

2009-04-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-04T07:07:00.001-07:00

A Hotel inspired by 'Hero'!!!

2009-03-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-27T10:24:00.001-07:00

Chiara would blow the arena down with this version!

Yes it is true!

2009-03-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-03-24T09:31:00.001-07:00

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!!

2009-03-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Full report coming soon!!