So. It’s actually happening!
It’s taken me a few days to get my head around the fact that Australia will this year compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. We won’t just be providing the quirky commentators tagging along for the ride, or the random Semi-Final interval entertainment.
We’ll actually be on stage, performing in the Grand Final, going for glory – or at least enough points from the rest of Europe to not embarrass ourselves.
It’s all quite overwhelming for an Australian Eurovision fan.
For the past 60 years (well, 32 years because that’s how long SBS has been televising the contest in Australia), we’ve been able to enjoy/mock/hatewatch the contest from afar, without having any ‘skin in the game’. Now that’s all changed because we’re fully invested in the outcome.
For me, that means no more looking forward to the voting to giggle at the Euro-spokespeople trying their very best to thank [host city] for a wonderful show/read the scores/speak coherently in English. Nope, the whole voting process will be a tense affair, hoping against hope that someone will sling a few points our way – but who will that be? Who are our friends in Europe? The UK? Probably not.
Then there’s the vexed question about who will represent us. Who will SBS choose? There’s been a LOT of discussion, campaigning and some typically clueless speculating about who’s likely to get the nod – everyone from The Wiggles to John Farnham to Warwick Capper has popped up in the media coverage.
While I’ll cover this in more detail in another post, no matter who we decide on there’s one factor that’s undeniable: we must have a good song. I know, I know – ‘having a crap song’s never stopped anyone winning before’ I hear you say – but seriously, when Australians are allowed to choose their favourite songs, this happens.
But we can’t send laid-back hipster-drivel to Eurovision – we need a massive, campy, showstopper if we’re going to have any chance at grabbing those votes. Who’s going to be able to carry that off? Stay tuned.
