Wednesday 22 June 2016

Meet the team: Sadie Trent

Here at The Euro Trip we're always looking for new members to get involved with our various projects. Lets find out more about the newest member of The Euro Trip team... Sadie Trent!


"Hi there my name is Sadie, I am 23 years old and I am from Somerset in the UK, the region that is known for its cider. I have lots of free time, so Eurovision is my main passion, but I am also into Journalism, film making and photography, I like to tell stories in my work using these forms of media. Besides Eurovision I am a majorette, and have been for the last 14 years on and off, and I am in my local famous night time carnival.

I have been a Eurovision fan ever since I can remember, my parents watched in 1997, which is the last year that the UK won, and they made a big fuss of it, and I fell in love with it. I first properly understood the contest in 2003 when it was held in Riga, but 2004 was the best year for me, as Ruslana won the contest for Ukraine. I have had the pleasure of meeting Ruslana last year in Manchester, when she performed 2 concerts for the local Ukrainian community there.

My favourite 2016 entries were Walk on Water (Malta) and Sunlight (Ireland), but in the history of the contest my favourites are Wild Dances (Ukraine 2004), Shady Lady (Ukraine 2008) Love shine a light (UK 1997), Making your mind up (UK 1981) and La det Swinge (Norway 1985)."

Wednesday 1 June 2016

The Euro Trip is back! Listen now...

Episode 22 of The Euro Trip is here, featuring new music from Norway, The Netherlands and Moldova. There's also a look back at Eurovision 2016, what we know about next year's contest, and also the chance to join our debate as we crown the best Eurovision anthem.

Happy listening! x
 

Wednesday 25 May 2016

What could Eurovision 2017 look like?

Elliot Harris examines what we know already about Eurovision 2017...

Eurovision 2016 happened nearly two weeks ago, and already lots is happening in preparations and conformations leading into Eurovision 2017. Of course we know the contest will be held in Ukraine following Jamala’s victory.

As of May 25th 2016, 15 countries have confirmed they will be participating or very likely competing in Eurovision 2017, stand outs on the list include Bulgaria, who seem intent on a return after the success of their comeback year. Poli Genova guided them to fourth in the grand final after a two-year absence from the contest and Portugal, who withdrew from Stockholm 2016 due to poor results and “to rework and improve their selection process”

Estonia, Finland, Hungary and Sweden have all confirmed their participation and began working on plans for their national selections also, which will remain the same as previous ears – Eesti Laul, UMK, A Dal and Melodifestivalen respectively. Norway have also confirmed they will be back in 2017 after failing to qualify for the final for the first time since 2011 with Agnete and Icebreaker.

Estonia will be back after their last place finish in Stockholm
Although not confirmed it is looking a Croatia will be returning to the contest, following the success of Nina Krajlic and her efforts taking them back to the final for the first time since 2009, it is also heavily rumoured they’ll be internally selecting their act the same way as they selected Nina, hand picking The Voice: Croatia winner again like with Nina, if this is to be believed it is looking as it will be Series 2 winner Ruza Janjis will be flying the Croatian flag in Ukraine, although no official confirmation has made by HRT at this current moment of time. 

Ireland and Switzerland, despite having poor runs of form in the semi finals off late have also had their head broadcasters confirm their return. Ireland have failed to qualify for the final the last three times, last qualifying in Malmo 2013 where Ryan Dolan then placed last in the final and Switzerland only qualifying for the final twice in the last ten contests, coming dead last in their semi finals the last two attempts with Melanie Rene & Rykka.

Big Five nations France, Germany and Spain have all confirmed they will be returning to the contest, it was another disappointing year for Spain and Germany as Barei and Jamie-Lee finished 22nd and 26th respectively in the Grand Final, with NDR announcing with their participation conformation “More work and focus has to be directed on the song” France on the other hand enjoyed a fantastic result, placing 6th in the final and just four points off a top five finish, their highest placing in the contest since 2002.

France enjoyed a fantastic Eurovision result in Sweden this year
On the flip side, mircrostate Andorra have announced they have no intention of participating in Ukraine only really saying it is not logistically possible but failing to go into any specific reasons for this reasoning, Andorra last made an appearance in Eurovision back in 2009 and failed to make an final in six attempts. 

Montenegro have also hinted at a possible withdrawal from Eurovision2017 on social media. The announcement came via Facebook after the EBU released a statement saying Jamala has not gained an unfair advantage despite 1944 being performed at an small event prior to the contest or its announcement in the Ukranian selection, the song at the time was titled “Us Crimea” when translated into English. 

Eurovision powerhouse Russia are currently on the fence and debating their involvement in Eurovision 2017 with it being hosted in Ukraine. This is due to ongoing disputes first and foremost between Russia and Ukraine and The Crimea region, to which has led to war since 2014 between the nations. Also Russia had complained about Jamala’s entry “1944” wich highlighted the deportation of thousands of Ukrainians out of The Crimea region under Joseph Stalin’s ruling, one of whom was Jamala’s grandmother, Russian ministers had complained the song was politically charged and an attack on Russia and an attempt to tarnish the nations name, however this complain and dispute was thrown out by the EBU and the song was allowed to compete in original form with no adaptation to the song of lyrics. Also, on the morning of the jury Grand Final, NTU publically announced they would not be competing at Eurovision 2017 if Russia and Sergey Lazarev had won, so would Russia withdraw out of retaliation and spite? It is currently unknown. No countries who have competed in Eurovision 2016 have officially withdrawn from Eurovision 2017 at this present time.

Will Russia withdraw next year?
Australia, despite their own contest spin-off, Asiavision, have apparently been discussing details about a return in 2017, this is heavily due to be believed because of their second place finish in Stockholm. However, for Australia to be able to participate they require an invitation from the head delegation, NTU.

We could see a country debuting in Eurovision 2017 – Kosovo. The nation which declared it’s independence from Serbia back in 2008 has contacted the EBU about participation in the forthcoming contest and that the broadcaster RTK had been invited to the Eurovision Committee and whether they participate is solely on the decision of Kosovo, this has sparked questions of Serbia’s stance in the contest if Kosovo are to compete due to the friction between nations, but in recent months Kosovo have also become a member of UEFA and FIFA, making the nation eligible to play in World Cup and European Championship qualifier matches in the future it’s only a matter of time before the nation joins Eurovision.

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Monday 16 May 2016

Opinion Piece: Ukraine have won, now what next?

Editor of  The Euro Trip, Rob Lilley, gives us his initial thoughts following Saturday's contest...

Congratulations to Jamala and Ukraine, the winners of Eurovision 2016. But this is the result that changes everything. "1944" is unlike any song that has gone before it in the history of this great song contest, and the fallout from its success continues to be felt across Europe.

Jamala won with a massive 534 points, finishing ahead of Australia and Russia
Minutes after Ukraine won it was immediately clear that Russia were unhappy with the result, something which was massively exacerbated by the fact that they were the clear winners of the televote on the night. Officials from the Russian broadcaster have even called for their nation to boycott next years contest, something which could happen. Indeed should the contest be held in Kiev, as seems likely, the contest will be hosted by a city Russia doesn't even consider the capital of Ukraine.

But when Russia can normally rely on the support of Eastern Europe to back their song, this year was different. Sure the voters at home still supported Sergey, but the Juries across Europe were very much agreed that he wasn't the deserved winner,

Furthermore the contrast in the televote and the jury results in 2016 provide probably the most confusing part of the contest. Take Poland for example, where they were placed second bottom with the jury and third with the voters at home. The new voting system exacerbates this contrast in opinions between the two on a very public scale. Should it be 50/50 between the two, should we go back to the only system, or should the televoters or juries have a bigger say? All of these questions are likely to be debated long into the future ahead of next year's contest.

Michal was the big winner of the new voting system
But for now lets look at what we know about 2017. For one, it is clear Ukraine will host the contest. Fair play to them, it is their right to want to show their nation in a positive light, especially after all the negative reaction they've received over the last few years. But lets remember for a moment the reasons for all that bad press. They are at war, sure not in Kiev or the majority of the country, but can the safety of fans, the press and associated delegates be assured given the current situation in the country? I for one would like very strong assurances from the Ukrainian broadcaster and government before planning any trip.

That said, 2017 is already a very exciting prospect. We are returning to Eastern Europe for the first time since 2009, and that means we will get a very different contest in style, vibe and genre than the last few years. Looking back in history, the contests hosted in the East have presented us with some of the most memorable moments, look at the way in which Eurovision managed to straddle both Europe and Asia in Istanbul in 2004.

The Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev is venue most likely to host the contest
The Eurovision scene is also likely to look very different by the time of the first semi-final on 16th May 2017. Russia may have withdrawn and some other big countries could join them, and then we're likely to have some debutantes too. Kazakhstan seem likely to be appearing for the first time next year, Turkey are returning, and we could have a surprise or two. Kosovo perhaps?

For the next few months we can dream, dream of our perfect contest - and that's exactly what I plan to do.

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Friday 13 May 2016

Eurovision 2016: Top Ten Leaderboard

Before the 2016 Eurovision competitors took to the stage, The Euro Trip jury (Elliot, Emily, James, Noa and Rob) rated all 42 songs from this year.

Now we have the Grand Final line-up, what are their predictions for this year's top ten placings?


1. France - Amir "J'ai cherche"

2. Russia - Sergey Lazarev "You're the Only One"

3. Spain - Barei "Say Yay"

4. Australia - Dami Im "Sound of Silence"

5. Cyprus - Minus One "Alter Ego"

6. Germany - Jamie Lee "Ghost"

7. Bulgaria - Poli Genova "If Love was a Crime"

8. Hungary - Freddie "Pioneer"

9. Croatia - Nina Kraljic "Lighthouse"

10. Serbia - Sanja "Goodbye"


What do you make of these rankings? Let us know and tweet us yours to @theeuro_trip.

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Eurovision 2016: The Nordic Blood Bath...

For the first time in Eurovision history, Sweden are the only Nordic country in the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest. But why?

Elliot Harris looks at what could be a turning point in the region's relationship with Eurovision.

Agnete couldn't secure Norway a place in the Grand Final with her song "Ice Breaker"
Scandanavia – a region in Northern Europe known for fjords, the Blue Lagoon and the birthplace of modern day flatpack furniture, but they have also dominated. In the last 10 years a Scandinavian nation has won Eurovision five times, Sweden twice (2012, 2015) then Finland (2006) Denmark (2013) and Norway (2009) and for a long time they seemed untouchable, as a region, more often than not, if not winning, qualifying into the Grand Final and being high on the scoreboard.

But this year, which is slowly becoming a year of firsts, threw up another one which no one before the contest saw coming, for the first time since the introduction of the semi-finals back in 2004, no Scandinavian country entering at the semi-finals has qualified for the Grand Final, meaning Sweden and young Frans, will be flying solo for Scandinavia after Agente of Norway, Greta of Iceland, Sandjha of Finland and Lighthouse X of Denmark were all eliminated in the semi-finals.

What could of caused this we wonder. Although none of the four countries eliminated had a perfect qualification record (Only Norway and Sweden advanced from the semis last year) there were still some strong entries from this region, with Greta Salome’s folksy Of Monsters And Men style “Hear Them Calling” a huge fan favourite and dark horse for the title and who’s elimination sparked tremendous outcry and distain amongst Eurovision fans across the continent, same for Agente with the song “Icebreaker” performing in the second semi-final, many were certain and convinced we would hear Mans and Petra shout Norway at some point but alas it never came.  Even our head producer Rob dubbed it a contender for the title when it first was selected back on Super Saturday (27th February)

So it begs the question, have the Scandanavian countries become, dare I say it, lazy in selecting their artists? All five nations have national selection formats, and they have all turned out winners or top 5 finishers in the past, so has the standard dropped in Scandinavia? Are they relying on their allies too much to vote them through? Norway and Denmark performed in semi-final 2 and Iceland and Finland semi-final 1, with Iceland and Finland having the added bonus of Sweden voting in semi-final 1 also. Or are the Eurovision voters getting sick of Scandanavia dominating and look elsewhere? 

Remember five of the ten winners have been from the region. Or on a less negative note, have the rest of continent just rose their game and their entries? There are arguments for both sides and right now I don’t know why all four countries have been eliminated and I guess we never will know.
All we know for certain is come Saturday night Frans will not have his neighbourly friends in the green room with him which could work in Sweden’s favour, with only Sweden representing Scandavia, the likes of Finland and Norway won’t have to decide who to award the highest mark to -Sweden or Denmark like they have in previous years, and considering those four countries account to 96 points in the top marks Sweden could have a nice little nest egg there in case they fall short in our countries and regions.

Well there we go – 5 Nordic/Scandinavian countries began Eurovision 2016 and one is left for the final, will the same happen next year? We don’t know but this could the start of a shift in Eurovision dominance just maybe I can pack for a warmer climate for Eurovision 2017, unless we return to Sweden again! 

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Wednesday 11 May 2016

The Euro Trip interviews Rykka (Switzerland)

Ahead of Saturday's Grand Final, our own Noa had the chance to chat with the Swiss entrant for Eurovision 2016, the lovely Rykka.



Was it your idea to enter the selection with the song or did some one have approached you to enter? 

I had just spent all year working on my new record, and I thought it would be an amazing adventure. I was right, it worked! I have a lot of new music that is all ready to go. 


So "The last of our kind" , Can you explain  about the message of the song and how did you come up with the idea to write about this message? 

The message of The Last Of Our Kind is to always stand up for love above all. Stand up for yourself and for people and other beings who can’t stand up for themselves. Standing up for love also sometimes means to go against your own ego and really search to find the truth.


We already know you are Swiss-Canadian, how do you think that mix of being influenced by both cultures comes out in your singing /songwriting? (sorry if that question too deep haha) 

I grew up in a community where everyone I knew had a guitar. I’m wildly inspired by my peers in both Switzerland and Canada.


What are your plans for the performance and staging in Stockholm? Is it gonna be similar to the national final one, or did you completely change it? 

Yes! It’s different than the one at the national preselection in Kreuzlingen. Of course there will be surprises! I’m working on a dress with LYN Lingerie, it will be a collaboration. LYN x RYKKA! I’ve had meetings with the team at the Swiss Television SRF and worked on the style and mood and what will happen on stage with them. It was really a team effort, and it was so great to be so involved, I love that stuff!

Who are you inspirations when it comes to singing\songwriting? 

I love St.Vincent, Goldfrapp, Fleetwood Mac, Hanne Hukkelberg… It’s a wide range, but I like music that is a little bit weird and not so mainstream. I think that even though I tried to make a pop record, it’s still pretty weird J


Final Question : What can we expect from you after Eurovision ? any plans for new music,a tour perhaps? 


I’ll release my brand new record and tour with my band.

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