When Rob asked me to do this, I looked surprised, but willingly decided to take up the challenge.
In the weeks leading up to Vienna’s wonderful contest I’ll be providing an ‘alternative’ look at some of the components of this continental bout – alternative in the sense that I come from a classic rock and indie loving background, with a bad pronunciation of European names. So, enjoy…
TWO TO TANGO?
With the UK’s entry announced on Saturday, you’ll have noticed that Electro Velvet are composed of two singers: Alex Larke and Bianca Nicholas. Now their track ‘Still In Love With You’ has drawn across a variety of opinions (I’m holding out hope), but it coincidentally brings us to a topic of interest:
Duets
Yes? No? Should we, could we take the risk? All of the thoughts crossing the musical minds of our continent.
Well my expert friends and average music lovers a like, have a look at these and maybe you’ll find an answer to those dilemmas…
1. SING, LITTLE BIRDIE – PEARL CARR & TEDDY JOHNSON (UNITED KINGDOM, 1959)
Placing 2nd all the way back in 1959, this is not your typical Eurovision entry! Pearl and Teddy show how all things Euro have changed over the years. No ferrets, Irish twins and silly violins – just good old swing. One to tap your foot to…
2. DUETTT – ELIZABETH ANDREASSENN & JAN WERNER DANIELSEN (NORWAY, 1994)
Now I know what you’re thinking….we don’t actually know what they’re singing (Norwegian translators speak now!). BUT embrace this please – its not often that a country sings in their own language. Its passionate, vaguely romantic and soppy. Good old cheese ain’t so bad once in a while, ey?
3. JAN JAN – INGA & ANUSH (ARMENIA, 2009)
Everybody must be ready…. Apparently. A more modern entry, Amernia’s Jan Jan shows of the characteristics of the delightfully vibrant Inga & Anush. I see the song as a case of marmite – personally I find it difficult, but no doubt someone will embrace the craziness, and those endlessly spinning dancers.
4. IN A MOMENT LIKE THIS – CHANEE & N’EVERGREEN (DENMARK, 2010)
In a week where Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ Blurred Lines was found to have copied a famous Marvin Gaye track, I can’t help but notice the similarities in this track’s catchy riff with The Police’s classic ‘Every Breath You Take’. But, despite that, this has to be my favourite. Yes, slightly cheesy, pyrotechnics everywhere, but a good job from the Danes….and its in English, hooray!
Got a duet you’d like to share? Drop us a tweet @TheEuro_Trip and stay up to date with the latest Eurovision news. I’ll be tweeting the odd bit about the contest on my personal twitter too, that’s @jfreeman_93.
I’ll be back with another alternative guide soon, on goodness knows what, but for now I’ll let my expert presenter resume normal service.
Jonny
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Monday, 9 March 2015
Everybody calm down about the UK's Eurovision 2015 entry
Firstly, let's get things clear. Electro Velvet and their song 'Still in Love with You' isn't my taste in music. Not that it counts for much of course. I wasn't a fan of Marie N in 2002, Lena in 2010 or Ell and Nicki in 2011, didn't stop them becoming winners though did it?
When I sat down for the reveal on Saturday night, I was left very confused by our choice, what place does 'Electro Swing' have in the Eurovision Song Contest? We're so used to ballads and up-tempo pop numbers that it came as a huge shock, a huge gamble.
But in a year like this one, where every song is a middle-of-the-road ballad, one thing is for sure; Electro Velvet WILL stand out on 23rd May. The song is already on track to be the most viewed of any entry so far this year on You Tube. Whatever the reason, the voting public of Europe will be well aware of our song come the Contest itself.
Of course, their performance on the night is everything. Molly was one of the favourites to win last year, but her nervy performance left her languishing in 17th position. To reinforce this point look no further than Amaury Vassili, favourite to win for France in Dusseldorf, his poor routine led to a disappointing 15th place finish. On the opposite end of the spectrum, look at past winners. Loreen, Eimielle and Conchita all captured the hearts of the continent with the staging and live performance of their entries.
All those who say 'let the public decide' when it comes to our entry, let me remind you of the last time all aspects of the decision were left to the people of the UK. Andy Abraham, final position, 25th.
Give the BBC some slack too, their working on a fraction of the budget of recent years. Gone are the days we could plough hundreds of thousands of pounds into an entry for Eurovision. The corporation as a whole are facing huge cuts and massive change, and let's be honest, how well we do in Eurovision is going to be well down the list in terms of their priorities for 2015.
So with Vienna now just a couple of months away, let's get behind Electro Velvet. The BBC have made a huge gamble this year, and should be applauded for being so brave with the song selection.
I'm a Eurovision fan, and whether or not the UK succeeds in the Contest, that will always be the case. But come that three minutes on the 23rd May we all need to wave our union jacks with pride. We owe our nation that at least.
When I sat down for the reveal on Saturday night, I was left very confused by our choice, what place does 'Electro Swing' have in the Eurovision Song Contest? We're so used to ballads and up-tempo pop numbers that it came as a huge shock, a huge gamble.
But in a year like this one, where every song is a middle-of-the-road ballad, one thing is for sure; Electro Velvet WILL stand out on 23rd May. The song is already on track to be the most viewed of any entry so far this year on You Tube. Whatever the reason, the voting public of Europe will be well aware of our song come the Contest itself.
 |
| Electro Velvet - Alex Larke and Bianca Nicholas |
Of course, their performance on the night is everything. Molly was one of the favourites to win last year, but her nervy performance left her languishing in 17th position. To reinforce this point look no further than Amaury Vassili, favourite to win for France in Dusseldorf, his poor routine led to a disappointing 15th place finish. On the opposite end of the spectrum, look at past winners. Loreen, Eimielle and Conchita all captured the hearts of the continent with the staging and live performance of their entries.
All those who say 'let the public decide' when it comes to our entry, let me remind you of the last time all aspects of the decision were left to the people of the UK. Andy Abraham, final position, 25th.
Give the BBC some slack too, their working on a fraction of the budget of recent years. Gone are the days we could plough hundreds of thousands of pounds into an entry for Eurovision. The corporation as a whole are facing huge cuts and massive change, and let's be honest, how well we do in Eurovision is going to be well down the list in terms of their priorities for 2015.
So with Vienna now just a couple of months away, let's get behind Electro Velvet. The BBC have made a huge gamble this year, and should be applauded for being so brave with the song selection.
I'm a Eurovision fan, and whether or not the UK succeeds in the Contest, that will always be the case. But come that three minutes on the 23rd May we all need to wave our union jacks with pride. We owe our nation that at least.
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Listen now: Episode 5 of The Euro Trip
The Euro Trip is back! Have a listen for some awesome brand new tracks from Italy, Poland and what could become one of this summer's biggest hits from Romania.
As usual we've got you covered for what's #1 and where with the European Music Chart - plus we look and a very busy few days in the world of Eurovision.
Don't forget to follow The Euro Trip on Twitter - @theeuro_trip
As usual we've got you covered for what's #1 and where with the European Music Chart - plus we look and a very busy few days in the world of Eurovision.
Don't forget to follow The Euro Trip on Twitter - @theeuro_trip
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
UK to reveal UK Entry on 7th March
So finally after months of speculation and rumour, the BBC announced 7th March will be the date the United Kingdom's Eurovision entry will finally be revealed.
I look ahead to that announcement, and attempt to contain my excitement...
I look ahead to that announcement, and attempt to contain my excitement...
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
***Euro Trip Episode 4 is here!***
So sure I was ill last week, and that meant you didn't get a podcast, BUT, I'm back... and with some bloody awesome new music too.
In this week's podcast I introduce you to new Dutch band Causes, featuring lead singer Rupurt Blackman from London. There's also a play of Linus Svenning's huge Melodifestivalen tune 'Forever Starts Today', plus one of the World's top 200 records from Germany.
On top of all that we'll be looking at all the latest developments in the world of Eurovision, including a potential winning entry from Italy.
Enjoy, and as always let me know what you think of the podcast and the music by dropping me a tweet @theeuro_trip.
In this week's podcast I introduce you to new Dutch band Causes, featuring lead singer Rupurt Blackman from London. There's also a play of Linus Svenning's huge Melodifestivalen tune 'Forever Starts Today', plus one of the World's top 200 records from Germany.
On top of all that we'll be looking at all the latest developments in the world of Eurovision, including a potential winning entry from Italy.
Enjoy, and as always let me know what you think of the podcast and the music by dropping me a tweet @theeuro_trip.
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
No podcast, no problem!
I am genuinely gutted not to be able to bring you a podcast this week. (As I write this I'm busy feeling sorry for myself in my pyjamas with what can only described as man flu.)
But fear not!
I couldn't not bring you a new music fix this week, and some of this week's songs are massive!
A chilled out sound with all the makings of a big summer hit - not sure why it was released at the end of January! While Fritz sings in English, the European accent with which he does so gives this song an even greater unique feel.
I hope you enjoy this week's new music, and I can assure you The Euro Trip podcast will return next week! Make sure you follow me on Twitter @TheEuro_Trip
But fear not!
I couldn't not bring you a new music fix this week, and some of this week's songs are massive!
Lorenzo Jovanotti - Sabato
This track is all about an enticing beat, interwoven with hauntingly simple lyrics. I'm a sucker for anyone singing in Italian, and this song doesn't disappoint. You'll be humming along to this without even knowing it as soon as you hear it.
Fritz Kalkbrenner - Void
A chilled out sound with all the makings of a big summer hit - not sure why it was released at the end of January! While Fritz sings in English, the European accent with which he does so gives this song an even greater unique feel.World of Girls - Summer Without You
Any Eurovision fan will know that World of Girls failed in their attempt to represent Denmark with this very song. Why?! I love the lyrics, the uptempo beat, and the chemistry between the band members. It is refreshing to see a European girl band sounding so good!I hope you enjoy this week's new music, and I can assure you The Euro Trip podcast will return next week! Make sure you follow me on Twitter @TheEuro_Trip
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
No it isnt April Fools Day, Australia are taking part in Eurovision...
When I first heard the news, the first thing I did was check what date it was. (Not even kidding.) I couldn't believe what I was reading. Australia, a country located nearly TEN THOUSAND kilometres from their nearest Eurovision neighbours Russia, will be taking to the stage in Vienna.
Firstly, I can kind of empathise with the EBU. As we all know this is Eurovision's 60th anniversary, and thus they want to make this year's contest one to remember - and now we certainly know that will be the case.
Neither can you argue with the appetite for Eurovision in Australia. Last year #SBSEurovision trended worldwide during their broadcast of the Grand Final, no mean feat. This fact alone helps make the argument that Australia deserve to take part in the contest more than many nations with a long history in Eurovision. Take the likes of Spain and the United Kingdom for example, where the majority of their populations consider Eurovision some kind of big joke.
And lets not forget last year, when Jessica Mauboy took Europe by storm as last year's interval act.
For me this shows that the plan to have Australia at Eurovision has long been in the mind of the big players at the EBU. Last year's interval act served to test the waters of Europe and Eurovision fans alike, seeing how they reacted to Australia's arrival on the big stage.
Fan reaction has understandably been mixed. @ESCSamuel tweeted the thoughts of many Eurovision fans with a simple "HOW THE HELL DO YOU RESPOND TO THIS?" while others, such as @C_NowakiESC made a good point "UK will get some nice points from the Aussies too. I'm so glad!"
This is where I'm at, my thoughts are mixed. While delighted I'm going to what will be a historic Eurovision Song Contest, I do hope this remains a one-off. The EUROvision Song Contest, simply by its nature, should remain a EUROPEAN music contest. It has been that way for 59 years already, and the fact it is still going shows that is a pretty successful recipe.
But for this year, lets embrace it. Eurovision is amazing, and rather than just uniting a continent, this time round it is bringing people from opposite ends of the world together.
The next question remains, who will represent our friends down under? Kylie? Jason? The possibilities are endless.
Firstly, I can kind of empathise with the EBU. As we all know this is Eurovision's 60th anniversary, and thus they want to make this year's contest one to remember - and now we certainly know that will be the case.
Neither can you argue with the appetite for Eurovision in Australia. Last year #SBSEurovision trended worldwide during their broadcast of the Grand Final, no mean feat. This fact alone helps make the argument that Australia deserve to take part in the contest more than many nations with a long history in Eurovision. Take the likes of Spain and the United Kingdom for example, where the majority of their populations consider Eurovision some kind of big joke.
SBS also invest thousands in covering the contest, Sam Pang (brilliant name) and Julia Zemiro have been in the commentary box every year since 2009.
 |
| Jessica Mauboy in Copenhagen |
For me this shows that the plan to have Australia at Eurovision has long been in the mind of the big players at the EBU. Last year's interval act served to test the waters of Europe and Eurovision fans alike, seeing how they reacted to Australia's arrival on the big stage.
Fan reaction has understandably been mixed. @ESCSamuel tweeted the thoughts of many Eurovision fans with a simple "HOW THE HELL DO YOU RESPOND TO THIS?" while others, such as @C_NowakiESC made a good point "UK will get some nice points from the Aussies too. I'm so glad!"
This is where I'm at, my thoughts are mixed. While delighted I'm going to what will be a historic Eurovision Song Contest, I do hope this remains a one-off. The EUROvision Song Contest, simply by its nature, should remain a EUROPEAN music contest. It has been that way for 59 years already, and the fact it is still going shows that is a pretty successful recipe.
But for this year, lets embrace it. Eurovision is amazing, and rather than just uniting a continent, this time round it is bringing people from opposite ends of the world together.
The next question remains, who will represent our friends down under? Kylie? Jason? The possibilities are endless.
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