Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Have you ever wondered what really is needed for a venue to be able to host an event like the Eurovision song contest? There's much more than meets the eye at first glance.  First of all the venue must be available for six weeks before the final, and even for the visits by EBU people already in January and March. As we know it takes time to build the stage and all the technical stuff but very little to tear it all down - wasn't B&W Hallerne empty by Tuesday morning after the final? It's alwaays kinda shocking to see them start tearing the stage down and things while the last people are still waiting to exit the venue.... There must be space for at least 10.000 people in the audience, on top of the space needed for the stage and all the technics. The venue must be covered, soundproof and isolated from daylight, have air conditioning and be at least 15 meters high. That rules out all plans for Eurovision taking place in some outdoor stadium, that every now and th...

While the winner Softengine is still working on their debut album and is about to release their new single Yellow house shortly, the girls of MIAU have come out with their debut album Trinity . Ten songs including of course their 3rd placed God/Drug .  Jasmin Michaela 's new single is called Irtokarkkeja following Kertakäyttösydän . Clarissa is out with Lies , following her duet with Josh Standing in Top of the world . Oh, and Madcraft is out with Never had the guts , too. Let's not forget Mikko Pohjola being featured in Jannika B's Sateen rummut while waiting for his new album including of course Sängyn reunalla .  Hukka ja Mama are also working on their debut album with Selja . And Lili Lambert has released this fabulous music video for her Let me take you there . Hanna Sky has released a follow up single, too, Softer rain . Lauri Mikkola has been busy with various live shows but it's worth remembering his appearance in Elastinen's Uus . Even Jos...

The Dutch Eurovision entry Calm after the storm is proving all but what the name suggests. First it scored an amazing 2nd place in the Eurovision 2014 against all odds and right after stormed the charts all over the world doing even better than the winner Rise like a Phoenix by Conchita Wurst for Austria. Now, less than three weeks later the other half of the duo Waylon as left the duo. Or should I say the band? Anyways, in his statement in Facebook he says it was always Ilse DeLange's project. Instead of riding the success that may include touring the States and promo gigs all over Europe he will concentrate on his solo career and worthcoming album. Time will tell how wise that decision is - it seems fans haven't taken his decision so kindly.....  Ilse Delange has already performed with Jake Etherigde replacing Waylon this week.... who looks like a younger and prettier version of Waylon really. So, will we miss Waylon? Calm after the storm is still in iTunes chart...

Life in the Disney's Duck universe centres on the city of Duckburg in the fictional U.S. state of Calisota. Sometimes characters visit the real world and/or meet historical figures. Sometimes characters from the real world go and visit Ducksburg instead. Now the appearance of Conchita Duck has caused a huge row in some circles, forcing the German creators of the character at Ehapa-Verlag to promise she will remain a marketing gag and will not be featured in any of the official Disney comic strips - even if the comic is apparently already drawn up and ready to be published shortly, as announced by the Austrian tv earlier. How can a beard be so judged in this world today, this blogger wonders.... Mind you, it's not the first time Eurovision artists are appearing in the Disney comics; in Sweden likes of Loreen, Carola, Charlotte Perrelli & co were featured a couple of years ago, Lordi has been in the pages of the Finnish comic (only mentioned, not featured sadly) and for ex...

Edgar Böhm, Conchita Wurst, Stefan Zechner Two weks after Conchita Wurst helped Austria to rise like a Phoenix from their Eurovision not so glorious past ORF has already appointed most key names in the Core Team, who will be responsable for the next year's jubilee edition of the Eurovision song contest.  Edgar Böhm , Head of Entertainment at ORF, will be the Executive Producer of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, thus leading the project at ORF and representing the host broadcaster at the EBU. Stefan Zechner will be the Producer of the TV Show. Martin Szerencsi has been appointed to be Legal Advisor. Stefan Wöber will be line producer. Claudio Bortoli , who has had the same function already for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, will again be the technical manager. Roman Horacek will be the Head of Press of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. The event manager, to be responsible of logistics, hospitality, and security among others, is yet to be appointed. ...

Anyone who can sing a bit (and even those who can't) like to try out their own versions. Some of them are very good, like David0 from Italy. This blogger has been following his efforts for a few years now and he's good, very good. One of these days you will see him in Idols, X Factor or similar, just wait and see.  By my request he did Emma's La mia città for all of you to enjoy, but recently he also did Conchita Wurst's Rise like a Phoenix . What do you think? Good, right? And how about his L'Essenziale by Marco Mengoni that comes with a videoclip? Fits him perfectly, no? But the best of them all is - in my opinion - L'amore è femmina by NIia Zilli. Absolutely fabulously witty version.  You can find him in Youtube and Facebook . Like him and adore him! He deserves it! And here's as a bonus Diamonds .

YLE has now produced three editions of UMK (Uuden musiikin kilpailu) and done better each time. Pernilla in 2012 didn't reach the final and has since disappeared from the scene (making a comeback every year to "judge" the other entries never liking any of them, it seems), Krista Siegfrids did Eurovision historry with her kiss in 2013 and is still all over the place and recording her second album. This year Softengine was knocking the top-10 in the final finishing 11th. They are recording their debut album, charting here and there and have a summer filled with gigs. More importantly every year more artists have gained a recording deal, more visibility and gigs and so on. So, it is working after all. But in 2015 there will be changes - all broadcasts will be live and there will be no jury! Also the producing team behind the show will partly change. In nutshell the demos must be sent to YLE between September 1 and 8, 2014. At least one of the writers and main perfo...

As the state failed to collect money to build a new, desperately needed hospital for children all sort of events and fund raising ways has been launched previously. And here finally comes the "ULS17 Live Aid". Nightwish's Tuomas Holopainen wrote the sing together with Simo Reunamäki and Cheek, and 18 artists got together for the recording of the song and the video. A five hour long stadium concert will follow on June 6, 2015 in Helsinki Olympic Stadium with all the artists and the choir of musicians of Finnish National opera and the dancers of the national Ballet. This event should push the donations to pass over the needed sum to start building later this year and the new hospital to be ready in 2017. The list of artists is quite impressive from top selling artists of the past few years like Cheek, Jenni Vartiainen, Chisu, Jesse Kaikuranta to Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus and Samu Haber of Sunrise Avenua. And Eurovision stars Jari Sillanpää, Riki Sorsa and Vesa-Matt...

Conchita Wurst has been very busy since her victory in the Eurovision song contest 2014 in Copenhagen two weeks ago. She's been to London and done various TV-shows, has given a home coming concert in Vienna , she's been honored with a sausage (and ice cream apparently on the way, too, with the taste of.... sausage, bien sur!) and she has also set the catwalm on fire in Cannes film festival besides getting compliments from likes of Elton John, Cher and many others. And she may or may not open for the Lady Gaga concerts - that was apparently all made up but who knows, maybe Gaga got interested and makes it happen? And how did Ms Wurst comment on her sausage? "It looks good, but I never thought it'd be so hug e !" Priceless. Conchita came face to face with tha sausage when visiting her hometown. Butcher Joe Aichinger lives next door to her childhood home in Bad Mitterndorf and created the sausage for her honor. "It's spicy, just like her" he s...

Estonia didn't qualify for the final this year with Tanja's Amazing . Something that surprised many in Copenhagen as it was given as a pretty sure finalist. Tanja sung her heart out while dancing but maybe the televoters were too stunned to remember to pick up the phone and vote while watching her? She was welcomed to the Euroclub like a hero by adoring fans anyways, and the day after she as performing there again as well as in Eurovillage. And boy did she rock the Euroclub the night after! Corny to say but she was amazing indeed. Makes me wonder should she have dropped the dancing acrobatics and perform this way on Eurovision stage instead? Check her out here and here and here .  And she was looking fabulous in the welcoming party btw....

There's no doubt Laura Pausini is one of the most succesful Italian singers of all time. She broke through by winning the Sanremo 1993 Newcomers with La solitudine . Since then her record sales are counted in millions all over the world. She has recorded for the US market in English, in Spanish and Portuguese for the Latin market, in French for France. Countless collaborations and duets with world class stars have been her thing all the way. Tonight RAI 1 will broadcast (21.15 CET) her special show from the magnificient Greek anfitheater in Taormina, Sicily celebrating these 20 years with her. Of course she has also special guests and most importantly the past two Italian Eurovision acts: Marco Mengoni and Emma Marrone . Mengoni gets to do James Blunt 's bits in Primavera in anticipo (It is my song) while Emma is featured in Con la musica alla radio with other female stars ( Noemi, Paola Turci, Malika Ayane, L'Aura, Syria and La Pina ). Other guests of the night...

Like everywhere else also in Finland the Eurovision songs enter the charts. Not the physical top-20 but the Dowwnload charts where Conchita Wurst enters at #2 while Softengine re-enter at #3 (after being #17 after they won the Finnish selection). Further down we have The Common Linnets at #6, Sanna Nielsen at #7, Carl Espen at #20 and Aram Mp3 at #29. In Radio Play top-100 only Softengine has made it so far, at # 12, going up from #40.

Rise and dance like a phoenix in the rain. It was no secret in Copenhagen Eurovision some ladies really hit it off, namely Austrian Conchita Wurst (who ended up winning the contest), Ruth Lorenzo (respectable 10th place) and Suzy from Portugal (just missing out by one point the final). There were rumors of an eventual trio forming for some work together, but now it seems Ruth and Conchita have kicked Suzy out and plan a duet only for Ruth's worthcoming album. In these photos by yours truly the moment they told her is captured below.... (Maybe, lol)

Eurovision 2014 has been a success. The iTunes in various countries were taken over my the songs right after the final and today we got the new from the official UK charts; 13 songs from the show made the Top-100. The Common Linnets even enter the Top-10, is this a first for a non-winning, non-UK song? Anyways, even Finland's Softengine made it! Something better than that?  Maybe the over one million views of Youtube and over one million streams on Spotify?

Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita Wurst from Austria performed also in the EurcoClub in Vega during the Eurovision weeks several times singing her entry Rise like a Phoenix , That's what I am , Believe and even My heart will go on . Here are some photos by yours truly.

Eurovision seen by televiewers on TV or by fans on spot in Press center and the Arena is quite different from the Eurovision seen by delegates. These two words collide in Press center, in EuroClub and Euro Fan cafe but inside the venue and Press center there are hidden corners fans and most of the press don't get into. This is a little photo story of an ordinary routine rehearsal day seen from the backstage areas. And if you didn't guess, most of it is waiting. And more waiting. And even more waiting..... The day started usually with a pick up from the hotel. The only thing that didn't please the fans and press in Copenhagen was the transportation. Same goes for the delegations. Or what do you say about 1h40 mins driving time reserved to the veue when it only took 15 minutes? It did get better after a few days though..... Still, a lot of waiting..... Arriving B&W hallerne and its tent village was quite an experience the first time. There it was, in the middle...