Conchita’s cool, but bring on the other Guy
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Conchita Wurst from Austria performs during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Pic: AFP
Source: AFP
EUROVISION has opened with a bang for its 60th year, with Australians pinning their hopes on pop star Guy Sebastien to take out the award.
Conchita Wurst, the bearded Austrian drag queen who took out last year’s competition, started the opening ceremony, dressed in a ravishing white dress.
The first performance came from Eduard Romanyuta, apparently Moldova’s answer to Justin Bieber.
In a disturbing, almost “Backstreet Boys gone bad” style song, Eduard didn’t hold back, surrounded by dancers clad in revealing leather police uniforms, the pop song sending the crowd into raptures.
To help the song’s climax, the bad boy tore off his white wife beater.
Trijntje Oosterhuis from the Netherlands performs. Pic: AFP
Source: AFP
Armenia gave a change of pace came with Genealogy’s Building Bridges. With soulful Celtic tones, flowing robes and fog covering the stage, the group showed off powerful vocals, ending with the obligatory flash of fire.
Clicks, white costumes and ABBA-inspired head moves began Belgium’s offering of Loïc Nottet, singing Rhythm Inside. The jerky (literally, they just kind of jerked around the stage with strobe lights on), performance was given roars of approval from the excitable crowd.
The Netherlands’ Trijntje Oosterhuis followed Belgium’s monochrome performance with the mother-of-two’s song, Walk Along, embracing flowing black robes and emotive, long looks with the camera.
The song ramped up its why-ai-ai-ai chorus, with colourful.
Nina Sublatti from Georgia performs. Pic: AFP
Source: AFP
Finland’s offering was from the group Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät, a group of four mentally handicapped men, was a strong change of pace.
The punk song Aina Mun Pitää didn’t make it to the three minutes that Eurovision songs are permitted to run.
With disturbing translated lyrics like “I always have to take a shower”, it was definitely an effective wakeup call.
Australia’s wildcard entry received a shout-out from the glamorous judges early on.
Greece’s Maria Elena Kyriakou performed One Last Breath, complete with a grand piano and mournful violin.
Dressed in glittering full-length dress with a plunging neckline, the singer sported blonde locks blown back by an invisible fan as she blew the crowd away with a powerful voice that rivalled Celine Dione.
Daniel Kajmakoski from Macedonia performs during the first semi-final. Pic: AFP
Source: AFP
Guy Sebastian joined Australia’s riveting coverage, by SBS, with Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang in Vienna. He is expected to perform tomorrow night.
Goodbye to Yesterday was up next, performed by Estonia’s Elina Born & Stig Rästa.
The couple also went with a monochrome start – a style becoming quite a trend for this year’s performers – using long shadows to get across their soulful tune.
A strong performance but the guitarist’s possible toupe was extremely distracting.
The trenchcoat clad Daniel Kajmakoski, of F.Y.R. Macedonia, was performer number eight.
The song’s title, Autumn Leaves, was easily conveyed with giant leaves floating in the background.
With backup singers, who all looked like security guards in dark trenchcoats and sunglasses, Kajmakoski bounced from one leg to another – hopefully in a stylistic dance technique rather than a “I need to go to the toilet” move.
Russia’s Polina Gagarina performs during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Pic: AFP
Source: AFP
Apparently everyone lied to Serbia’s Bojana Stamenov when they said her makeup looked good.
And are silver sparkles slimming?
Belting out her song Beauty Never Lies, the performer is reportedly an expert in guitar, lute and renaissance singing. But she threw off her classical training when the back up dancers tore off their robes to reveal punk-like costumes.
The group ended their performance with quick selfie- because why not.
Next up was Hungary’s Boggie. Described as having “a lot of stillness”, the weepy ballad War’s For Nothing slowed things right down.
With poetic constellations in the background, guns slowly made a tree before it blossoming.
Uzari&Maimuna was up next with their offering Time.
Nothing says too many George Michael film clip than a tight singlet with a jacket over the top.
Belarus’ band featured violin – which proved to be the winning ingredient for 2010’s Eurovision winner Alexander Rybak. Maybe it could win the country the 2015 title? Maybe not.
Russia’s band, Polina Gagarina, performed their A Million Voices.
Looking more like a Swede than a Russian, Gagarina seemed to be unable to move in a flowing white dress but that didn’t stop her from an awe-inspiring song.
Village People meet Backstreet Boys for Eduard Romanyuta of Moldova. Pic: Getty
Source: Supplied
Up next, it was a happy redhead from Denmark and his band Anti Social Media giving us The Way You Are.
The group, seemingly taking fashion tips from The Beatles, completed their outfits with pocket squares and braces.
The boppy tune was a nice innocent turn for Eurovision, with the group taking a polite, synchronised bow to finish.
The second plunging neckline for the night came from Albania’s Elhaida Dani with her song, I’m Alive.
The elegant singer played it safe, only using three backup singers and a minimal amount of glitter on her outfit.
The invisible fan came into play again – does the concert hall have airconditioning issues? – helping Dani finish up her power ballad with the necessary climax.
English was forsaken for much of Romania’s song, De La Capat/All Over Again.
The group, Voltaj, combined class with rock to get across their message of missing the country’s children heading overseas to study and work.
It was with feathers, fog and powerlights that Nina Sublatti represented Georgia with her song Warrior.
Bringing SBS’ Friday night coverage to a close, Sublatti didn’t hold back with her terrifying feathers, thigh-high boots and lightning.
What a night.
