Niamh Kavanagh
The Eurovision Song Contest ended in bitter disappointment for Ireland last night, as Niamh Kavanagh’s ‘It’s for You’ could only manage to gather 26 points, finishing in a lowly 23rd position in the final of the competition. It was a crushing blow for Kavanagh, who had been tipped in many quarters as one of the favourites to win the final outright. Kavanagh, who had previously won the competition for Ireland, was aiming to become only the second ever contestant to win the Eurovision twice, the first being Johnny Logan.
Lena from Germany was the eventual winner, ending the night with a tally of 246 points, after her catchy rendition of the song ‘Satellite’. A clearly overwhelmed Lena struggled to describe her feelings after her victory, stating ‘“I am shocked, and I am very happy, it is so much to think about, I am so grateful in fact I am completely freaking out’. The victory was only Germany’s second ever in the competition, the first having arrived in 1982. Lena was previously unknown in Germany, before winning the national talent competition that led to her taking part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Her song ‘Satellite’ has also become the fastest selling download in Germany, which heralds a remarkable rise to success for the 19 year old.
It proved to be an exciting night in Oslo, with the Norwegian hosts pulling out all the stops to provide what was an excellent night’s entertainment. All too often in the past, viewer’s have been subjected to cringe-worthy attempts at humour by presenters that were sorely lacking in that department. Last night though, fans were not to be disappointed. The sincerity of the presenters was noteworthy and the immense pride at what Alexander Rybak had achieved the previous year was evident from the slick presentation and the overwhelmingly positive attitude of the crowd in Oslo.
Rybak kicked things off with his winning entry from 2009 at the start of the show, and 25 songs from around Europe followed, with varying degrees of quality. Viewers were even subjected to two performances from one country, as Spain’s initial performance was interrupted by a member of the public storming the stage, and had to be repeated at the end of the night. Other bizarre highlights included an entry from Armenia entitled ‘Apricot Stone’, and Belarus’ nonsensical attempt to incorporate butterfly costumes into an otherwise shambolic performance.
Lena from Germany was the eventual winner, ending the night with a tally of 246 points, after her catchy rendition of the song ‘Satellite’. A clearly overwhelmed Lena struggled to describe her feelings after her victory, stating ‘“I am shocked, and I am very happy, it is so much to think about, I am so grateful in fact I am completely freaking out’. The victory was only Germany’s second ever in the competition, the first having arrived in 1982. Lena was previously unknown in Germany, before winning the national talent competition that led to her taking part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Her song ‘Satellite’ has also become the fastest selling download in Germany, which heralds a remarkable rise to success for the 19 year old.
It proved to be an exciting night in Oslo, with the Norwegian hosts pulling out all the stops to provide what was an excellent night’s entertainment. All too often in the past, viewer’s have been subjected to cringe-worthy attempts at humour by presenters that were sorely lacking in that department. Last night though, fans were not to be disappointed. The sincerity of the presenters was noteworthy and the immense pride at what Alexander Rybak had achieved the previous year was evident from the slick presentation and the overwhelmingly positive attitude of the crowd in Oslo.
Rybak kicked things off with his winning entry from 2009 at the start of the show, and 25 songs from around Europe followed, with varying degrees of quality. Viewers were even subjected to two performances from one country, as Spain’s initial performance was interrupted by a member of the public storming the stage, and had to be repeated at the end of the night. Other bizarre highlights included an entry from Armenia entitled ‘Apricot Stone’, and Belarus’ nonsensical attempt to incorporate butterfly costumes into an otherwise shambolic performance.
Lena celebrates her victory
The Eurovision has thrown up some entertaining interval acts in the past, with ‘Riverdance’ being the most noteworthy from an Irish perspective. Last night provided a similarly remarkable spectacle. Viewers were treated to a display of dance from across Europe, with thousands of members of the public engaging in ‘Flash-Mobs’, with contributions from each of the countries taking part. In Ireland’s case, hundreds had gathered in Temple Bar to dance along. Even the greatest of cynics couldn’t help but smile as the act’s theme of ‘120 million as one’ became reality, as jubilant crowds across Europe joined in the fun.
The three hour final was a far cry from days of Eurovision gone by, with ballads generally performing poorly, and musical creativity being rewarded generously from voters and jurors around Europe. The days of the power ballad seem to be numbered, and given Ireland’s reliance on such a format in the past, this is a serious cause for concern. It remains to be seen what action, if any, RTÉ will take to try and get Ireland in contention to win the competition once more. Clearly, an increased focus on song quality is needed if Ireland is to become a contender again, with catchy upbeat numbers becoming the norm for the winners.
From a purely Irish perspective, 23rd position seemed harsh on Kavanagh. However, it stands to reason that while she performed well, the song was relatively poor, and instantly forgettable. It was the kind of ballad that may have brought Ireland glory before the 1990s ended, but it seemed very much out of place in an otherwise contemporary and entertaining show. If the quality of last night was anything to go by, viewers can look forward to an excellent spectacle in Berlin next year. Ireland will have to seriously improve though, if they are to have any chance of repeating their former success in the competition.
The three hour final was a far cry from days of Eurovision gone by, with ballads generally performing poorly, and musical creativity being rewarded generously from voters and jurors around Europe. The days of the power ballad seem to be numbered, and given Ireland’s reliance on such a format in the past, this is a serious cause for concern. It remains to be seen what action, if any, RTÉ will take to try and get Ireland in contention to win the competition once more. Clearly, an increased focus on song quality is needed if Ireland is to become a contender again, with catchy upbeat numbers becoming the norm for the winners.
From a purely Irish perspective, 23rd position seemed harsh on Kavanagh. However, it stands to reason that while she performed well, the song was relatively poor, and instantly forgettable. It was the kind of ballad that may have brought Ireland glory before the 1990s ended, but it seemed very much out of place in an otherwise contemporary and entertaining show. If the quality of last night was anything to go by, viewers can look forward to an excellent spectacle in Berlin next year. Ireland will have to seriously improve though, if they are to have any chance of repeating their former success in the competition.
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