EUROVISION BRACED FOR HEAVY METAL
By Michael Osborn
BBC News entertainment reporter
BBC News, UK
May 16 2006
Thirty-seven countries are lining up for this year’s Eurovision Song
Contest in Athens on 20 May.
The 50-year-old musical event throws up a few surprises and a little
controversy every year.
An intimidating hard rock band, a multi-national pop group and the
return of a former winner are among this year’s ones to watch.
For their 40th attempt to win the Eurovision Song Contest, the Finnish
people have chosen metal act Lordi to represent them in Athens.
The five-piece will perform Hard Rock Hallelujah clad in gruesome
costumes and monstrous masks.
They refuse to appear in public out of costume, while their grotesque
make-up takes three hours to apply.
The band are so protective of their rock alter-egos, their real names
remain a secret.
Finland’s Lordi proclaim the coming of the “Arockalypse” with
their song.
They are known as Amen the unstoppable mummy, Enary the manipulative
valkyrie, Kalma the biker-zombie and Kita the alien manbeast.
Kita has the “combined strengths of all the beasts known to man”,
while he and the others are led by Lordi (The Lord).
With lyrics such as “wings on my back, I got horns on my head, my
fangs are sharp and my eyes are red, not quite an angel or the one
that fell, now choose to join us or go straight to hell,” Finland’s
choice has prompted some marginal controversy.
Lordi’s “Day of Rockoning” will be in the Eurovision semi-final on
18 May, where they hope to attract enough votes to propel them into
the grand final.
In 2005, Norway entered a glam rock act to make a splash at the
contest – they qualified for the final where they finished ninth.
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ARMENIA – ANDRE The Eurovision family grows larger this year with
the inclusion of Armenia in the contest for the first time.
Andre has twice won best male singer at Armenia’s music awards
The former Soviet republic, which has land borders with Iran,
Azerbaijan, Georgia and southern Russia, is taking its first Eurovision
campaign very seriously.
One of the country’s best-known singers, Andre, will be the first
performer on stage in the semi-final on 18 May.
Armenia’s official Eurovision website is urging its sizeable
communities living abroad to vote for their song and land them a
place in the grand final.