EUROVISION 2015: WHO GUY SEBASTIAN HAS TO BEAT

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
March 9 2015

by Peter Vincent, National Music Editor
March 9, 2015 – 5:42PM

Much has been written about Australia’s Eurovision pick Guy Sebastian,
a singer we know is richly-talented but suspect is lacking in dazzle.

And razzle too, for that matter.

It might be unfair to say so, but that doesn’t augur well for the
world’s glitziest and kitschiest show.

Sebastian’s chances of success though will, in part, come down to
whether he can make enough of his strengths – especially his ability
to tug heart-strings with his undoubtedly velvety voice. A good song
is essential and we may not know what he’s singing until March 16.

But in a contest that rewards attention-seeking behaviour, how his
opponents are received will surely be the deciding factor. So what
do we know about his rivals?

A quick glance at the other contestants announced so far reveals a
clear trend. There are more glamorous solo female performers than
ever (among them: Spain, Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Georgia, The
Netherlands, Albania, Hungary, Malta, Portugal) and fewer novelty
acts than ever. That said, one does stand out…

‘Retro polyester’ may have been more apt. The unheralded duo –
comprising unsuccessful reality TV contestant Bianca Nicholas and Alex
Larke, singer for Rolling Stones tribute act ‘The Rollin’ Clones’ –
will perform an up-tempo electric swing song that has been received by
critics as little more than a novelty track harking back to the final
days of The British Empire. The Guardian’s Stuart Heritage lamented
it as “hopefully… a nadir” in British Eurovision entries, believing
the logic behind it to be: “We’ve tried everything and we’ve failed,
so here’s something that sounds like a million ragtime-era dentist
drills going off in unison. Hope you choke on it.” Unmissable, for
all the wrong reasons.

Germany – Ann Sophie

Deutschland should have been represented by the wonderfully talented
but unphotogenic Andreas Kummert (Voice of Germany winner from 2013).

But after winning the right to perform in Vienna, he pulled out on
live television saying: “I’m not really in the right shape to accept
this,” before nominating the runner-up. Ann Sophie, a London-born
ballet dancer and wildcard entry, is that runner-up and she will sing
Black Smoke in Vienna. But the news hasn’t excited online bookies,
who now rate Germany a rank outsider.

Finland – Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät

Choosing PNK, a punk band whose members have learning disabilities,
autism and Down Syndrome, might sound like a bad pub joke, but this
looks like a double winning move. There’s an authenticity to it
which could be a vote-winner and even if it’s not, the Fins have
been courageous enough to use the huge television audience to put
Down Syndrome on the agenda in front of millions. Completely risky
move that you just feel could pay off no matter what happens.

Slovenia – Maraaya

The secret weapon behind Slovenian entry Maraaya’s chances is New
Orleans-born songwriter Charlie Mason, who co-wrote Conchita Wurst’s
winning song last year, Rise Like a Phoenix. Maraaya (Marjetka Vovk
and AleÅ¡ Vovk) will perform his new song, Here For You – and as you’d
expect, it’s a real earworm and already has the attention of bookies.

Italy – Il Volo

Italy are represented by a polished pop-opera trio, Il Volo (The
Flight), featuring nerdy tenor Piero Barone, smiley tenor Ignazio
Boschetto and devilish baritone Gianluca Ginoble. They won the right
to compete after winning the Sanremo Song Contest, which doubled as
Italy’s Eurovision qualifier. Il Volo would make opera purists wince,
but their dashing looks, powerful vocals and melodramatic performances
are about perfect for Eurovision. Is it too late for Guy Sebastian
to be cloned?

Armenia – Genealogy

If the phrase ‘Armenian supergroup’ leaves you scratching your head,
imagine trying to run band meetings between the members of Armenia’s
Eurovision entry Genealogy, who come from the United States, Japan,
Ethiopia, France, Australia and yes even Armenia. The Australian member
is Houston-born soprano Mary-Jean Anais O’Doherty , who studied in
Sydney and was a recipient of the ABC Symphony Young Vocalist Award in
2007 and the Australian International Opera Award in 2008. There is
of course no guarantee Genealogy will survive the first semifinal in
the Wiener Stadhalle, but it would terrific to see another Australian
in the final.

Ireland – Molly Sterling

Sixteen-year-old Molly Sterling, from Puckane in County Tipperary, is
a teen talent show veteran and bound to win votes for her youthfulness
if she can handle her nerves in front of over 100 million viewers.

Rated an outside chance, but has to qualify from the second semifinal.

Iceland – María Ôlafsdóttir

The tiny 21-year-old singer/actress, who often performs barefoot,
has a powerhouse ballad (Unbroken) that is exactly the kind of song
that could rise above voting blocks. A real dark horse.

Estonia – Elina Born and Stig Rasta

Estonia is already being tipped by bookmakers as a contender and it’s
down to the quality of their song, Goodbye to Yesterday, which sounds
like a ubiquitous international pop song with just enough retro appeal
to feel weirdly familiar – unlike Britain’s song which is too strong
on the retro flavour.

Georgia – Nina Sublatti

Moscow-born model/calligrapher/singer Nina Sulaberidze will sing her
own song, Warrior for Georgia. She has plenty of influences to, ahem,
draw upon including Janis Joplin, Bjork and Placebo’s Brian Molko.