Poli Genova!
There was a huge queue for her and SuRie to have pictures taken with - I was lucky enough to be at her Bristol concert and so already have a really nice photo with her but Joanne Powell took one of me at the end of the night:
As usual, my point of view always is at odds with most OGAE UK fans - this was my douze points:
Regular readers will know that I've always been a sucker for a sweet ballad sung by a vocally brilliant and visually attractive woman! As for the final result at the actua; OGAE SCC, whoever made the selections at EuroBash might have struck lucky with their 2018 pick, that is all I will say until a future post...
SuRie
- Performing at Vienna was her earliest Eurovision memory
- Belgium allowed the artist lots of artistic freedom and license to do what they wanted to make their entry as believable as possible - she felt very constrained by the BBC
- Rylan from 'Eurovision:You Decide' said that being at Eurovision would have a 'catapult effect' on her career - she felt it was more like a boomerang
- Biggest revelation was the fact that she was 'filler' at the UK NF, the 6th act, as there was nobody else to make up the numbers. She also told us that nobody within the BBC expected her to win UNTIL she performed in Brighton and then there were hurried amendments to press releases and she was aware of all of that
- She sent an entry to JESC 2010 and will post a picture of that online
- Blanche contacted her immediately after her public Final performance and THAT incident, mistakenly thinking that it was all a publicity stunt!
- She has not heard from the BBC about 2019 but she does feel that whatever is sent to Tel Aviv, the song itself has to be exciting and different, not middle of the road stuff
Poli Genova
- Earliest Eurovision memory was Dana International winning in 1999
- Her 2009 NF experience taught her how to lose
- She felt that she still wasn't ready to go to Eurovision in 2011 and it was a fun filled experience, including where she had to be put up at the home of one of the London Eurovision Party hosts, as the Bulgarian delegation only had enough funds to buy her a return flight to London
- She was the one that pressed hard to represent Bulgaria in 2016
- She felt that all of her entries had and should have her national identity imprinted on it
- She wouldn't rule out returning to the Contest, even for another nation if they wanted her.
Svante Stockselius
- Earliest Eurovision memory was ABBA winning Contest with Waterloo
- Travelling around different nations when with the EBU greatly improved his diplomatic skills!
- He was immensely proud that the 2000 Contest didn't cost the Swedish taxpayer anything
- As for his time as Executive Supervisor, he felt that opening up the Contest for all of Europe was his biggest achievement
- He felt that Eurovision fans were better than football fans - we don't fight, we are friendlier and we are better singers!
- He is a successful owner of harness racing horses in Sweden
Yet another really informative and entertaining panel, everyone being totally at ease and Monty pulling out some interesting stuff - the two singers had more work to do later on, whilst Svante just had to assist with the announcements of some of the Eurostars results...
Eurostars
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Last year's winners, Sylvia and Edward did their last performance as Jemini, showing yet again how they won the 2017 version of Eurostars. If it was possible, 2018 was at a whole new level as far as vocals and performance were concerned but the whole point of the show is entertainment value and we had that in abundance. The atmosphere was electric - Sasha picked that up from the Green Room looking back at the crowd (and picked me out too):
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You've already seen what Paul Oskar looked like and I would love to show you more but I was so thoroughly entertained by all the acts that I barely picked up my phone to take any other shots! All nine acts were great in different ways and we were treated to:
The top 3 were outstanding however:
Sasha as Knez singing "Adio"
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The lady at the end of Eurobash, with her look of Montenegrin stan (she doesn't normally have a 5 o'clock shadow though)...
And her as Knez - phenomenal transformation and she spun well too...
Well deserving of a third place on the night - a superb reward for Sasha's first Eurostars and her first Bash too!
My actual favourite of Eurostars 2018 ended up second - we had an 'Opera Jacques' and a 'Popstar Jacques'...
Ness, Michael, Rodney and Katy as Jacques Houdek and friends singing "My Friend"
I have to say that this is one of the best entries at Eurobash that I have seen to date. The original performance in Kyiv, where Jacques Houdek is half opera singer, half pop singer in dress, is bonkers enough but to have Ness being 'Pop Jacques' and Michael as 'Opera Jacques' was a masterstroke! Add in Rodney who had actually hired a proper set of tails to play the violinist, along with Katy doing her best cello impersonation and this got my top marks of the night. Thanks to Joanne yet again for having the presence of mind to record this - I have to say that I was surprised to hear that they hadn't won but then again, the winner of this year's Eurostars could only have performed his act more perfectly if he had been female and been wearing a silver corset...
Michał as Ani Lorak singing "Shady Lady"
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A thoroughly deserved winner (pose with the trophy captured by JP of Eurovision Radio International), Michał sung spot on, had ALL the moves and I mean all of them (including the positions in front of the light boxes, if you remember Ani's staging from 2008) and stole the show performing from the 'pimp slot' - as performances played 'straight' at Eurostars go, this was one of the best I have seen and he was a deserved winner (he flagged up this video of his winning act):
All these newbies doing so well - could i ever do such a thing in my sixth year? There was mutterings with certain people after all the singing...
Poli and SuRie
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Notice anything? I'm directing that comment to Eurobash regulars more than anyone who has never been before...
The closest I can remember this happening before at Eurobash was when Krista Siegfrids sung 'Marry Me' and we were all standing up but at no point do I recall a special guest imploring all of us from the off to stand up in front of her, dance and sing. Our typical British reserve did make everyone pause for about ten seconds but then we were all up there for both her set and SuRie's. If you remember my article at Amsterdam Calling, where I said that Poli was possibly the best live performer I had seen, this adds to that statement and then some. Given what has happened today (Monday 16th October) with regards to her nation announcing that they won't be at Tel Aviv, I've already pointed out to Greig Watts, now on the BBC Eurovision team, that she might be free next year (hint, hint!). She sung superbly at EuroBash and we of course helped her out with "Na Inat" and "If Love Was A Crime"...
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SuRie looked and sounded amazing too - I can't remember seeing her perform in a dress before, so that was new to me at least. She showed her excellence at singing and performing by coping admirably with her ear monitors that weren't working well, either having one or both of them out and still singing beautifully. We got to hear most of her Eurovision repertoire, from 'Rhythm Inside', through to her warm up song in Lisbon 'This Is Me', to the track that she will always be remembered for by us Eurovision fans, "Storm". She interacted with the crowd in her own unique way, even jokingly chastising JP from Eurovision Radio International for having his mobile light on in her field of view as he filmed her! The Eurobash crowd loved her and if she had any doubts how the fans felt about her still, she would have had those quelled after being at Leeds. She is going to be at the OGAE Denmark show on 27th October alongside Anne-Marie David, Ace WIlder, Rasmussen and Fabrizio Faniello, so that should be a good night too!
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This was the clearest shot of the EuroBash logo I had taken all night, complete yet again with Rachel and Eloise draped over a sofa! After all of the 'stars of our show' had sung their best, we had the traditional end to the night, that of the EuroDisco where even I was dancing, thanks to Nikki and Layla, and I was even there for the traditional last dance to "Love Shine A Light". I'm normally still drinking at the bar then! For me, this was probably the most enjoyable Bash as far as the evening session was concerned - whether that is because it was my fifth show and I knew exactly what was going to happen and therefore I was so relaxed, or perhaps I now know lots and lots of other fans who go to the event and it is now a night of a few steps from one friend to the next. I also met up with somebody that I only started chatting to last year in Manchester but stood out like an EU beacon to me:
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I have to say that Maria (above) and Robyn (dressed the same but not in shot) had the outfits of the night, at least for EU lovers like me. It also 'yanked on the chain' of any Eurosceptics that happened to be on my FB timeline and that is never a bad thing! I look forward to seeing what she might bring to the event next year.
Given that we had some new faces on the Eurobash Organisers Committee and some new hosts, this went really well and I have to say that the venue, Hilton Leeds City, was the best out of the three I have been to. I am already hoping that we will be returning in 2019, given that we have been to the others two years in a row. I stayed at the hotel for the two nights and it was superb, the food during the Bash was amazing and plentiful, and the space within the Brigate Suite was great, especially for so many people, I didn't feel cramped at all. The other bonus was the proximity to the railway station, just five minutes away.
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Eurobash 2018 was superb, absolutely flawless as far as I was concerned. I loved the weekend's events and a great time appeared to be had by all. Congratulations to all of the organisers and hopefully all those fans attending for the first time this year will want to come back for more. So here's to my sixth show...
Eurostars
the lights of Electro Velvet (Elaine and Paul)
a powerful performance from Nico with "Waar is de zon?"
that Paul Oskar performance from Paul, Rachel and Eloise
Stuart and Andy putting me off fancying the ladies from T.A.T.U for life
Carlo providing us with a memorable portrayal of Eleni
Ed bringing possibly the most unique entry to the stage, Leon from 1996 that brought about the Big 4/5.
The top 3 were outstanding however:
Sasha as Knez singing "Adio"
Just came off stage!! Loved every second...anyway stream Adio! (shout out to Jacques Houdek in the background) pic.twitter.com/9CZApVqbGq— Sasha 🇲🇪 (@eurotrashsash) October 6, 2018
And her as Knez - phenomenal transformation and she spun well too...
SPIN KNEZ SPIN pic.twitter.com/tbVeBLLDw2— Sasha 🇲🇪 (@eurotrashsash) October 7, 2018
Well deserving of a third place on the night - a superb reward for Sasha's first Eurostars and her first Bash too!
My actual favourite of Eurostars 2018 ended up second - we had an 'Opera Jacques' and a 'Popstar Jacques'...
Ness, Michael, Rodney and Katy as Jacques Houdek and friends singing "My Friend"
I have to say that this is one of the best entries at Eurobash that I have seen to date. The original performance in Kyiv, where Jacques Houdek is half opera singer, half pop singer in dress, is bonkers enough but to have Ness being 'Pop Jacques' and Michael as 'Opera Jacques' was a masterstroke! Add in Rodney who had actually hired a proper set of tails to play the violinist, along with Katy doing her best cello impersonation and this got my top marks of the night. Thanks to Joanne yet again for having the presence of mind to record this - I have to say that I was surprised to hear that they hadn't won but then again, the winner of this year's Eurostars could only have performed his act more perfectly if he had been female and been wearing a silver corset...
Michał as Ani Lorak singing "Shady Lady"
All these newbies doing so well - could i ever do such a thing in my sixth year? There was mutterings with certain people after all the singing...
Poli and SuRie
Poli actually got us out of our seats from the start of her set and turned it into a gig, rather than have us all sat at our tables, politely clapping!
The closest I can remember this happening before at Eurobash was when Krista Siegfrids sung 'Marry Me' and we were all standing up but at no point do I recall a special guest imploring all of us from the off to stand up in front of her, dance and sing. Our typical British reserve did make everyone pause for about ten seconds but then we were all up there for both her set and SuRie's. If you remember my article at Amsterdam Calling, where I said that Poli was possibly the best live performer I had seen, this adds to that statement and then some. Given what has happened today (Monday 16th October) with regards to her nation announcing that they won't be at Tel Aviv, I've already pointed out to Greig Watts, now on the BBC Eurovision team, that she might be free next year (hint, hint!). She sung superbly at EuroBash and we of course helped her out with "Na Inat" and "If Love Was A Crime"...
So my overall impression of Eurobash 2018?
Given that we had some new faces on the Eurobash Organisers Committee and some new hosts, this went really well and I have to say that the venue, Hilton Leeds City, was the best out of the three I have been to. I am already hoping that we will be returning in 2019, given that we have been to the others two years in a row. I stayed at the hotel for the two nights and it was superb, the food during the Bash was amazing and plentiful, and the space within the Brigate Suite was great, especially for so many people, I didn't feel cramped at all. The other bonus was the proximity to the railway station, just five minutes away.
Eurobash 2018 was superb, absolutely flawless as far as I was concerned. I loved the weekend's events and a great time appeared to be had by all. Congratulations to all of the organisers and hopefully all those fans attending for the first time this year will want to come back for more. So here's to my sixth show...
I'm up for EuroBash 2019...
Are you?