Phil: Well … I don’t know how I let this one pass me by quite frankly … It’s not a Lordi clone, because Teräsbetoni are too an act in their own right. It is not a Kabat because “Rock should be sung in English” – according to Mills, and he is clearly wrong! It is likely to qualify, in my opinion, because it is a good rock song with indecipherable lyric and lots of fireworks. It’s all good – but slightly not in a normal way … I will be skiving off the last three rehearsals as I have had very little sleep and it is warm here in Belgravia. So, until tomorrow … Zbogom!
Nick: I think I’m impressed. Half the world thinks that Finland are trying to repeat the exact same trick from 2006 and have failed to understand what the trick actually was that they pulled. Not so. This is better than Lordi in every respect I can think of. It’s tougher, more authentic, and it’s not – at heart – a schlager dressed up in latex masks and hard guitars. This is the real deal, genuine uncompromising Finnish hard metal. It is actually not something that’s been tried in ESC before, to my mind. It’s also not Kabat.
Kabat weren’t quite sure of the nature of the contest they were trying to win, and produced something that was short of a hook. This grabs you by whatever part of the anatomy you fancy being grabbed by right from the outset. It’s not, however, going to win the contest and take us back to the Holiday Inn in Helsinki Railway Station. But it stands more than a sniff of a chance of finding its way into the Saturday Week 2 show, when we eventually get to it.
In a caring and respectful way.
And just to add… fantastic pyros (which they apparently had trouble getting allowed into the building, according to our floor manager!), and Finnish is totally a language with the right sounds for rock. I think it’s going to end up as my favourite of the semi, even though it’s not going to win it. Doesn’t much matter! 🙂
Franko: I like this. I know my views won’t be universally agreed with, especially by most of the readership of this column but I like it all the same. It’s Iron Maiden at their best all heavy guitars, flashing lights, axes and flames. For someone of a more discerning nature musically this is the kind of thing I’d like to see more of at Eurovision. It’s quite clearly going to win with the maximum 444 points possible … or more likely sink without trace and come last like the Czech rockers from last year who inspired them to do this. If there’s anyone watching in Estonia, Finland badly need that point you gave to the Czechs last year to save them from an ignominious fate.
I’ve recently hired a Finnish guy at work and he hates this but then he likes Sonia so that probably says a lot about his musical credibility. Come to think of it, why did I hire him?
Anyway vote Finland I say but you’ll probably take as much notice as people did of a man called Brian in a recent UK election. Bring on the boiled kneedpad I think. Insanity can’t be far away….