In case you were wondering what I did last weekend and even if you weren’t: I went to the tackiest, kitschiest, and most fabulous of song contests: Eurovision, baby!
I went to Copenhagen with Alex and Sarah and brought our support to #teamConchita. The weather wasn’t what we expected for mid May, but we had to make do. The healthy food trucks & garbage food helped us along.
And this amazing rainbow cheered us up.
I couldn’t help but see it as a symbol of the freedom that reigned in the city. Was it a premonition that our beloved drag queen was set to win??!
In the crazy electrified atmosphere, I even got a tattoo.
No, it’s not permanent as you can see the lady gently rubbing it on me.
We went to the Jury Final on Friday. We had good seats, too! We could see both the stage and the backstage, watch all the hidden preparations, the flying cameras, the digital mega screen that was the stage, the mounting the hamster wheel for Ukraine, the trampoline for Greece, or the Oyster-like podium for San Marino.
The show was absolutely breathtaking. The special effects, the lights, the sheer entertainment of it all.
Showbiz at its best.
We were roughly 11.000 people in Eurovision island, the world’s former biggest shipyard.
We watched the actual final in an Irish pub to shelter from the rain. Although we each liked many performers, we had a clear common favorite, Conchita Wurst.
The lyrics of the song, Rise Like A Phoenix, are indeed inspiring. “It’s a story of going through bad times and struggling through difficult things, and growing out of it and hopefully becoming a better person.”
Conchita herself is maybe even more inspiring. When she won, she said “This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom.”
I’ll toast to that.
There are many more reasons why I’m glad she won. Not only is she a great singer and gave an outstanding performance. It will also upset the Russians. Vitaly Milonov, the notorious anti-gay propaganda politician said that “pervert” Wurst would “insult millions of Russians” by taking part in the “Europe-wide gay parade”. It was interesting to see that the Ukrainian singer received rousing cheers while Russia’s Tolmachevy Twins were booed.
And for those still itching at the thought of Conchita’s winning, don’t forget another of her memorable phrases “Hey, I’m just a singer in a fabulous dress, with great hair and a beard!”
