This week I got to pick the brains of Eurovision Fan of the Week - Jeremiad from Canberra (@liketheamalfi on twitter). He takes us through his history with the contest and flexes some taste with his favourite Eurovision entries of all time!
Thank you for being our Aussievision fan of the week! Tell us a little about yourself:
Thank you for having me! Well, to answer your question, my name is Jeremiad, and I was born and raised in Canberra. I have pretty much lived in Canberra my whole life having never moved cities or houses. I really like it, but I would definitely love to travel abroad sometime in the near future.
How did you get into Eurovision?
I think the first time that I had ever heard of Eurovision was when I was watching an interview on Sunrise with Dami Im after she came second in 2016. The interviewer kept referring back to controversy and Dami being robbed, which I didn’t understand, because she won the X Factor. Then they mentioned Ukraine and Europe and all this other stuff that confused me more, so I did some browsing, and I guess it all started from there. This is going to sound really bad, but I haven’t actually watched Eurovision live yet. My first time was going to be last year before it got cancelled, which is pretty sad. Hopefully this year I will wake up early to watch it.
~ First of all WELCOME to the fandom and not embarrassing at all mate! Any time is a good time to get into Eurovision, live or delayed broadcast. The evening shows in Australia certainly are more atmospheric in a lot of ways. You're not alone getting into the contest after Dami Im's nail biting finish. (Liv)
Whom is your favourite Eurovision performance and why?
That’s so difficult! There are so many! But if I had to pick one, I would probably say 'Every Way That I Can' by Sertab Erener in 2003. I feel like that was the first time that staging really mattered at Eurovision, and you can clearly see the impact it had on some more recent entries like 'Fuego' and 'Cleopatra'. It is really cool to think about. Is it too patriotic to also say 'Zero Gravity'? That was awesome. I look back on that moment and still can’t believe we actually did that.
~ All fantastic choices - taste detected. (Liv)
Which Aussie artists would you love to see on the Eurovision stage?
If I had to narrow it down to three artists, the first would probably be CLYPSO. I only discovered her a few days ago but her sound is perfect for Eurovision. I definitely recommend listening to her song 'Storm' if you haven’t yet. It’s been stuck in my head for days.
The second artist I would like to see on the Eurovision stage is Cub Sport. Their music is very dream pop, and there is definitely more room for that type of music at Eurovision. And for my third artist, it would be between Sneaky Sound System and The Veronicas. Both of them are just so iconic and I grew up listening to their music.
Have you enjoyed having ‘Australia Decides’? Do you think we’re on the right track having a National Final (in a standard season) or do you think we’re stronger with internal selection?
I love Australia Decides! There are so many fantastic indie and alternative artists in Australia who now have an awesome opportunity at expanding their fan base globally by performing on the Eurovision stage. I think the internal selections worked for the first couple of years, but they became really tired up to a certain point. It’s really cool to see more underground artists having a shot, like Jaguar Jonze and iOTA. Not to mention I also love Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst. They’re hilarious.
~ Amen to discovering new artists through Australia Decides and giving Joel and Myf a chance to really shine!(Liv)
Which national final do you look forward to the most? What makes it special?
I really love Festival da Canção. The quality is always high, and the style of music is definitely suited to me. I just love how chilled-out it is, and it has given me some of my all-time favourite Eurovision entries, like 'Medo De Sentir', which was my winner last year!
What is your opinion on returning artists? Is there one you would like to see again?
I think if an artist wants to come back then they have every right to come back. It just shows how much they love Eurovision. I would love to see Hatari give it another shot. They were amazing. I have always disliked that kind of sound, but their song from 2019 was one of my favourites that year.
~ The Hatari effect! I'll admit it got me too - initially following their national final the studio didn't grab me AT ALL but after watching their performance I was won over instantly. I think it jumped up Dale's ranks about 30 spots after *getting it* haha. (Liv)
We finally have Montaigne's entry for 2021 ‘Technicolour’! What do you love about it? Any staging ideas YOU would love to see from her?
I really love it. It’s so much fun. The message is really beautiful, and I love how it still manages to be experimental but also accessible to listeners who aren’t familiar with that sort of music. It has a really great balance of those things. I also love the hook. I’m constantly singing it in my head. I would definitely love to see lasers of some kind in her performance. Maybe some robots? A lot of colour would also be really neat. I really hope she goes for that futuristic vibe!
~ If there are no lasers I will RIOT (Liv)
If you could pick only three performances to encourage new people to watch Eurovision what would they be:
I would pick Blanche from 2017, Zala & Gasper from 2019, and The Common Linnets from 2014. I feel like there is a niche for everyone at Eurovision. But most people I have spoken to who don’t know a whole lot about Eurovision assume that the contest is all craziness. I feel like these songs are a way to show new people that while the contest does have its crazy moments, there are also many beautiful subdued moments.
Which Eurovision song:
Is the best winner?
'1944'. I hate to say it because we placed second that year but Jamala was amazing and really deserved it.
Has the best live vocal?
'Suus' by Rona Nishliu or 'Sound Of Silence' by Dami Im.
Is your favourite Aussie National Final song (not to make it)?
'Rabbit Hole'. I’m still upset about what the juries did to it. The song would have been my winner last year. Hopefully Jaguar Jonze makes a return soon!
~ Yes, yes and YES. (Liv)
Was robbed?
The Belgian song from 1968, 'Quand tu reviendras'. One of my all-time favourites and can’t believe it placed only seventh!
Is your guilty pleasure?
Lately, I’ve been really into 'Yodel It' from 2017. I have no idea why. Guess I just like yodelling.
Is your favourite National Final song?
'Rabbit Hole' from Australia Decides 2020!
And finally which Australian entry is your favourite…
If we’re just looking at studio versions, maybe 'Don’t Break Me?' But in terms of the overall package, definitely 'Zero Gravity'!
Any other titbits you’d like to make?
You’re amazing!
Thank you so much for your time and kind comments Jeremiad!