For this week’s Eurovision Fan of the Week we spoke to Sammie, aka @icemansammie on Twitter, who comes to us from sunny Brisbane. José shares his passion for music and dance, shares his Eurovision favourites, and the Australia artists he would love to see at Eurovision one day.
Thank you for being our Eurovision fan of the week! Tell us a little about yourself:
Thanks for having me! My name's Sammie Luck and I'm from not-so-sunny-right-now Brisbane, Queensland. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Popular Music and am a lover of performing! These days I’m predominantly an instrumental music teacher and a dancer, but the dreams of making and performing music are still alive.
When did you first get into Eurovision?
I don’t remember who but someone first introduced me to Alexander Rybak in 2009 cos of his violin skills and then I found Lena the year afterwards. But from then I didn't take full notice of the contest due to my final years of studies and working abroad. This was until the announcement of Dami in 2016!
What is your favourite Eurovision performance and why?
To pick one is probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do! I’m going to say it’s “Dance You Off” by Benjamin Ingrosso. He’s the kind of performer I aspire to be. He has the swag and his moves are slick. He really brought the energy and charm to his performance that I love. I really enjoyed the production of his stage with the lights to beat synchronization and the camera work. I really loved how fun this was to watch!
Yes! 'Dance You Off' is epic and so underrated! ~ Kyriakos
Which is your favourite Eurovision year and why?
I don’t have many years to work with haha, but I must say I enjoyed 2019 the most so far. Not only for the variety of songs, but because it was the first year I watched all the performances individually before the semis and the grand final. What a whirlwind! And then I came to enjoy more, if not all of them, after seeing them all live on stage.
Which artist/s from your country (or country you stan) would you love to see on the Eurovision stage? Which song/s best showcases that artist?
I would love to see Samantha Jade be a part of it. She is such a lovely person! A song like 'Up' would bring such a feel-good vibe or 'Firestarter' with a darker club pop kind of vibe would be great too. I love her voice, and she sings effortlessly.
Another one would be Cody Simpson. I didn’t really follow his very early days, but his music and voice has matured so much. 'Underwater' is a great example of this. I really dig the coastal vibes from those records that followed. His latest single 'High Forever' is also great too. Love me some synths!
Both great choices!! Would love to see them compete for Australia!! ~ Kyriakos
Which national final do you look forward to the most? What makes it special?
It’s got to be Australia Decides, for obvious reasons. It's also the closest I have been to a Eurovision stage and it being accessible makes it perfect. Apart from that, I enjoy what the Norwegian National Finals bring. It always seems like such a diverse mix!
If you could change one thing about any national final or Eurovision what would it be?
It’s probably been said a lot, but live instrumentation would be amazing! Just to hear songs in a live setting with different arrangements showcases all sorts of layers and creativity. Or maybe even the possibility to have certain instruments being mic-ed up would be cool too rather than miming.
What is your opinion on returning artists? Is there one you would like to see again?
It’s a tricky one. On one note it’s great to see them wanting another shot or to 1-up their past performances, but I do love the opportunity for others to come forth. Having said that, I feel like especially with 2020-2021 and returning artists that was fantastic. They deserve that chance! I haven’t been following the contest for that long compared to others, so I’m sure my opinions would be different depending on the scenario.
If you could pick only three performances to encourage new people to watch Eurovision what would they be:
'Heroes' - Måns Zelmerlöw
'Zero Gravity' - Kate Miller-Heidke
'Ktheju Tokës' - Jonida Maliqi
Great choices!! Especially 'Heroes' haha! ~ Kyriakos
Which Eurovision song:
Is the best winner?
'Euphoria' - Loreen
Has the best live vocal?
Kate Miller-Heidke. She’s a vocal acrobat.
The best from the last 10 years?
'Yodel It' - Ilinca feat. Alex Florea. The first time I heard this studio recording I was like: “what is this, I-” *hits replay*
Was robbed?
Dami Im in 2016 :(
Is your guilty pleasure?
'Heaven' by D-mol. Ok, here me out! I was NOT a fan of their first performance of it. But when that revamp dropped, I was indeed shook to the core and was very much there for it. I am probably still their biggest fan haha.
Is your favourite National Final song (that didn't make it to Eurovision)?
'Tave Čia Randu' by Gabrielius Vagelis. I love his dreamy smooth vocals and the synths to match. It carried so much emotions, even upon first listening I had no idea what he was singing about! I loved it so much I even made choreography to it and performed it as a flashmob with my dance crew.
And finally which Australian entry is your favourite…
I really loved Kate Miller-Heidke. I was captivated by the studio recording and her storytelling. Her blend of musicality and personality is so special. I’m so thankful to have seen her perform it live at our National Finals. She really went above and beyond (literally!) in her performances.
Are there any other titbits or comments you’d like to make?
I think Eurovision is so special to me because it fills my heart with so much joy! Music can be enjoyed by everyone and I feel like there’s a song out there for everyone. I try my best to be active on social media if anybody would like to connect! You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @icemansammie, and also you can find me dancing/singing on my YouTube channel if you search up my name. Also shoutout to anyone in Brisbane - come along to our dance classes @bringaplatedance and during Eurovision week I’ll be sure to bring the vibes for our classes. Once again, thank you for having me Aussievision. It's been a blast being able to share my love of music with you all!
Once again thank you so much Sammie for being our Eurovision fan of the week!