At the age of 67 you actually retire. That’s how old he is Eurovision Song Contest become this year. Or should I say: young.
Because the competition, which began in 1956 as a conservative tearjerker show, is fresher and more modern than ever today. And the biggest music show in the world.
A wide range of songs, a bombastic stage with fantastic light and pyrotechnics, plus sexy dance interludes, extravagant costumes, glamorous stars and all kinds of weird birds.
BILD reporter Mark Pittelkau in Liverpool. He has been reporting from the ESC since 1998
That was not always so. What was certainly justified in the last century as the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson would simply no longer be up-to-date today. Over the decades, the Grand Prix had dusted into a stiff event that hardly anyone wanted to see anymore.
That only changed in 1998 when Guildo Horn represented Germany with his contribution “Guildo hat dich lieb”. What sounded like a joke and shocked Grand Prix princes of the time like Ralph Siegel was suddenly the new benchmark.
Guildo Horn sang “Guildo hat dich lieb!” in 1998 in bell bottoms and a frilly shirt
Because Guildo managed despite or maybe because of his weird appearance with his song at least a respectable seventh place. And: In the same year, a transsexual took first place for the first time. Dana International from Israel.
In the years that followed, the ESC became more and more colorful and diverse. In 2006, Lordi, a hard rock band in monster costumes, won, and in 2014, Conchita Wurst, a bearded, powerful-voiced man in a dress, won.
And in 2010, thanks to her mentor Stefan Raab, the very young Lena Meyer-Landrut finally brought the ESC victory back to Germany. With a white guitar and a polka dot dress like Nicole did in 1982, it certainly wouldn’t have worked that well.
Singer Nicole 1982 during her performance with the song “A little peace”
Of course, the ESC also has participants who are really bad and embarrassing. But that’s what makes a music competition today! Whether it’s DSDS or the ESC: the viewers want to have fun and certainly want to blaspheme a bit. It’s a show, not a church service!
I think that the Eurovision Song Contest is very much in line with the current zeitgeist. That’s why this show is far from retiring.
