Winner of the European Song Contest 2006

Post by **jarkko** » Sun May 21, 2006 1:07 am

Hard Rock Hallelujah by Lordi, Finland !

margaret · Post by **margaret** » Sun May 21, 2006 1:11 am

Congratulations to Finland

Henning · Post by **Henning** » Sun May 21, 2006 1:19 am

Congratulations from Elke, Thomas, Barbara and me ! I told them, that Jarkko is one of the guys under disguise. They were very impressed of the kind of friends I have. I had to promise, to bring a signed autograph from next weeks dinner in Cologne.

Andrew McGeever · Post by **Andrew McGeever** » Sun May 21, 2006 11:36 am

Jarkko,
I had intended posting a comment about this event, but you got in first

I recall reading that Finland had one of the highest male suicide rates for males in Europe: now I know why

You're all stark raving bonkers!!
However, if it makes you happy....

Andrew.

P.S. I write this, having survived British Eurovision winning gems such as..
"Puppet on a String" (Sandy Shaw)
"Congratulations" (Cliff Richard)
"Making your mind up" (Bucks Fizz).
I guess that makes me stark raving bonkers too

Post by **jarkko** » Sun May 21, 2006 12:10 pm

And here is the whole winning band (photo downloaded from Helsingin Sanomat website):

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun May 21, 2006 8:17 pm

Will they be in Berlin to sing their version of lc songs?

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Sun May 21, 2006 9:22 pm

It seems the Russians ain't happy about this....

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- "Hard Rock Hallelujah" may have triumphed over "Never Let You Go" but, for some Russians, Eurovision was a scandal.

One day after five Finns in monster masks edged out a Russian heartthrob at Europe's largest and most-watched pop music contest, some Russians complained Sunday that the vote was skewed against their country.

Some callers to the Ekho Moskvy radio station proclaimed Dima Bilan's superiority to the Finnish group Lordi; one aggrieved woman said the result was the latest in a series of anti-Russian moves by Europeans.

"'We are First!' That's exactly how many Russians are reacting to the results to the international contest, Eurovision Song Contest 2006," the anchorwoman for state-run Channel One -- which broadcast the contest live -- said as the channel led its noontime newscast.

"Many specialists considered the vote for the victor to be a protest vote," she asserted.

"The sense is that the contest was more about circus performers, clowns and pyrotechnic effects, and not a song contest," Yuri Aktsyuta, a top music producer at Channel One, said in televised comments.

"I will never believe that the song by the Finnish group Lordi was better and stronger as a song than ours," he said. "I think that Russia was the winner and the voting was a protest vote, to some extent, but it was unclear what the protest was for."

Not all Russians were critical of the results, however; 80 percent of people responding to an unscientific poll by Ekho Moskvyi said Bilan's second-place finish was a success.

The Finnish cartoon metalheads, who sport latex monster masks and spark-spewing instruments and sing about "the Arockalypse," scandalized some compatriots when their song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" was chosen to represent the Nordic nation.

Meanwhile, Bilan -- whose performance of "Never Let You Go" featured an white-clad actor climbing out of a white piano -- had a more diplomatic response to the results, which was one of the highest finishes for a Russian performer in the history of 51-year-old contest.

"I'm so proud for my country. I'm unbelievable happy and there were so many interesting performers," Bilan said. "To be recognized in practically all over Europe is very pleasing."

The three-hour contest was broadcast live Saturday evening from Athens' Olympic arena in 38 countries to an audience estimated at 100 million.

p.s. Are Lordi from the Klingon Empire?

Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam

johnny7moons · Post by **johnny7moons** » Sun May 21, 2006 10:48 pm

All hail Lordi!

This is the first time Finland's ever won anything at all in Europe, right? I think there's a lesson to be learned. The Finnish national soccer team should dress up in latex fright-masks - World Cup glory beckons.

Post by **jarkko** » Mon May 22, 2006 12:46 am

Johnny, don't forget the success of our ice hockey team - our climate makes ice hockey more obvious choice than football!

johnny7moons · Post by **johnny7moons** » Fri May 26, 2006 12:37 am

I didn't know Finland had had success at ice hockey - but then, I'm not a sports fan, all I know is that our (British) media was full of stories for a couple of days about how the Finns had never won anything and it was a source of great national shame... until LORDI came along and smashed all European opposition to smithereens.

I suggest Finnish scientists and statesmen start wearing latex fright-masks and plastic armour - Nobel prizes will surely follow.