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© Danny Mekic
Monster rockers face questions
Lordi at winner's press conference
Shortly after the end of the show, Lordi entered the press hall to huge cheers (especially from the Finnish contingent amongst the press!) and the sound of the winning entry Hard Rock Hallelujah. Mr Lordi, flanked by the rest of the group on both sides, took centre stage wearing a traditional blue fur-lined hat.
"How weird is this? How cool is this?! We feel great!" started Mr Lordi. "What a weird experience! We're all the way from Lapland, Finland... Wow, it's nice. I'd like to thank all the hard rock fans, all the Kiss fans, all those who aren't narrow-minded. To think, the Eurovision Song Contest... Think about it!" He continued by singing a jubilant line borrowed from sixth-placed fellow competitors Lithuania: "We are the winners of the Eurovision!" before launching into a question and answer session.
Did you ever dream of winning the Eurovision Song Contest, or was it your worst nightmare?
It doesn't feel like a nightmare! We didn't think about entering the Eurovision Song Contest. The Finnish Eurovision board called us last year to join and we said yes! We thought about it at first then just said: Let's do it! We had an album coming out in February and we looked at it as good promotion. It's weird, it's great...
What kind of impact will this have on the Eurovision Song Contest?
It's a victory for rock music, Finland and Lordi. And for open-mindedness! A lot of Eurovision fans are in minorities, just as we are in a minority. Heavy metal bands think we are rock, rock bands think we are heavy metal. But finally, Finland have won. We hope this shows that there are different genres of music as well as pop and ballad. There's rock, hip-hop... all varieties of music can be in the Eurovision Song Contest. We hope more rock and metal groups are encouraged to join, and maybe over the next few years different kinds of styles can enter the contest.
Could you tell us what is under the masks?
What masks? I started the band 14 years ago, and 12 years ago I had the idea of monsters. These are our working outfits. It's a bit like Father Christmas - if I took off the mask it would spoil the illusion. These are the characters and we leave them on the stage. It builds the mystery: this is Lordi!
Sweden gave you twelve points. Any advice for Carola?
Thank you Sweden! The people love our rock music there, and Carola was great. She was very nice, and she understood that what we are all about is entertainment.
Anna Vissi said that Finland was her favourite. What do you think of Greece's song?
I've already spoken to the Greek media and told them it was my favourite melody. I gave them my compliments! It's not that far from Lordi's style, but maybe with different lyrics.
Are you rockers or Finns, first and foremost?
A Finn is a Finn, and the Finns are proud of us. We're representing Finland, ourselves and rock music! We're equally Finnish and rockers.
What were your expectations before the contest?
We hoped to make the top five, but the top ten would have been great. We aimed to get Finland's best result. Just making the final was great. But rock music, Finland winning... wow!
Have you had any trouble with the ladies?
Ladies run into trouble when they meet us! We spend three hours in make-up to look pretty for them!
How do you plan to capitalise on the victory? What next?
This is just a side-path for us. It sure looks good at the end of the path: victory! We're going to get back to normal now, with rock tours, and the next album. Maybe more people will buy it now. There could be lots more fans.
What can we expect next year?
(Head of delegation) We are proud to host the 2007 contest. It will be a pleasure! I want to thank the Greek hosts for the brilliant show and friendly welcome, I want to thank the hard work of the band: hot under the costumes but very warm beneath their skins! And of course I have to thank the Finnish broadcaster YLE.
What has Helsiki got to offer for next year?
Finns and Greeks have a lot in common; Finns are a deeply honest and hospitable people. Everyone is welcome in Helsinki! Welcome, welcome, welcome!
Will your win change the contest?
We only ask: no copycat acts please! We did this to prove that people can be open minded, and it doesn't matter what you look like. If you like the song, you like it, and if you don't, you don't. You have to look beyond the image.
Does your entry represent the dark or the light side?
I can only stress (for the millionth time) that we have nothing at all to do with satanism and devil worship. There are all these misconceptions... You only have to look at the lyrics of the song to see that it's not about the devil: Hard rock hallelujah. It's as serious as a horror movie, it's entertainment. No one would be stupid enough to choose good over bad; put it this way, who is cooler: Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader?
The contest is popular in Australia; would you be willing to travel that far on tour?
We'd love to visit Australia! Kiss have already done Australian tours too. It wouldn't be too far at all!
Why do you think kids love you?
We're like their action figure toys, their comic book characters. I don't feel a day over twelve! But amongst our fans we have kids, adults, older people - everyone.
You mentioned that you would have a holiday from Monday - is that still on the cards? I can't see it happening now!
How can you be sure? We'll get back home first and see what happens... The contest has been a bit of a holiday compared to touring - we usually do three hours on stage, and here it was just three minutes on stage!
Lordi then left and was promptly mobbed by photographers and press. The band is expected to be at the aftershow party in Euroclub - but will they appear unmasked, and would anyone recognise them if they did?
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Greece's ANNA * VISSI is one tough cookie and, despite Europe's ... trance(!?!)
to vote for that scary Lordi monsters option, she rules as THE ULTIMATE
S*T*A*R, this year!
It goes to show you that ...
[b]ESC 2006 ATHENS + "Everything" = Euro[u]VISSI[/u]on[/b]!!!
because ANNA * VISSI was (and is) the most talked about ESC artist
in 2006 ... still going from strength to strength!
As for that ... trance, I blame it on the ESC Commentators and fans in the
remaining 36 countries, who were O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D. by Greece's [i]"Everything"[/i]
having been STEADILY in the lead as Favourite-to-Win for three whole months
(since March 2006) ... which is why Greece had to be "punished" for
H[b]A*V[/b]ING the most favourite SONG because that would mean
... a back-to-back win for Greece, thus making ESC history and,
apparently, nobody wanted that ... despite GREECE having had the most
f[b]A*V[/b]ourite song and having presented the BEST EVER Eurovision Song
Contest in its ... 51 years of existence!!!!
No worries ... No. 9 IS STILL A LUCKY and CELEBRATED NUMBER,
and ANNA * VISSI proved she already was ESC 2006 'DANGER' No. 1,
even though everything was done to stop ... [i]"Everything"[/i] from
reaching that top spot, when Europe supposedly voted ... SAFELY(!?!)
but ended up [b]FINN[/b]ishing with that ... HORRIBLE act!
Congrats again, and, this time, only because ANNA * VISSI was a Lordi fan!
Great interview, Lordi!!!!
Congratulations, Finland!!!!
cheers killing time.... 
should i also try to quote:
....our greatest glory consists in not never falling, but rising every time we fall....
"someone"
....well being a fool it was really hard to do that... 
...take care mate... 
[b]
2 Tiny Memory:
I totally agree with you! Exactly my analysis!!!![/b]
The Eurovision Song Contest should be about expanding the popular musical boudaries. This year's contest completely failed such a purpose. Yes, the winning song was different in that it gave us "hard rock", but it was not original - nor was it anything that could be described as special. Indeed, it is a very ordinary song that was dressed up with imagery. Only Bosina Herzogovina and Armenia gave a cultural flair to their entries, the B&H song being by far the best song in the contest.
The voting system is flawed by the neighbour factor and the migratory trends. The Scandinavian, Baltic, Balkan, ex-CIS, Iberian, Mediterranean pockets will all vote for each other. The large Turkish community in Germany will vote for Turkey as will the large Irish community in the UK vote for the homeland. There also seems to be a covert negativity attittude towards the big 4, which may explain the lower than expected placings of Germany and Spain. This year's result also highlights the fact that countries participating in the semi-final gain a slight advantage within the final due to better coverage/familiarity with their entry.
The ESC Management will be reluctant to come away from the text/telephone voting system, as it obviously generates funds to the participant broadcasters.
I would propose that two semi-finals take place with the top 12 from each qualifying to the final. I would also propose that 50% of the voting total be given by an independent competent jury.
In the final analysis of this year's contest Malta got less than 0.5% of Finland's total, yet the Maltese song was more melodic and pleasant. Hard rock will not become popular as a result of Lordi's win, but bizarre costumes in next year's ESC may well be the trend!
EUROVISION 2006. NON EUROPEAN WATCHER.
1. NICE SET AND TV GRAPHICS. THE VOTING WAS FINE SHOWING VOTES IMMEDIATELY AND THEN THE TOP THREE. WHO NEEDS THIS DRAWN OUT WHEN THERE ARE SOME 32 COUNTRIES.
2. SOME USUAL POLITICAL KISSING THY NEIGHBORS BACKSIDE FOR VOTES. TYPICAL EURO. NOTHING DIFFERENT.
CONTEST ITSELF.
(a) Best Entertainment/Novelty value: FInland.
(b) Best Eurovision Voice: Romania
(C) Best " Typical" Euro: Sweden
(d) Underated Songs:
Germany, UK, Norway. Should have faired much higher.
(e) Most OVER rated songs:
FYR, UKRAINE, CROATIA, ARMENIA: knocks off's of Greece 2006 in chord, influences.
(d) BEST original Ethnic Influenecd song with wide appeal:
Bosnia and Herz. AWESOME
FOR THE FUTURE:
The usual amount of crap soNgs get high votes thanks to folks who dont see this as a song contest. It is time for Euro to move in a different direction. Pop and Ballads are so old and classless now. NOW if you want to win - go to Las Vegas a copy a stage show from Sigfried and Roy or Cirque du Solie. Someone had to up the anty. I am glad a lot of people sat there in horror as Finland romped home. For how many years can we listen to the same type of songs - with no one leading the way or having the courage to change the direction?
nOW GET AN act.
@ bostan
Love thy neighbor, but don't get caught ....
you're free to send me email also ....
i hate Valentina's spams.. it should come to an end.
God,what a bunch of loosers!!!are they trying to scare the shit out of someone???or,are they just playing stupid????they did not deserve the victory!!!END OF STORY!!!
2 Rebela
Thanx Rebela
Finally we saw Lordis
2 Ana Savic
Who's Helena?
Lordi:
url=http://www.freewebs.com/escgroup/]http://www.freewebs.com/escgroup//url]
i think they were younger in this pic
ELENA IS THE WINNER!!!
Hey Burce,
It looks pretty hot to me. (
Hey Burce,
It looks pretty hot to me. (
they sing our song how cute...i love lordi...and i think they love us lithuanian people...lithuanain country loves lordi group they are we winners of eurovision is true... i dreamed about day what lordi win ESC...now i dreamd about what that lithuanian take 1st place at ESC 2007... go lordi,go lithuanian we win next years...
I think it would be good if no one knew where Moldavia was. But unfortunately it remains your and my dream. French, do know where and what Modlova is. I was surprised myself.
And the reference for them is their Tintin comics (part of French culture) about Syldavie and O-Zone group from Moldavia. They pronounce our capital in a very funny way ("Shizino" - Chisinau. Some, but few, also know Criciova - the biggest wine cellars in the world, where among other mlns of bottles we have precious Gerring's wine collection, which even French don't have in their cellars (with such wines as Chateau Mouton from 19th century, or whatever it is called...)
Why would it be good 5modlova not known)? We would not have Turks scaring our gilrs on the streets then. However, I should admit that your shawarma is very tasty sometimes.
But tell me, why do they (Turkish shawarma sellers) pretend being Arabs? I did not understand this?
papasakokit man geriau kas kitais metais Suomijoj vyks bus karnavalas...
!!!!!!!!! F*U*C*K !!!!!!!!!!!!
Turk and Greek goverments like to live on the bleeding edge
but they are leaving the bleeding to the YOU PEOPLE .....
WAKE UP !!!!!
I'm very sorry for the pilots, i hope they're not dead ....
Sijune and the rest don't bother to answer to all these invidious comments.It's obvious why and who they are making them.Esc is supposed to be smth entertaining,so let them entertain themselves by showing how envy they are.Missery doesn't fit here.Fits with their lives though.Can't you see??
A show like that has never happened before,how can you wait THEM to admit it?Sad stories from sad people
Congratulations Finland,i m very glad you have finally won,and Sibel was SO sweet,actually i liked her more than anyone else(as a person)
@ EuroVision funs
EUROVISION SONG CONTEST TRIVIA
Italy boycotted the 1981 Eurovision Song contest, saying that it was too old fashioned, while the following year France ducked out saying that the cost was too great for such mediocre results.
Some of the most popular entries to the Eurovision Song contest have including wonderful titles like, 'Boom Bang-aBang' (UK, 1969), 'A-Ba-Ni-Ba' (Israel, 1978), 'Bana Bana' (Turkey, 1989) and 'Bourn Badaborun' (Monaco, 1967).
In the 1978 competition, Norway became the first country to not receive a single vote for their entry, 'Mil Etter Mil' (Mile after Mile).
1983 Turkish Eurovision entry, 'Opera' consisted entirely of the word 'Opera' being repeated over and over while Spain's cleverly titled, 'La La La' contained no fewer than 138 la's.
In the 1968 event Britain complained that Spain had not voted for their entry (Cliff Richard's 'Congratulations' to make it lose. In 1966 Scandinavians Sweden & Norway, who finished second & third respectively were accused of 'teaming up' to help each other.
Norway entered the 1980 competition with a song written about the construction of a hydro-electric power station. Finland, not to be outdone by their Scandanavian neighbours scored nul points in the 1982 competition with a song protesting about the building of a nuclear power station.
The youngest ever winner of the Eurovision Song contest was 13 year old Sandra Kin from Belgium in 1986. A natural result of this was that contestants started to get younger until a furore occured in 1989 with France's 11 year old entry and Israel's 12 year old.
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