A Swede who lives in Finland and who is lost in Euroland - the wonderful world of Eurovision
There is always some matter to discuss or just a song I want to share
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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Iceland 1997: What a shocker!

This could be hard to believe these days when almost nobody goes to Eurovision without an elaborate stage show or pyros or dancers, but the 1997 entry from Iceland hit the ESC in a most dramatic way.

The audience was still used to singers coming on stage, performing their songs just like that. Paul Oscar demanded a white leather sofa and brought dancers dressed in latex.

He was also the first openly gay performer to take to the ESC stage and he made quite a big deal out of it. His song is a melodrama about the depraved diva who lived a hard life, burnt out and is now about to dance her last dance, sing her swan song and make her grand exit.

These days, this would not be shocking at all, but in many ways Paul Oscar triggered a new development. He challenged the formula - what a eurovision entry could and should look and sound like.

Also, as the juries made thumbs down but the televoters made thumbs up, it was yet another factor in favour of abandoning the jury system and have televoting instead.

I just wonder what an entry would have to do today to become as influential as this performance has turned out to be?

See Paul Oscar's performance from Dublin here .

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