Shining a light on Eurovision 1998

Last Friday, 3 May, was the 16th anniversary of the UK's last win at Eurovision, when Katrina & The Waves finally brought it home. Then, when they'd finished visiting home, in Kansas, they came back to their adopted UK. This, Nigel Farage, is how much we depend on immigrants.

Within hours of that first victory since 1981 happening (and please note that 16 year gap; we'll be returning to this later), a good friend of mine, a local writer, had said to me, "Let's lobby Birmingham City Council to hold it here!" I thought he had a valid point. We had the venues and the city centre infrastructure, but I wasn't convinced that the BBC would contemplate hosting Eurovision out of that there London, especially after such a long gap. Anyhow, I did nothing, but someone took it seriously, the council took up the challenge and hey presto! In the late Summer of 1997 (far, far later than it would be now), it was declared that Eurovision would indeed be coming to just down the road from my house, the next year. 

And so, Birmingham's NIA (National Indoor Arena) hosted Eurovision and the G8 conference just a few days apart, in the highest profile month in our city's history.

The Eurovision final (for that's all it was - we were still six years away from a two-show contest) took place on Europe Day, Saturday 9 May 1998. That's fifteen years ago tonight. I was there. I'd been accredited during the week leading up to it, for Gay Times. I had interviewed Dana International by phone to her Tel Aviv apartment back in March, in the issue that was now in the shops. My multi-lingual friend had also been at the NIA all week, lending his tongue to anyone who required assistance. We went to parties and press conferences and photo shoots. We didn't really go to rehearsals, because they were effectively in secret. Oh, how times have changed! (Having said that, this year's Eurovision has seen a slight return, with the first rehearsals in Malmö being held without journalists allowed in; a wise move, which allows the artists to acclimatise to the stage, without their nervous first rehearsals being splattered all over YouTube within seconds and chances written off within minutes.)

So, happy Europe Day! Let's relive a few of my highlights from my first Eurovision final, fifteen years ago tonight - as posted by me on facebook earlier this evening. Oh, and that 16 year gap between our last two wins? Well, it's a sixteen year gap again, innit? Bonnie's going to win. You can't argue with stats like that.

x x x x x x x

Forgive the indulgence for a few moments, but the 15th anniversary of Eurovision's last trip to the UK (and my first Eurovision show in the flesh) is worth celebrating. Here's the first song to be performed in Birmingham, by Danijela from Croatia. It still sends shivers down my spine, partly because the lights went down and it meant the show was starting, and partly because it's one of Eurovision's best ever songs, with a superb (but simple) performance. (A bit of arm-waving and a hoody routine. You can't go wrong.) She came 5th. The UK gave her a measly 2 points.

...and here (starting at 6:23) is the bit that EVERYONE remembers from Eurovision 1998. All of us in the hall thought that Ulrika had said the bitchiest thing ever to the poor Dutch woman. I nearly fell off my chair laughing, as it seemed so outrageous. In reality, Ulrika was only repeating what Conny Vandenbos had said herself, and was a victim of the delay on the line. However, the truth is nowhere near as funny...

...and here's my favourite artist from Eurovision in Birmingham; Mihalis Hajiyannis from Cyprus. Well, just look at him. I spent the whole of media week at the NIA doing exactly that and chatting to him whenever I could. Eurovision week also introduced me to the fact that we had a Greek/Cypriot cultural centre here in Birmingham, and we went to a small party there one night where (a) the food was gorgeous and (b) I saw Mihalis being mobbed like a superstar by girls of Greek/Cypriot origin from Birmingham. They already knew who he was, and it blew my mind. It was an interesting insight into the cross-cultural mix in our city and in Eurovision. He came 11th, with only 3 points from the UK.

Cyprus was followed on stage by Edsilia from the Netherlands. At the time, my favourite song of the 1998 contest, and one which I think has stood the test of time. (The dance mixes and English versions are great.) On the way to a party at the Sea Life Centre (as you do) in Eurovision week, Edsilia had said that, if she won, I could organise a promo tour of gay clubs for her in the UK. And so, with her 'only' finishing 4th, despite being the UK's second favourite of the night, my forthcoming career as concert promoter went out the window...

...and here's the UK's favourite song of the night. Our twelve points went to Chiara, who looks very serious here, but she had endeared herself to all and sundry during the week by donning a '70s disco wig at The Dome and throwing herself around the dancefloor to funky disco numbers...

And finally, the winning reprise (as seen on German TV). The artist who I had interviewed back in March 1998 for my first full Gay Times interview only went and won the damn thing, in my home town! It was all too much to take in. What a glorious night! Happy memories.

PS. In 1998, the 9th of May was hot and sunny all day, not pissing it down, as it is tonight.