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6th February 2009, 10:40 AM
as from here (http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/idmhidqlgb/)
Eurovision hopefuls slug it out on YouTube
By Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
MORE than 10,000 fans have given an unofficial YouTube thumbs-up to a handful of Irish entrants for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
For the first time since the often ridiculed competition was launched, song hopefuls attempting to win the right to represent Ireland have been able to make their song public before the national final, in the hope of gathering grassroots support.
The estimated 300 entrants dreaming of representing the country in Moscow this May will be whittled down to just six by the time of the Late Late Show live final in a fortnight’s time, where a panel of judges, headed by Linda Martin, will pick the winner.
But while they will not be officially unveiled until February 20, five bands attempting to win early public support have placed their singles on the popular video-sharing website www.youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com), with more than 10,000 people already viewing the music online.
Among the bands seeking early public support include The Cowmen (Serious Water, 228 views), Kyle Kennedy and Shane Creevey (Seize the Day, 55 views), Chris Crocker (Mind in the Gutter, 7,732 views), Lauren White (A New Way To Fly, 526 views), and Lamph (Roisin Dubh, 1,386 views), with all songs — apart from Mind in the Gutter which has been already available — going online this week.
As part of its single, Waterford-based band Lamph has enlisted the help of early school leavers to take part in what the group’s leaders Eoin, 33, and Clodagh Jackson, 30, describe as a mix of "pop, dance and disco".
The song has been rejected by Irish Eurovision panellists for the past two years, but Eoin said he is confident this year will prove third time lucky.
"I’m a Eurovision nerd and I’ve done my research. This is a song that will work," he said.
"Before this year, if you promoted your song before the official national event you’d be disqualified, but the rules have been changed this year.
"I believe our song is good enough, I’ve looked through the trends in the Eurovision and it would definitely appeal to different parts of Europe.
"It’s about the economy to an extent, a line in it is says ‘there are no survivors in the eye of the tiger’. But the bottom line is I’m a massive Eurovision fan and I know it will appeal to voters. At the very least we won’t be knocked out in the first round if we’re picked," he said.
The final six Irish candidates for this year’s Eurovision contest will be unveiled on the Late Late Show in two weeks’ time. Here are the songs:
Lamph (Roisin Dubh):
VvvBPr4nIvo
Chris Crocker (Mind in the Gutter):
JVYzUuBKVho
Lauren White (A New Way To Fly):
F3vpULJm4mc
Kyle Kennedy and Shane Creevey (Seize the Day):
qDg_HanDfgo
The Cowmen (Serious Water): (Not in Top 6)
ADm9vDbgxGE
What's your favourite?
Eurovision hopefuls slug it out on YouTube
By Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
MORE than 10,000 fans have given an unofficial YouTube thumbs-up to a handful of Irish entrants for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
For the first time since the often ridiculed competition was launched, song hopefuls attempting to win the right to represent Ireland have been able to make their song public before the national final, in the hope of gathering grassroots support.
The estimated 300 entrants dreaming of representing the country in Moscow this May will be whittled down to just six by the time of the Late Late Show live final in a fortnight’s time, where a panel of judges, headed by Linda Martin, will pick the winner.
But while they will not be officially unveiled until February 20, five bands attempting to win early public support have placed their singles on the popular video-sharing website www.youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com), with more than 10,000 people already viewing the music online.
Among the bands seeking early public support include The Cowmen (Serious Water, 228 views), Kyle Kennedy and Shane Creevey (Seize the Day, 55 views), Chris Crocker (Mind in the Gutter, 7,732 views), Lauren White (A New Way To Fly, 526 views), and Lamph (Roisin Dubh, 1,386 views), with all songs — apart from Mind in the Gutter which has been already available — going online this week.
As part of its single, Waterford-based band Lamph has enlisted the help of early school leavers to take part in what the group’s leaders Eoin, 33, and Clodagh Jackson, 30, describe as a mix of "pop, dance and disco".
The song has been rejected by Irish Eurovision panellists for the past two years, but Eoin said he is confident this year will prove third time lucky.
"I’m a Eurovision nerd and I’ve done my research. This is a song that will work," he said.
"Before this year, if you promoted your song before the official national event you’d be disqualified, but the rules have been changed this year.
"I believe our song is good enough, I’ve looked through the trends in the Eurovision and it would definitely appeal to different parts of Europe.
"It’s about the economy to an extent, a line in it is says ‘there are no survivors in the eye of the tiger’. But the bottom line is I’m a massive Eurovision fan and I know it will appeal to voters. At the very least we won’t be knocked out in the first round if we’re picked," he said.
The final six Irish candidates for this year’s Eurovision contest will be unveiled on the Late Late Show in two weeks’ time. Here are the songs:
Lamph (Roisin Dubh):
VvvBPr4nIvo
Chris Crocker (Mind in the Gutter):
JVYzUuBKVho
Lauren White (A New Way To Fly):
F3vpULJm4mc
Kyle Kennedy and Shane Creevey (Seize the Day):
qDg_HanDfgo
The Cowmen (Serious Water): (Not in Top 6)
ADm9vDbgxGE
What's your favourite?