GREECE: Finnish heavy metal rock band - dressed as monsters "Lordi" win the 51st Eurovision Song Contest in Athens

Record ID: 712272

  • Title: GREECE: Finnish heavy metal rock band - dressed as monsters "Lordi" win the 51st Eurovision Song Contest in Athens
  • Date: 25th May 2006
  • Summary: FINNISH FANS CELEBRATING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH FAN ANTE SAMALA SAYING: "I can't believe this, this is so amazing, finally. I am so happy and so proud of Finland." (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH FAN HEIDI SAYING, "I feel like I am in sleep. I will wake up tomorrow and it didn't happen because it's Finland, we are not used to this. We never succeed in Eurovision and all of sudden we are winners. And with such a great song, that caused a lot of talk. And people are really liking it." VARIOUS OF FINNISH FANS CELEBRATING
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA1TKI9GPDQFAJM47AERVJEZNDR
  • Story Text: In a radical move in Eurovision history, a heavy metal rock band - dressed as monsters - won the 51st Eurovision Song Contest in Athens on Saturday (May 20) through a tele-vote by tens of millions across the continent.
    It is the first time Finland has won, and the first win for a group dressed in costume and masks - which aided the group's success.
    "This was a victory for rock music, not only for Finland and not only for Lordi, but it was a victory for rock music. And also it was a victory for open-mindedness," said lead singer Lordi, of the winning rock group Lordi, who added that the group's victory will open the song contest to more unconventional types of music.
    Lordi captured voters from all over Europe, clinching 12 points, the highest grade from north to south.
    The group, which has a faithful following in Finland, beat out Russia and Bosnia with their melodic heavy metal song, "Hard Rock Hallelujah", which includes lyrics such as "I got horns on my head, my fangs are sharp and my eyes are red."
    The group scored 292 points, followed by Russia with 248, and Bosnia Herzegovina with 229. Romania took fourth place.
    Lordi staged a dazzling performance with fireworks shooting from their guitars and the lead singer, Lordi, raising huge bat wings behind his costume.
    The group had become the talk of the town with their terrifying masks and costumes, full of horns, blood and scales, and had drawn feverish and widespread media attention in the last week leading up to the contest.
    Comments in local media in Finland, that Lordi was a satanic group, was harshly denied by the band who said they were simply 'a hard rock band dressed as monsters." They also have a song called the "Devil is a Loser".
    "We have nothing to do with satan worship or satanism or anything like that. This is as serious as a horror movie. The thing is, this is entertainment," said Lordi frontman.
    The group, who sports names such Amen, Ox, Awa, and Kita, including a woman, never appear without their masks and makeup, which takes three hours to prepare.
    "People ask us are we ever going to take off the masks. And the answer is no because that wouldn't be Lordi. It would be the same as, think about it, on Christmas Eve and Santa Claus is giving out the presents to children and Santa Claus takes off the beard and says by the way I am your father," said Lordi frontman.
    "OK, let's put it this way, which is more cooler, Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader?" he replied to one reporter's question of whether masks and makeup were too frightening.
    Russia's singer/actor Dima Bilan took second place with a dancy pop tune, "Never Let You Go", sung in English, while Bosnia's Hari Mata Hari, known as the "nightingale of Sarajevo" took third with his more traditional crooning ballad "Layla", showing that the ballad holds its appeal in Eurovision.
    Tele-voting swung geographically, with most regions voting for their neighbours, with the exception of the Finnish monsters, which won the hearts of most of the voters.
    It is the first time Finland has won the contest. The country has been in last place eight times, and the highest they have ever scored is sixth place in 1973.
    Finnish fans were euphoric.
    "I will wake up tomorrow and it didn't happen because it's Finland, we are not used to this, we never succeed in Eurovision and all of sudden we are winners. And with such a great song, that caused a lot of talk. And people are really liking it," said Finnish fan Heidi.
    Thirty-eight countries, including Serbia and Montenegro who withdrew from the contest, voted for the winner after contestants were narrowed down to 24 entries.
    Although the contest has propelled groups such as Abba and Celine Dion to stardom, many Eurovision winners soon fizzle away from the international limelight after their win.
    More and more countries have been sending some of their top singers to the contest, raising the bar of a contest that was for many years considered tacky and insignificant.
    But Lordi will make the 51st contest one of the most memorable.
    From young singing novices to local chart toppers to plain old bizarre, the mix was wide this year in both music styles and ages.
    A cappella, country music, rap, and of course, the ballad, a mainstay of Eurovision, were included in this year's running.
    One of the most surprising but entertaining entries to make it to the final was Lithuania's Lt United, six black suited men performing silly antics on stage with a song called, "We Are the Winners of Eurovision". The effect seemed to work however as they placed in the top ten.
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