Sweden 1999: review
placings given in form (actual placing/my placing)
The Melodifestivalen is regarded as one of the better national finals, a reputation which SVT didn't compromise this year, despite their set designer having had the idea of reminding Europe that Sweden is a country of ice, and snow, and... not that much else, which perhaps explains the 'quartz' crystals positioned in front of the stage: either that, or Roger Pontare slipped a few kronor the set designer's way. Why presenter Anders Lundin made an entrance following a large white ball in the style of the 60s TV-show The Prisoner, I still don't know. What presenterette Vendela Thomassen was doing there at all, I still don't know either, unless she thought she'd turned up at a high cheekbones contest by mistake.
Charlotte Nilsson (1/6) was first to sing with 'Tusen och en natt', to be reworked in English as, variously, 'Crazy dazy summer' or 'Take me to your heaven'. The upbeat schlager impressed the audience, although possibly not Vendela, who moved swiftly along to a set-piece with a young boy called Simon, who introduced Crosstalk (6/1). 'Det galler dej och mej' was the song of the final, in my view at least, although admittedly I was helped in reaching this decision by the presence of their redhaired singer Jessica Tito Martins, and not helped by the two ballerinas who danced across the stage before Crosstalk started. Despite being compared to Ace of Base they (and Jessica) actually sound more like Aqua - unfortunately Scandinavia didn't capitalise on their chance to show Europe their... unique... contribution to the musical world.
Moving swiftly along...
Before the next song Vandela, who was making no secret of the fact she was reading from cards, threw the next one over her shoulder, and introduced Janica (7/4). In among all the Swedish there was something about Toni Braxton, who seems to have been one of Janica's musical influences, although the quiet soul-type ballad reached quite a screechy conclusion, ably assisted by five backing singers. More memorable maybe was the bare-chested man painted blue who introduced the song by juggling apples and then ran in front of a camera he wasn't supposed to during his exit. You'd think he'd get cold in Ice World dressed like that...
Dromhus (2/2) provided the second dance song of the final, although the only member of the band you saw was 21-year-old Therese Granqvist, who began 'Stjarna pa himmelen' walking down a long staircase and proceeded to reinforce her credentials as Swedish diva-in-the-making throughout. Memo to Marlain: learn...
Even if you can imagine 'Modlitba' with added electric guitars, pan pipes and men standing on the stage carrying flaming torches, you still wouldn't have been adequately prepared for Roger Pontare (5/5), a fat man with a pink Mohican who sang 'Som av is', ,'As of ice', wearing something that I'm sure used to belong to a polar bear. Halfway through the song Mrs Polar Bear turned up too and joined in with a flute (if you've got it, flaut it). Rather like the majority of German entries, I should by rights have hated it but in the event found it one of the two songs - the other being 'Det galler' - I could still remember the next day. One wonders if Roger and Ralph Siegel have ever met, but perhaps we shouldn't tempt fate.
Before the next song a man walked across the stage carrying a saxophone, something that Vandela didn't seem particularly perturbed by. Perhaps she knew that Martin Svensson (4/7) was going to provide an even stranger experience, and was saving her other facial expression for him. Martin's was another song I'd been hoping wouldn't win, judging purely by its title, 'Du ar sa yeah yeah wow wow'. He took two bows at the start of the song before launching into something that was presumably inspired by glam rock. Martin seems to share the same hairdresser as Dionyssia from Thalassa (I didn't think Swedes had roots...), and has developed a penchant for red eyeshadow. During the song he sang to a TV screen with himself (and the words YEAH YEAH WOW WOW) on, and then sat down on the floor. He didn't bow at the end.
Christer Bjorkman (10/10), winner of the MF in 1992, followed Martin with 'Walkommen hem', a ballad which he sung with four backing singers, one of whom was Richard Herrey, part of Sweden's ESC-winning group The Herreys in 1984. Despite the all-star line-up, all of whom were dressed in white, the general impression was of a less than successful boyband. Ai (9/3), on the other hand, knew they were a girlband and made no attempt to hide the fact: the five girls dressed like All Saints but sounded (and danced) far more like ENI of Croatia; it's something of a shame 'Bilder av dig' didn't win either, if only because it would have raised the prospect of them versus Precious in the green room on the night.
After 'Bilder' Anders appeared on stage again and something involving a gold clock, a blue clock and a silver clock ensued. The clock started singing. Swedish laughter. English girl very puzzled...
Arvingarna (3/9) wore beige jackets and sang 'Det svar jag pa', a slow dansband ballad, during which the white-haired Arvingarnan at the end looked as if he'd much rather be somewhere else. Halfway through the song the microphone (apparently) broke, although even though I'd known this was going to happen, I didn't notice. The song had to be reprised, although the white-haired Arvingarnan didn't look any happier.
Proceedings were closed by another schlager song from a C Nilsson, this time Cleo (8/8), who seemed another rival for the position of Melodifestivalen Diva and walked down the stairs, Shirley Bassey-like, in a sparkly black trouser suit. As schlagers go I've heard worse, and Cleo certainly wasn't lacking in stage presence, but despite the opportunities for confusion afforded between her and Charlotte, the first of them eventually won the day by over 40,000 votes after a circus-themed interval act and an interlude with the saxophone man visiting the dentist. It might have made more sense in Swedish, but I doubt it......