Last weekend MusiCB3’s editor was in Liverpool for the Eurovision song contest.
Now before you get too excited, I have to admit that I, along with most of those who love all things Eurovision, wasn’t able to get tickets for the actual event. However a lot of fun was to be had just taking in the ambiance, as a musical city took Eurovision to its heart.
Of course Eurovision shouldn’t have been in the United Kingdom at all. When the Kalush Orchestra won with Stefania last year, the Eurovision fan train should have moved on to Kyiv, but with the war showing no signs of ending, the European Broadcasting Union decided that it would be unsafe to stage the concert there, and the competition was moved instead to the home of second placed act, the UK’s Sam Ryder. After a tense competition between various UK cities, that most musical of cities, Liverpool, won out, and Eurovision headed to the home of the Beatles (not forgetting Echo and the Bunnymen, Cilla Black, Atomic Kitten, The Spinners, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, organ builders Rushworth and Dreaper, Sir Simon Rattle and the wonderfully named Merseysippi Jazz Band. The list could be considerably longer…)
The day began with a ferry across the Mersey (where have I heard that song before?), which was crowded with Eurovision fans from all over Europe and further afield. A lady from Eastern Europe posed with silver angel wings, a Ukrainian family decked out in blue and gold took photos of the Liverpool skyline, non-Ukrainians wore sunflower inspired headbands as a salute to last year’s winners, and flags of all countries were everywhere. The Portuguese flag was draped across many shoulders, as most of Portugal appeared to be spending the weekend at Eurovision. There was even a party of Sam Ryder lookalikes with long blonde wigs, tresses gently waving in the Mersey breeze.
Landing at the appropriately named Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal, I headed through the Royal Albert Dock, admiring Ukrainian inflatable birds en route. Birds are important to Ukrainians with the trident on the Ukrainian coat of arms believed to derive from the white gyrfalcon. There were 12 of these enormous birds dotted around the city, all decorated with slightly different patterns, which I believe, derived from the pre-Christian Ukrainian tradition of decorating eggs with patterns for Spring. Talking of eggs, in the centre of Liverpool One (a huge shopping mall) there was a display of painted eggs, just the right size to be hatched by the monster (if very cute) inflatable birds. All the eggs were decorated and designed by local schools and kids clubs, with advice from Ukrainian refugee communities.
On every street there seemed to be a busker, many belting out Eurovision hits. There were more flags, and a parade of very Liverpudlian Lambananas in a mixture of flag colours. Irish fans, also bedecked in flags, strolled through the city. Tipperary friends met up, bemoaning that Ireland hadn’t made it past the semi-finals, but still having a great time in a city that was clearly enjoying itself. Even the dogs joined in the festivities with many sporting coats and collars in patriotic colours.
I wandered past the site of the old Cavern Club, and stopped at the Wall of Fame, amazed, as always, by the names of all those who had passed through there, and then it was on to the Exchange for a moving piece of artwork – the Nelson statue surrounded by sandbags, protected in solidarity with its fellow statues in towns throughout Ukraine.
Heading back toward the Albert Dock, there was the most extraordinary sight – a Ukrainian blue and Yellow Submarine, surrounded by roller skating jellyfish clutching seaweed banners, with a crowd of bemused tourists en route to the Eurovision fanzone for the afternoon pre-contest concert. It was completely bonkers, and very Eurovision.
I didn’t have a concert ticket so made my way to the ferry, where there was one last Eurovision moment. Joining the queue to board, there was a clear view of the monster screen in the Fanzone, and Katrina (with or without Waves) bopping on stage, while belting out the UK’s last Eurovision winner Love shine a light. And so back home, and on to the competition. Saturday night didn’t end well for the UK (at least it wasn’t the dreaded null points), but it had been the most wonderful, music-filled day, full of joy.
MJ
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