`Eurovision that never was' has fans pining for golden times

Over its many years, Eurovision Song Contest has come to be a sign of times. So it is perhaps fitting that, in coronavirus times, thing will be happening on Saturday at scheduled venue of Ahoy Hall in Dutch port city of Rotterdam.

In 1974, it was ABBA that ushered in a new era for once-staid and conservative song contest; in 2020, it is ar acronym, COVID-19, and everyone hopes its reign will be brief.

Despite cancellation of contest that's wildly popular in Europe and beyond, evening of Saturday's finale will bring some respite for diehards, with a remote television show bringing to over 40 nations many of artists who rmally would have been vying for a career-changing victory.

“We’re, like, 41 people that are all in some kind of weird little club that didn’t, like — Eurovision that never was," said British entry James Newman.

Eurovision certainly has been a fixture — since 1956 in fact, longer than European Union itself. In main act, countries from across Europe — and a few from beyond it — compete for continent’s musical crown, seeking votes from all participating countries.

contest started in black-and-white era of television, in real, chandelier-hung palaces, and reflected all too long its staid origins with sugary-sweet ballads or corny upbeat songs. Meanwhile, outside its bubble, Woodstock, Rolling Stones and Doors were titillating youth of yore.

n came 1974, and with it a sea change. Almost half a century later, you may cringe at glittery outfits if you want, but never underestimate impact it had. ABBA song “Waterloo” proved to be anything but a crushing defeat for competition itself.

It launched Swedish foursome as a superband of seventies, and allowed people to dream that at Eurovision, anything could happen.

And really it did. Somehow, it became a vector of camp and kitsch. Perhaps because acts can be expected to be in such addictively bad taste, wadays almost 200 million viewers tune in for finale. concept of “guilty pleasure” could have been invented for Eurovision.

Even more surprising than ABBA's victory, if t quite as artistic, was win in 2006 for Lordi, a Finnish heavy metal band that will always be remembered for its monster masks and post-apocalyptic outfits.

Eurovision contest became much more than that, though, and has become a symbol for sexual rights and, sometimes, a cesspool of politics.

It has increasingly developed a gay following, especially after breakthrough victory of trans Israeli singer singer Dana International in 1998. It also has its conservative critics, and rarely more so than when bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst won in 2014.

Politics has also butted in. Sometimes voting is perceived to push for or deny victory to certain nations, always grist for rumor mill, but never proven.

It took a much more serious turn when Ukrainian singer Jamala won 2016 edition with “1944," about deportation of Crimean Tatars under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, which could also be interpreted as an allusion to situation in Russia-annexed Crimea under Vladimir Putin.

re won't be any such issues this Saturday, when Eurovision broadcast will seek to hor each and all of competitors, and still keep a surprise element.

British entry Newman will be re — in front of his television set, in true lockdown style.

“Still going to have a Eurovision party at home — just me and my wife," he said.