LEP As It Happened

On the 14th of April 2019, 23 acts from 19 different countries participated in the London Eurovision party, held at the Café De Paris, Soho for the 12th consecutive year. This year I was lucky enough to attend the event, so this my review for the show, as it happened

We first got into the queue at about 5:30, where by this time it had wrapped around the corner. Getting into the venue was quick and easy, and the staff were very organised and quick to check tickets, ID and bags, ensuring that everyone got into the venue in time. We were stood to the right of the stage, right near steps, and got a great view throughout the performances, the first of which was SuRie.

You could honestly tell SuRie was happy to be back, she just had a beam across her face throughout. Personally I think she was the best option to open the show, performing both "Rise Like A Phoenix" and of course "Storm". She also made light of the stage invasion, joking that she would actually be able to keep her microphone this time, which she most definitely did. Vocally, she was in control the entire time, hitting each note flawlessly. I honestly think she will be a Eurovision treasure for the UK, as she is a genuine fan unlike a lot of the acts who represent the UK, who are just there for the exposure, and don't really know much about the contest.

Next was Magdelena from Poland, who sang her 2011 Eurovision entry Jestem, as well as a coverEdyta Górniak's "To Nie Ja", and "Va Banque" from her new album. She brought backing vocalists too, which was a nice touch. Next we saw Anna Bergandahl of Eurovision 2010 and Melodifestivalen 2019 fame, performing both "This Is My Life" and "Ashes To Ashes". I Think it was nice to see some of the songs who didn't quite make it, and that international Eurovsion fans who did not go to Melodifestivalen would never get to see live. Holly Tandy from You Decide, the UK's selecetion also made an appearance, singing her version of "Bigger Then Us" and a cover of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" again, another brilliant vocalist with plenty of poetentual.

The last of the Guest performers were Eye Cue from North Macedonia, which was great for me, as although Skopje fest 2015 was not used as the selection in 2016, It was the first selection style programme I watched, and their win ignited my passion for this kind of music. They performed "Lost and Found", their Eurovision song from 2018, as well as "DANCIN", their new single.

Then came the performers from 2019. Eliot from Belgium opened, noticeably nervous however in control. He also brought his grandparents, who were front and centre in the VIP section. This where my recollection of running order gets a bit fuzzy. From what I remember, I believe Miki was next, singing a cover of AnitLopez's "Prefiero" to a roaring applause. After "La Venda", which featured a confetti drop on the last chorus, it seemed that the party was truly getting started, and the energy levels, had risen. Paddy and Nicki did a great job of keeping up these levels, getting the crowd to sing the chorus back at the end.

Lake Malawi had a great stage presence in both "Paris" and "Friend Of A Friend". Now I know why Jamala was dancing so much at Vidbir. The band as a whole looked so in sync and together, despite the instrumental being playback. Albert was also super supportive of the other acts, watching from the stairs on a number of occasions, and stopping for photos at the bar with fans. Ireland's Sarah was equally as engaging and, something about her radiates warmth and friendliness. Throughout her performance she never seemed above the audience, I wouldn't have been surprised if she was jamming with the crowd the rest of the night.

Latvia's Carousel, along with Albania's Jonida Maliqi were magical, they didn't seem to be in the same room, perhaps not even the same planet as the crowd, but in a good way. They seemed so engrossed in their songs, which made for a classy and atmospheric performance from both. Jonida looked gorgeous in a Burberry checked playsuit, looking more and more like Camilla Cabello each performance. Her hands were visibly shaking a lot during her performance, whether it was from nerves, or the emotion of the song, she encapsulated the audience. I just couldn't look away from her and her beauty, meaning I didn't et as many pictures of her as I would have liked to. 

Sadly Carousel were drowned by the crowd talking throughout their performance, which is really not on; regardless of whether you like the song or not, you should at least have the decency to listen to their performance. Despite this, they delivered a soulful performance, and the crowd again sung the song back to them. I met them outside the venue having a smoke, and they were truly down to earth and kind, perhaps relieved to not be flocked by fans and press as some of the other acts were

Leonora engaged the crowd well, getting everyone to sing along in the chorus of "Love is forever". She was effortlessly charming, and channelled Anja Nissen, wearing the same outfit she did at Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and Eurovision In Concert. In my opinion, John Lundvik performed well, but came across quite rude by telling the crowd to be quiet, and telling hosts Paddy and Nicki they needed to hurry up the show.

Café De Paris sadly isn't a venue designed for groups like Tulia, who looked great in their traditional dresses, however seemed cramped on the small stage. They sound completely different live, where you can actually hear each individual voice, but for me, the blend of the voices together really elevates the song on the live recording. Jurij's vocals were great live, and and the crowd sang along to every word of "Run With The Lions". 

Of course Mahmood brought a calm and sophisticated aura, a true crowd pleaser, performing both "Remo" and "Soldi" to an enthusiastic audience, which consisted of Bilal Hassani of France, who supported his fellow competitor from the stairs, and John Lundvik, watching from the VIP section.

I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Sebastian Rejman and Darude, who proved that regardless of whether your song is one of the favourites or not, a good performance can really win over the crowd. Both Darude and Sebastian were openly engaging and interacting with the audience, with Sebastian even going to take a sip of a fans drink, but then deciding against it. Bilal Hassani of France seemed to be here to enjoy the other performances, as well as perform himself, and was also charismatic and really enjoyed performing "Roi" and new song "Jaloux", which Bilal wrote after his win at destination, as a response to all of the hate he received based on his looks and song.

he fan favourite Duncan Lawrence commanded a hush from the crowd as he began the first few bars of "Arcade", and looked shocked and touched at the crowd singing his song with hum. As the song progressed he began to look distant as some before him had, as if he had transported himself back to the free, but fragile Duncan we see in the Music Video.

Another surprise was PAENDA of Austria singing "Limits", a song which I think you have to see live to be able to appreciate, but her second song "Love Myself" would have been a far better choice for Eurovision. Estonia's Victor Crone was also a delight to see live, even without his female backing singer with him, which he commented on during his performance as he broke into the bridge, holding a non existent hand from behind, quickly reminding himself that she was not there.

Homeboy Michael Rice did us proud too with a stellar performance of "Bigger Then Us", featuring a confetti canon, and a performance of new song "Churches", showing an alternative, perhaps more personal side to Michael's music. He also announced that the official video for "Bigger Then Us" would be released this Friday, later revised to Saturday.

KEiiNO of Norway most definitely stole the show, the noise from the crowd was deafening ! It was the most enthusiastic crowd I have seen for a while, with everyone singing along to every word of "Spirit In The Sky" and if this doesn't become a Euroclub classic, there will be mutiny. There was a lot of love for the joiking in the song too, which I think will come across the way Epic Sax Guy did and become an icon of the year. They also performed a club version of  "Shallow" by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, which couldn't have worked any better with their voices.

Overall, the show was very fluid, with Paddy and Nicki doing a great job of supporting each and every act, and ensuring that the changeover time was filled with Eurovision jokes and friendly digs towards each other. Nicki also produced a brilliant cover of "Si", which she names as the song which first began her love of Eurovision. Scott Mills and Jayde Adams of BBC radio also made an appearance to introduce the home act.For me, getting pictures with Bilal, Carousel and Michael was more then worth the money for the tickets, and I will definitely be coming to next years!

Bonus photo gallery