Thunderbolt at Eurovision. Last Saturday in Amsterdam, one month before the 2023 edition, on May 13 in Liverpool, the tricolor candidate La Zarra canceled a performance in the Dutch capital. Referring to “personal concerns”, she also failed the London public waiting for her the next day.
In both cases, the Quebec singer was expected to perform Obviously, title with which he will defend France in the final. She was to perform alongside dozens of other candidates during a promotional concert, in front of an audience made up of international tele-hook fans.
Two aborted appearances that remind us that, contrary to what the average viewer may think, Eurovision is not just an evening, and it starts well before May for the artists.
“It’s an election campaign that takes place over five months before Eurovision,” they recall for BFMTV.com Jean-Karl Lucas and Émilie Satt, the two halves of the duo Madame Monsieur.
Those who defended France in 2018 with their title Mercy they say that they have “sung (their) song all over Europe to make it discoverable to the fans”. Because it is an authentic round-trip marathon, walks, performances and interviews around the Old Continent that awaits the artists chosen to represent their country every year. With a big challenge: meet the international audience and captivate potential voters before D-Day.
The “pre-holidays”, a crucial stage
In addition to the television and radio shows that artists participate in in their own country, most of their international promotion takes place at events called pre-parties. These short, independent Eurovision festivals take place every year in the four corners of Europe (and even beyond) between March and April. Very popular among fans of the contest, they host many singers from the edition in question.
Some pre-parties They have become unavoidable events: Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam and the London Eurovision Party in London, both in which La Zarra was going to participate, but also Israel Calling in Tel Aviv or PrePartyES in Madrid.
“Attending Eurovision has become very expensive,” laments Benoît Blaszczyk, secretary of Eurofans, the French association of Eurovision fans.
“HE pre-parties They are a substitute: those who can’t make it to the final can meet the artists there and see them on stage.”
strategic appearances
They also allow the singers, who come accompanied by their delegation, to bring their song to life during the months prior to the competition. By performing it on stage during a group concert, meeting fans and the press and thus benefiting from international media coverage.
An interesting focus, when we know that the contest rules prohibit countries from voting for their own representative. If candidates want to rack up votes, they need to look elsewhere:
“Fans really appreciate that artists make the trip, take the time to introduce themselves and spend time with them before the concert,” Jakob Traxler, co-organizer of the Barcelona Eurovision Party, launched in 2022, told BFMTV.com.
For the 27-year-old, his presence or not at these events can have an impact on the election results. He wants proof of this in the participation of Loreen, the Swedish candidate, who has participated in several pre-games in recent weeks despite a victory that some believe is already assured. Contest Superstar, which she first won in 2012 with international success Euphoria – is a favorite of bookmakers with tattoosthe title he will defend this year.
The Barcelona Eurovision Party, which was held last March, offered tickets between 38 and 65 euros for its 2023 edition. It hosted more than twenty artists for three days and claimed 5,000 visitors “from Spain but also from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Italy”.
Not to mention the 90,000 live views on YouTube thanks to the live broadcast of the concert and the 130,000 replays that followed in 48 hours. Enough to offer artists great exposure to fans most interested in the competition and thus quick to vote on D-Day.
“Whirlwind” media, artistic… and political
These trips “have a bit of a political side,” adds the duo Madame Monsieur, who had played the pre-party game by performing “in Amsterdam, London, Kiev, Israel, Portugal and Spain”:
“The head of the delegation is also there to talk to the other heads of delegation, to try to create an environment around the song, that we talk more and more about it, to convince journalists to talk about it…”.
They also remember having met the French ambassador in Lisbon: “Eurovision is very strong, for this reason. It creates bridges between languages, the curiosity of one country towards another.”
“Our press secretary told us that it was one of the most important media whirlwinds, that whatever the level of career, you never have so much promotion concentrated in such a short time,” recalls Emilie Satt.
Both recount an “amazing”, “huge” experience, made up of “super benevolent fans” and encounters. Each performance works like a rehearsal: “In terms of confidence and mastery of the profession, we learn a lot.” But they also evoke a “physically exhausting” rhythm and a “pressure to participate in a great competition”.
Well positioned by the bookies going into the final, and despite vigorous promotion, Madame Monsieur had finished 13th. An honorable score but far from what the media coverage expected. Which, according to Émilie Satt, reflects a “gap” between the Eurovision fans, who follow the developments of the competition upstream, and the viewers of the final who award the points.
“Being Good on D-Day May Be Enough”
“It is the average viewer who chooses,” explains Benoît Blaszczyk. “And often, this viewer discovers all the songs that night. Italy proves it: they almost never do pre-parties and that didn’t stop them from winning in 2021 (with the group Måneskin, Ed).”
Something to put into perspective the impact of these pre-parties. Eurovision attracts approximately 180 million viewers each year, according to the site. Statistics. The number of voters is never revealed, but it’s hard to believe that 5,000 fans came together for a Pre party can make weight For the specialist, French fans who fear the consequences of the cancellations of La Zarra can rest easy:
“What happened in Amsterdam may give you a bad press, but it’s not harmful at all,” he said. “Being good on D-Day can be enough.”
Two nights count now. On May 12, the final essay, during which the jury of professionals from each country will award their points, which will account for 50% of the score. The next day, viewers will take turns voting on the final. Votes will be revealed at the end of the night.
Source: BFM TV
