Eurovision 2023 officially kicks off in Liverpool as Frankie Goes To Hollywood reunite for opening ceremony
Frankie Goes To Hollywood has reunited 36 years after they split up, performing in front of a 30,000 strong crowd in Liverpool in a concert to mark the start of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The band, who formed in the city in 1980 and acrimoniously parted ways seven years later performed just one song.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s singer Holly Johnson performing in 1985. Pic: AP
Despite being most famous for number 1 hits including Relax, Two Tribes and The Power of Love, they instead chose to perform Welcome to the Pleasuredome which made it to number 2 in the charts in 1985.
Holly Johnson, Brian Nash, Paul Rutherford, Mark O’Toole and Peter Gill have not performed together since an argument before their final gig at Wembley Arena in 1987 is reported to have led to a fight backstage.
Other Liverpool-linked bands to perform at The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome outside St George’s Hall included Atomic Kitten, The Lightning Seeds and funk band The Real Thing.
Former Eurovision winners Conchita Wurst, who represented Austria in 2014, and Ukraine’s Jamala, who competed in 2016, accompanied by the United Ukrainian Ballet, also performed.
Liverpool has been transformed with public artworks and installations for the international music competition, which the UK is hosting on behalf of Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.
The competition kicked off in earnest on Sunday, with the 37 competing acts walking a turquoise carpet ahead of the song contest next Saturday.
Electronic duo Tvorchi, made up of producer Andrii Hutsuliak and vocalist Jeffery Kenny, will compete for Ukraine with their rousing song Heart Of Steel.
Kaarija from Finland are second favourite to win
Last year, Kalush Orchestra swept to victory on a wave of support from the voting public.
Mae Muller, 25, will compete for the UK with her dance track I Wrote A Song, featuring tongue-in-cheek lyrics about a cheating ex-boyfriend.
Last year British TikTok star Sam Rider took second place in the competition.
Wild Youth will represent Ireland with their song We Are One.
Loreen from Sweden, Kaarija from Finland and La Zarra from France are the competition favourites.
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Mae Muller met the King in April
The Eurovision Village, at the city’s Pier Head, opened on Friday with a performance from last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra.
On Saturday, Scissor Sisters’ singer Jake Shears performed there after a screening of the King’s coronation.
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A total of 37 countries are set to take part in Eurovision this year, with Ukraine automatically qualifying for the grand final as 2022 winners as well as the so-called “big five” – the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – who each get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event.
The first Eurovision semi-final will take place on Tuesday, followed by a second semi-final on Thursday, and the grand final on 13 May.
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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