From lusty Danes in 1957 to dancing stick men in 2015, Eurovision has always been a visual medium just as much as it is a musical one. As the Contest embraces new innovations, the artists and their teams have more opportunities than ever before to bring every aspect of their stage performance into harmony in new and creative ways.
With the Swedish team promising the most technologically advanced show in Eurovision history, many of the artists in this year’s contest are pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved by incorporating their costumes into various visual effects. In the rehearsals for the first semi final, we’ve already seen Malta leaning heavily on a projection gimmick, Armenia working with holograms to create the illusion of a terrifying Pussycat Dolls-esque cadre of Iveta clones and Greta from Iceland engaging in a complicated shadow dancing routine that makes a strong feature of her witchy, Stevie Nicks-esque distressed jacket/cape.
Many of these routines have never been tried at Eurovision before, which is the kind of risk-taking that can pay dividends if the execution lives up to the creative vision. However, there’s always the possibility that something could go horribly wrong, or that an idea that looks great on paper could fall decidedly flat in reality. The jury is still very much out on all of the above artists, although Armenia’s concept seems the most impressive and well-realised of the three at this early stage.
Iceland’s Greta Salome is one of several artists this year whose wardrobe plays an integral role in her stage performance.
Photo: Eurovision.tv
As the pull towards English singing and international (usually Swedish) songwriting pushes authentic cultural diversity further into the margins, the choice of costume is also one of the final areas in which the artists can bring a genuine national flavour to their performance. The lack of green in this year’s Irish performance is a game-changer on a par with Greece and Cyprus’ failure to exchange 12’s in Vienna, while Azerbaijan’s ‘land of fire’ branding means they never encountered a dramatic red skirt they didn’t like.
Several performers choose to use their three minutes onstage to showcase local designers – which can work beautifully when their creations have obviously been informed by the stage concept and the tone of the song, but more often than not risk slipping into self indulgence. Croatia’s Nina Kraljic used her first press conference as an opportunity to sing the praises of acclaimed local designer Juraj Zigman, but the bizarre kimono-style piece he’s created for her jars uncomfortably with the intimate nature of her performance.
Hovi from Israel is one of the few male performers whose stage wear makes any kind of impression.
Photo: Eurovision.tv
Inevitably, the female performers face considerably more scrutiny for their styling choices than the men, who only tend to take any risks with their wardrobes when the technical demands of their performance demand it. This year, Hovi from Israel is one of the few to rebel against masculine mundanity, making a strong impression in star-studded fingerless gloves and heeled leather boots. Deen from Bosnia manages to sneak a sartorial tribute to the host country into his rehearsal, performing in dazzling Herreys-style Gyllene skor, but alas, his flashy footwear seems unlikely to make it to the live show.
And then there’s Belarus, from whom there was no guarantee that he’d be wearing any clothes at all. There’s a palpable mix of disappointment and intense relief when it turns out his promise of onstage nudity is restricted to a carefully-angled hologram effect that opens his performance. The wolves are also animated, meaning that 2016 looks to be another year in which the onstage maulings are strictly of the musical variety.