Finnish monster metal set to invade Eurovision

Pinched from Crikey.

The countdown has started to the world's kitschiest songfest, the Eurovision Song Contest. Finland has participated in 40 Eurovision songfests, with a record eight last positions. Some countries are notorious for voting low against countries who have slighted them, but when was the last time Finland insulted anyone? These are well-deserved bona fide last positions. (To get an idea of the competition you may be interested in this gem – a Finnish music video from the 1980s).

But things are different this year. The Finns have nothing to lose, and have broken with tradition in how to select the Finnish entry. Usually, YLE (the Finnish national broadcaster and Eurovision delegate) appoints a panel of experts who choose the entry from groups nominated by Finnish record labels. This year, YLE invited the public to vote by SMS and phone in from the groups nominated by Finnish record labels. And the result? Well, it's not ABBA.

The Finns voted for Lordi, a heavy metal band from north of the Arctic Circle – they got a whopping 42% of the popular vote. The Eurovision website notes with understatement that "hard rock is a genre seldom associated with Eurovision".

"What we want to bring out from Finland at Eurovision is the winter darkness of kaamos, the cold, reindeer meat and blood pancakes", says the band. Lordi perform in elaborate monster costumes, masks, make-up and long black fingernails – they look like a cross between orks, vikings, Freddie Kruger and Kiss.

Last week, the US International Herald Tribune reported the story on the front page: "Monster Band has Finns fretting over face it shows". The article suggested that the Finnish public's choice reflected the Finns' low self esteem. The Finnish MEP Alexander Stubbs is quoted as saying that Lordi could embarass Finland when it takes the EU presidency in July 2006.

The IHT story was then reported in the national daily Helsingin Sanomat. It is hard to tell whether the painfully self-conscious Finns are fretting about Lordi being selected or fretting about the IHT reporting that they are fretting about Lordi being selected.

What will Terry Wogan make of Lordi? Finland may still come last. But it will go out with a bang.