This morning sitting having breakfast and messaging with Eurovision friends I became aware the German final was on.  Little did I know when I zapped across to Safari and typed in eurovision.tv that I was about to experience, first hand, a piece of Eurovision history.  I had been told two acts were fighting it out and so while we chatted and made observations I started to watch the final contestant.  Andreas Kummert instantly won me with Heart of Stone.  Finally, after what had been shaping as a very lack lustre year, here was a great meaty rock ballad with a touch of soul.  For us in Australia it would be like a facially forested and balding Jimmy Barnes.

As I listened and messaged I felt this was not only the winner for Germany but would offer such a nice contrast on the Eurovision stage in Vienna.  Could this be the overall winner?  Why Not?  I loved it.  What song had I heard this year and instantly loved?  O.  So as he concluded I was rapt to find it and a Euro friend  was messaging his disappointments with Germany last year and Unhelig and now hopefully all was well with the world.  We waited.  We watched the countdown. We saw what many are unfortunately describing as Lena 2.  And then the moment.  The announcement.  I sat there willing, crossing my fingers, hoping that the balding, well forested face would appear on the big screen….. and…..there it was!!!

I was over the moon.  The future looked rosy.  Eurovision 2015 had been saved and I thought I was so lucky to turn to it and see this moment.  But hang on.  My schoolyear’s German kicked in.  I didn’t like the look on his face.  The look on the announcer’s face.  She actually looked like ” Tell me this isn’t true, not me, not now, what the hell do we do, where is that hole I can crawl into?”

I think he was saying NO?   Surely not?  Ann Sophie looked upset.  She looked like she was a rabbit in the spotlight.  No idea what was happening.  How to react.  And yes in that instant I saw the joy of Eurovision turn to sour cream.  They embraced, with Ann still not sure what had happened.  Had there been a death in the family?  No and Andreas just slowly slinked off the stage having handed his title to her.  So the best song in Germany by a mile disappears in a puff of Black Smoke and we are given leftovers.  I feel for Ann, for the many who spent their hard earned coin on the voting only to find they didn’t get that song or artist, for my friend who  was already dudded by Unhelig last year and sat like a stunned mullet trying to work out, what is it that these Germans torture him every year, and me.  I only turned it on near the end. I heard a song I instantly loved. I felt euphoric when it won.  I still don’t know what I feel 12 hours later…..