Kikki Carries On!

The Schlagerboys are off to Gothenburg at the weekend for what was to be the triumphant reunion of Chips at the Scandinavium... Kikki, Bettan and Lasse Holm all on one stage together for the first time since, ooh, ages! But there has been some bad schlager news and Bettan's cancelled due to family illness! Oh no! And Lasse Holm's having a strop and not appearing if Bettan isn't coming.

Thank the schlager gods for Kikki, who is being a schlager trooper and carrying on by herself! Hurrah! That must mean there's more of a chance of getting "The Cowboy Yodel Song" because Lasse would never have let Kikki get away with outshining him by singing that schlager classic! Although clearly Bettan will do anything so long as it involves a cowboy hat and a giant fiddle...

Oh, and Jessica Andersson will be on stage too. Hurrah! Wonder if she'll be bringing her hotpants and kitchen stool...

She Should Be Dancing!

Presumably Olivia Lewis will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Maltese Schlager...?

Spot The Alcazar!

Hora Din Sweden!

Looks like Charlotte's nicked Nelly Ciobanu's picture frame...

She also seems to have used the whole of Western Europe's supply of Elnett on that enormous do. But what fabulous shoes she's got on. Almost as fab as the glittery ones from 2008...

Carola At Christmas!

Carola's back with a new album in English, "Christmas In Bethlehem". Here she is giving us a couple of snippets of some of the songs...

It all sounds a bit tedious... Do us all a favour Carola, love - ditch the Jesus stuff and give us a chorus of "Jingle Bells" instead.

Gulp!

This chap is going to be presenting Melodifestivalen next year with some woman we've never heard of and Måns Zelmerlöw...

Almost makes us wish we'd bought tickets now...

Alcazar Give It To Someone Special!

Never mind the news about George Michael releasing a Christmas single, Alcazar are releasing "Last Christmas" in a couple of weeks time in Sweden...

There's no video yet but the pink Christmas tree in the picture above is making us very excited indeed. And the song has got a key-change too and we're sure George Michael never had one of those.

Love For Ingela!

Hurrah! Ingela Hemming is in the top 10 of SVT's web-jokers!!


It's clearly the Schlagerboys' support that gives her the edge... That and the surprise key-change...

Oooh It Hurts!

The first joker of Melodifestivalen 2010 has been announced today... And it's Darin.

Apparently he nearly won Swedish Idol or something a few years ago. But what's more concerning is that he completely murdered the Lena Philipsson schlager classic "Det Gör Ont" during a Melodifestivalen greatest hits show not so long back...

It's all a bit worrying. Who knows what sort of crimes against schlager he'll commit next year...

Bringing Schlager To The Students!

The Schlagerboys are very excited to hear that Durham University Radio has a Eurovision programme on its weekly schedule. How fabulous!

"Good Evening Europe" aired for the first time on Purple Radio last Friday and will continue to bring Eurovision to the masses every Friday at 7:00 PM.

In an exclusive interview with the Schlagerboys, the producer Ben explained; "This is a one hour update on all things Eurovision, the best songs, previews of national finals, a dedicated Eurovision news section and a taste of the great events being organised by Durham University Eurovision Society" which sounds pretty schlagertastic to us. Bit of a shame key changes weren't mentioned but we have confidence that Ben will be playing only the best Euro tunes and none of your Ethno-Balkan rubbish.

There was nothing like this when the Schlagerboys went to University. We could only dream of Eurovision Societies back in our day. Mind you we are talking about the years when Eurovison went a bit shit and Ireland consistently ruined it all for everyone.  Douze points to Durham University for broadcasting schlager and thereby making the world a better place. Hurrah! Can we request the Schlagerboy anthem that is "Vertigo", please.

We Bitch! I Mean We Really Bitch!!

Malta first started sending schlager classics to Eurovision back in 2000 when "Desire" by Sir Gerard James Borg and Philip Vella was selected to go to Stockholm. As it will be 10 years in 2010 since that schlager classic graced the Globen stage, we thought it was about time we talked to the schlager diva herself... Oh! My! God! It's Claudette Pace!

Schlagerboys: We’re loving the new hairdo! Who did that for you? And what’s the colour?

Claudette Pace: Hairdo by Jonathan Cortis at Hairlab Zebbug (Malta) - don't get used to it! Tomorrow I am back at his salon for another change!!

SBs: How did you get involved with Eurovision in 2000? Did Gerard James Borg and Philip Vella write "Desire" especially for you?

CP: I had been working with Gerard and Philip for quite a few years. They wrote "Desire" especially for MOI. The first time I heard the refrain over the phone I knew this was IT!!

SBs: Did you go to any parties in Stockholm? We hear that Nicki French had a UK party – did you go to that? Which of the other performers did you get on with? Was there anyone you didn’t get on with? Dish the dirt… we need gossip!

CP: I think I got along just fine with everyone especially Nicki! ! was VERY surprised to see Al Bano as backing vocals for the Swiss entry. He had given me ONE point in the Malta Song a few years earlier when I had "Love Can Do Miracles"... I was a bit bitchy to him I admit!

SBs: What on earth is the Maltese bit in the middle of "Desire"?

CP: Dejjem ridtek - I've always wanted you. Dejjem xtaqtek - I've always longed for you. Lilek habbejt - I've loved you.

SBs: Apart from "Desire", what’s your favourite Maltese Eurovision song and why? We love "Vertigo" – what did you think of Olivia's performance and was it a national tragedy in Malta when she didn't qualify for the final in 2007?

CP: Nothing beats "The One That I Love"... ssoooooo close to winning. As for "Vertigo", I prefer other entries which Olivia had in previous years. Expectations were high so it was VERY disappointing...

SBs: Disappointing isn't the word - schlager catastrophe is more like it. Do you have regular get-togethers of Maltese Eurovision divas and have party nights with Olivia, Mary Spiteri and Chiara? Do you go round each other’s houses and have cocktails by the pool?

CP: I have a party at my house EVERY year but it is not open for DIVAS ha ha! Just close friends and family and we BITCH ... I mean REALLY BITCH!

SBs: How fabulous! We'll be expecting an invite. What do you think Malta needs to do to win Eurovision? What sort of song should Malta send to Oslo next year?

CP: Its hard to tell but we need a good ... I mean EXCELLENT - PACKAGE - good song, good singer, good performance, good PR, good TEAM - would LOVE to be part of that team but not as the singer!

SBs: Get Olivia back! What’s the connection that your programme L'Isfida has with choosing artists and songs for Malta Song for Europe 2010? What’s the programme all about? Is it a bit like X Factor?

CP: L-ISFIDA is a blend of X-Factor, Fame Academy etc. We are looking for new, young talent. The winner gets a scholarship in London worth €40,000!! One of the singers gets to be among the 2010 finalists for Malta Song.

SBs: Apart from L'Isfida, what else have you been up to since 2000?

CP: LOTS ... from running a private TV station to getting married. I also have a 6-year old daughter. Did LOTS of shows, theatre and TV programmes including a very popular DAILY afternoon show called SELLILI and 2 editions of L-ISFIDA.

SBs: Would you give Eurovision another go?

CP: Not as a singer but would LOVE to be involved again.

SBs: Do you have a message for the readers of Schlagerblog?

CP: Thanks for remembering me ... after NINE years that means so much to me. BIG HUGS TO ALL!

Darling, how could we forget you!  Good luck with the TV programme and hopefully we'll see you doing a spot of "styling och consulting" for a Maltese Eurovision entry soon!

A Schlager Christmas!

The Sugababes will be switching on the Christmas lights in Birmingham in November...

Maybe Jade is dragging Heidi and Amelle along to thank the Schlagerboys for our support during her Eurovision campaign earlier this year. We're hoping she's managed to persuade them to add "My Time" to the set-list...

Bucks Fizz: Lifetime Achievement In Schlager Award!

The Original Bucks Fizz have been presented with the coveted Lifetime Achievement In Schlager Award. The presentation was made last night following their fabulous concert at the North Pier, Blackpool.

This is only the fourth time the Lifetime Achievement award has been presented by the Schlagerboys. Previous recipients are Lord Thomas of G:son for his services to Schlager and key changes, Sir Gerard James Borg for his Maltese schlager anthems and in particular his work with Olivia Lewis; and Nanne Grönvall for her big hair and shoes and for giving us schlagertastic moments such as "Håll Om mig" and "Alexandra".

Bucks Fizz were clearly overcome with emotion when the Schlagerboys presented the awards. Each received their own certificate outlining individual contributions to the schlager cause. Cheryl Baker's award referenced her contributions to the UK Song For Europe and Eurovision with Co-Co and The Main Event, and concluded " and for generally being schlagertastic and fabulous for the last 33 years".

Mike Nolan's award concentrated on his stellar work in Bucks Fizz, concluding; "for being the faniciable one in the band and for wearing those really tight white trousers in 1981".

The award for Jay Aston concluded ; "And for being completely fabulous and glamorous with big hair and costumes and dance routines and attitude, particularly on Top Of The Pops doing 'When We Were Young' You introduced us to a fabulous life of gayness from which we have never looked back!"

On receiving the awards The Original Bucks Fizz thanked the Schlagerboys and posed for photos by the assembled media gays.

The Schlagerboys are unable to confirm how the group celebrated their win. There might have been an After Show Party, or perhaps Jay just got a lift back up the pier on the golf buggy, bundled the feather headdresses in the back of the 4x4, and drove off.

The Schlagerboys would like to thank The Original Bucks Fizz for two fabulous nights of schlager. May you continue to carry the schlager torch in the UK. We love you!

Jay Meets The Schlagerboys!

The Schlagerboys arrived in a windswept Blackpool and, after being told the Tower was shut because it was too dangerous what with the force 10 gale blowing in off the Irish Sea, we decided to head to the pier and have a look at the theatre where Cheryl, Jay and Mike would be playing...

We went down to the end of the pier past the Sun Lounge (ahem...) and had a look at the very glam stage door but as the wind was playing havoc with our hairdos we went and sat in the coffee-shop near the entrance to the pier. As we tucked into a latte and carrot cake we looked up and whizzing past on a golf buggy heading to the end of the pier were none other than Cheryl and Mike! As the buggy belted past, a couple of excited gayers screamed "Cheryl!!" and ran down the pier after the buggy while the woman collecting the 50p entrance fee ran down after them... But there was no sign of Jay... Where was she?

We decided to head back to the hotel and just as were looking at the boxes of Blackpool fudge and Blackpool tram fridge magnets in the memorabillia shop we saw a 4x4 crawling along looking for a parking space with a load of feathery headgear in the back... Oh! My! God! It was Jay!!

We couldn't believe Jay had to drive herself to Blackpool; surely a schlager helicopter should have been provided! The Schlagerboys decided this might be our one and only chance to meet the schlager icon and general diva legend properly so we hung around as she unpacked all the outfits and glam shoes and plonked them on the back of the golf buggy that arrived to carry her up the pier. We felt we should ask if she needed any help but she said, "No thank you!" Oh dear, it wasn't going well; maybe she thought we were going to run off with the enormous ostrich feather helmets. We stood around like lemons for a bit, but just as Jay was about to head off down the pier on the back of the buggy we summoned up all our schlager courage and asked if we could have a photo with her. Jay had some kind of teacosy on her head and looked like she was wearing an overcoat made out of an old sleeping bag to shield her from the gales but we told her she looked fabulous anyway. Her husband took the photo and then before she got whisked away we asked her to pose on the bag of the buggy and she held up some fabulous shoes...

We had to go for a lie down after that to recover from the schlager fabulousness of it all!

Jay's Back, Back! BACK!

The Schlagerboys trekked over to the other side of Birmingham to glamorous Dudley to witness the return of Jay Aston to The Original Bucks Fizz. We had probably been the first ones to book as we were sitting in row A, seats 3 and 4 and seats 1 and 2 didn't appear to exist. This demonstrates our dedication to the schlager cause. We've just about managed to recover from having spoken to the schlager icon that is Jay Aston (squeaking "Oh my god! You were fabulous!" at her while she looked a little worried), so here are our highlights of the show:

1. The introductory film complete with dry ice and an extended "New Beginning" had us screaming with schlager excitement. When Cheryl, Mike and Jay strutted on in fabulous feathers and head dresses (Cheryl and Jay anyway... Mike had a grubby t-shirt on) it all became too much. This was schlager highlight of the year for the Schlagerboys!

2. Was it just us or was the front row of the audience basically a bunch of gay men in their 30's? How nice to fit in for once!

3. We couldn't decide whether Jay was being "pouty Jay" circa 1983 for the first half, or whether she was just being grumpy. Cheryl bounced along and grinned circa 1981 - 2009.

4. "Golden Days" was fabulous in a post modern schlager type of way! In "Now Those Days Are Gone" while Mike strained for the hight notes Cheryl sat looking wistful and tragic and the Schlagerboys were overcome with emotion.

5. The new versions of "If You Can't Stand The Heat" and "I Hear Talk" were all very well but what we really wanted was to see Cheryl and Jay doing the hand out to the side / pulling on bell rope dance routine while shimmying around in yellow dish cloths. That or wearing matching white snoods and ice skating.

6. "My Camera Never Lies" on the other hand was exactly what we wanted; side to side dance routines and fabulous poses on the "click clicks". Schlagertastic!

7. Jay got all pouty for "When We Were Young". Lots of fists in the air and heads cocked to one side.

8. The "Fizz medley" was fab although we'd have prefered they got rid of the covers in the rest of the set and played the full versions of all of these (apart from "One of Those Nights" of course). The Original Bucks Fizz should have confidence in their back catalogue which is filled with schlagertastic anthems. To see Jay doing "Easy Love" last night was amazing and something we never imagined we would witness. More of this, please!

9. "Land Of Make Believe" and "Making Your Mind Up" made for a schlagertastic end to the show. Cheryl beckoned the audience forward and we stood right in front of her for the Eurovision winning song. Oh My God! We're hoping she was impressed that we performed the whole dance routine correctly.

10. We joined the back of the queue to meet the schlager legends after the show but didn't have anything for them to sign so we got hold of a set list, and decided to take off the yawnsome "Magical" (guitar solos should be banned, even if they are performed by Jay Aston's husband with the guitar behind his head...) and add "I'd Like To Say I Love You". As we approached the table where they sat Jay was signing first. Oh My God Oh My God Oh My God! One of us said "Oh My God it's Jay Aston!" to her and she said "Hmmmm". This is a classic example of the Schlagerboys journalistic skills, achieved following years of keeping our cool around schlager celebs like Kikki or Nanne. We told Jay that she was fabulous and presented the amended set list.

She started to write our name and asked "Is it S or Z at the end?" Bless! We explained why we had scribbled out "Magical" and added "I'd Like To Say I Love You" in it's place and she said "Oooh I don't know if I can sing that anymore" to which  we replied; "Darling of course you can! All you need is the key change bit anyway - "You turn your head away / whispered goodbye my love" Jay then proceeded to sing "Tears upon my pillow..." and then stopped because we staggered back clutching our schlager hearts! It was a schlagertastic moment. Cheryl then said "Oh it's the schlager people - I know them" which was another rather fabulous moment. Mike didn't say anything but he was probably overcome with excitement sitting between two schlager icons. There then followed a really embarrassing couple of minutes where we asked for a photo but gave the camera to a total numpty who coudn't press a bloody button properly, so we sat either side of the schlager legends grinning inanely while someone took ages to not take a photo. Three times! We ended up saying "Don't worry - we're coming to Blackpool on Sunday - we'll get a photo with you then" before giving the bloke our harshest schlager stare and snatching the camera back. Note to selves: employ official photographer in future.

Land Of Schlager Fabulousness!

The Schlagerboys are having a Bucks Fizz weekend and we're very excited! On Friday we're going to see The Original Bucks Fizz live in Dudley and then we're off to Blackpool to see them again on Sunday. Oh My God!

Apparently the concert is completely fabulous and schlagertastic. We can forgive the odd "Living La Vida Loca" if we get "I Hear Talk" and "Piece Of The Action". Bucks Fizz are THE schlager band in the UK and we never thought we'd see Cheryl and Jay sharing a stage. We still can't quite believe it's actually going to happen.

It's also a chance to see a UK Eurovision winner sing their song. Bobby may not be there but who cares? He was the boring one anyway; it was always about Jay, Cheryl and Mike for us.

In anticipation of the UK Schlager event of 2009 here are the Schlagerboys' top 5 Bucks Fizz songs, in reverse order obviously. The Schlagerboys reserve the right to change our minds about this choice of songs as and when we please.

5. "Rules Of The Game" Not sure if they play this one tomorrow, but if they do we'll poop our schlager pants with excitement. Fab key change.
4. "I'd Like To Say I love You" Apparently this is not on the set list which is a schlager travesty. Perhaps if we meet Jay she'll do the "Tears upon my pillow..." bit just for us afterwards.
3. "I Hear Talk" We're a bit concerned about rumours that they play a new version of this. How dare they!
2. "My Camera Never Lies" The Schlagerboys have been doing the 'pumping arms up and down while doing the sideways strut' dance for the past 27 years.
1. "Land Of Make Believe" Schlagertastic was invented on the key change for this song.

We Need Love For People! Love For Nature!

The Schlagerboys have just about managed to trawl through SVT's web-jokers and have come across Ingela Hemming, who is quite clearly a new schlager icon...

Here she is lounging on her bed, leafing through her postcards from Stockholm... We're loving her ever so slightly mucky white socks as she waves her feet around...

Here's Ingela showing us that she's the proud owner of a hot-tub in the back yard... And this one's even got a key-change!

And here's Ingela's schlager tour-de-force...
She must have taken her inspiration from Uncle Ralph Siegel with her lyrics and the surprise key-change before the second chorus

Apparently the top 100 will be revealed tomorrow and we're keeping our fingers crossed that Ingela's got one or two of her schlager anthems there!

Bulgaria Loses Control!

Apparently this chap will be representing Bulgaria in Oslo...
Looks like Miroslav Kostadinov might be the new Paul Oscar, what with all that latex, baby oil and the writhing bodies all over the place.

We're looking forward to Norway next May already...

Pernilla-dilly Circus!

According to all the internet rumours most of the artists in Melodifestivalen 2010 are going to be new and there will be hardly any room for all the old schlager divas and icons...

But, hurrah! It looks like Pernilla Wahlgren might be back, Back! BACK! 25 years after "Picadilly Circus"... There was all sorts of hoo-hah back in 2005 when Pernilla sang the demo of "Alla Flickor" but got dumped in favour of Linda Bengtzing. Obviously we love Linda to bits, but she clearly has difficulty with key-changes, something we're sure Pernilla would never have any issues over after that dog-whistle high note back in 1985... And Pernilla did the right thing when she got ditched and had a right old bitch about Christer Björkman. Our Swedish is a bit rough so we put the quote through the Google translator and this is what Pernilla said:

"Christer Björkman did not want me to drive it. He blamed that I was a singer and did not fit in the pop context, and that I was too old. I question how he can sit on their high horse and guide and make as much. Everyone knows that he let his friends join the queue. I may be a threat to his friends."

You go girl! Pernilla's clearly now got over it and put the handbag away... She probably got over it pretty quickly when she was watching Melodifestivalen 2005 and Linda bottled the key-change... Anyway, here's Pernilla's other finest schlager moment from 2003 with the very miserable Jan Johanssen...

Spot The Schlager Celeb!