Dark rock instead of hits: This time the Eurovision Song Contest will be loud and dark. The Hamburg group Lord Of The Lost, which appeared in blood-red outfits, lots of make-up and even more decibels, won the ESC preliminary round in Cologne on Saturday night (March 3rd, 2023).
The band owes their ticket to the ESC final mainly to the audience. At the end of the ARD show “Unser Lied für Liverpool”, it catapulted the rockers past all other applicants to first place.
Victory was big surprise
After an initial jury verdict given by experts from eight countries, it didn’t look like the rock band would win at all. Lord Of The Lost only landed in fifth place. In the end, the band was able to get 189 points, not least because of the support from the audience. Audience and jury votes each account for 50 percent.
Apparently, singer Chris Harms could hardly believe his luck and let moderator Barbara Schöneberger pinch him to be able to process the triumph. “I’m really speechless,” said the musician. “I’m usually relatively eloquent.”
Blood & Glitter – Blood and glitter
The band performs the song “Blood & Glitter” – translated “blood and glitter”. The performance looked correspondingly spectacular. Bright red dominated, and it sparkled and glittered. Singer Harms got everything out of his voice. At the ESC finale, the band “of course wants to go one step further”. Lord Of The Lost singer Chris Harms announced:
Our designer is heavily pregnant. I don’t know if she still manages to sew us something. But I would like to make it all even bigger, even more glamorous.
Nevertheless, it will remain a “rock show” – without dancers or elaborate choreography. A red pyro rain, for example, would be great, said Harms.
The band knows their stuff when it comes to big live performances. With her mix of industrial rock, gothic metal, glam, wave and pop, she performs at German and international festivals, including Wacken Open Air, M’era Luna and the Summer Breeze Festival. Among other things, the rock band has already accompanied the metal luminaries Iron Maiden through Europe and has toured more than 30 countries so far, as the NDR responsible for the ESC announced.
How likely is it to win the ESC?
Bands with similar music have done well at the ESC so far. In 2006 the hard rockers Lordi from Finland won, in 2021 the rock band Måneskin from Italy.
It is an unusual choice for Germany. In recent years, the Federal Republic has mostly sent smooth pop numbers to the ESC. With devastating consequences: Since 2015, last or penultimate places have rained down. The only exception in 2018 was the musician Michael Schulte, who took fourth place. For the first time since 2008 (then the No Angels) Germany is sending a band and not a solo artist.
This is how Lord Of The Lost celebrate victory
After so much excitement, the band now wants to take a break. Next weekend we’re going to the Baltic Sea to relax and celebrate. “We go to a spa hotel, go to the sauna, go swimming and eat well,” said Chris Harms.
The band still has some time until the ESC final in Liverpool on May 13th. Britain will step in as ESC 2023 host country for Russia-attacked Ukraine, which won the 2022 competition in Turin.
BRISANT/NDR/dpa
