Folks, it's Eurovision day.
Okay, time out.
For the uninitiated, which is probably most of my fellow Americans, Eurovision is a singing
contest.
Each country in Europe (and many outside of Europe, weirdly) sends one representative
with an original piece of music, and they all compete and vote at the end on who has
the best song.
Millions of people watch it and it has launched the careers of people like Celine Dion and
Abba.
It’s also an opportunity for each country to showcase their own definition of what makes
an exciting and interesting performance, so that can result in some truly zany things.
Naturally, when I discovered that Eurovision was going to be in Kiev the same time I was,
I couldn’t not take a camera.
So let’s check in again with Ukraine Drew.
I don't know exactly what kind of video I'm going to be able to get.
I'm bring the small camera with me because I don't think they would react too nicely
to me having a big professional camera.
I'm also bringing a few other items here: Some snacks and my ticket back here, the Joby,
which they probably won't like but I am definitely going to need because holding a camera like
this for too long gets really really tiring, so actually having the Joby as a secondary
grip would really save my arms and my back.
Extra batteries and memory card, and an umbrella in case I do have to walk there or back and
it's rainy.
I have no idea what the venue is going to be like, I have no idea what to expect.
This is all just a grand experiment, so what do you say we get going?
The metro system in Kiev is pretty simple: two hryvnias will get you a plastic token
good for a ride anywhere.
I bought one for the return trip too.
Then came my favorite part, the escalator.
This station, Arsenalna, just happens to be the deepest metro station in the world at
105.5 meters or 346 feet.
And if you like big escalators you’re in luck, because there’s a second one.
The station I'm looking for starts with an "L." It's like Liev...
Shreiber or something.
"Livoberezhna."
That's what I said!
[conductor] Caution, the doors are closing.
I have no idea where I'm going so I'm just following everyone.
Ah, the beacon of civilization!
Two cheeseburgers.
[employee] Have a nice day!
Dyakuyu! (Thank you!)
So far the "following everyone" strategy has been working out.
They led me to coffee.
And officially the smallest coffee shop I’ve ever been in.
I got, fittingly, an Americano, with a little cinnamon.
After following signs I finally found the entrance, with time to spare.
They are not letting people in until 8pm.
It's currently 6:30, so I'm going to hang out for a little bit!
But hopefully that'll mean we get some prime spots up at the front.
So, we'll see.
I spent the time chatting up a fellow english speaker, Rob, who had been to the semifinals
and was full of tips.
[Drew] So what kind of a person do you think comes
to Eurovision?
[Rob] All sorts.
You find a lot of support for their countries.
Whether their song is any good or not, they still support their country.
It's just what they do!
But it's good, you get into it anyway.
Especially in Fan Zone, it's great.
Ninety minutes later we showed our tickets and then jogged to the venue, not wanting
to lose our advantage.
I mean, I waited in that line so I'm going to get the best seat I can.
Alright, I made it through the door.
Now we're in some holding pen.
It’s like there were Nintendo Wiis in there or something.
Woo hoo hoo!
Yikes.
Having arrived at another checkpoint, Rob and I strategized about how to get the best spot.
Left side of the cameras?
Yeah, they'll have a big camera box in the middle and they'll have a fence set up.
Head left. Everyone will try to run to the right.
So go left? Okay.
Rob with the pro tips.
After another 30 minutes it was time to show our wristbands and ride another human wave.
One more checkpoint to get even more wristbands...
Wristbands upon wristbands upon wristbands.
And we were in!
Our long waits had paid off; we were about as close as our tickets could get us.
That's the front of our zone.
These'll be our seats for the night, for the next four or five hours.
I took some time to take in the surroundings.
From our vantage point we had a great view of the stage, the screens that would show
the live feed, and even the green room at the back of the arena.
Since the Fan Zone is open seating, pockets of patriotism formed, including around me.
We've got Drew... honorary Australian for today.
As the stadium filled up, a DJ kept everyone occupied until it was time to meet my favorite
performer of the night, the show’s director.
Flags up. Good.
That flag is way too high.
Sorry.
Ha ha!
Of course we have pyro, we have wind, we have fog, we have all these effects.
But also we need your help with one effect which is the mobile flashlight.
In certain songs we need you to help us with that.
It's entry number two, Poland, it's entry number ten, Denmark, it's Portugal, out on
this stage.
We also want everybody to be very, very quiet before we start that song.
So it's no applause when we come back from the postcard to Portugal.
Like a true professional, he kicked off the show with a wave and an authentic producer
countdown.
[director] Here we go in five, two, one...
Here we go!
The singers then made their entrances and the show started for real.
It was cool to see the performances in person, but I was most impressed by what you don’t
get to see on TV.
Mainly the roadies, who have to contend with breaking down and setting up each performer’s set.
And there were some impressive sets.
Some acts even came with their own effects like wind machines, spark showers, and, of
course, fire.
I can feel the pyro from here!
The camera setup was no less impressive.
A massive jib to our left was busy the entire show, flying over the audience at lethal speeds.
A wire cam performed similar acrobatics.
And then of course the boots on the ground: supremely talented Steadicam operators performed
orbits around the singers all night and guys with shoulder cameras roamed the floor getting
audience reactions.
But between all that, there was still time to take in the Eurovisionness.
This is the Eurovision I've come to expect.
But for all the pageantry, I think my favorite part was seeing the few seconds before the
performers went on: waving to fans, fixing their hair, or shaking out nervousness.
Those small moments brought a little humanity to what is otherwise a slick and glitzy pop showpiece.
And finally I got to answer my question about who comes to Eurovision.
As it turns out, really positive people.
The fans clapped no matter who was performing and I didn’t hear anything negative until
the voting segment.
This is the first time I've heard booing at this.
Whenever it seems like a country has voted for somebody they're buddy-buddy with, then
booing happens.
By the way, the satellite delay makes it just as awkward in person as it is on TV.
Still, actually being there in the audience for the final vote was great.
[presenter] So the country that got the second-highest score with
337 points is...
Bulgaria!
Which means we have our new winner...
Portugal!
And just like that, four hours later, it was over.
Alright, I need to find my way out of here.
I'm going to follow this crush.
I don't know how much battery life I have left so I'm going to sign it off here.
That was amazing.
That was way better than I thought it was going to be.
It moved really fast.
I think not knowing the songs was really key because it kept everything fresh.
The audience was way into it... maybe too into it?
I kept making jokes and nobody laughed!
Very positive, but very earnest.
I really enjoyed myself.
If you have the chance to go to Eurovision it's quite a treat.
Maybe this'll give you a sense as to what you can expect if you go on your own Eurovision
quest.
So good evening Kiev, good evening Europe, and good evening World.
Cloth Map, signing off.
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