IRISH Eurovision chances are being hampered by RTE staging Eurosong on The Late Late Show, a former winner claims.
Hopeful Erica-Cody blasted “disappointing” audio issues after last year’s event, which was won by Bambie Thug.
The Dublin singer, 28, claimed “the sound from the broadcast compared to the room was very different” — and that Eurosong needed to get off the Late Late Show.
And as RTE this week kicked off the hunt for next year’s act, leading IrishEurovision figures backed Erica-Cody’s call.
They include former winner Charlie McGettigan, who performed Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids at the 1994 contest with Paul Harrington.
He told The Irish Sun: “The Late Late is fine for most music acts but Eurovision has become such an enormous event. It’s difficult to pass judgement on a Eurovision entry in such a small performance space in comparison with the actual Eurovision.”
The Leitrim musician thinks RTE should host Eurosong in a larger venue such as the Bord Gais Energy Theatre.
He added: “That bigger stage would give people more of what it might be like in the Eurovision itself. Ideally the Eurosong would be in a venue with a large stage and also with a large audience.”
And Ryan O’Shaughnessy, who made the final in 2018 with Together, said the current set-up is stopping singers from entering.
He told The Irish Sun: “It puts a lot of people off doing it because the sound isn’t great.
“They don’t seem to tailor the vocal effects to individual singers. They use the same effect on every vocal. But every vocalist needs a different microphone and mix.”
Irish Eurovision superfans are also demanding change.
Keith Mills, of popular Irish Eurovision Facebook group All Kinds of Everything, told us: “The Late Late is a talk show and the whole sound mix is set up for chat, not a music show.
“RTE have tried to make it better. But everything would sound much better if Eurosong was happening in a proper music arena.”
Ireland's Eurovision Winners
- 1970: Dana – All Kinds of Everything
- 1980: Johnny Logan – What’s Another Year
- 1987: Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now
- 1992: Linda Martin – Why Me?
- 1993: Niamh Kavanagh – In Your Eyes
- 1994: Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan – Rock n Roll Kids
- 1996: Eimear Quinn – The Voice
And Keith believes towns around Ireland would jump at the chance to stage a Eurosong weekend. He said: “This would bring thousands of people from Ireland and abroad at a quiet time of the year.”
However, cash-strapped RTE appear to be sticking with the Late Late, announcing this week that acts shortlisted to represent Ireland will be “invited to perform on television early in 2025”.
The winning entry will represent us in Basel, Switzerland, in May 2025. Last year, Bambie Thug came sixth in Malmo, Sweden— Ireland’s best result since 2000.
