Eric Saade meets Uk's Blue in Eurovision city- Dusseldorf

Eric Saade +Blue-what a line up in Dusseldorf old town

Eric Saade finally met U K hot favorites Blue for a photo op for the swedish press- this seems to be the only time both acts have met as they are very likely to be rivals in this years final. Of course Sweden and Eric Saade has to gain a place in the final first,
and the pressure is on.
This year Sweden have gone for a performance based song
With a lot of dancing and finally the Wow factor of the breaking glass along with a
Great song that has been top of the Swedish charts for weeks. Certainly Eric is certainly no newcomer
at home in Sweden he has recently had a few chart hits and top selling debut album. All under the wing of master of svenska pop Fredrik
Kempe so he is 'Popular' already. Eric is creating alot of publicity due to last year's disapointment Sweden became a non-qualifing country in Eurovision 2010 in Oslo

However Eric has also been overwhelmed by international support for him He told Poplight site-

'I have received several awards, it's crazy. In Russia, it felt like I had awesome support, and in France, I got a standing ovation" "It's great to have all this overseas success suddenly abroad.

Eric has come a long way since last May presenting the Swedish votes last year in Oslo- when he really wanted to be there in person. Let hope he does to put Sweden back on the Eurovis' Map- Go Eric--

Check out Eric Saade's full uncut official

video of 'Popular' here

BLUE rehearsal in dusseldorf!

Lot of artists have completed rehearsals in Espirt Arena- now it is the turn of the big 5-

Blue finally reveal not only a new mix and take on I can but some wonderful backdrop

screen visuals --

Blue on BBC Breakfast Tv - reveal All !

check it out buff -Blue boys - tatts'n' all

click here to see it.

BLUE interview + graham norton

also one great Tv appearence in Holland- on

Life4you hear gary barlow & robbie williams

views on Blue- 'I can'

Blue are on the Promo- trail of Europe with ' I Can' meanwhile at home limited airplay!

Blue's Live 'I can' performance this shows us how Dunc, Simon, Lee & Antony real have got it right now

for Dusseldorf ----G-g-go Blue! a great show in over in ukraine.

Meanwhile Simon Webb from the band expressed his concerns that radio back home in UK had not been giving the Eurovision single a well-deserved plug. In fact BBC's Radio 2 the normal station who support Eurovision -don't even have 'I can' on their playlist during the week -yet?

The single comes out on 1st May 2011

- come beeb what are you thinkin?

UK's Blue get the backing of Robbie Williams & Sir Cliff Richard

Robbie Williams says "Bring it on Home.." just hours before BBC broadcast the Blue documentary tonight. That will show how the Blue boys, reformed and were choosen to sing for UK in Dusseldorf. It is rare that UK does not have a 'selection process to choose an artist -or the song for Eurovision. In fact this is the first time an internal song and artist has been made at BBC, while over in Switzerland they have done this for most of their entries recently. In 2011 - Switzerland reverted back to the National Song contest Final selection perhapes due to the poor placing in last few years. For the past four years not even making the Eurovision final.

They have Anna Rossinelli with a caughty melody called 'In love for a while' - she has been considered to be almost like Lena Meyer-Landrut's older sister in style.

I think this will see Switzerland back in the running.

Blue- the boyband success story began in May 2001 with No 4 hit 'All Rise'

Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, Duncan James & Antony Costa became quickly Britians top band of the time. With all 3 albums becoming No: 1 platinum sellersin UK as well as a string of hit singles, including a duet with Elton John on his classic 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word'

The vocal power of the four guys always blend together so well with a fantastic blend of R&B

Pop crossover to the music. However in 2005, they seem to quit while they were ahead- and each went on a solo career path... parting with the words 'we'll be back- '

The bands comeback has been on the card for last couple of years, so Eurovision 2011 was the very perfect timing for Blue All four guys each seem to be 100% behind taking UK

to a long awaited victory in Europe, for different reasons. Certainly judging by Blue's past sales record not since 1970's have UK had such a big artist singing for them.

The song seems to say it all

'I can'

Eurovision 2011- The naked Truth! UK & Russian stripped down

ALL RISE- indeed!

Check the cover of Gay mag- 'Attitude' it featues UK's boyband Eurovision hopefuls

Blue' stripped down & naked- all for a great cause the Pre-Eurovision promotion. In fact another

boyband Mc Fly (who?) they have done the regular naked issue of Attitude, so Blue are not the first.

Certainly the guys maybe maturing very gracefully - and we like those tatts lads, meanwhile

there is more ... stripped down shots this time from Russia's Alex Vorobyov.

Once again, this kinda pose has been done before as Dima Bilan ( Eurovision winner in 2008) did a series of nude pic. So Alex this has been done before as well in Russia, we are not sure about the Russian RedOne track 'Get You' It really is not quiet the Lady Gaga-eque song we had been expecting. Yet Alex has a rather pleasant vocal, and we see why he has grown into a russian teen idol. Never-the-less we hope Alex keeps his top on in Dusseldorf, as for Blue that's a different story?

introducing Amaury Vassilli- a singer tipped to bring France back to Eurovision in 2011

The last time France won Eurovision was back in 1977 with Marie Myriam with 'L'oiseau et l'enfant' but now as early odds on favourite has turned out to be French opera singer Amaury Vassilli with a song 'Sognu' opera tenors have yet to make any major impact previously at

Eurovision. For examples Latvia's Bonaparti.lv (Questa Notte) Norway's Didrik Solli-Tangen & Krassimir Avramov & the mighty Malena Ernman in 2009 for Sweden. All came from opera backgrounds.

I think Amaury has an advantage with this song, its more classical song than popera. Along with France the UK is named as a favourite as well with 'I can'. Its very interesting to see how the Big four/five countries now since Lena from Germany found victory to break the ice in Oslo 2010. However back in 2005- 2006 & 2007 France UK Spain & Germany failed to progress out of the bottom 5 positions in the ESC Final. It took until 2009 to chance this low voting trend and with the likes of Patricia Kaas (France) & Jade (UK) who although had the advantage of qualification into the ESC final (that was previously doomed) - both songs made the Top 10 in 2009 (Jade- with a Lloyd-Webber penned 'My time' came 4th- Kaas finished 8th)

Blue- a boyband with the vocal power to bring UK back to the Top 10

So can France now at least return to the old times of Eurovision glory? they have won historically Eurovision 5 times before. Or can even Blue do this, and take us back to the 90's- on their comeback trail for UK. We think the French do have a good simple tune that can be very effective on stage. Check out the video for 'Sognu'

-10 points to France, & 12 points to UK...

from schlagertunes