Joe Louis Robinson is set to bring his brand-new show Eurovisionary! to the Perth International Cabaret Festival.
When we bumped into each other at the festival launch a few months ago he shared that he was about to head off on a trip to Europe, and attending Eurovision in person for the first time was on his agenda.
Now’s he’s back in town and rehearsing for the show’s big debut on 18th June and working out just how many Eurovision hits you can cram into a cabaret show.
Speaking to OUTinPerth co-editor Graeme Watson he shares his excitement from the festivities in Malmo, the challenges of fitting decades of Eurovision into a short cabaret show, and as a performer whose lived in many different countries – just where his Eurovision allegiance lies.
Reflecting back on the whirlwind that is the on-the-ground Eurovision experience, Robinson says it was a “one in a lifetime experience”.
Boldly sharing that he means he’ll never need to go again.
“Controversially, I think it was a once in a lifetime thing. I really enjoyed it, but it was it was just hectic!” he shares. “Honestly, I genuinely was sort of a bit overwhelmed. I found it more stressful than the Atlantis cruise I went early in the year!”
Having been to the circus that is Eurovision on more than one occasion myself, I know exactly what he means. The event extends well beyond the broadcasts we see on television and the cohort of this year’s artists.
My first trip to Eurovision was to Copenhagen in 2014 where drag star Conchita Wurst was crowned the winner. The event fills every square in the city with pop-up performances from contestants from years gone by, the music of Eurovision plays in every cafe, every shop, nightclubs, and in your hotel.
Alongside the broadcast semi-finals and final, you can also get tickets to watch the jury shows, the dress rehearsals, there’s family shows earlier in the day. If you ever wonder why those performances are so tight by the final, it’s because every performer has done them a gazillion times.
“It was fantastic. It was great to see it live and in person.” Robinson said. “We saw both semi-finals, and then we flew to Dublin to watch the grand final at Eurovision party with friends. Seeing every single act perform, even the ones that didn’t qualify, and then we got watch the Grand Final on TV and compare how the performances look different in the stadium versus on the screen.
“Plus, there was knowing all the drama that went on backstage with the Netherlands. It was a great experience. I absolutely loved it.” Robinson said.
The dedication of fans at the event while legendary, was also still more than the musician was expecting. Joe Louis Robinson shared that one of the audience members near him had a series of costume reveals of his own throughout the show.
“One of them kept changing outfits, he had like a onesie on and underneath a shirt for every single different country. It was really interesting. It was a whole thing, and it was quite the commitment. Lots of planning.”
Faced with the thousands of songs that have been part of Eurovision throughout the years, Robinson has tackled the challenge of working out which tunes will be part of his show. He has narrowed it down by focusing on songs that, for the most part, actually won the competition. After studying all the different tunes, he agrees that there is definitely a science to constructing a Eurovision hit.
“There is a real science. There’s one guy in the UK who has done a whole PhD in Eurovision and one of the areas he talks about a lot is the science of a good Eurovision song.
Robinson puts forward his observation that there is also a fashion element in Eurovision, they’ll be a spate of tunes in a similar style and genre, but it’ll quickly be dropped for the next fashion choice.
In the early 2000s the successful formula was what was referred to as ‘The Four B’s’. Big Belting Balkan Ballads.
“Big Belting Balkan Ballads, are basically like just a lady downstage centre with a mike stand, wearing an outfit that maybe sort of is a little singed or frayed, and then fire. Just loads of fire, like pyrotechnics everywhere. And there’s about four or five great songs that fit that exact mold.” Robinson observed.
Hailing from the UK, having lived in Spain, and now a resident of Australia, Robinson says when it comes to staking an allegiance he’s been very fickle.
“I’m an absolute turncoat, I just change like the wind. The UK I think is a bit of a lost cause, and I do explore why I think that is in the show.
“Obviously I’ve lived in Spain for quite a bit so stay tuned. It’s kind of my second spiritual home, but now I’m paying the most tax to Australia, so I feel like I need to probably support them in some way.”
One thing Joe Louis Robinson has ruled out of his show is a Buck’s Fizz style costume reveal. The 1980 winner got attention which a gimmick where the boys in the band ripped off the girl’s skirts revealing shorter skirts underneath.
“Buck’s Fizz have a lot to answer for.” Robinson laughs. “The number of people who’ve asked me if I’m going to have a tearaway costume…. it’s really hard to do when you’re sitting at a piano!”
Grab tickets to see Eurovisionary! – Joe Louis Robinson, Downstairs at the Maj on 18th June.
