Eurovision: Irish entry Wild Youth live in hope ahead of ‘semi final of death’

As Ireland’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, Wild Youth, took to the stage for a live rehearsal on Monday night, Irish journalist Neil Farren of music site Eurovoix.com let out a patriotic roar. “C’mon the lads,” he said, hugging a Tricolour. “It’s the hope that kills you,” smiled another European journalist nearby.

This morning, Wild Youth insisted they are ready for battle as they aim to turn hope into reality in tonight’s first Eurovision semi final at the Liverpool Arena in the city’s docklands. Ireland is trying to qualify for the final for the first time since 2018.

The Dublin four-piece hope to land one of 10 spots in Saturday’s showpiece that are up for grabs among 15 countries competing tonight. The Irish entry, the anthemic number We Are One, faces stiff competition, notably from bookies favourites Sweden and Finland. France, which has an automatic spot in Saturday’s final, is another highly fancied entry.

Conor O’Donohoe, Wild Youth’s lead singer and a songwriter, was undaunted this morning in advance of tonight’s show, which is due to kick off at 8pm.

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“I just heard that, supposedly, the live audience [at last night’s rehearsal] did a vote and put us in sixth place and that would mean that we would get through,” he said. “That would be incredible. But obviously it comes down to a lot more tonight.”

He said the band will be “gutted” if Wild Youth doesn’t make it through. Some of the favourites have been making a publicity splash around the venue in Liverpool, where the event is being hosted for last year’s winners, Ukraine. Finnish rapper Käärijä, the second favourite, has a large mobile sauna in the back of a truck parked up close to the venue. People wearing nothing but towels could be seen standing around outside late on Monday night.

Wild Youth has no sauna to grab public imagination ahead of the vote. The band, which also includes David Whelan, Ed Porter and Callum McAdam, say instead they went on to Amazon and bought a “big inflatable baby” which they have blown up and set free somewhere in Liverpool. “He’s a Wild Youth. You just have to go and find him,” O’Donohoe said, who was presumably joking.

At least tonight’s losers will not have to face the ignominy of X Factor style public rejections on the main stage, which had been planned by the organisers, before the idea was abandoned late yesterday. Marty Whelan, the RTÉ broadcaster who will commentate on the event, said in Liverpool this morning that he was glad the plan was changed. “Imagine finding out that way, in front of so many people,” he said.

Rumours abound in Liverpool that Ireland’s 2008 Eurovision entry, Dustin the Turkey, could make an appearance in official proceedings tonight after a skit in last night’s rehearsal seemed to indicate this could happen. Whelan says he is looking forward to seeing the character again after so long: “He has survived many Christmases.”

Ireland’s semi final is being tagged the “group of death”, due to the presence of the Finnish second favourite and also the overall favourite, Swedish singer Loreen and her Ibiza-like dance track, Tattoo. Other songs that went down well in rehearsals included Norway’s entry, Switzerland’s Lewis Capaldi-soundalike, and also the Israeli entry, Unicorn by Noa Kirel.

Wild Youth face a tall order to make it through. For the Irish entry, showtime is expected to come at about 8.45pm tonight. Outside the arena, the atmosphere is building in Liverpool, the closest Eurovision has come to Ireland since 1997. Irish flags are everywhere. The result should be in by about 10pm.