Axel Hirsoux isn’t living through the happiest of times. After a disappointing 14th place finish in the semi-final, the plan was to give a number of concerts in Belgium in the coming weeks. However, Axel’s manager Bruno Lorenzo announced yesterday that Axel’s vocal chords cracked this week and the singer has been forced to cancel all of the upcoming concerts. His voice possibly suffered from his intense experience in Copenhagen. Management say that he hopes to be performing again around June.

Axel, a good sport who rooted for Conchita Wurst in the final, returned from his Eurovision adventure on Sunday the 11th of May. His mother and father, who had returned from Copenhagen ahead of him, greeted him at Zaventem Airport. He may not have been greeted by a big horde of fans, but Axel was in good spirits. As he told us after his early exit from Eurovision, he is proud of what he achieved and is already thinking about returning to the contest in the future.

His management also firmly denies the rumours that the cancellation of the concerts has anything to do with Axel’s alleged bouts with depression.

Belgian fans and the Belgian press have gone easy on Axel. Instead, they’ve directed their fury at the national selection process, broadcaster VRT and the ‘un-professional’ jury at Belgium Eurosong.

After the semi-final, newspaper ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’  had this to say: ‘The useless Belgian National Final should be banned: too complex, too many useless auditions, artists that were forced upon a song with a result of gray mediocrity. Not a single song really stood out, because there was no money to buy a decent song, all were second-rate. Eurosong was unnecessary, a farce’.

De Standaard asked the following: ‘With a professional jury, an international jury and the audience, what remains to build on? Just choose internally again, like with Tom Dice and Urban Trad’.

On social media a poster was going around with the one-liner: ‘Dear Jury of Eurosong: thanks for nothing!’. The reactions from fans on Twitter and Facebook were in general mostly directed at VRT, which they believe strangled the possibility for a good song. 

VRT claimed absolute control during this year’s selection, and artists were forced to sing songs from other people while their own songs were banned. But there is light on the horizon: it’s RTBF’s turn next year. RTBF can start searching for an even better Roberto while VRT gets a whole year to reflect on what, in the name of Eurovision-love, she was thinking with Eurosong 2014….

Daphne Dee contributed this report from Belgium. Follow her on Twitter @JacinthaD1. You can also keep up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page

Picture Axel: Sander Hesterman (EBU)

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Elisa Long
Elisa Long
9 years ago

What’s even better? Follow the Netherlands’ footsteps and pick a well-known artist for next year. Among my picks: Stromae, Hooverphonic (or one of its lead singers), etc.

Jade
Jade
9 years ago

Roberto Bellarosa tweeted after the Grand Final… It was very cryptic but defo implied he had at least been asked to take part next year.

It said “Eurovision 2015?”

I LOVED Roberto and would love to see him back

Vladimir
Vladimir
9 years ago

While Belgium is one of my favorite Eurovision countries, VRT is one of the most difficult broadcasters in Europe. The country has many talented people and great songs, but VRT almost always destroys everything. They make the selection so difficult and complicated, while they never ask themselves: “who likes this?”

R
R
9 years ago

He was great, and between him and Carl Espen I’d pick Axel for sure.

sopon
sopon
9 years ago

I’m glad that the Flemish people aren’t blaming Axel (they recognize that he is an awesome singer) or making any derogatory statements about him for being Walloon. Axel stated before the Eurosong final that if he didn’t win, he wouldn’t hesitate to contact RTBF about 2015. Maybe RTBF can reach out to him with a better song (or a selection of his own music). He would be the first solo artist to represent two broadcasters.

Mikko Suhonen
Mikko Suhonen
9 years ago

I wonder what the Flemish press thought of the entry before the 1st semi final. If they liked it then and thought it was a good song, they cannot start blaming VRT or Axel for the choice after the it did not proceed to the final. The Eurovision results are what they are, the song does not change any better or worse because of the final result.

If they thought that “Mother” was a bad choice they should have said it before the Eurovision week. Did they?

Deven O'Kearney
9 years ago

I wonder will Belgium go back to Internal Selection in 2015?

What do you guys say? 😀 😀 😀 😀