Ahead of last night’s Eurovision’s Greatest Hits concert, ESC legends like Loreen, Conchita Wurst, and Johnny Logan hoped to bring the heat. Naturally they needed someone to warm them — and the 5,000-person audience — up. Thankfully Electro Velvet — the UK’s Eurovision 2015 act — were on hand to do just that. The duo, which consists of Bianca Nicholas and Alex Larke, performed their song “Still in Love with You” live for the first time and, judging from audience reaction, it went rather well.
The staging built on their music video. It was all 1920s swing with some fun flapper girls (and guys) in the background. Judging from this they’ll likely have an even number of guys and girls supporting them in Vienna, which will work well with their back-and-forth melody. Alex, an experienced Mick Jagger impersonater, seemed quite confidant and his vocals didn’t warble. Bianca had good energy and was generally sound, though at 2:12 in the video below it sounds like she’s gasping for air. We’re sure she can work through that ahead of Vienna. As with the music video, there was mixed reaction to this performance. But I have to say: this rises in my estimation when performed live. It benefits from live energy and charisma.
As far as we know, viewers at home will not get to see this performance on TV this weekend. Electro Velvet were merely warming up the audience inside the venue. It’d also be slightly unfair to the other acts competing this year if the UK act got prime billing in this pre-Eurovision TV show. However, the emcee did suggest that this may be used on the BBC red button, though he didn’t seem convinced of that himself.
Electro Velvet: Live at Eurovision’s Greatest Hits
What do you think of their performance? Does the live performance change or confirm what you thought previously?
Don’t under estimate the broad popularity of this electro-swing style of music. Might not be to the taste of those in the UK, but they’re not the audience this is designed for. The lyrics, while seemingly antiquated, are in line with the 1920s feel.
Anyway, its much better than the rest of the ballady rubbish this year. Well themed, and uniquely memorable. Honestly, the year Australia gets a wildcard, and its looking like the most boring competition for many many years
I have to say the vocals sound pretty decent live which is promising. Proves they can sing in tune in front of a large audience at least. Musically it does have some catchy hooks and the vocal melodies are good as well, even if the lyrics are a bit cheesy/sleazy, so hopefully won’t get hammered by the juries too much. The scat singing bit fits well and was promising to hear a few cheers in the audience at that part. Although I do think they should have done something different with that last verse, feels a bit tagged-on without doing… Read more »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUx6SCsBP9E
This version is actually kinda cool It has a Britsh Slap Stick quality to it… and I could so easily see it being a summer club hit
Its ok…I really liked the kaleidoscope backdrop the most. Not sure about the choreo because of the quality of the footage but I guess the staging isn’t plain or boring compared to Molly’s last year. So its an improvement for BBC.
great vocals and energy. This is a dark horse. People and media do not expect much but they will surprise us in the live show. I hope juries won’t put them down in the scoreboard. Still, they’ll get a better result compared to last year’17th place
P.S. First or bust is the right approach for the UK, as we don’t have many other options
I absolutely love this song, yes especially the lyrics, because they are spot-on very 1920s. Tremendously dependable singing from Alex (you sound great live!) – this is what you get for choosing something who regularly performs. Very cute singing from Bianca – a little bit Betty Boop. What I really love about this song is how quirky it is and completely unlike the plethora of ballads – a welcome breath of fresh air! <3<3<3<3<3 Keep a look out for Downton fans like me…..
Why weren’t they booed though? Aren’t these people who booed at Dima Bilan in that show the same people who got mad at BBC for selecting Electro Velvet as the British entrants this year?
No comments
Shame on you UK, you have great singers and send those …
@AndyUK I mentioned Brits in the audience in regards to it not really being unfair that they performed at the event as in many of the people who saw the performance won’t be able to vote for it at eurovision anyway (i.e. Brits), not about who likes it/doesn’t like it.
I think TOP5 is within reach
I’m all for gypsy jazz and swing pop! In fact, I really love the instrumental arrangement of this song. But the lyrics have GOT to go! It’s about one of the sickening couples who can’t bear to be apart for more than 5 seconds! And though they can sing live, I really don’t like his voice. The dumb lyrics alone are enough to make me dislike the song and place it far down the scoreboard.
Yay!! They can sing live!! We won’t win. Not for a while. But I always try to remain optimistic. It…..it…..um……umm………it’s a fun song? I think we will have the same “success” as Bonnie Tyler (2013 UK).
@Alison but the majority of Brits don’t even like the song.
I said it from the very beginning: at least, this is much better than last year’s UK entry.
@Eugene dancers can be backing vocals as well
And I wouldn’t be shoked if this get a high position or even win in Vienna. Don’t let Sweden or Spain win, they don’t deserve it this year, I think they are overrated, but this song is different and it sounds nice.
@Lijana haha, i though it was you doing an April Fools! I think you may have been fooled…
I see what people are saying about it being a bit cheeky having them perform but it’s not going to air when the show is distributed to other countries and I suspect there was a pretty high percentage of Brits in the audience anyway.
#5 for me. I like this song.
Why do they use this show to promote their country? It was all planned and I think it is very wrong. Everyday I hate more this song.
This confirm what I thought previously: i hate it even more. Sorry not sorry.
I don’t know why do you hate thi song so much, I like it, it’s like a new sound in an old contest.7 points from Spain (sorry but Albania, Estonia and FYROM are awesome for me 🙁 ).BTW a great contest is ahead.
Sound slightly better live but still meh!
The Winner of ESC 2015!
They can sing! And Well! In a big hall!
The song is still pretty awful but hey ho
His vocales sound better live than in the studio version, hers aren’t bad either. Doesn’t change the fact the song is godawful and the lyrics are sexist as hell.
What the UK need to do is to steal those Screens Ukraine used 2012 and use that for dancers.
Okay, maybe that was just an April 1st joke. not sure yet hahaha
DEAR WIWIBLOGGS, PLEASE MAKE A POST ABOUT LITHUANIA’S DUET WITHDRAWAL FROM THE CONTEST. THIS IS SO SAD, THEYRE OFFICIALLY OUT OF THE CONTEST! 🙁
First well done to wiwibloggs for getting us the video. I was sad to see that even this performance had more people on stage than will be allowed in the contest. Shouldn’t they be concentrating on presenting the song as required in the actual contest ? Having heard all 39 other entries for the first time yesterday, I don’t think this will succeed. Sorry, but those getting excited about a UK victory are deluded. I know I am harsh but I actually would be pleased to see this get hardly any votes. The BBC needs to punished for making so… Read more »
You just never know with the Eurovision Song Contest. Do you? I mean, Lordi and Conchita were not expected to win and both ran into a heap of controversy coming up to Eurovision. We all know what happened next?
I firmly believe we could be in for a huge shock in May. If the UK win, I will say “I told you so!!!!!!!! 😀 😀
I was there last night. It was much better than what the recording shows and sounds like
Lol, I just saw the live performance…. I really thought this was a bad April’s Foul Day joke…
Dissapointing to see that the BBC uses this show to promote their own song….
That’s not the concept of Eurovision Greatest Hits….
This is a song people love or hate and that’s fine; that is better than people being ‘so-so’ about it. I’ve recorded singers for 40 years from Bill Withers to Tommy Blaize (who does live BV’s here…you’ve heard him on Strictly), and these two are right up there. I’m so proud of them, they did a brilliant job and I really wonder about people who can criticise these vocals, especially as they’re recorded on a phone. If Bianca is short of breath, it’s because she has Cystic Fibrosis. To even be performing is miraculous.
Sorry, UK! Live or not, this song doesn’t even make my top 20. Just not a fan of this style of song, but good for a change in the ESC final.
it is growing on me
PENSE QUE SE MOVERIAN MAS EN EL ESCENARIO ES CHALESTON PLEASE MOVE MORE SINGERS
An April 1st joke?
Really???? Charleston???? Are we back to the 20,s??? please UK you can do better than this ,personally i dont like the song ,go to finish 15 to 20 in the final
I was really worried once I heard a slowed-down version that sounded like somebody had just pitched it down in Audacity. It sounded like it had been sung in a mud puddle.
To my relief, this is the same upbeat version as the music video – a version I quite like and I am really hoping it spites the haters and does fantastically.
This song absolutely doesn’t have any serious chances of winning…Even 4 a favorable top10 spot possibly…Or top15 even..
I predict 4 UK >> 19th to 27th place…
Yep they can finish even last ones equaling the disaster of 2003 4 United Kingdom that *Cry Baby* finished with zero points even!
I’m not fan of *Still In Love With You*… Its not a truly bad song but it lacks much for being considered really good..
The factors that can possibly can save them from ranking at the rock bottom is delivering a powerful strong performance with cool gimmics..
Plus they don’t seem that sympathetic likable as an act..
They do not have really much chemistry together as duo couple..
The guy’s voice is actually good and in tune. It only needs more volume because it’s not balanced to the woman’s voice. Probably because of its almost deep voice and use of the tone for the song.
Yeah, the male vocalist is great. Not sure what mawnck is talking about there.
OMG it actually sounds pretty good!!!!! Go, UK!!!
@mawnck: He sounds fine, maybe if everyone else is agreeing that he sounds good and you’re the only one who isn’t probably means its more of a you thing, not an “everyone is tone deaf and wrong there’s no way it’s just me” smh
I’ve always liked this song, it probably won’t do well because it’ll most likely be killed by the juries though
Well, it proves that Bianca can sing live anyway. Her top note sounds like it’s missing every time (the out-of-breath thing you mentioned was merely the most obvious one), but that note’s not that high and she repeatedly sings the note right below it with no problems, so I suspect it’s a hall acoustics thing (or perhaps her mike technique) rather than an actual vocal deficiency on her part. He, on the other hand, is lousy in the first verse. Like, Jemini-level TERRIBLE. He gets a little better (but still not very good) as the song progresses. Once again I… Read more »
Needs more cuckoo at the end. 😉
@Deven I don’t think it will win but I hope this performance puts it higher in people’s estimations 🙂