Subwoolfer in Eurovision: – Make big changes

The wolves “Jim” and “Keith” are in place in Turin, and preparations are already well underway before they compete in the first semifinal on Tuesday 10 May.

Subwoolfer must then be in the fire against pre-favorites such as Ukraine, the Netherlands and Norwegian Amanda Tenfjord for Greece, which are respectively in first, ninth and sixth place on the betting list.

Norway is in eighth place, something Stig Karlsen, Norway’s MGP chief, believes is completely inside at the moment.

– It allows us to come in surprised. For those who are very high on the list, there are very high expectations that they must redeem, so I think Norway has a good starting position, says Karlsen to Dagbladet, and adds that the betting lists are not a decision, but a pointer.

Gets a lot of attention

Subwoolfer, which in addition to the wolves consists of “DJ Astronaut”, has kept its identity hidden from the start. Thus, no outsider knows who is hiding behind the masks, although the speculations are many.

Name that the brother duo Bård and Vegard Ylvisåkerthe artists Ben Adams and Gaute Ormåsen and the host duo Erlend and Steinjo are mentioned.

The anonymity has also ensured that they get a lot of publicity outside Norway’s, and Europe’s, borders.

– There is a lot of attention around them. All the major media houses – including the American ones – demand a picture of Subwoolfer when they have to document what is happening from here, says Karlsen gently.

However, he does not believe that anonymity and costumes are decisive for how Subwoolfer does in the competition.

– There are several things that benefit Norway. We have an up-song that stands out because there are many ballads and down-songs among this year’s contributions. We also have a clear artist, who is not so easy to forget and a fun and catchy song that contains a lot of humor, Karlsen explains.

Norway’s song contribution, “Give That Wolf A Banana”, has been seen millions of times on YouTube

make changes

On Sunday, Subwoolfer had its first stage test in Turin, and although it went well, Karlsen reveals that they make some changes before the competition’s second stage test on Thursday morning.

– It went very well on Sunday, but there is still a lot to tackle. Before Thursday’s test, we have to go a few rounds with Rai (Radiotelevisione italiana, editor’s note) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), he says.

– What changes are we talking about?

– It’s a lot about image direction, which images we should use and the editing rhythm on them, as well as camera sections and lights. We also have a bit to do with the choreography, Karlsen answers.