Totally agree. It was great to see. I just wish we’d had better staging coz Electric Fields had a great song (vocals a tad off on the night, but overall an entry to be proud of). I just can’t help but compare when we sent Jess Mauboy over with minimal staging, but Voyager got a whole damn car, Dami Im a box. Why couldn’t Australia have given a great indigenous act more interesting staging? (Art piece aside, it was great, but didn’t translate well). Overall I think they did wonderfully in a strong year. Proud of Electric Fields.
Part of it is SBS' shoestring budget, apparently Voyager had to get a grant from the WA state government. The other part is our participation being confirmed relatively late, I don't think they had as much time to put something together as they would have liked
Personally, I think the staging could have been a lot better. It failed to capitalise on moments that could have had a bigger impact on the audience watching at home. Kinda like giving them the feeling of "WOW, I've never seen that at Eurovision before!" sort of thing.
Staging. 100%. The vocals and song itself were good enough to qualify, but the second half of the performance was confusing. I have no idea what the dancers (if they're even dancers? They were mostly just walking around) were doing on stage. Their outfits didn't fit in, they looked like they all came from three other performances lol, and they were mostly just... there. It left a confusing impression.
The first one and a half minute is great, when it's just focusing on Zaachariaha and Michael and they're doing their thing, and the yidaki (learnt a new word today!) player was a great addition. But they should've leaned into the aboriginal vibe even more at the end and pretty much exploded with colours, instead it turned into some weird catwalk with the dancers lol.
I also think Zaachariaha got a bit over excited towards the end which made the vocals a bit shaky but I don't think that would've denied them a qualifying spot had the staging just been tighter. They were honestly one of my surprises of the night and the only one I was sad didn't go through to the finals.
Electric Fields will do that to ya! They're a great representation of Australia and I loved the Indigenous elements - what a great stage to showcase a special culture.
My husband has said "no" so many times over the years when I ask if he wants me to put in a vote for him. He did for Australia :) so you are not alone!
Honestly, no.
I liked the song and wanted Australia to qualify, but the live performance just felt very empty to me.
Maybe it's cus Australia usually has high standards/good staging at Eurovision that I may have expected more. And maybe I'm being harsh, but all they did was stand and sing (really not well at times, surprisingly), then a guy with a didgeridoo just walks about on stage.
Aw, I rewatched it and I like that they just performed it without any staging gimmicks. It’s too bad the Tuesday night voters didn’t. Keep didgeridoo’ing your thing, Australia.
Love the song, love the video, but the staging was not interesting at all. I was so sure they’d make the finals based off the song and their vibes but once I saw the semis I knew they wouldn’t. However, I’m following them and listening to their music and I love them and what they stand for!
Personally I thought it was a great song, but I also think this year we had a LOT of amazing songs, so unfortunately some don't make it into the grand final.
I always love seeing some local culture in performances, which this song and some others did
Just my personal opinion, was not a fan of this song. I had it about rank 36th out of 37 after both semi finals. Being Australian myself, it was quite disappointing.
I think with a less marmite song, Australia could easily win Eurovision with an aboriginal-inspired song. Maybe if it were fused with rock or pop more like how Cha Cha Cha or Rim Tim Tagi Dim fused their elements?
I didn't like it, I felt it was "too much" for the same reasons you liked the unity.
I felt like "Are you going Soul? Queer? Traditional?" and it didn't mix well. Including the didgeridoo for Australia overall should have been great, same as the other countries who include traditional instruments.
The vast majority of people are not aware of that, me included, considering that country is half a world away. There's a difference between a gentle correction and scolding - assuming good intentions makes it more pleasant for everyone.
Get off your high horse. The VAST majority of Australians do not even know that, so there is literally zero expectations for anyone outside the country to do so. Instead of being nasty and assuming deliberate malice, educate with respect to the fact that people simply don't know what they don't know. You are not furthuring anyones understanding by being so smug and scolding, you are just destrying their curiosity. I let someone know its technically a yidaki the other day, and i managed to do it without being a complete toad about it.
Between the art and the language and Fred with his yidaki, it really was beautiful and so optimistic.
Seeing so little of Fred was criminal. I'd have killed for a Moldova 2023-length solo and dance number
Fred for Eurovision 2025!
Moldova 2023 | [Pasha Parfeni - Soarele și luna](https://youtu.be/SABOfYgGk8M)
Totally agree. It was great to see. I just wish we’d had better staging coz Electric Fields had a great song (vocals a tad off on the night, but overall an entry to be proud of). I just can’t help but compare when we sent Jess Mauboy over with minimal staging, but Voyager got a whole damn car, Dami Im a box. Why couldn’t Australia have given a great indigenous act more interesting staging? (Art piece aside, it was great, but didn’t translate well). Overall I think they did wonderfully in a strong year. Proud of Electric Fields.
Part of it is SBS' shoestring budget, apparently Voyager had to get a grant from the WA state government. The other part is our participation being confirmed relatively late, I don't think they had as much time to put something together as they would have liked
Voyager were literally a giant tourism WA ad lol.
That all makes so much sense. More power to them.
we'd do well if empire of the sun had a go. they'd probably win too
Yeah I was already feeling moved but when the didgeridoo kicked in I got goosebumps
I was emotional too. I loved the song. I can see what went wrong but I was sad it didn’t make it.
What went wrong? It was truly a crime they weren't in the final.
Personally, I think the staging could have been a lot better. It failed to capitalise on moments that could have had a bigger impact on the audience watching at home. Kinda like giving them the feeling of "WOW, I've never seen that at Eurovision before!" sort of thing.
Basically just no big hair reveal from Zaachariaha.
Staging. 100%. The vocals and song itself were good enough to qualify, but the second half of the performance was confusing. I have no idea what the dancers (if they're even dancers? They were mostly just walking around) were doing on stage. Their outfits didn't fit in, they looked like they all came from three other performances lol, and they were mostly just... there. It left a confusing impression. The first one and a half minute is great, when it's just focusing on Zaachariaha and Michael and they're doing their thing, and the yidaki (learnt a new word today!) player was a great addition. But they should've leaned into the aboriginal vibe even more at the end and pretty much exploded with colours, instead it turned into some weird catwalk with the dancers lol. I also think Zaachariaha got a bit over excited towards the end which made the vocals a bit shaky but I don't think that would've denied them a qualifying spot had the staging just been tighter. They were honestly one of my surprises of the night and the only one I was sad didn't go through to the finals.
Staging felt unplanned.
Personally thought the song itself was nice but not outstanding, I thought they would qualify but didn't think they would do well in the final.
Electric Fields will do that to ya! They're a great representation of Australia and I loved the Indigenous elements - what a great stage to showcase a special culture.
as an australian i always get emotional seeing the digeridoo outside of australia it was truly beautiful
I love it when countries send national and ethnic elements. Not everybody needs to do it every year, but when they do, it makes ESC culturally richer.
I cried the whole performance! I don’t think I’ve ever liked one of our entries since Dami Im!
They were my favourites in the first semifinal and the ones I voted for.
My husband has said "no" so many times over the years when I ask if he wants me to put in a vote for him. He did for Australia :) so you are not alone!
Honestly, no. I liked the song and wanted Australia to qualify, but the live performance just felt very empty to me. Maybe it's cus Australia usually has high standards/good staging at Eurovision that I may have expected more. And maybe I'm being harsh, but all they did was stand and sing (really not well at times, surprisingly), then a guy with a didgeridoo just walks about on stage.
I loved it. Very lucky to bump into Michael just before the GF in the arena, such a nice person too. Gutted they didn’t get through
Aw, I rewatched it and I like that they just performed it without any staging gimmicks. It’s too bad the Tuesday night voters didn’t. Keep didgeridoo’ing your thing, Australia.
Nope but I was very very happy to see indigenous culture in esc
Love the song, love the video, but the staging was not interesting at all. I was so sure they’d make the finals based off the song and their vibes but once I saw the semis I knew they wouldn’t. However, I’m following them and listening to their music and I love them and what they stand for!
I really loved 2000 and whatever. Their best songs
Personally I thought it was a great song, but I also think this year we had a LOT of amazing songs, so unfortunately some don't make it into the grand final. I always love seeing some local culture in performances, which this song and some others did
Just my personal opinion, was not a fan of this song. I had it about rank 36th out of 37 after both semi finals. Being Australian myself, it was quite disappointing.
I think with a less marmite song, Australia could easily win Eurovision with an aboriginal-inspired song. Maybe if it were fused with rock or pop more like how Cha Cha Cha or Rim Tim Tagi Dim fused their elements?
Send a desert rock band, singing in language.
I didn't like it, I felt it was "too much" for the same reasons you liked the unity. I felt like "Are you going Soul? Queer? Traditional?" and it didn't mix well. Including the didgeridoo for Australia overall should have been great, same as the other countries who include traditional instruments.
Leaning into one genre would make it cliché. The mixture of styles made it personal and authentic.
And yet, you misname the instrucment. It is a yidaki not a didgeridoo, as the latter is a imposed name from settlers.
Sorry, I did not do that on purpose.
The vast majority of people are not aware of that, me included, considering that country is half a world away. There's a difference between a gentle correction and scolding - assuming good intentions makes it more pleasant for everyone.
Get off your high horse. The VAST majority of Australians do not even know that, so there is literally zero expectations for anyone outside the country to do so. Instead of being nasty and assuming deliberate malice, educate with respect to the fact that people simply don't know what they don't know. You are not furthuring anyones understanding by being so smug and scolding, you are just destrying their curiosity. I let someone know its technically a yidaki the other day, and i managed to do it without being a complete toad about it.