Guy Sebastian’s last-second change of heart may reap dividends

HE ditched the pyrotechnics and the ‘over-the-top’ lighting moments before hitting the Eurovision stage. But the U-turn could just pay off for Guy Sebastian.

Guy Sebastian has overhauled his Eurovision Song Contest performance moments before the official opening on the competition after branding the scale of the lights and pyrotechnics for his number as ridiculously over the top.

The performer, sporting a strong cold after he was forced by the show’s organisers to surf on a river of freezing melted snow in Salzburg as part of televised promo of Australia’s entry, said he wanted it to be more about the music than huge vision.

17 May 2015. Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Guy Sebastian at the red carpet of the opening night. Pic Ella Pellegrini

He sounded and said he was “pretty crook and super congested” but decided yesterday he would change his stage performance ahead of comepition.

“We pretty much threw everything and the kitchen sink at it, it was ridiculous and afterwards watching it back I was like ‘what the hell we need to scale back’,” he said after watching a video of his rehearsal.

“I think because it was our first year we kinda have just gone all out but we need to make sure our performance has a story and has dynamics and builds at the right time not only musically but visually.

17 May 2015. Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Guy Sebastian on the red carpet of the opening night. Pic Ella Pellegrini

“Yes it is a huge stage but if the performance gets lost in the magnitude and grandeur of that production then the whole point gets missed so we spent heaps of time after the rehearsal sort of just scaling stuff back on a lighting level and on a staging level. We have canned most of the pyros, it looked like a sky show, New Year’s Eve or something it was crazy but it’s good now.”

When asked if he thought Eurovision was a party or contest, he said it was a bit of both but overall it was about the music.

17 May 2015. Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Guy Sebastian performs at the Official Opening Night at a local brewery. Pic Ella Pellegrini

“To me music is a celebration, music is something that can move you, pick you up from the darkest places, it can change your mood when you are driving on your way to work, a certain song can come on and suddenly it will change the course of your day, music is so powerful and I find it kinda difficult to see music in a competitive medium but none the less I am in the competition and I will do the best job I can do,” he said.

Outside the performing venue, Australians have started to gather and there is only one person they are supporting.

17 May 2015. Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. The crowd at the opening night red carpet. Pic Ella Pellegrini

“He’ll do it, he’ll do it, mate it is just great he is here, first time for an Australia and he is a true legend, he will do it,” said Colin McDonnell from Melbourne who was in Vienna with his four-year-old son Jonathan.

“Yeah it’s all kitsch and camp but it’s all good fun and we’re all here to enjoy.”