How I got into Eurovision.
Part 1: FelixK

Some memories might be wiped out. Some memories might be not so clear anymore, but most memories are still so clear as if things happened yesterday.
Well, these memories are 25 years old, believe it or not.

I was a child, when Ingrid Peters was quite big. At least in the German Schlager scene, which basically means in ZDF-Hitparade, a true legend of our german television.
Ingrid Peters had a big success on the show in 1983, with her song “Afrika” which was a cover version of a song called… “Africa” it was I guess? Dunno.
That was the time when I got into a kind of Ingrid-Peters-Fever. That was also the time, when I was getting interested in astronomy, the planets, the stars, etc. I was 7 then.
Back in 1983, I was allowed to watch the german final for Eurovision for the first time.
However, it took me a bit longer until I was allowed to watch the bigger thing…

1986 must have been the next time that I watched the german final. Well, it featured Ingrid Peters, so that was already a reason for me to watch it. And I was interested in this format and this Eurovision thing anyway, I just wished I was allowed to watch the bigger (but later) thing already!
“Ein Lied für Bergen”* turned out to be “Über die Brücke geh’n”, was sung by my idol Ingrid Peters, and totally became my favourite song of the young 1986. That was also the year when Halley’s comet was visiting earth, remember, I was a big astronomy fanboy by then.
The next thing that I remember in this matter was me having ÜDBG stuck in my head a couple of days before the big night. It was already quite warm and I was in the outside swimming pool in the town nearby, enjoying an icecream called “Afrika”. I got the total Ingrid Peters flash.

Two things happened, so that I was finally allowed to watch Eurovision: My dad was on a business trip abroad, and I loved Ingrid Peters. And another thing happened: When I read the detailed running order in the TV magazine, I stumbled over a song called “Halley”. So I was already looking forward to two songs, the German one, and the Turkish one.
I was already very excited when the show began, I was amazed by the beautiful stage and by the deep voice of the host Åse Kleveland. But I couldn’t stay in front of the TV:
I was so nervous that I had to go to the toilet during every postcard.
I loved Ingrid, I thought we could win, and I also loved Turkey. Only a few more memories survived the years until I got to see the show again in 2001, but none important enough to mention here. I loved the show, I loved Eurovision.

Still, I didn’t really make it to watch it properly in the upcoming years. Only in 1990 – when we got our first video recorder (!) – I was able to give it full attention. Same in 1991, until a few more years passed without me being able to watch it. The years passed by, a lot of german entrants came and left again, be it Stone & Stone or Bianca Shomburg, which both didn’t interest me at all, Guildo saved Eurovision, then my first internet connection, I somehow found the chat, and finally in 2000 I became the fully connected, passionate, dedicated fanboy.

So I got the video of 1986 in 2001, 15 years later. The only other song apart of Germany that I didn’t forget throughout all those years was Halley, making it my first ESC favourite that’s not from my own country.

4 live Eurovisions (01, 06, 10, 11) and many more crazy meetings with other fans from all over the world followed. With all the good parties, with all the bad music taste that I’m infamous for. With all the horrific nervosity around the voting, with all the bitching about the rules, with all the good feelings when you share the moment with close friends from other countries or from the opposite side of the planet.
This is my life, I don’t want to change a thing.

*(a song for Bergen, name of the german NF 1986)