March 25, 2007

Scandinavian Bisexual Glam Boys Conquer Europe (and America?)

If you are a Eurofag, chances are you're counting down the days to May 10 when it's settled who the corniest artist in Europe will be this year. The Eurovision Song Contest is the tacky music enterprise that since 1956 has been supplying Europe with naff one-hit-wonders, and on rare occasions, longer lasting music careers (ABBA, France Gall and...er...Bucks Fizz).

The rules are, every country qualified sends an artist or group to represent them in the big European finale. Most of the time the musical ambassador is someone you are deeply ashamed of sharing origin with (until you're faced with the artists from the other countries, that is). But if I may toot my own mead horn, Sweden is actually sending a pretty decent band this year.

The Ark conquered Sweden back in 2000, with their debut album "We Are The Ark", that featured singles like "It Takes a fool to Remain Sane" and "Let Your Body Decide". The lyrics are written by flamboyant and palindromic front person Ola Salo, an outspoken bisexual, with lyrical themes about gay adoption rights and the hardships of being different. Ola has been known to walk down the streets of hometown Malmö in the buff, much to press photographers delight, and the band was featured on the Soundtrack to John Cameron Mitchells seminal, sex drama, Shortbus.

And now the boys are getting their sequined frocks out to go to Helsinki and perform "The Worrying Kind". If anyone can pull it off it's these guys. And with The Darkness breaking up if anyone can fill the over-the-top Euroglam void they left, it's The Ark. Remember where you read it first.

By Tom Ass

Posted by lavenderlounge at 5:07 PM

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