Today the rehearsals for Eurovision 2023 has kicked off in Liverpool. Countries rehearsing on Day 1 include Norway, Malta, Serbia, Latvia, Portugal, Ireland, Croatia, Switzerland, Moldova and Sweden. The sixth to rehearse today is Ireland’s Wild Youth.
Wild Youth’s first rehearsal
The next to take to the Eurovision 2023 stage at Liverpool Arena in Liverpool was Ireland’s Wild Youth. They will be competing in this year’s competition with their entry “We Are One” following their win in the Irish selection ‘Eurosong 2023’, which took place on Irish flagship show The Late Late Show.
Following Wild Youth’s first rehearsal a clip of what went on was posted on the official TikTok account of the Eurovision Song Contest. The clip showed Wild Youth before and after they took to the Eurovision stage for the first time, as well as giving us some insight into how well their first rehearsal went.
What did we learn about Wild Youth’s staging?
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
It is confirmed via the liveblog that the masks from the music video are not in use here in Liverpool. Conor is wearing a gold jumpsuit and there are stairs in this performance which have LEDS on them. It has also been confirmed that their will be Pyro during this performance.
What we thought of Ireland’s first rehearsal
After Wild Youth’s first rehearsal our team gave their initial thoughts on the snippet that we saw.
Who are Wild Youth?
Wild Youth were formed in Dublin in 2016 by singer Conor O’Donohoe, drummer Callum McAdam, guitarist Ed Porter and keyboard player David Whelan. Not long after, they released their debut single “All Or Nothing”. Their first (and so far only) album, The Last Goodbye, was released in 2019, followed by EP Forever Girl in 2021.They have also supported some of the world’s biggest names on tour, including Niall Horan, Zara Larsson, Lewis Capaldi and Westlife.
O’Donohoe in particular has seen success as a songwriter for some major acts, with credits on songs performed by ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog, The Script ,Westlife and Britney Spears. He was awarded a Grammy in 2013 for “Stronger”, performed by Kelly Clarkson. He was one of the writers of Ireland’s 2017 Eurovision entry, “Dying To Try”.
In an interview with Eurovision World, O’Donohoe discussed how the lyrics of “We Are One” are reflective of Eurovision more broadly:
I believe that people are incredibly accepting, and it feels like there’s no judgement. That’s why I feel like Eurovision is an incredible place. I think a lot of people can learn from it because it does feel like a place where everyone is one. We’re all human at the end of the day, and we all have hearts and we all care.
People are so kind and giving with their time and compliments. And that’s why the lyrics contain “tonight we are one,” because it feels like that in that moment. The world could take inspiration from that feeling.
Conor O’Donohoe
“We Are One” was written by members Conor O’Donohoe and Ed Porter, alongside Jörgen Elofsson.
Ireland’s Eurovision Journey
In 1965, Ireland made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest with Butch Moore and the song “Walking the Streets in the Rain”, which managed to place 6th. Since their debut, Ireland has participated 55 times (making the Grand Final 45 times), and has won the competition seven times, which is currently the record for most wins.
Ireland’s latest Eurovision participation saw them being represented by Brooke Scullion, with her song “That’s Rich”. She placed 15th in the semi-final, receiving 47 points from the Jury and Televote.
What do you think of “We Are One”? Can Wild Youth bring Eurovision back to Ireland? Let us know your thoughts! Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as we prepare for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
