Eurovision: Lord of the Lost Doesn’t Mind Being ‘Crazy’

German gothic metal band Lord of the Lost may not have won over the jury in the German preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest in March, but the five musicians certainly won over TV audiences with their song “Blood & Glitter”, which is leading for the competition in Liverpool.

Upon discovering that they would be representing Germany at the event, the band immediately launched a social media campaign unlike any of the previous German Eurovision acts.

Their posts demonstrated the band’s enthusiasm for the upcoming event and their interest in the other participating artists and their music.

In a short time, they became known beyond the gothic and metal bubble. Her follower numbers multiplied, as did her record sales and streaming numbers.

Lord of the Lost, who celebrate their 15th anniversary as a band next year, have long been a big name in the metal scene.

The Hamburg band performs at all the major festivals including Wacken in Germany, Masters of Rock in the Czech Republic, Hellfest in France and Mystic Festival in Poland. They tour with top metal bands – Iron Maiden, Amon Amarth, Powerwolf.

Rock music is part of the Eurovision scene

So now they’re up for Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest. Back in the day, the event started out as a European popular music competition – but in its 67 years of existence, it has changed a lot.

Lordi, Finnish rockers known for their monster masks, were still considered highly exotic when they took home the title in 2006, but since then the contest has featured at least one hard rock, industrial or metal band – bands that consistently score well. .

In 2021, Italian rock band Maneskin won ESC.

Germany is keeping up with the times, as far as the type of music is concerned, and also sending professional musicians into the race. Lord of the Lost is often compared with Rammstein – which does not bother them at all. “If you listen mostly to pop music and have little to do with heavy music, and think of Germany and see a little bit of makeup, then the comparison is understandable,” singer Chris Harms told DW in Liverpool.

“Everyone knows Rammstein, and a lot of times people need these categories to be able to categorize bands. We don’t sound like Rammstein, we don’t look like Rammstein. We’re two very, very different bands, but if that helps categorize us, so be it.”

‘If this is a freak show then we like to be crazy’

Despite the musical diversity and ever-increasing quality of the songs, those who don’t know much about the Eurovision Song Contest might describe it as a freak show. “If you use the word ‘freakshow’ for an event where artists perform their music, where people celebrate that you can be diverse, open and respectful – if this is supposed to be a freak show then we like to be crazy and me I feel very, very comfortable here”, said the musicians of The Lord of the Lost.

Chris Harms, who at 43 is one of the oldest artists to appear onstage at this year’s pageant, wears rainbow-colored leggings and a black sweater as he sits on a sofa next to his band members. This is the 12th consecutive interview, but they still seem happy to answer the questions – maybe a little tired.

In addition to interviews, they have a series of press and gig engagements, including at the legendary Cavern Club, where Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles live in 1961. Between engagements, the band rehearses continuously.

How a show can give hope

Liverpool is hosting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, which it won in 2022 with the Kalush Orchestra but is unable to host amid the war.

“It’s obvious that the issue of the war in Ukraine is very much present in the show,” says Chris Harms, pointing out the color symbolism in the stage design, which highlights the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Somewhere in the world, there’s always a war going on, he says, adding that “it’s important to give people hope through positive things, putting on a show that many people can enjoy, even in Ukraine – hopefully on a night without bombs falling .”

Music competition without nations

Russia and Belarus were excluded from participating in this year’s contest.

The Lord of the Lost musicians say they have many Russian acquaintances, friends and fans who would likely end up in prison if they spoke their minds. “We know people who have fled Russia,” says Harms, adding that while he understands that Russia cannot participate in the contest this year, it is unfortunate that the decision also affects “artists who do not support this war in any way.”

The Eurovision Song Contest shouldn’t have any political components, Harms suggests: “If it were up to us, all countries would perform under a neutral flag and it would simply be a song competition without nations because borders are all man-made anyway. ”, says the singer of The Lord of the Lost.

This article was originally written in German. Andreas Brenner conducted the interview with lord of the lost