Eurovision superfan Joseph Pace believes the hype around Malta’s song is very different than usual and some of the loudest cheers in Thursday night’s semi-final came after Miriana Conte’s performance.
“There’s a feeling that Serving is one of those songs to look out for,” Joseph said, speaking to Times of Malta from Basel, Switzerland, where Miriana will represent Malta in this evening’s Eurovision final.
Joseph and his wife Loredana were among a crowd cheering Miriana during the Eurovision semi-final on Thursday.
This year is Joseph’s 15th Eurovision trip, while this is Loredana’s 10th time travelling to the song contest.
Joseph said he fell in love with the contest when he was 16 and had to do a school project about it.
“That’s when I knew that, as soon as I got a full-time job and I could afford it, I would go to see the Eurovision in person,” he said.
Joseph, speaking alongside his wife – who lost her voice singing at Eurovision parties – said Malta’s entry is popular with the fans in Basel.
“Even when they were announcing the last place in the final, the arena was chanting ‘Malta, Malta, Malta’,” Joseph said.
“I think the Maltese delegation did a good job with their marketing because the people we speak to know the song well,” he said.
Joseph and Loredana, who has ‘Eurovision’ tattooed across her forearm, were featured among three groups of superfans during Thursday’s semi-final.
In the feature shot in their home, the Maltese couple showed their extensive collection of Eurovision souvenirs and memorabilia, including confetti that popped out from the stage.
The couple were even interviewed live on air on Thursday.
“I partied a lot and now I lost my voice,” Loredana told the Eurovision host.
“It was so emotional knowing that being filmed means that we are now part of the story of a festival we love so much,” Joseph said.
The Paces will be among the thousands of Maltese cheering Miriana while hoping for a strong result – and perhaps even a first-ever Eurovision win.
Malta will be performing in 20th place tonight, after Switzerland and before Portugal.
Many believe that performing towards the end of the show might help a country’s chances, with the song still fresh in viewers’ minds when the televoting kicks off.
‘95% of the music I listen to are Eurovision songs’
Thirty-one-year-old Neville Spiteri is another Eurovision-mad Maltese cheering Miriana in Basel.
He said Malta’s performance on Thursday was “exceptional”, with Miriana showing a lot of confidence on stage.
“The song was different and, instead of playing it safe, we took a risk, and I think it’s paying off,” he said.
What’s more, the song keeps people interested in its entirety, said Spiteri – who knows a thing or two about Eurovision music.
Neville Spiteri is among the Eurovision-mad Maltese cheering Conte live in Basel. Photo: Neville Spiteri
“Ninety or 95 per cent of the music I listen to are Eurovision songs,” he said.
He said Miriana is very popular with fans in Basel and the media. Spiteri first travelled for the Eurovision in 2016, when Ira Losco’s Walk on Water was Malta’s entry.
So why does Spiteri keep travelling to the Eurovision?
“I’ve been a huge fan since 2000, when I would get Eurovision magazines and record Eurovision music from the radio to cassettes,” he said.
Spiteri said that, besides the actual contest, Eurovision week is full of activities at the host city, including the Eurovision village and a Eurovision club.
“At the club, it’s the only chance we have to enjoy the music we love in a party setting,” he said.
“We always make plenty of new friends, and, even though it’s a competition between countries and some might be disappointed, it’s always a good time,” Spiteri said.
