Aussievision team: Guy

Name and where you live

I'm Guy and I live in Sydney. I'm originally from Hobart, Tasmania, and have also lived in London.

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My biggest passions aside from Eurovision are music, travel and fitness. For work I'm in quality assurance and continuous improvement in the telecommunications industry.

My music taste is pretty diverse, but I especially love indie pop, music in various languages and 70's disco. I worked as a DJ for 10 years from the late 90's, so I'm also a big fan of trance and progressive house.

What is your Eurovision journey?

Growing up, I always knew Eurovision as the contest that made ABBA and Céline Dion famous. I started watching it once a year as an adult, but didn't discover the world of national finals until I moved to the UK in 2013. A couple of my friends there were big fans, and as I discovered more about the whole season, I absolutely fell in love with every aspect of it.

I've attended the contest once so far for 2018 in Lisbon.

Do you have any affinity to nations other than Australia?

I have some close friends in Poland and have spent a lot of time there over the years, so it's pretty close to my heart. I'm also a big fan of Balkan music, so I always have a soft spot for those countries. In 2018 my love for them in the contest inspired a road trip through Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia and Romania, and I absolutely loved the time I spent in those countries.

Any Aussievision highlights?

I always enjoy discovering how the team have ranked the songs each year. Just when you think you think you can predict the team's taste, there's always some surprises. It's also so great when we meet up on the Gold Coast for Australia Decides.

One of the things I've enjoyed most about creating content has been delving deeper into the history of the contest, and especially researching some of the legends, such as Nana Mouskouri, Anggun and Celine Dion.

Quick questions on Eurovision entries

Best winner:

'Euphoria'. I'd love to be different, but I can't put my hand on my heart and say I think there's a better winner.

Favourite three non-Australian entries:

'Fai rumore' (Italy 2020)

'Love Injected' (Latvia 2015)

'Quédate conmigo' (Spain 2012)

Favourite Australian entry:

'Sound of Silence' (2016), but I also have a lot of love for 'We Got Love' (2018)

Robberies

'A Million Voices' (Russia 2015). I'm not saying 'Heroes' shouldn't have won, but on another year, and taking current events out of the equation, this song would have made a great winner.

Best live vocal:

'Il Faut Du Temps' (France 2002) and 'Mall' (Albania 2018). Also I have to mention Kate for 'Zero Gravity' (Australia 2019)... singing perfectly as she always does, but while swinging on a pole was some pretty incredible talent.

Makes you dance:

'Echo (You and I)' (France 2012), 'Wild Dances' (Ukraine 2004), 'Occidentali's Karma' (Italy 2017), 'If Love Was a Crime' (Bulgaria 2016)

Guilty pleasure:

'Yodel It!' (Romania 2018), 'Children of the Universe' (UK 2014), 'Still in Love with You' (UK 2015). Some would probably say songs I've mentioned in the other questions are guilty pleasures too!

Favourite non-qualifier:

'Breathlessly' (Malta 2017), 'Hear Them Calling' (Iceland 2016), 'In Too Deep' (Serbia 2017), 'Oniro mou' (Greece 2018).

Favourite Eurovision year:

2016 for the songs and overall show, and 2018 for being able to experience it in person.

Favourite national finals:

Festivali i Kenges (Albania), Pesma za Evroviziju (Beovizija prior to 2022) (Serbia), Melodi Grand Prix (Norway).

Favourite national final songs:

'Pendesë' (Albania 2021), 'Andromeda' (Italy 2020), 'Bomba' (Serbia 2021) 'My Heart is Refusing Me' (Sweden 2011).

Any final comments?

Apart from the songs and moments mentioned above, the contest delivers so many highlights each year. From incredible interval acts, shock voting results and amazing stories behind the artists. It's the passion of the fans though that really makes the contest what it is. From reciting lines of 'Love, Love, Peace, Peace' at the perfect time, to recalling scores, artists and songs from decades ago, the fandom never ceases to amaze and entertain.