Didiri is perhaps one of the lesser known names in the upcoming Australian Eurovision selection, however is proving to be a prominent competitor with his touching entry, Raw Stuff. On the eve of Eurovision: Australia Decides, we talked to Didirri to find out more about his participation in the competition, and what we can expect from his performance.
A Passion for songwriting
Didirri is one of the few artists who wrote or co-wrote their Eurovision: Australia Decides entries this year, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way, saying ‘I probably wouldn’t have done this unless I could write my own song. I’ve always been a songwriter, and I find that I define myself as a songwriter more than a performer or a singer. It just wouldn’t be me if it wasn’t my song.’
It’s apparent when you look at Didirri’s song in comparison to the other competing entries this year, as it doesn’t feel manufactured for Eurovision, but rather just a good case of songwriting. But is it a competitive entry? Didirri leaves that up to us, but confirms that the intention for the song was ‘definitely not to be in a competition.’
From start to close: the Eurovision Journey
It may not have been the conventional way to become a part of the Australian Eurovision selection, but Didirri tells us that it was Paul Clarke who began the ‘spontaneous’ conversation with him after one of his gigs. Over a slice of pizza, Didirri and Clarke discussed the possibility of Eurovision: Australia Decides,
As we know, Didirri will close the national final, but more often than not, we see uptempo songs close the show. He was thrilled to be closing the show, however, knowing that he would be ‘a very good exhale to finish the night.’
Despite not being an upbeat number, his song, Raw Stuff still manages to reach strong peaks, matched by strong vocals sure to be appreciated by the voters at home.
‘Us SAD BOYS have to stick together!’
It’s not uncommon to see similar songs to the previous winning entry, which as we know was Duncan Laurence with Arcade, and what Didirri is offering is a similar style of song that holds a lot of emotion and reaches a strong peak in the final minute. Despite the possibility that Eurovision fans will draw those parallels, Didirri promises to stay true to himself, ‘All I can be is me – I can’t really do much else.’
The staging for the performance will be similar to Arcade in the way of a piano on stage, however Didirri has utilised some beautiful Australian imagery to create a unique performance. ‘I had complete input with my staging. I was very specific, and hopefully it will transport us into a nice Australian scene’
Australia Decides 2020 will take place at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on the 8th of February. The show will be broadcasted live on SBS from 7:30PM AEST, and will also be live streamed via SBS Australia’s Facebook from 9:30AM GMT.