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An optimistic message of hope from the Czech Republic

16 May 2015 at 16:03 CEST
Marta Jandová and Václav Noid Bárta have quickly won the hearts of the press and fans at the Wiener Stadthalle - always cheerful, always happy, always joking. And their good mood also comes across during their stage performance, even though their song Hope Never Dies is rather nostalgic. Watch our live footage right now on Eurovision.tv!

The Czech entry in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest is a love song with a tragic note: It talks about a complicated relationship between two people who despite various tribulations aren't willing to give up and are searching for the strength to carry on.

From darkness to light, from hopelessness to optimism - that's the transformation that Marta and Václav are going through in their stage act. As the lyrics say, first they are "lost" and "gone astray" before they "cross the sea of pain", finishing with the promising line of "never let me go!"

These vibes are well conveyed to the audience with their powerful performance, which is well captured by the cameras. In the beginning, the stage is set in cold colours, mainly blue tones, but for the last chorus it turns into warm colours, resembling a sunrise scenery.

Gallery: Czech Republic: Second Rehearsal

"That's the soul of a rock musician"

A lot of people ask Marta and Václav how they can have so many fun moments on stage and behind the scenes at the Eurovision Song Contest, while presenting a serious song such as Hope Never Dies. "But that's the soul of a rock musician. We are terribly sensitive. On one side we are whining and crying and taking everything very serious, on the other hand we love to party, we love to laugh. We live by emotions."

One key element of the Czech stage performance is when Marta takes off her shoes and throws them. "The idea comes from my past, when I was touring with my band Die Happy", Marta explains. "I promised our fans that I would wear a dress and high heels. And after a few songs on the first concert my feet were hurting so much that I just took my shoes and threw them behind the stage. Then I kept on doing this and it became somehow my sign - that when I sing on high heels, I throw them away. I don't do it very often but we decided to do it at Eurovision because in the middle of our song there is a breakthrough, and there is no more place for high heels."

Marta: "I wanted to have a normal life"

In the Czech postcard, Marta and Václav walked along a suspension bridge with more than 400 metres height. Marta commented: "I am a little afraid of heights, so I was looking up. And I thought: I came here so that everyone in Europe could see me, but I had to wear a helmet so nobody can actually see me."

A Polish journalist asked why the Eurovision Song Contest entries are not as popular in the Czech Republic as elsewhere. Marta replied: "It's not about the Czech music market - it's just that the people don't know the songs."

According to Marta, the lack of interest is at least partly due to the lack of success of the Czech Republic in their three previous participations: "We are here to kick Czech Republic's ass, to see that this is a great great contest. The Czech Republic is like the mad child who for three times didn't get their present for Christmas. Now it's the fourth year, and I am thinking: I don't care about Christmas anymore."

"My mother always wanted me to become a singer but I wanted to have a normal life - a husband, a house, a job. But then I was asked to join a concert by my previous band Die Happy, and when I entered the stage for the first time, I didn't want to go down anymore", Marta told about the start of her career.

Gallery: Czech Republic: Press Conference