Our partner website Eurovision Austria has recently interviewed the 2007 Austrian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest Eric Papilaya along with the composer of the entry Get a life – get alive Greg Usek. Both were talking about their appearance in the upcoming contest and what they expect from the show.

You can read the complete interview here (in German).

Greg tells that Eric's performance of Lordi's Hard rock hallelujah was the reason why he asked him to sing the song. Actually, Get a life – get alive was only supposed to be the official song for the life ball and Eric was only asked after it was sure that the song will enter the competition.

Eric admits that he never sat in front of his TV, biting his nails whilefollowing the contest. He watched the show 'until Tony Wegas' (1992/1993) and then again when Alf Poier (2003) and Stefan Raab (2000) entered the stage. Back then, he considered that things have changed and Lordi were his personal highlight.

It is an widely spread opinion that the life ball connection seems to be in the limelight this year while only little attention is paid to the Eurovision Song Contest. Eric is of the opinion that song contest and life ball should work together: "My top priority is to do a great deal for the probably biggest charity event in Austria. On the one hand, the Eurovision Song Contest is a musical contest … with its very own rules which has something to do with the friendship between various countries and sympathies. There, Austria never scored very well. It is important that you do your best. … If the song contest was not as important for the life ball as the life ball is for the contest, all this wouldn't work."

In the Eurovision Austria poll, it is shown that there are many people who like the song – but also many who don't. Eric is surprised: "I am wondering why the song polarises. I think that there are many people who like the song. On the other hand, I am happy about that – at least a song that polarises is in the spotlight. There is nothing worse than a songpeople don't care about at all."

As a returning country, Austria will have to enter the semi final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki on 10th May.