CULTURE CLASH
They are today’s folk songs, and Michael Dennis from England has collected over 20 000 on fanchants.com. We asked him three things in connection with EURO 2016:
Who wins, musically speaking?
Hard to say. Unlike club fans, who get together every week, the fans of national teams don’t have a large standard repertoire. Many songs are only created during the EURO
from one match to the next.
How do different songs compare?
German chants sound like marches, are more choreographed and never stop. English
fans sing variations on the national anthem at every game. Portuguese and Italian
fans sing more foot-tapping melodies that get people into a party mood.
What about the newcomers? What do iceland fans sound like?
It’ll be interesting to hear them in action this summer. I imagine they will sound much like the English and Scandinavian fans.
