Eurovision Song Contest 2007 thread.

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So what are people's thoughts on this year's contest? My money is on Sweden this year. The Ark is a well-known band, their song is catchy, plus they're flashy and have a gay singer. Though if he dresses like in the Swedish semifinal he might not win the middle-age vote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oKXIAqwujo

Finland isn't gonna win this year, the song isn't good and the singer is pretty bad (she's a former Idol contest winner):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4nPD41h7MM

On the other hand, Denmark might be a surprise winner, their contestant is a drag queen who looks like the guy from Sin With Sebastian. The tune isn't as good as Sweden's though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONk4SQmZ-kQ

― Tuomas, Sunday, 18 March 2007 16:27 (nineteen years ago)

Our entry may be the gayest thing ever, which surely puts it in with a fighting chance. It's quite catchy too, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it actually good or anything.

― chap, Sunday, 18 March 2007 17:28 (nineteen years ago)

That Scooch song and performance via youtube was shockingly bad, moronic pop !

I thought Daz Sampson was an all time pop embarrassment to Britain but now Scooch as surpassed that.

― djmartian, Sunday, 18 March 2007 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

No, Scooch are better than Daz. More homosexual innuendos, innit. Also a drug reference ("flying high in Amsterdam...")

― chap, Sunday, 18 March 2007 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

But this surpasses Scooch (and maybe everybody else this year) (not just Eurovision-wise, either):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awVHDMDAu0A

― xhuxk, Sunday, 18 March 2007 17:58 (nineteen years ago)

PLANK Wogan opts for GAY POP. England chances in Europe DOOMED. Where was he when Portsmouth DARKWAVE sensations Numpencorpse played BLINDER during XFACTOR AUDITIONS? Something something SYSTEMS THINKING BOXCAR #@

― Hupi Bojangls, Sunday, 18 March 2007 17:58 (nineteen years ago)

Ukraine to win!

― chap, Sunday, 18 March 2007 18:02 (nineteen years ago)

I'm loving Spain, Denmark, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Slovenia will win though, sadly. And Scooch are the worst decision the UK has ever made, it's too ironic and knowing and sounds like it was made by people who hate all pop and Eurovision.

― V, Sunday, 18 March 2007 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

Sverige for the win!

I recently came across this classic from 2004: http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/deen%2B%2B%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bdisco/video/xbuzk_deen-in-the-disco-live

― Lovelace, Sunday, 18 March 2007 18:44 (nineteen years ago)

I love Switzerland's entry: DJ Bobo - Vampires Are Alive. If you don't like it, it means you hate fun!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-dDxp8Cez0

― musically, Sunday, 18 March 2007 20:41 (nineteen years ago)

not to be anal or anything, but ola salo isn't gay, tuomas. he's bisexual and he has a girlfriend.

― Lovelace, Sunday, 18 March 2007 20:57 (nineteen years ago)

Scooch - it's not camp, it's not funny, it's Dick Emery meets Fast Food Rockers and it is vile.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 19 March 2007 08:55 (nineteen years ago)

Even if it was! (good I mean..)

Who would vote for it other than England? The flag is the english one so why would Portugal (for example) vote for it?

(caveat: England has already voted for it)

― Mark G, Monday, 19 March 2007 09:19 (nineteen years ago)

The flag is the British one. Jesus, how hard is that to grasp? Nonetheless, Scooch = final proof, if proof be need be, that Britain is finished.

― Tom D., Monday, 19 March 2007 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

oops soz.

But you know what I mean.

― Mark G, Monday, 19 March 2007 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

I imagine Dr. Ian Paisley might be tempted to vote for them

― Tom D., Monday, 19 March 2007 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

It's disgraceful Scooch promoting the act of flying in these dark days of irreversible climate change!

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 19 March 2007 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

Camp bastards

― Tom D., Monday, 19 March 2007 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

I hope Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson sue the backsides off them for ripping off The High Life.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 19 March 2007 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

They should get Stellios on stage with them.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 19 March 2007 15:24 (nineteen years ago)

Or, for Scottish readers, the cast of the Globespan adverts.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 19 March 2007 15:35 (nineteen years ago)

CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE POWER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUGefscDCKY

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 03:55 (nineteen years ago)

holy shit Ukraine!!!!!!!

― Curt1s Stephens, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 04:03 (nineteen years ago)

my friend in response to the ukraine video: "that was the most excruciating thing i have ever seen"

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 04:25 (nineteen years ago)

is this the first year andorra have entered? their entry is reasonably enjoyable busted-ish pop punk (english chorus, catalan verse [i'm wagering, i don't really know what catalan sounds like])

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 04:28 (nineteen years ago)

Bulgaria's is really really good!! But I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my Ukraine love that easily.

― Curt1s Stephens, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 04:34 (nineteen years ago)

There are like four countoffs in Andorra's entry, that's the most pop-punk thing ever.

― Curt1s Stephens, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 04:40 (nineteen years ago)

yeah i just watched bulgaria now, i kinda wish it had been 4 minutes longer

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:00 (nineteen years ago)

czech republic = kinda lame metallica thing going on, figures that after lordi you get the non-big-winner countries doing a watered-down version of last year's winner

greece is on some ricky martin type shit this year

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:02 (nineteen years ago)

i like the drag queen trend this year! denmark, ukraine, any others?

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:09 (nineteen years ago)

haha yeah Greece throws in some Laika shit in an attempt to distract you from the fact that it's essentially "La Vida Loca"

― Curt1s Stephens, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:10 (nineteen years ago)

Poland apparently decided to sample every period of Gwen Stefani's career

― Curt1s Stephens, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:13 (nineteen years ago)

poland kinda reminds me of fergie! (so yeah, by transitive property, gwen too, i guess)

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:19 (nineteen years ago)

those stretch pants she's wearing in the actual music video are SEVERE

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:20 (nineteen years ago)

urghhh @ the comments on the israeli eurovision entry on youtube

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 05:23 (nineteen years ago)

Christ, DJ Bobo is representing Szitzerland??! I may have to vote him, you know, just for old times sake.

not to be anal or anything, but ola salo isn't gay, tuomas. he's bisexual and he has a girlfriend.

Oh, I thought he was gay. Doesn't the band even have a pro gay adoption song, where he sings that one day he too can be a father?

― Tuomas, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 07:27 (nineteen years ago)

czech republic = kinda lame metallica thing going on, figures that after lordi you get the non-big-winner countries doing a watered-down version of last year's winner

I think it's the first time Cz enter the competition, so no wonder they haven't won before. :)

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 10:19 (nineteen years ago)

oh yr right! that's kind of worse in a way

― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 12:19 (nineteen years ago)

Milli Vanilli all over again.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 12:54 (nineteen years ago)

The Russian song is equal parts classic trashy pop and unbearable crap.

― mitya, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

Another problem with Scooch - [Removed Illegal Link], except their proper proper gimmick was that they were in drag as opposed to just air hostessing. They ended up coming 13th.

― William Bloody Swygart, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 20:15 (nineteen years ago)

Re: Milli Vanilli - I think Lordi had a hidden background vocalist too last year, it wasn't the female keyboardist who sang those high vocals. Still, to demand artistic integrity from an Eurovision performer is kinda silly, isn't it?

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 09:31 (nineteen years ago)

Btw, you can watch better versions of all the entry song videos here:

http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/main.php?id=2776

The DJ Bobo video is ridiculously great! I'm definitely gonna vote for him now!

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 09:39 (nineteen years ago)

Or even quality.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

Well, no surprise there's a lot of "metal" this year, which means all the rock numbers will grab votes from each other and probably something else will win.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 10:39 (nineteen years ago)

Ukraine all the way!

― emil.y, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 11:17 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEozvLUViJc

is the link what I was trying to post upthread. Slovenia 2002=UK 2007, except, er, better.

― William Bloody Swygart, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

Scooch are so atrociously bad they would fail to meet the entertainment requirements of Butlins or Pontins

― djmartian, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

DJ Bobo is an interesting entry, but I still think it's too early for Eurodance in ESC. 25 year-olds don't spend Saturday Night in front of the telly, and today's 25 year-olds are the ones who grew up with Eurodance.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

Turkey's entry is their version of Justin Timberlake:

http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/mediaplayer.php?id=2815

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 14:48 (nineteen years ago)

Romania taps the Pan-European vein:

http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/mediaplayer.php?id=2809

I dunno about the song, but you gotta love the video!

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Apparently [url=[Removed Illegal Link] tune has been causing some furor, because its "don't drop the bomb" lyrics have been thought to be a jab towards Iran, even though the band itself denies this. It's a fun song anyway, but probably not the type that'd win the competition.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 3 May 2007 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

Oh shit, here's the link to the song:

http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/mediaplayer.php?id=2798

― Tuomas, Thursday, 3 May 2007 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

And it's Israel's.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 3 May 2007 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

only just heard the Scooch song the other day. woeful. makes Deuce's 'I Need You' sound like a mastepiece as opposed to the 'NBFTKOT' effort it actually was. relegation here we come.

― blueski, Thursday, 3 May 2007 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/oneurope_live/">Live updates from the rehearsals are over here</a>.

Some of their observations thus far:

Netherlands: "I particularly liked the bridge from the ballady opening into the schlager chorus, which was reminiscent of a clapped out Ford Capri trying to get up the ramp in the multi-storey car park in Bedford shopping centre. It got up there just about, but I thought for a moment it was going to conk out halfway up."

Cyprus: "Gosh, it's... it's what the future used to be like. It's the music of 2000 as predicted in 1980. It's Manic Miner and Super Mario, and some middle aged Cypriot woman shouting in French over the top. It's Think of a Number with Johnny Ball. It's... lots and lots of cultural references which you're too young to get, quite frankly."

Moldova: "I like the intro, which has real potential to be the new theme for BBC Look East. The first line should be "Top stories in the region tonight" and be accompanied by a few bongs. As it were."

― mike t-diva, Thursday, 3 May 2007 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

And here's that link again (whoops).

― mike t-diva, Thursday, 3 May 2007 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

The odds at Paddy Power:

Joint favourites: Sweden, Serbia, Switzerland, at 6-1.

Sweden is schaffel-glam-pop with echoes of "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)", to the extent that there was a bit of argy-bargey about possible plagiarism (since resolved). You can also hear echoes of The Rubettes, "Shang A Lang", Mud, 10CC, Supertramp, that sort of thing. Cleverly constructed and hugely likeable.

Serbia is a slow-building, then big-n-belting ballad delivered by a homely girl with a walloping set of pipes on her. The fan-bloggers at the rehearsals are getting very excited about this one. There is a gypsy flute break, but we can live with it.

Switzerland is represented by, shriek, DJ Bobo!!! Yes, him!!! "Vampires Are Alive", it's called. Huge widescreen production, stuffed with orchestral flourishes, celestial choirs, tempo changes, you name it, over a Eurodance backing. However, it's all fallen a bit flat during first rehearsals, and verdicts are being hastily re-considered. It's all a bit cold and over-cluttered to connect with the tele-voters, and as such it has all the makings of this year's Kate Ryan, i.e. the Fan Fave Which Flopped.

Belarus comes in at 9-1, with a swishy young mister called Koldun. Here's an extract from his biog:

“This blue-eyed brunet was born on 11th June 1985 in Minsk, Belarus. His mother, the founder of Princess Diana's Belarusian fan-club, had always dreamed of having a daughter who would look like Diana. Amazingly, her dream partly came true. She had a handsome little boy with a striking resemblance to the Princess, who from early childhood exhibited phenomenal abilities in music, literature and even science.”

Depsite containing the immortal couplet “You set my beating heart in motion, when you cast your loving potion over me” (but mind the sheets), this is an overrated mediocrity, which strains for the "dramatic" but merely sounds forced.

But coming in at 11-1, the smart money has to be on Ukraine, who are fielding this year's second drag queen (following Denmark's DQ in the qualifiers). It's utter crap which probably can only be enjoyed once, but by God, it's entertaining crap. Expect howls of outrage when this walks it on the night - not least from the Ukranians themselves, who have been protesting its inclusion (shades of Lordi there). I've stuck a tenner down.

― mike t-diva, Friday, 4 May 2007 11:11 (nineteen years ago)

What's the odds on "No votes for the UK entry"?

― Mark G, Friday, 4 May 2007 11:17 (nineteen years ago)

12-1, actually. Or 18-1 to get thrown out of the contest for miming. Or 250-1 to get 12 points from every voting country.

― mike t-diva, Friday, 4 May 2007 11:38 (nineteen years ago)

I remember one year, seeing a 100-1 odds for UK getting nil for "Cry Baby", went "Oh that's worth a punt" as I travelled very early morning to get a hire car for holiday.

Forgot all about it, until that night and it happened. Buggr, I thinks.

― Mark G, Friday, 4 May 2007 11:39 (nineteen years ago)

My other favourites:

The Bulgarian ethno-trancey-dancey thing, with its cry of "more pee!" It's on first in the qualifiers and probably won't even get through to Saturday, but it's weird and bonkers and I love it.

Its immediate successor, Israel's "Push The Button", which lurches betwen bouncy Manu Chao-isms to shouty agit-rock, with a drum & bass/Hebrew rap breakdown. Lots of stuff going on, never a dull moment, aware of its own absurdity, but in an Alf Poier way rather than a Scooch way.

― mike t-diva, Friday, 4 May 2007 11:55 (nineteen years ago)

Ten minute medley of tonight's 28 semi-final entries:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLd-0qpPNR4

Dead cert qualifiers: Belarus, Switzerland, Serbia, Andorra and Latvia.
Predictions for the other 5: Cyprus, Denmark, FYROM, Malta and Slovenia.

― mike t-diva, Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:39 (nineteen years ago)

I'm just wishing DJ Bobo's stage show would be half as good as the video for "Vampires Are Alive", so that he'd make it to the final. Though I suspect the bulk of his voters will be those who loved Eurodance in the nineties, and I'm not sure if that's enough to get him through. I'm gonna vote for him anyway.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 10 May 2007 10:28 (nineteen years ago)

I agree with you Mike that the Bulgarian tune is really great, the beat sounds like early nineties trance! If it wasn't for the nostalgia value for DJ Bobo I might vote for that.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 10 May 2007 10:36 (nineteen years ago)

And the Ukrainian entrant was accused of slipping in a reference to the 2005 Orange Revolution by using the phrase: "Russia goodbye".

It later transpired the artist, a drag queen called Verka Serdyuchka, was singing "condensed milk" in Mongolian.

― Mark G, Thursday, 10 May 2007 14:32 (nineteen years ago)

The Latvian six-man top-hatted operatic tenor troupe now strongly tipped. I lack the critical faculties for that sort of thing.

The Andorran Green Day/Blink 182 band is also finding significant favour - and the lead singer's from Guildford!

Other tenuous UK link: the composer of the Austrian entry is Austin Howard from top 1987 hitmakers (OK, #41, but Big In Europe) Ellis Beggs & Howard, of "Big Bubbles, No Troubles" fame.

― mike t-diva, Thursday, 10 May 2007 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

Eh, it's all about Georgia. The two-note breakdown in the middle is just yummmmm. I may shed a tear if/when it gets nudged out by Macedonia. Bloody Macedonia. Sneaking fancies for Bulgaria and Malta. Also have a bit of a soft spot for the Czech entry, because you sense it's been put together by a bunch of people who have never seen Eurovision before. Ever. Hair-metal, sung in Czech by a man who sounds like a tumble-dryer, and his mate, who sounds like a washing machine. Utter no-hoper, but the incongruity should be marvellous. The live video of the Croat entry suggests that their attempts at harmonising will require a certain degree of parental guidance for younger viewers.

I personally reckon Koldun looks more like Ashlee Simpson back when she had black hair, really.

It's all kicking off about half an hour! SQUEE!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 18:22 (nineteen years ago)

Picks for qualifiers - Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Turkey, FYROM, Switzerland (it really does suck, but I've got this horrible feeling Europe may not notice), Serbia, Andorra, Latvia, Georgia (actually, this slot will almost certainly go to Belarus, but a boy can dream, eh?)

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

WE'RE AWAYYYYY!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:00 (nineteen years ago)

It's a lady on a swing with an accordion. I love this town.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

And a man in a top-hat beatboxing. He sounds like cLOUDDEAD. Here's some dancers. It's all somewhat low-key to start with, really, but nice enough.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

Jumalauta. Nice glitchy microtango, I think that guy was miming to playback tho.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

And there's some underwhelming fireworks.

And we're away, Bulgaria lead us off.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

W T F

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:09 (nineteen years ago)

This is nowhere near as impressive live as I'd hoped. The banging has been lost, and there suddenly appears to be a huge absence of tune. It's a pity, cos the -

Stoyan, what are you doing?

- but yes, the big drums in the opening slot could really have worked in their favour, but that really didn't fly.

Girlfriend reckons that was Kate Ryan all over again.

Israel now, this isn't quite firing either...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:12 (nineteen years ago)

isn't that the twat from the barenaked ladies on the accordian?

― Jack Battery-Pack, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:13 (nineteen years ago)

I am really not at all sure about this one's chances either. The stage is really being made to look tiny here, and the crowd response seems badly lacking. Girlfriend is dancing though, and that time signature is really sending it flying. But it feels like it's been on fucking AGES... really not sure.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

Cyprus. Now, on record, this was cobblers...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:15 (nineteen years ago)

It's all playback save for the vocals right?

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

Deadest eyes of the night so far, but for the first time the crowd really seems to be going. Hands look to be in the air, and this is easily the tightest-sounding thing thus far. Cyprus are the only ones thus far that look like making it to the weekend.

And that trance fill has quite possibly sealed the deal. They may well have seriously stolen a march on everyone else here. Her voice is seriously filling this auditorium. Top 10 for certain.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

Blunt, yes, tis. They used to have orchestras, but gave up on that about ten years ago (in Birmingham, was it?)

And now... Belarus. First of the big favourites.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:19 (nineteen years ago)

Fuck me, he's been basted!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:19 (nineteen years ago)

I mean, really. I've seen some shit tan-jobs, but that... fucking hell.

MAGNETIC WALL-DANCERS! God, he's utter skeet, that thing with his hands is crap, but... I dunno. MAGNETIC WALL DANCERS!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

And that's easily the worst backing vocals of the night, and there's a massive, massive cop-out of doing the big note at the end, but the backing's that overblown that you can't rule it out. I'd take that over Dima Bilan, and he was runner-up last year.

Here's Iceland. Put kettle on.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:23 (nineteen years ago)

How did Iceland get Meatloaf to represent them?

― Tuomas, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:25 (nineteen years ago)

This is like the the last one, except with MAGNETIC WALL DANCERS replaced by, er, Lifehouse. And Koldun replaced by Rod Hull.

But this is another whose performance is massively outstripping its recorded version, and Eirikur... credit to the lad, he's really fucking killing it out there. Iceland haven't had the best recent history in Eurovision, but that... I dunno, I think that might do something.

Now - Georgia! G'WON SOPHO!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:27 (nineteen years ago)

What is she singing... "Satan is sorry"?

― Tuomas, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

Sopho looks to have had a hug off Koldun. FUck that though, she's awesome, but the audience is giving her nothing. And the staging - oh hang on, here's some swords! Lest we forget however, they have mock swordfights at Warwick Castle too, and you wouldn't enter that for Eurovision. This is still the best song in the competition, but she may really need some of that beginner's luck new countries tend to get.

Montenegro now, though. Apparently favourites for the wooden spoon, and it's not hard to see why...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

Montenegro ROCKS!

― zeus, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

If this were being done in the pub down the road, this would the point where the guitarist asks for a bit more keyboard in his monitor.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

The guitarist looks much better than the emo singer.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

The singer is fit, though.

― zeus, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

René the baker is on!

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:34 (nineteen years ago)

That guitarist cannot mime for shit. The bassist appears to be under the impression that he's in Level 42. But, y'know. It's OK. Won't go top 10.

And now here's Bobo.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:35 (nineteen years ago)

This song totally goes to piss after the intro, really. Till the outro, except the outro is just the intro, repeated.

Did they not used to allow a maximum of six people on stage?

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

Those are actual mannequins.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:37 (nineteen years ago)

And Bobo can't fucking sing. And neither can his bird. That was crap, but it'll go through. Too many people on stage not to, so perhaps that'll be a substitute for stagecraft.

Moldova now.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:39 (nineteen years ago)

Mannequins, eh? Cunning.

Wow, she's really missing those low notes, badly. Won't be troubling the scorers, I shouldn't think.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:40 (nineteen years ago)

so, it's the gothy portion of the program, huh?

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

Mind you, she fucking nailed that high note at the end and then some.

Here's a filler piece. Here's Scooch being acoustic. Christ.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:43 (nineteen years ago)

Holland. They appear to be greeted with boos from bits of the audience, but maybe that was just my ears.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:45 (nineteen years ago)

And that's the first bit of the obligatory shite breakdancing in this year's contest, kiddahs.

The backing dancers here are bloody awful generally, though. I ain't sure it'll do owt, though.

Here's Albania. Again, not fancied.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

SMOKE MACHINE!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

Albania: this is pretty scary

― zeus, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

Now, on record, Fred sings this chorus in English, but here he's switched to Albanian. It's a gamble, and it may not work...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

rather crepey

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:51 (nineteen years ago)

i was just totally bummed out when i realized the backing dancer was twirling a violin bow, and not a sword.

rats.

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:51 (nineteen years ago)

Hmm. Elegant, but lacking in a certain something. There's this horrid air of making up the numbers, and that ending was unremarkable at best. They're all getting good cheers off the audience at the end, though. The Finns are doing a very nice bunch of folks.

Here's Denmark. It's been tipped for big things, but I don't quite see it somehow.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:53 (nineteen years ago)

Some men, possibly called Jesper, are chicken-dancing. This has such a boring chorus, but it does have a massive crown on the stage, and those pink feather fans are probably the best use of props so far. I smell a top 10. I don't want to, but I do.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:55 (nineteen years ago)

Croatia. Hmm. This may not be pretty.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:56 (nineteen years ago)

not pretty...but so damn smooth.

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:57 (nineteen years ago)

STOP IT, DADO. UPPER RANGES ARE NOT FOR YOU.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

All those songs seem so (mercifully) short, like what, 2-3 minutes tops? Thinking of this now that Croatia's sounds interminable.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

But here's Poland. This might well top that in terms of unprettying.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

Ah yes, the switch from crunk to swing in the chorus. That worked.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

W T F #2

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

am i totally wrong in thinking this song (poland) would have had a chance without the mc dude yapping the whole time?

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

Honestly, anyone who has any idea what the fuck is going on here... It's like the only record they've ever heard was that version of Lady Marmalade that Christina Aguilera and her chums did. I don't see it qualifying.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:03 (nineteen years ago)

Serbia. Suit and trousers. Nicely played, madam.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:04 (nineteen years ago)

Suit and trainers, I mean. Grr. Girlfriend is feeding me whisky. Grr.

This is getting through, and it's getting through well.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:05 (nineteen years ago)

This is what a Serbian, lesbian funeral looks -and sounds- like.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

Whoa. This is a fucking monster. Top 3 on Saturday. And here's the Czechs.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

You don't need harmony if you've got grumbling!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

seriously. i wish i knew how to spell laryngectomy right now.

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:10 (nineteen years ago)

INTENSE. NO COMPROMISE. NASTY EVIL CRANKING UP MY BRAIN. Not the actual lyrics, but they should be. Eurovision really hasn't seen anything like this before. There may be a reason for that. But I love how it makes absolutely no concessions to any idea of what a Eurovision entry should sound like. Next year, the Czechs will probably send a half-arsed Latin number. Let us enjoy this while it lasts.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:11 (nineteen years ago)

Rock'n'growl.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:11 (nineteen years ago)

the little yelp at the end sold me.

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

Portugal. Again, they are probably free to make plans for Saturday...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

But the crowd are clapping along here, which hasn't happened much tonight. This is still a piss-weak tune though, but there's not been much like it so far. Except, in a few songs time, we have Norway. Who are pretty much identical to this one.

There was a bit in English there. You may not have noticed.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:14 (nineteen years ago)

Musically ripping off Enrique Iglesias doesn't get them anywhere.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:14 (nineteen years ago)

Hmm, a game effort there, really. Did as well as could be expected, but I doubt it'l be enough. FYROM now.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:15 (nineteen years ago)

Discussion of this is entirely academic. Macedonia have qualified from the last four semi-finals, then failed to finish in the top ten in the final on all four occasions. Backing against this trend continuing is pointless, even if this is really, really bloody boring and she can't really sing in the slightest. Here's an English bit. That improves nothing.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

Here's DJ Bobo talking to the Cawood. Not thrilling.

Norway up next. Not really thrilling either.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:19 (nineteen years ago)

Ladyhost has let her hair down.

Here's some kids face-painting themselves like Lordi. Then playing football. Righto.

Guri Schanke carries Nordic hopes. By the sounds of things, her backing tape was recorded on long play.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

Strangely efficient despite or indeed thanks to extreme blandness.. The EV dancey blueprint done to a tee.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

This isn't as good as Portugal, oddly. She's singing much more powerfully, and the samba hand is being badly, badly overplayed. Impressive quick-change on the dress, though, but this will not do a thing.

Malta next, though, which is a different kettle of fish entirely.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

Ooh. Buff.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:25 (nineteen years ago)

Libby herself, however, looks worryingly reminiscent of Arabella Weir. Her backing vocals are also letting her down a bit, the song needs a lot more ooomph than it's getting.

WIND MACHINE!

This is much better on record, but she's done... OK. Think it'll just about squeak by.

Andorra next, though. Apparently sneaking up on the rails, according to Mr Atkinson...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

Pop punk from Andorra- now I've seen it all!

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:30 (nineteen years ago)

Ah. Slight problem - the backing track is turning this into a killer, but you can hear them hitting the strings over it.

But god, this is a huge improvement over the record. Andorra have never done anything in Eurovision in their two previous entries... this may be about to change.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

Next, Hungary. In the spirit of the Czechs, another song that appears to have been constructed with no considerations for Eurovision convention. As you can see, because there's a bus stop on stage.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

Not too shabby I say. Did she just lose her voice? That was incredibly raspy.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

She is slapping the bus stop. It is wobbling. But apart from that, she is fucking slaying them out there! I don't think anyone would have picked Hungary as a qualifier beforehand, but this may - just may - be in with a shout.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

it is awfully refreshing hearing a song which is actually pretty understated.

she is working it. can't see this not going through.

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

And here's something of a step down - Estonia. I can't remember how this goes, but I do remember being badly underwhelmed.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

Hahahaha

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

My girlfriend has begun yawning. She has a point. This really is not any good. At all.

Belgian disco next!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

*flush* Yeah thanks for the toilet break Estonia

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:41 (nineteen years ago)

This is almost working. But I'd be amazed if any of the notes he's sung so far have been the ones he'd intended to. It's a good shift of pace, and the staging is easily among the best so far this evening. If he could sing, we'd be looking at a dead cert. But he can't. So... I dunno, really. That vocoder bit is alright. They've got a fucking boatload of energy.

In general, the final has a lot to live up to. Belgium may not be in a position to help it, though... but god, it's a game little trier, eh? My heart may have been melted.

Slovenian opera next!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:44 (nineteen years ago)

Brave, but, I suspect, doomed. SHE HAS LIGHT IN HER HANDS!

The trouble is, this isn't so much a song as a lot of high notes, one after the other. But fuck me, get that reception in the hall! I really cannot pick a ten here at all.

Turkey now. I suspect this may well barge a few more deserving entries out of the way.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:48 (nineteen years ago)

He's behind the cloths, isn't he?

Yes he is.

He is dressed like a tiny ringmaster. His voice is ordinary. His song is really, really ordinary. This is a massive improvement on Turkey's entry last year. And will almost certainly qualify.

He's got lots of candy for you. Walk away.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:50 (nineteen years ago)

pretty week song, but he definately seems pretty confident and polished as a performer.

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:51 (nineteen years ago)

My girlfriend feels violated by his face. The backing track is really far too low in the mix and is letting him down badly. But still, he'll be through.

Two left. Here's Austria.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

WTF#3! At last.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

He's emerged from inside an AIDS awareness ribbon. Bloody hell.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:53 (nineteen years ago)

would it really have been too dificult to get a real acoustic guitar on stage?

― wolves, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:53 (nineteen years ago)

Oh it was an AIDS ribbon he emerged from, okay. hehe xpost

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:54 (nineteen years ago)

The acoustic guitar thing - that'd be the six person rule. The lovely AIDS-ribbon effect on the dancers' costumes would be ruined by an acoustic.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:55 (nineteen years ago)

Sara Cawood thinks that was fantastic. She's wrong.

We end with Latvia. More opera. Hey ho.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:56 (nineteen years ago)

Why does Italy boycott the contest since 10 years? They could win every time!

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:56 (nineteen years ago)

Dull. The third feller killed it stone dead. It'll outperform Slovenia probably, but her voice was miles better than hers, so she wins really. Christ, but this is plodding. I can see it getting through, but not really doing much on Saturday.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

Hungary has a proper song properly sung, stands out like a sore thumb in the medley. It'll never win.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:08 (nineteen years ago)

Top 10 realistically:

Cyprus
Belarus
Switzerland
Denmark
FYROM
Turkey
Andorra
Serbia
Malta
Hungary

With Belgium, Austria and Latvia getting edged out.

Who I'd like to qualify:

Belgium
Serbia
Georgia
Hungary
Malta
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Iceland
Andorra
Bulgaria

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

Is it not weird just how much better Olivia Lewis sounds in the medley?

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

C'mon Hungary!

― zeus, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

Belarus through... and yep, so are are Macedonia. Fuck Macedonia.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:31 (nineteen years ago)

Slovenia! Well, that is a surprise. Not an undeserved one, though.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:31 (nineteen years ago)

Cawood whispers "Come on Mikko, hit me..."

Magda's through for Hungary! Gettin!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:32 (nineteen years ago)

GEORGIA! SOPHO! YEEEEEES!

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

And that's Latvia through too. Four slots remain...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:34 (nineteen years ago)

Marija gets through for Serbia. All Eastern European thus far...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:34 (nineteen years ago)

Cawood is doing a surprisingly good job here.

Bulgaria - eight Eastern Europeans from eight. Two slots remain...

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:35 (nineteen years ago)

Turkey. Inevitably. One slot remains. Oh boy.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:36 (nineteen years ago)

MOLDOVA?

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

The crowd is booing that to shit. The westernmost nation to qualify is, er... Hungary.

― William Bloody Swygart, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:38 (nineteen years ago)

WTF #4. Regional voting wins before the final.

― blunt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:38 (nineteen years ago)

Time is due for a Northern European Song Contest

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

Because this is more a matter of North vs. South than East Vs. West really. The Northernmost Eastern European countries tend to host rather modern pop songs.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

Sweden is the best song in the final, but obviously the final will be won by a bunch of Balkan folk dancers with fiddles and operatic overplayed vocals sung in some Slavic language.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

Hopefully, with the Nationalist Party winning the Scottish election, there will soon be one more Northern European country. About time Denmark and Finland let Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland break free too.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

Theory I just made up: With tv audiences having gotten used to Idol competitions and similar, is actual technical singing proficiency possibly more important for the results? I thought the Western entries were in general far more crap in this respect than, well, at least the Eastern ones I heard that got through. Examples: Belgium, Portugal, Andorra, possibly Denmark. Counterexample: Turkey wtf?

Macedonia, was that the one in 7/4 metre or possibly 3+2+3+3+3/8 or something?

― anatol_merklich, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

Well, the 2-3 songs with operatic vocals went to the finals at least. And they were obviously the best singers technically.

But I doubt any of them would do well in Idol. :)

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:11 (nineteen years ago)

We entered Eurovision because we thought it was about credible acts
We entered Eurovision because we thought it was about credible acts
We entered Eurovision because we thought it was about credible acts

Glad Norway didn't make it. (And I really hate Per Sundnes.)

― MRZBW, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:27 (nineteen years ago)

I don't ever think anybody has claimed Eurovision is about credible acts.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 23:44 (nineteen years ago)

Interesting to see the "Lordi Effect" fizzle out - none of the straight-up rock songs qualified, meaning the only rocker on Saturday night will be, um, Finland again.

Thanks to the Evil Twisted Eastern Bloc Conspiracy How Very Dare They, the finals will now contain 8 former members of the USSR, and 4 former Yugoslavian republics. That's, like, half of all the songs.

The biggest shock-horror You Told Us They Were Dead Certs non-qualifiers - Switzerland and Andorra - both delivered dodgy vocals on the night. The Swiss backing track was mixed way too low, and Little Nicky From Guildford lost it big-time after the Andorran key change.

Interviewed at the end of the BBC3 coverage, the Blonde Bloke From Scooch was clearly processing the implications of the Warsaw Pact Coup, and realising that he hadn't got a hope in hell. You could see the fear in his eyes.

My theory: most of the Eastern nations joined Eurovision well after the Congratu-Boom-A-Bangi-Diggi-Ley years, and so are less inclined to see the contest as a camp joke. Therefore, instead of sending second/third-rate chancers, they field their biggest stars, take the thing seriously, and by and large produce much of the best material.

(As do Scandanavia, but the Scandi-pop quality level has dipped badly this year.)

That said, Moldova's qualification was a major WTF?!! moment - honestly, it's just a horrible frightful screechy thing - and all the more so for being the 10th and last result, the 10th eastern qualifier, and the song that deprived the much-admired Andorra. And cue outrage, inevitably. (Honestly, to read some of the fan-blogs and comments, you'd think someone had died. Perspective, people!)

― mike t-diva, Friday, 11 May 2007 09:53 (nineteen years ago)

and so are less inclined to see the contest as a camp joke.

I think I've read that many of the Eastern nations have a long tradition of competitive music festivals -- if that's true, it could explain your observation.

(BTW Norway hasn't sent anything like a "big star" for years and years, I'd say)

― anatol_merklich, Friday, 11 May 2007 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

wouldn't be a bad thing to get A-ha in to do it.

― Grandpont Genie, Friday, 11 May 2007 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

Therefore, instead of sending second/third-rate chancers, they field their biggest stars, take the thing seriously, and by and large produce much of the best material.

If that is the case, they should at least sing in English, speed up the material, remove all those annoying bagpipes and flutes and make sure the songs are in 4/4!

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 11 May 2007 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

Also note that Netherlands and Iceland have constantly contributed some of the most modern-sounding material for the last ten years, and have hardly ever been able to qualify for the finals. It seems some Southern Eurpopeans (because it's more about North vs. South than East vs. West - the Russian and Baltic entries are often decent and modern-sounding - and in English) are having this campaign against the modernization of the ESC style. Securing that the winner is not more able to become an all-European hit like it tended to be in the 70s and early 80s.

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

Another thing is, with Israel and Denmark out of the competition, the UK entry may actually do quite well, as it's the only thing to vote for for those who hate the competition and vote for the most stupid entry just as a protest. (the Guildo Horn-syndrome)

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:05 (nineteen years ago)

Nobody votes *for* UK as a protest vote.

― Mark G, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

I see your point. Of course, all those Balkan people refuse to vote for the UK as a protest against lots of other countries singing in English. Not that this year's UK entry is worth voting for anyway...

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 11 May 2007 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

Bump for the night's festivities, which kick off in just under two hours.

ESCToday is saying that 'people' are 'saying' that this is the strongest final line-up ever. Dunno that I'd agree, but the semi-final was all kinds of fun. I'm quite looking forward to this.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 17:09 (nineteen years ago)

Anything but a Swedish win tonight is work of the Serbo-Croatian mafia. Having heard The Ark more properly, it is IMO the best Eurovision entry from any country since "Eurovision" by Telex in 1980, and hopefully it'll perform better than that entry did.

What is stronger than usual is the pre-qualifiers. They have often tended to be very bad, but not so tonight. Most of the songs that went to the finals from the semi finals were the wrong ones though.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 17:19 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.rte.ie/tv/eurovision/av_20070510.html - the semi-final in its entirety, in RealPlayer, being commentated on by Marty Whelan, who seems a bit of a prat.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 17:34 (nineteen years ago)

Anything but a Swedish win tonight is work of the Serbo-Croatian mafia

If we were in an alternate universe where Croatia were in the final, maybe?

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

Most of the songs that went to the finals from the semi finals were the wrong ones though.

I'm a bit surprised at you saying this Geir! Weren't many of those that qualified pretty advanced harmonically and melodically, compared to the usual threechord boshfest?

― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 12 May 2007 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

Streaming places for this evening:

www.eurovision.tv
www.eurovision.de
www.bbc.co.uk/eurovision
www.rte.ie/eurovision

Running order:

1 Bosnia & Herzegovina - Marija Sestic - Rijeka bez imena
2 Spain - NASH - I love you mi vida
3 Belarus - Dmitry Koldun - Work your magic
4 Ireland - Dervish - They can't stop the spring
5 Finland - Hanna Pakarinen - Leave me alone
6 FYR Macedonia - Karolina - Mojot svet
7 Slovenia - Alenka Gotar - Cvet z juga
8 Hungary - Magdi Rúzsa - Unsubstantial blues
9 Lithuania - 4Fun - Love or leave
10 Greece - Sarbel - Yassou Maria
11 Georgia - Sopho - My Story
12 Sweden - The Ark - The worrying kind
13 France - Les Fatals Picards - L'amour à la Française
14 Latvia - Bonaparti.lv - Questa Notte
15 Russia - Serebro - Song # 1
16 Germany - Roger Cicero - Frauen regieren die Welt
17 Serbia - Marija Šerifovic - Molitva
18 Ukraine - Verka Serduchka - Dancing Lasha Tumbai
19 United Kingdom - Scooch - Flying the flag (for you)
20 Romania - Todomondo - Liubi, liubi, I love you
21 Bulgaria - Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankulov - Water
22 Turkey - Kenan Dogulu - Shake it up shekerim
23 Armenia - Hayko - Anytime you need
24 Moldova - Natalia Barbu - Fight

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:04 (nineteen years ago)

Bonaparti.lv

Beating Napoleon XIV by a total of 41!

― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

Weren't many of those that qualified pretty advanced harmonically and melodically, compared to the usual threechord boshfest?

My may problem here is that I absolutely despise all kinds of traditional "folk" music, no matter which part of the world. The Balkan entries are way too "ethnic".

Another thing is if there is supposed to be any point about Eurovision at all, the winner needs to have at least some possibility of becoming a hit all over Europe (including the UK). And I cannot see that being possible for Eastern European entries. Particularly not the ones sung in some Slavic gibberish that most Europeans don't understand.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:25 (nineteen years ago)

The Ark entry, however, will probably become the biggest hit of the Eurovision winners since Dana International if it wins.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

My may problem here is that I absolutely despise all kinds of traditional "folk" music, no matter which part of the world."

What's your June problem gonna be and will you like folk again next month?

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:34 (nineteen years ago)

Good question. I think I was trying to say it was my main problem though. :)

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 18:36 (nineteen years ago)

HERE WE GO!

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:01 (nineteen years ago)

This intro is impressive. Bit of a pity Wogan won't shut up over it.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

at least you have wogan... since fucking bbcprime no longer show live events - we have to put up with austrian tv coverage...

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

There's something wonderfully heartwarming about watching Hard Rock Hallelujah getting belted out to an ocean of Finnish flags.

Wogan still won't shut up. Fuck's sakes.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

Bosnia get us underway. Her dress looks to be made from several massively inflated pipe cleaners. This would usually signal at least one costume change, but I struggle to see how they'll fit that in here.

150/1 at start of play. She's certainly doing a fair job of singing it, though.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:10 (nineteen years ago)

Can somebody shoot Wogan's face off please?

I like that Bosnia-Herzegovinian song.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:12 (nineteen years ago)

Just, well... not much of a song there, honestly, although she competently performed what little there was. Top 10, almost certainly.

Here's Spain. Something of a tempo shift. SHUT UP WOGAN.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:12 (nineteen years ago)

lol Spanish N'Sync

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

That was a crowd-pleaser tho.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:16 (nineteen years ago)

I swear part of this is sung in English. You'd never guess.

But god, you can't accuse them of not trying, can you? I hadn't fancied this before, but they have well and truly brought the house down with that. Audience fucking explodes. The big four hoodoo could well be broken.

Here's Belarus, though. Suddenly, he's got a fair amount to live up to - his vocals will need to have seriously come along from Thursday night, however.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:16 (nineteen years ago)

this is fucking terrible......

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:17 (nineteen years ago)

Tanning beds doing a booming trade in Belarus, I see.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

I pity his backing singer, I sense no-one's really told her what she's meant to be singing. Or turned her mic on.

He badly botched lots of notes there. I think Spain might well have fucked his chances.

Here's Ireland.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:19 (nineteen years ago)

I'm a sucker for big James Bond-y ballads like Mr Belarus did. I hope that wasn't poached ivory round his neck tho.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:20 (nineteen years ago)

Can't Ireland get the Wolfe Tones?

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:20 (nineteen years ago)

It'd be better than this "begorrah tiddle-dee-dee" shit.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

WOW, that was a shitty opening from yer lass there. And it's not getting better. Her face is seriously wondering what the hell is going on here.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

typical sentimental irish tripe...

she's having real difficulty holding those notes as well...

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

She's got a nice soft shoe shuffle, admittedly.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

Wow, Ireland have managed to be simultaneously a bit rubbish and 100 times better than their last ten entries.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

my prediction - ireland = bottom five.

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:22 (nineteen years ago)

I mean, I'd rather they broke out the bodhrans than fielded another bleeding Johnny Logan clone.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:23 (nineteen years ago)

There are a fuckload of flags out there tonight, aren't there? I can't recall a Eurovision audience quite so up for it.

Here's the hometown girl...

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:23 (nineteen years ago)

Oh look, it's Nightwish.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:24 (nineteen years ago)

ELVIRA MISTRESS OF THE DARK FTW

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:24 (nineteen years ago)

Do self-mutilators vote in the Eurovision?

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:25 (nineteen years ago)

EMO FINLAND

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:26 (nineteen years ago)

srsly i rly frickin like this

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:26 (nineteen years ago)

altho i'm pretty high and i'm probly gonna like everything

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:27 (nineteen years ago)

Jesus Ireland were atrocious! Finland: If it ain't broke... Same as last year...

Noodle FTW TBH!!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:27 (nineteen years ago)

"Leave me alone, cos I feel like DYYYY-ING" - Finland don't really care about that Satanist malarkey anymore.

Finland have, well, they've brought a fair amount of noise, no? Not much of a tune, really, though. Better than most would have expected.

Wogan, for the first time since Norway last sent a ballad, is complimentary about something. Reckons the staging is the best he's ever seen it, and he's not wrong. Jaana and Mikko emerge through the audience and are drowned in flags. This really is quite a show they're putting on here.

FYROM now.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

leave me alone I want to go home I don't want to see you so leave me alone

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

FYR go the Dana International route...

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

Macedonia are getting whoos during their intro. This is certainly some step up from last year.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

Macedonia lose Geir's vote as they bring the non-marching time signatures. Kind of too anonymous for me.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

I've really given this too short shrift previously. She shoves in a couple extra notes and lands them. May possibly put Macedonia straight through for the first time ever.

Slovenian opera!

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

isn't that the girl from the finland entry again...

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

Slovenia is wearing what looks like the strap supports from fetish shoes on her right arm.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

Sounds like a BA advert circa 1993

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:34 (nineteen years ago)

Terry's in great form. Hope he has a drink to keep him going. He was a bit narky last year!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:34 (nineteen years ago)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is Slovenian shockah. Too James Bond-y even for me.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

She's relying too much on the hand-light things this evening. Won't threaten the leaders, but might make low-end top 10.

And now, Hungary. Terry reckons this is really good, it certainly did the biz in the semi.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

Fetish gear's been de rigeur for about 5 years now tho, right?

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

I'm missing wogan. these french guys sound like they're taking the piss, too, though

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:37 (nineteen years ago)

The films are a bit... dodgy...

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:37 (nineteen years ago)

best song so far.... despite not sounding very... eurovisiony...

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:38 (nineteen years ago)

That guitar riff was unnecessary.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:38 (nineteen years ago)

She's kinda botching it

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:39 (nineteen years ago)

Okay that's my favourite so far. Too good to win.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:39 (nineteen years ago)

well I said the exact same thing upthread during the semi

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:40 (nineteen years ago)

Heroically creaky, but often verging on indecipherable. Completely different from everything on offer tonight, though, and I'm backing it to sneak in the top three.

And now Lithuania. Most people reckon this is badly out of its depth.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:40 (nineteen years ago)

WTF WAS THAT WITH COMPUTERS?

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I've forgotten that already.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:43 (nineteen years ago)

This unnecessarily fiddly staging has done them a fair favour, I'd reckon. Nice, quiet, understated... no real tune, or chance, but will do better than expected. Up next - Greece. Another tempo change.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:44 (nineteen years ago)

I like this one too. But I hate trilby-wearing percussionists so much that it's left a sour taste. Previously unsuspected Iberian element in Lithuanian music.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:44 (nineteen years ago)

OK, Greece are winning for me.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:45 (nineteen years ago)

GREECE FTW!

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:45 (nineteen years ago)

greek ricky martin

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

livin la weedy loca

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

Good god but he's flat.

RIBBONS!

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

Two songs with a chorus saying "Shake it up shake it up", what are the odds?

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

Greece kick it old-school. Top 5 potential I'd have thought.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

This is great, it sounds like the producer half-heartedly singing it over the backing track so the actual performer knows where to inflect.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

But the audience are going flippin' mental for it. This said, 10 songs in, and they've all received a hero's welcome thus far.

Here's Georgia!

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

Betfair have the UK as 4/1 favourites to finish last. France at 9/2.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:48 (nineteen years ago)

finnish goth hotties!!

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:48 (nineteen years ago)

baby goth!

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:48 (nineteen years ago)

Wogan: "Here come the goths!" He's never said that before, has he?

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:48 (nineteen years ago)

Did Kate Bush write the Georgian entry?

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

Jessie Wallace does glitch version of "Ray of Light"

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

On record, this really does a number on everyone else. Tonight, I fear, they're gonna be relying on the sword-fighting. And the sword-fighting isn't really that impressive.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

GREECE !!!. I have spoken, it will be thus...

HARDCORE DANCING! Tatooed OOMPALOOMPA!

We have started a drinking game: Every time the singer has a moment with a dancer, drink half of what's left. Ethnic instrument: drink two slugs. The strip: finish drink.

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

It's a complete side 2 of Hounds of Love rip, and it's great, and there's no way it'll win.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:51 (nineteen years ago)

Georgia and Finland are def my 2 favourites so far.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:52 (nineteen years ago)

For the first time tonight, the thought occurs that I wish Charlotte Church were singing that instead.

Here's The Ark - former favourites, have drifted badly lately.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:52 (nineteen years ago)

Oh but love flows where my Rosemary goes...

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:52 (nineteen years ago)

OMIGOD GEIR WAS RIGHT GIVE THE TITLE TO THE SWEET RIGHT NOW

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:53 (nineteen years ago)

swedish roy wood!

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:53 (nineteen years ago)

The swedish singer is v flamboyant! I think that chest thing is the obvious conclusion that will be reached from these hip hop medallions...

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:53 (nineteen years ago)

Question - if the contest stopped here, how far behind everyone else would Ireland finish?

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:54 (nineteen years ago)

Best Drummer in Show Award.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:54 (nineteen years ago)

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD FOR THE PIGEON CHEST!

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:54 (nineteen years ago)

Ireland might finish above a couple already I think.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:54 (nineteen years ago)

It's nice to see former Big Brother winner Nadia keeping her career going.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:55 (nineteen years ago)

Drink finished!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:55 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno, they've got the best climax thus far, and that spinning platform was skill, but... I don't reckon that'll be enough.

Where some countries have mass political rallies, Finland have Eurovision parties. That scene in the square - kinda awesome. This girl is no Silvia Night.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:56 (nineteen years ago)

On current showing, Scooch are going to finish beneath last.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:57 (nineteen years ago)

France up now. Their best entry in years, but still won't do anything.

Stop complimenting Athens, they didn't really have anything on this.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:57 (nineteen years ago)

France's suits have already put them ahead of Scooch. Their song... that rocking out bit could lift them to the giddy heights of 18th.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

Gay ska punk! RAWK!!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

Call me a corny indie fuxxor but this is glorious. Please God let there be a whole scene of French Emo that sounds like this.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.tlntv.com/sopranos/cast/castimgs/FurioGiunta-.jpg

Tony: I already got a golf club and Mr. Williams here... he does not play.
Furio: Stupid-a fucking game.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

Wogan talks shit just to confirm how great the French entry was.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:01 (nineteen years ago)

I really like this. A lot. I'm not sure why, exactly. Wogan, however, disagrees.

Evening's about to hit a new low point, BTW - here's Latvia.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

NUCLEAR STRIKE ON LATVIA IN 5 SECONDS PLS

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

It does need saying again - the third bloke WRECKS this. It sounds like they're running his vocals backwards.

Actually, the fourth bloke isn't any better either.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:03 (nineteen years ago)

Hang on, Latvian lead singer =

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40963000/jpg/_40963230_nigelpivaro_pa_203.jpg

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:04 (nineteen years ago)

This might do well...

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:04 (nineteen years ago)

France is now 3/1 favourite to finish last. 100/1 on Latvia being Eurovision doormats.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:05 (nineteen years ago)

Was that the 1st "can't afford to host the event next year" entry?

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:05 (nineteen years ago)

The weird thing is, this shits all over a lot of the entries from last year. Brian Kennedy, for example. Tonight, however, they'll hopefully not do much... but I think Europe may be about to disappoint us.

Here's Russia.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:05 (nineteen years ago)

russian sugababes

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

This song's in English, by the way.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

RUSSIA FTWank

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

And that's the breakdown of the evening right there.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

Again tho, I think it's too much like real pop music to win the competition.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

I think I heard either boos or wolf-whistles, I couldn't tell. It'll be top ten by night's end.

German swing-meister Roger Cicero now.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

Das Mikkelbublestas

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:10 (nineteen years ago)

Around 1978 a few band got a big push by their record companies, these bands were vaguely new wave - quirky rather than actually interesting, they had names like 'supercharge' 'deaf school', 'the fabulous poodles' and nobody much bought their records.

I can't actually remember what any of them sounded like, but I bet they sounded like that french entry

― Sandy Blair, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:10 (nineteen years ago)

I was going to describe the German entry as competent and dull but I really shouldn't.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

This topped the BBC poll.

That poor piano player. Can't jam when you're miming, eh?

All went well right till the final note. Another that you'd reckon will pull the big four out of the mire. May not quite make top ten though.

One that will next, though - Serbia.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

They have women's studies students in Serbia, I see.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:3kzO_dWv_EU6WM:http://www.comedycv.co.uk/alancarr/alan-carr-2005-may.jpg

― Billy Dods, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:15 (nineteen years ago)

There were so many moments there I had to finish my drink!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:16 (nineteen years ago)

I love this song. And they've nailed it. Big time. Top 3, no problem, possibly the winner.

And now, the BIG favourite - Ukraine.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:16 (nineteen years ago)

It was a great song. Yeah I can see it scoring well.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

First Moomin sighting of the night!

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

Holy shit

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

WTF @ shininess!!!???

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

THEY NEED TO WIN. FU GREECE, UR NOT MY FAVES ANYMORE!!!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

If there's a Route One in Eurovision, this is probably it.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

Ukraine do "Star Trekkin'". Much much better than Scooch. Too spoofy to win.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:19 (nineteen years ago)

This is what Nu Beat sounded like in my head.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

THAT WAS BRILLIANT!!!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

this ukrainian thing is a bit understated, you think with half of europe watching you would put in a bit of effort in your appearance.

― Sandy Blair, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

ukraine featuring man parrish

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

Wogan reckons that's been the biggest hand in the hall thus far. I wouldn't be so sure... I can see that getting upset. Possibly by Serbia.

And now... the lambs to the slaughter. It's the UK.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:21 (nineteen years ago)

SCOOCHTIME

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:21 (nineteen years ago)

That Ukraine one was awesome!! How lame will Scooch seem after this...

― byebyepride, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

Ukraine rip off from the UK... Jesus, this is like STEPS!!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

There's a difference between camp and looking like a bunch of twats.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

this is the first time i've seen or heard the british entry...

OMFG!

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

Without the salon tans and the costumes this wd be much more bearable.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:23 (nineteen years ago)

bottom five for sure.....

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:23 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, and the speaking bit. I forgot the speaking bit.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

It's the spoken-word bits that kill this dead.

Prediction - won't be last. I still see Dervish filling that role.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

But I look forward to hearing this as the theme to Gordon Brown's 2009 General Election campaign.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

"would you like something to suck on"??

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:25 (nineteen years ago)

The UK have just narrowed immediately to 5/2 to come last.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:25 (nineteen years ago)

I think the joke about sucking may be on Scooch.

― byebyepride, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:25 (nineteen years ago)

Here's Romania now. Things are not about to get better.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:26 (nineteen years ago)

This is jaunty.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:26 (nineteen years ago)

Okay maybe Romania for last.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:26 (nineteen years ago)

This is just like "This Is Why I'm Hot", with the shout outs to respective buying markets.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

This man in the red shirt here, he may well be helping keep Scooch off the bottom.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

Bulgaria are after this, by the way. That's the best thing about this.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

It's a toss up between romania and Slovenia for last IMHO

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

No, it got better.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

euro Dead Can Dance alert...

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

This looks interesting! WILD DANCE WILD DANCE

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:30 (nineteen years ago)

what the betting these two are shagging?

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

The singer and Richard Marx?

― G00blar, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

This is several times better than it was in the semi-final. The bit where someone turns Stoyan's mic on is still rubbish, but they're looking like serious contenders again.

And Turkey aren't gonna be threatening anyone.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:32 (nineteen years ago)

Another ricky martin-a-like!

― byebyepride, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

Turkey have a decent song, throw in a bit of Diwali riddim, and strangely opt for Paul Ross to sing it.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

Turkey don't finish last anymore. But this will probably be one of their worst finishes in a while.

Armenia and Moldova will be closing this out. It's not the best ending one could have hoped for, but everything that's gone before makes up for it.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

This is v boring and won't do well I'd say.

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

Was the lass in the proposal video reading a moomin book?

― byebyepride, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

Someone's TP'd that tree!

― G00blar, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know what's going on!? Why is there an a man dressed as something out of a western on the stage???

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

This man should never be allowed to sing the letter i ever again. Aside from that, they've pulled off a pretty marvellous backdrop, but no song to accompany it.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

this years eurovision has been surprisingly thin on the ground as far as ballads go...

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

I used to yawn at the ballads but I've come to really like this stuff. Obviously it's anonymous and won't finish anywhere but there's something about the style that's kinda timeless and (old-fashioned) glitzy and nice.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:40 (nineteen years ago)

HAHAHAHAHAHA That was so WTF!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:40 (nineteen years ago)

finnish scrubbers!

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:40 (nineteen years ago)

Bottom ten, probably.

Moldova are the last act tonite. And they'll probably be in the bottom half too. No-one, as yet, has figured out how it's got this far.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:41 (nineteen years ago)

lol Scottish Widows

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:42 (nineteen years ago)

Ruslana lives on. "PULL YOUR TROUSERS UP" Indeed!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:42 (nineteen years ago)

And that's yer lot.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:44 (nineteen years ago)

Father Christmas opens the voting!

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

Santa WTF???

― G00blar, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

xpost

― G00blar, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

Wogan: "Don't go too close to him, Jaana..."

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

shoulda been a moomin

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

Greece, Russia, maybe Serbia, outside bet Ukraine. Altho God knows to be honest.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:47 (nineteen years ago)

Oh or Sweden.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:47 (nineteen years ago)

is this about lapland? pathetic

"this is our one and only opportunity on a european stage--we must reassert our claim to santa claus"

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

go scooch

― whatever, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:53 (nineteen years ago)

1. Ukraine
2. Greece
3. Sweden

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:54 (nineteen years ago)

they all sound much better as clips. except ireland

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

Russia
Ukraine
Sweden
Latvia
Georgia

― Billy Dods, Saturday, 12 May 2007 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

Ireland really sucked this year, there's no shame in admitting it. Song was written by cnut as well so yay to him being disappointed :)

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:00 (nineteen years ago)

Is this a safe sex ad or something?!?

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:03 (nineteen years ago)

HARD ROCK CELLOS!!!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:04 (nineteen years ago)

"You spend all your life in a bubble, and the first thing you do when you get out is shove a fluorescent tube down your throat."

― G00blar, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

God, this is tedious shite, even if he shoved that tube up his arse.

― Billy Dods, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

'Do you eat a rabbit for luck?'

― Billy Dods, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:12 (nineteen years ago)

Finnish "humor"

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:13 (nineteen years ago)

lol Serbian singer hitting on the pink fairy.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:13 (nineteen years ago)

Ukraine is the best, but Greece/Turkey was good too.

― Cathy, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:15 (nineteen years ago)

<raanu> i think eurovision was developed only to test out international broadcasting capabilities before major football tournaments

― mersenne_twister, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:16 (nineteen years ago)

Bulgaria by far the worst. I think Russia did best.

― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:16 (nineteen years ago)

Odds on Russia to win are crashing, now 5/2 favourites.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:17 (nineteen years ago)

Now 6/4. Someone's leaking info out.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

They don't have young people in Greece.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

I don't remember it being this close for a few years.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

Wogan's schtick is really offensive now.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:30 (nineteen years ago)

He seemed to have found quite a nice laid-back drunk vibe, but his preoccupation with Eastern European voting habits always wins out in the end.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ha ha we got points!

Wogan is v v anti-eastern europe. It is a bit tiresome the voting though but what can you do?

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

Big stories of the voting - Turkey and Armenia are overachieving wildly, but more shocking is Latvia are only on 2. They were third favourites before the show started.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:34 (nineteen years ago)

Just like every year, this only proves how wrong democracy can be.

― StanM, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:36 (nineteen years ago)

UK still on a well deserved nil-points.

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:36 (nineteen years ago)

Why did the Slovenian dude just shine a torch in his eye?

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

Going on from last year's pattern - only five of the top ten came from the semi-final. The East looks to be this year's dominant voting pattern.

Ferg - the Slovenian singer had lights on her hand. They shone in her face.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

Most attractive vote reporter: Denmark, France, or Israel?

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:38 (nineteen years ago)

TBF Latvia was fuckin awful

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

Serbia was so bad. So v v bad! This one in the pink dress is awful!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

"Can we not watch the commercials?" Wogan OTM.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

cross-country skiing dance!!

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

Romania? Her with the tied up hair and the dimple, anyway.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

The lack of an option to ignore x-posts makes registering my banal remarks an inappropriately draining experience.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:40 (nineteen years ago)

RIP TERRY WOGAN

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:41 (nineteen years ago)

HEAVEN NEEDED A NEARLY DEAD IRISH GUY PRETENDING TO BE ENGLISH

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:41 (nineteen years ago)

The Big Four are currently 16th, 17th, 21st and 24th.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:42 (nineteen years ago)

Jesus, when they don't vote for someone predictable he claims they've gone eccentric! Dick.

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:42 (nineteen years ago)

I forgot we were doing this, I guess I was too busy mourning Bobby Gillespie's recent passing.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:43 (nineteen years ago)

12 points off Norway puts the Swedes in a commanding 17th spot.

Wogan has just described 'Vampires Are Alive' as "a good entry". No, Wogan.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:43 (nineteen years ago)

Has the Swiss vote reporter blacked up?

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:43 (nineteen years ago)

b-but serbia was rubbish.

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

Lesbians be block-voting.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

Wait. Bobby Gillespie's dead!?

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

RIP bby glsp

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

Frumpy self-important lesbian leading batshit gay robot and Russian sexpots, the magic of Eurovision eh

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

He gonna be attending fashion range launches while claiming to be a socialist in heaven now ;_;

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

The Dutch racist is back!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry I meant Bobby Robson

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

Irish votes - hahahahahahahahahhahaha

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:47 (nineteen years ago)

OI IRELAND, NO

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:47 (nineteen years ago)

Linda Martin scares me! So much work. How I hate her. NOW THAT THEY'VE PUT THE UK AHEAD OF US FFS! Does 800 years of oppresion count for nothing anymore?

I tried voting 3 times for Ukraine. It's all rigged I tells ya.

Malta ladyis also scary!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:47 (nineteen years ago)

They love the craic, but they must be on fucking crack if they're giving votes to Scooch, amirite

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

BOMB MALTA

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

Altho the UK votes for Ireland should put Scooch back bottom again.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

Holy crap Wogan is an odd man.

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

That's Linda Martin. Won the Eurovision a mere 15 years ago for Ireland...

who give 12 to Lithuania.

And Malta give twelve to SCOOCH! Fuccck me...

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

oh i didn't see the Maltese vote. tossers.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:49 (nineteen years ago)

[i]Altho the UK votes for Ireland should put Scooch back bottom again.

-- Noodle Vague, Saturday, May 12, 2007 10:48 PM (5 seconds ago)[/1]

Here's hoping anyway!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:49 (nineteen years ago)

Top cheap heat from the Swedish guy!

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:51 (nineteen years ago)

Terry fearlessly savages Sweden for being "PC" and "Green".

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:51 (nineteen years ago)

the quiet Russian chick with her hair in her face makes the Pipettes look like a bag of puke

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:52 (nineteen years ago)

Sweden voting for Finland? It's going to snow.

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:52 (nineteen years ago)

really missing wogan

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:52 (nineteen years ago)

Reckon we can call this for Serbia yet?

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

I feel like each year Wogan edges closer towards saying something career-endingly offensive at around this time of the evening.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

Why is Serbia winning. The song stank!

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

Niceland..

― blunt, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:56 (nineteen years ago)

Hanna Pakarinen is heading The Ark. What odds could you have got on that a while ago?

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:57 (nineteen years ago)

Fearne Cotton wisely avoids lapsing into Finnish.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 21:59 (nineteen years ago)

UK didn't vote for us. FU UK ;_;

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

I hate fearne cotton

― RJG, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

that's serbia won then

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

Bah, humbug.

― Billy Dods, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:01 (nineteen years ago)

Serbia won. Bullshit. I don't think I'll bother watching next year. [/sour grapes]

Ukraine should have won :(

― kv_nol, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

Yay!

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

ukraine wuz robbed innit

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

Crap. And though I'm glad the Ark didn't win you almost feel sorry for them. They didn't know.

― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

First ballad to win in 11 years.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

I really like this song.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

Hiro isn't supposed to use his time-travel powers to win Eurovision, surely?

― aldo, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:05 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.togs.org/biogs/images/terry.jpg

1938-2007 RIP

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:05 (nineteen years ago)

well .. i was correct with my predictions for UK and Ireland entried to be bottom five...

disappointed russia didn't win tho...

― Jack Battery-Pack, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:05 (nineteen years ago)

This is some absolutely heroic filling from Mikko here.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:06 (nineteen years ago)

He has resorted to reading out the composer's name twice now.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:07 (nineteen years ago)

I think Terry's comment about "bulldozing eastern Europe to acquire lebensraum" was ill-judged.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:08 (nineteen years ago)

I'm just hearing the winning song for the first time - background music = November Rain + Hijo De La Luna?

― StanM, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:11 (nineteen years ago)

During a news briefing Sept. 26 in Berlin, Silvio Berlusconi said Westerners "should be conscious of the superiority of our civilization, which consists of a value system that has given people widespread prosperity in those countries that embrace it, and guarantees respect for human rights and religion. This respect certainly does not exist in Islamic countries."

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:11 (nineteen years ago)

Also - first time since 1991 that the winning entry has been in a language other than English. Even then, I have this feeling that Carola sang in English on the night.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

and then they lezzed up

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

Serbia certainly proves that boyish dykes pick up much hotter women that most straight guys do.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:13 (nineteen years ago)

;__;

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:14 (nineteen years ago)

bloody portugal not voting for us AND abducting our children. BASTARDS

― Alan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:15 (nineteen years ago)

Too soon?

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:16 (nineteen years ago)

I say: no.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:16 (nineteen years ago)

Anyway, Eurovision TOTP2 on BBC2 now.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:16 (nineteen years ago)

Also sprach Ost Europa

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:17 (nineteen years ago)

Also - first time since 1991 that the winning entry has been in a language other than English

Dana International sang in Hebrew in 1998.

Also, there were a couple of lines in Norwegian in "Nocturne" (which was almost entirely instrumental) in 1995.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:19 (nineteen years ago)

well .. i was correct with my predictions for UK and Ireland entried to be bottom five...

Hardly a surprise in the case of the UK entry. But very disappointing how Sweden and Germany ended up way below the middle.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:20 (nineteen years ago)

I think Terry's comment about "bulldozing eastern Europe to acquire lebensraum" was ill-judged.

lol

Not pictured in Wogan shot above: skulls of oppressed Eastern Europeans being crushed mercilessly under his jack-booted feet.

I hope heaven's got a UN.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

Official scores for the final:

1 Serbia 268
2 Ukraine 235
3 Russia 207
4 Turkey 163
5 Bulgaria 157
6 Belarus 145
7 Greece 139
8 Armenia 138
9 Hungary 128
10 Moldova 109
11 BosniaHerzegovina 106
12 Georgia 97
13 Romania 84
14 Macedonia 73
15 Slovenia 66
16 Latvia 54
17 Finland 53
18 Sweden 51
19 Germany 49
20 Spain 43
21 Lithuania 28
22 France 19
23 United Kingdom 19
24 Ireland 5

What's even more surprising, though, is the semi-final scores:

1 Serbia 298
2 Hungary 224
3 Turkey 197
4 Belarus 176
5 Latvia 168
6 Bulgaria 146
7 Slovenia 140
8 Georgia 123
9 FYR Macedonia 97
10 Moldova 91
11 Portugal 88
12 Andorra 80
13 Iceland 77
14 Poland 75
15 Cyprus 65
16 Croatia 54
17 Albania 49
18 Norway 48
19 Denmark 45
20 Switzerland 40
21 The Netherlands 38
22 Estonia 33
23 Montenegro 33
24 Israel 17
25 Malta 15
26 Belgium 14
27 Austria 4
28 CzechRepublic 1

I don't think anyone would have called Portugal coming 11th in the semi. Three more points and they'd have made the final. Perhaps it's not Eastern European bias - perhaps we're just demented...

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:34 (nineteen years ago)

It's more of a Southern European bias than an Eastern European one.

I think Terry's comment about "bulldozing eastern Europe to acquire lebensraum" was ill-judged.

Sounds obviously very wrong......

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 12 May 2007 22:40 (nineteen years ago)

Georgia was my fave - thought Latvia might win, hmm.

― blueski, Saturday, 12 May 2007 23:37 (nineteen years ago)

I only watched the voting and saw none of the songs (apart from the winning one which they played at the end which was surprisingly boring) but Terry Wogan seemed alright to me. (He didn't actually say that, Geir)

― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:05 (nineteen years ago)

Europe is a fucking disgrace, how Serbia won I will never know, it all reeks of nepotism, the only country to vote for decent songs (as ever) was the UK, and the best song was CLEARLY Latvia's. Or maybe Ukraine's. NOT Serbia's.

I may have gotten myself rather worked up about this.

― Just got offed, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:24 (nineteen years ago)

p.s. we didn't vote for ireland because your song was shite. rip dermot morgan :(

― Just got offed, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:25 (nineteen years ago)

i loved that Ireland's vote put THEM bottom of the pile.

― blueski, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:29 (nineteen years ago)

p.s. we didn't vote for ireland because your song was shite.

Perfectly acceptable, I wouldn't have voted for it either. Traditional music is never a good choice imho, that said I'm sure it's done well in the past. Gad, just thinking of the chorus... Rubbish.

― kv_nol, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

Also Blueski OTM, a pity we couldn't revise our voting as things became clearer!

― kv_nol, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

I'd like to reiterate how awesome Latvia's song was. Also, the best bot of the whole thing was the CELLO METAL CIRCUS ACT during the vote-counting. FUCKING AWESOME.

p.s. the worst lyric was the chorus of finland's. 'i want to go home', yeah, you're already at home in fucking finland, you jerk-offs.

UK didn't vote for serbia = i am proud

― Just got offed, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

*bot = bit, i am drunk following eurovision drinking game

― Just got offed, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:34 (nineteen years ago)

Who wrote that UK song, a syphilitic, crack-addled chimpanzee?

(I use both "wrote" and "song" in the loosest possible senses).

― SeekAltRoute, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:42 (nineteen years ago)

I thought UK's 'act' was one of the better ones, even if the song was highly defective.

― Just got offed, Sunday, 13 May 2007 00:45 (nineteen years ago)

Good show; decent result.

Much rubbish hereandelsewhere abt lesbounhottness of winner lead singer -- must I be first HET MANLY MAN on thread to say I thot she was kinda cute? :\ :| :/

Like Geir, I am also concerned about the common-culture in-voting conspiracy shenanigans. I therefore suggest the people and countries of MALTA and IRELAND be banned from ESC henceforth, since they ROBBED the whole of Europe of the fair result viz Great Britain = 0 pts.

― anatol_merklich, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:07 (nineteen years ago)

UK might have scored some point from the ESC-haters, who tend to vote for the craziest act of the night. But this time they had to compete against Romania, Ukraine and France for those votes. Ukraine and Romania won that bit as they had the funniest acts.

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:13 (nineteen years ago)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/dasdf.jpg vs. http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/dsdaff.jpg

― Tape Store, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:14 (nineteen years ago)

Traditional music is never a good choice imho

Those Balkan people who voted for the Bulgarian entry seemingly disagree. (IMO the worst entry of the entire night)

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:15 (nineteen years ago)

(Daniel Ratcliffe knows more about music than that woman will ever do)

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:16 (nineteen years ago)

vs. http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/dsaddd.jpg

― Tape Store, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:16 (nineteen years ago)

(IMO [Bulgaria was] the worst entry of the entire night)

Bulgaria was not fantastic, but it did get one of my five votes. That closed-throat singing thingy is 1 x my favourite things ever. Also, it was better than Turkey, Greece, Sweden, UK, Ireland and probably a few others.

Also, why did everyone hype teh Swedes all the time? Mediocritest thing evah.

― anatol_merklich, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:24 (nineteen years ago)

Armenia was the dullest. At least Lithuania had the silhouettes.

― blueski, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:25 (nineteen years ago)

Bulgaria was the best entry! Only one we voted for. Trad drumming plus goth yodelling plus eurotrance - srsly Geir what's not to love?

Ukraine tried way too hard - was glad Serbia beat it though less glad when I remembered the shite Serbian riverdance middle eight.

― Groke, Sunday, 13 May 2007 04:02 (nineteen years ago)

NOOOOO VERKA SERDUCHKA I LOVE YOU COME BACK TO ME ;_;

― Curt1s Stephens, Sunday, 13 May 2007 04:05 (nineteen years ago)

I am a bit puzzled since I didn't think the Serbian entry did much that wasn't solid euro-ballad, except that at the point I thought it was about to go bosh, there was a tin whistle breakdown instead: deflating. Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary, France all had something going for them... and I'm obviously the only person in Europe who enjoyed the Irish entry. I'm biased because I love The Ark anyway, but Sweden was definitely my favourite performance and song, but it wasn't particularly Eurovision.

Also I thought Krisse (the presenter in pink) was really good, whereas Terry Wogan would rather have been watching the adverts. Is that so wrong?

― byebyepride, Sunday, 13 May 2007 07:32 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't think it was a vintage Ark song really, and they sounded so sparse amidst the mountains of orchestration and electronics. But the performance was definitely one of the best.

― Groke, Sunday, 13 May 2007 07:36 (nineteen years ago)

Hiro isn't supposed to use his time-travel powers to win Eurovision, surely?

I'm guessing it won't surprise you greatly to know that we said exactly the same thing:

http://scifipedia.scifi.com/images/thumb/e/eb/Heroes3.jpg/250px-Heroes3.jpg

― ailsa, Sunday, 13 May 2007 10:17 (nineteen years ago)

Also, why did everyone hype teh Swedes all the time?

Sweden are often hyped very much, but this time it was deserved. Sadly, the Southern Europeans weren't ready for a very English-sounding number.

In the case of the winner, no it wasn't a particularly good Balkan ballad. This year's winner sounded more like those sentimental tearjerker ballads that France and Luxembourg used to send in the 70s and 80s. No wonder how a plea for peace in the Balkan gets 12 from most Balkan countries though.

The best of those recent Balkan ballads is the Croatian entry from two years back. "Vukovi Umiro Sami". That one was indeed a very beautiful song, and with a great arrangement too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKQ9p-7fzv4

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 10:37 (nineteen years ago)

serbia was obv a celine dion soundtrack cast off. i do NOT understand any of the love for Latvia here - that was the 6 scruffy behatted blokes with roses, right? terrible. ukraine, even tho they seemed to be taking the piss, did it for me. it rly was Male Stripper in the chorus.

― Alan, Sunday, 13 May 2007 10:40 (nineteen years ago)

Whoever likes the Latvian entry obviously likes Il Divo too. I didn't know there were so many Il Divo fans om ILM. :)

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 10:44 (nineteen years ago)

Brilliantly, RTE's site has absolutely no mention of the Eurovision final result on it.

― William Bloody Swygart, Sunday, 13 May 2007 11:04 (nineteen years ago)

The Ark was kinda disappointing, I thought the French had a much better glam rock tune (even if it was biting "Lump" by the Presidents of the United Stated of America) and a better performance - The Ark was just relying on ages-old glam cliches. Bulgaria was my favourite and the one I voted for, I'm glad it did okay. I guess it didn't have a chance of winning because it was too non-conventional and serious, unlike Ukraine's. Ukraine was kinda fun, but got boring after a while, I think the tune wold work better on a gay club dancefloor than as a song, because it's so obviously a club tune.

Serbia's song was a bit meh, but all in all an okay ballad (except for the Titanic bridge), and their singer was totally great! Does anyone know if she's really lesbian? I can't imagine the whole thing was unintentional, and I don't think she was just putting up an act for the (as far as I know pretty small) lesbian voting block either.

― Tuomas, Sunday, 13 May 2007 12:42 (nineteen years ago)

Ukraine was robbed. Russia should have promised blowjobs. I like Wogan's new lebensraum gimmick. Should have called in Morrissey. I'm off to Albania to start an Irish pub with crappy Irish folk bands every Friday night.

― King Boy Pato, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

Damn you Soviet Block + Yugoslavia for disintegrating! Too many countries!

The whole thing's skewed - maybe there should be a weighting based on the actual number of votes cast rather than having the likes of Andorra being able to dish out 12 points.

(I realise this is the same as football fans arguing for European superleagues and ditching all the wee diddy nations into their own qualifiers based on TV revenue - which makes me a hypocritical wanker)

I liked the Russian girl band and the ones with all the drums (Bulgaria?).

― onimo, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

Should have called in Morrissey.

YEAH RIGHT

― blueski, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

Romania's was good just for the gabba at the end.

― blueski, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, that turned the whole song round for me.

― Noodle Vague, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Morrissey would have been good, except we all saw what happened to DJ Bobo this year and Kate Ryan last year. No wonder internationally established acts are reluctant toward participating.

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

The whole thing's skewed - maybe there should be a weighting based on the actual number of votes cast rather than having the likes of Andorra being able to dish out 12 points.

You mean, you want Turkey to be backed by top points from the two most populated countries in Europe?

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

Props to Albania for giving just one point to Serbia, but I guess Albanians aren't too fond of Serbs with the Kosovo conflict and all...

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

Thing I noticed about Bulgaria: they got like six points from about everyone!

― anatol_merklich, Sunday, 13 May 2007 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

Anyway, Scooch are expected to return to their exciting retail careers at Tesco very shortly.

― King Boy Pato, Sunday, 13 May 2007 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

The whole thing's skewed - maybe there should be a weighting based on the actual number of votes cast rather than having the likes of Andorra being able to dish out 12 points.

Obv we don't know how many votes were cast, but let's pretend it is proportional to the population numbers (yes of course it's not gonna be correct) and calculate this! The results are:


1	arm	262,557139

2	ukr	241,4634871

3	srb	221,4367927

4	tur	212,3301232

5	bul	182,7988089

6	rus	179,7061456

7	blr	166,9925037

8	mld	161,831382

9	gre	158,6238697

10	geo	129,5377401

11	rom	91,59192718

12	bih	90,145505

13	hun	87,49754762

14	slo	62,76606152

15	esp	33,91241885

16	swe	33,07238481

17	ger	30,23216258

18	lat	27,83333824

19	mkd	26,01001609

20	fin	15,55841416

21	lit	15,30245207

22	fra	1,916074845

23	gbr	1,87739645

24	irl	1,006308655

Uh.

― anatol_merklich, Sunday, 13 May 2007 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

I don't understand what you are doing there.

― onimo, Sunday, 13 May 2007 23:54 (nineteen years ago)

This past Friday was my first time watching this and, like, wow. My head kind of exploded.

Like onimo, I was definitely all about the tribal one with the guy who looked like Daniel Ash playing the drums and the woman who looked like Alanis Morrissette shrieking over the top of it and then joining in the drumming. Amazing! That was... Bulgaria, I think? I also really liked Romania - it was more dumm trad east-european nonsense but it had a verve to it lacking elsewhere. Of course, what can one say about Ukraine???? Most bonkers performance ever.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:34 (nineteen years ago)

Not really though, was it? Possibly the kind of "I'm bonkers, me" performance perfected by the oft-cited comparison point of Timmy Mallett.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:36 (nineteen years ago)

The suggestion that any of the acts don't realize how insane they seem is kind of amazing to me!

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:54 (nineteen years ago)

I sometimes think I work on a different definition of "camp" to most people - but the campest performance on Saturday night was from Slovenia, although she'd turned it down a couple of notches from Thursday night. (It was the one with the Lene Lovich/Yma Sumac warbling, and the light in the hand.)

― mike t-diva, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:56 (nineteen years ago)

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:06 (nineteen years ago)

or even "let 'em say we're cra-ZAY!"

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:07 (nineteen years ago)

The Ukraine singer reminded me of Ronnie Barker in one of his 'I'm an alien' type sketches.

― blueski, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:10 (nineteen years ago)

I can't believe the lack of love towards Georgia's song here...'Visionary Dream' by Sopho Khalvashi. The best vocal performance and the only song that got everyone in the house here bobbing their heads and we've even downloaded it! It doesn't demand you take it too seriously but it is the only one we did. The true winner.

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:11 (nineteen years ago)

A lot of very dull songs did very well. Serbia included. Which country was it with the red trees, with lots of bits of ribbon flying from them? I remember that, but not the song.

Should have been Bulgaria or Hungary. Or France, for the man running round in circles with a feather boa.

― hobart paving, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:18 (nineteen years ago)

The French entry was beyond sad.

The Georgian entry was fantastic, easily my favourite.

As for Serbia - well, Bloc voting is block voting, but underestimate not the effect of five women in suits and ties on the just-in-from-the-pub voting faction.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:22 (nineteen years ago)

Slovenia seemed to be taking themselves very seriously. Mike - I got the impression Yma Sumac was somehow aware of her own...er....how to put this... unique interpretative style, and its lack of universal appeal -was I wrong there?

Of course, that just makes the performance more camp (camper?). Whereas, I suppose, if we're being picky, the likes of Scooch are kitsch. Have I got this right?

― hobart paving, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:24 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, the Georgia one wasn't bad at all. And I got the impression Moldova might have been alright but by that point I was too drunk to appreciate it.

Strangely, I think being drunk increased my appreciation of the UK entry.

It was a lesbian-chic thing, Serbia, wasn't it? That was the only explanation we could think of.

― hobart paving, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:30 (nineteen years ago)

Was it just me, or did Scooch's tune sound a little like the one in this sketch??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx4G7zLKk10&mode=related&search=

― hobart paving, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

Personally, I am sick of this "ethnic" thing going on in ESC. It was OK for a while during the mid 90s, but by now it's worn out. "Ethnic" entries don't become hits, particularly if they aren't sung in English, so why bother with them?

I long back to the good, old Yugoslavia, who would often enter with modern Wester-style pop songs, such as Daniel's "Julie" back in 1983 - a song which became a hit across Europe in spite of only getting fourth place.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:59 (nineteen years ago)

It was a lesbian-chic thing, Serbia, wasn't it? That was the only explanation we could think of.

Ireland had the same vibe going on, but to less success.
Eurovision and lesbians seem to be going hand in hand these days.

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:02 (nineteen years ago)

Poor old Sonia, she never quite recovered from F&S doing her, did she?

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:03 (nineteen years ago)

"erm... The MERSEY TUNNEL!!!!"

― Mark G, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:06 (nineteen years ago)

Marcello that's a horrible slur against Frenchbloke and Son.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:09 (nineteen years ago)

I was thinking of Flanders and Swann.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

Most unlikely name: Germany's "Roger Cicero"

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

Not really though, was it? Possibly the kind of "I'm bonkers, me" performance perfected by the oft-cited comparison point of Timmy Mallett.

Timmy Mallett and Su Pollard were both mentioned in our household during the Ukraine performance.

I think I preferred it when the Ukraine entry looked like this:
http://www.wumag.kiev.ua/20042/P107_1.jpg

― onimo, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

I know people roll their eyes at Terry Wogan but I thought his running patter was totally hilarious. At times it approached Beavis and Butthead levels of stupid sublimity. At the man rolling around in the translucent Rover-out-of-the-Prisoner egg, threatening to emerge while heavy metal cello players grimaced and sawed: "I hope he's wearing something"

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:12 (nineteen years ago)

http://image.listen.com/img/356x237/6/7/8/4/584876_356x237.jpg
"Bettah the devil yew know than the devil yew don't ahaow.."

(xpost and now it's not funny TIMING!)

― Mark G, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:13 (nineteen years ago)

Oh and can someone tell me what was up with the short films that played between every entry, many of which looked like something out of an expensively produced Mentos commercial?? Like the young couple in the library, and then a librarian accidentlaly drops a book from the balcony which lands on their desk with a whomp - cut to librarian doing enormous hammy "whoops!" gesture, and young couple giggling, like "what a crazy modern world we live in!"

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:30 (nineteen years ago)

Scooch without the talky bits - perfectly acceptable Steps-lite
Scooch with the talky bits - the logical conclusion, and what most of Britain deserves, for ironically appreciating Eurovision because "it's so camp".

― aldo, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:30 (nineteen years ago)

The sort films used to be basically 2-minute tourist adverts for the country - here is the beautiful harbour of beautiful Copenhagen, etc etc. Nowadays they're a mix of that, bad short sketches, and illustrations of a nation's cultural life (Santa playing chess with a Moomin, etc.). So (unfortunately IMO) you get less lovely buildings and more hamming around.

― Groke, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:34 (nineteen years ago)

It's kinda depressing to think what the videos would be if Britain ever won it again. A fish and chip shop, the Notting Hill carnival, some charvers setting fire to a Volvo, and Peter Serafinowicz.

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:36 (nineteen years ago)

Thank you for that explanation, it was hard to follow. Especially with Wogan horning in on everything.

My enjoyment was heightened considerably by PRESSING THE RED BUTTON so that I could actually follow the inane lyrics. "Shake it up, sekerim" for instance. Or "Would you like some salted nuts?"

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

Eurovision and lesbians seem to be going hand in hand these days.

Homosexuals in general, I guess. Sweden and Denmark both had homosexual or bisexual acts. No wonder, btw, considering the gay community is among the competitions most eager fans.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

Scooch looked like Albanians trying to do Steps.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

Seemed to me like they were trying to be funny too. In fact, several of this years acts tried, but none were even remotely as funny as Alf Poier, Guildo Horn or Lazy Bumbs.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

xpost to Hobart: Yes, true camp should contain elements of a) innocence and b) sincerity. Kitsch alone is not enough. Thus, of the two drag queen entries, only Denmark's DQ qualified as truly camp.

Just been trying to confirm it via Google, but I think Serbia's Maria Serifovic is actually married. A friend told me of a recent interview in which she was talking about looking forward to getting back to her HUSBAND and her DOGS. (NOT CATS!)

― mike t-diva, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

So, the ring of touching women was.....?

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

XP So she's just another fake lesbian like t.a.t.u then? ;)

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:16 (nineteen years ago)

WHICH ring of touching women??

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

Guess Serbia isn't alone in that respect then

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

Reminded me somewhat of Grace Slick in the video for "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" where she goes "people say we're cra-ZAY!" and she does this horrible hand/grin combination as though trying to pretend that she's still a radical, or worse, saying "yes we know this is shit but we need the dough."

-- Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:06 (3 hours ago)

hahaha. brilliant.
'From the Mannequin Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' if memeory serves.

― pisces, Monday, 14 May 2007 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

I don't understand what you are doing there.

Wot I did: Multiply the points from each country by the population of said country and divide it by the average population of voting countries. Add up and serve. Armenia "won" because it got many points from among others Russia, France, Turkey and Poland.

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 14 May 2007 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

Ah, got you. I could see what you were attempting but the numbers made no sense to me. I didn't realise the commas were decimal points.

I like that no matter what way you cook it the UK were still rotten (did he really say "Would you like something to suck on before landing sir?").

― onimo, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, to mass yawns and zero outrage.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:22 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe he should've got his cock out

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Given the current state of humanity it really wasn't wise for Britain to come on in front of an audience of x million/billion and start smugly singing about flying the flag all over the world.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Just been trying to confirm it via Google, but I think Serbia's Maria Serifovic is actually married. A friend told me of a recent interview in which she was talking about looking forward to getting back to her HUSBAND and her DOGS. (NOT CATS!)

It's hard to fin any info in English but the Serbian posters here seem to think she's gay:

she is gay, all the lesbians in belgrade know that ;) but she is not out. she was asked in interviews about that, but she usually evaded the answer, i don't remember that she denied.

i wonder is she the first lesbian to win the eurovision song contest?

Of course if she isn't out of the closet, no one can know for sure. But I can't imagine anyone choosing an outfit and performance like that without thinking about what it implies... Nor did it seem like she was trying to appeal to straight guys a la Tatu. As far as I know lesbians aren't a major voting group in the contest, so if she isn't gay, all I can think of is that she was trying to appeal to some sort of LGTB solidarity.

― Tuomas, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:28 (nineteen years ago)

Who was that duo who won one year? Both looked like Sandi Toksvig?

― Mark G, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

Was that the Irish "Rock 'N' Roll Kids" lot?

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:32 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't realise the commas were decimal points.

Oh right sorry, forgot that I was copying from the Norwegian version of Excel grrr.

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:33 (nineteen years ago)

xxxpost

Maybe she just wore some clothes she liked.

― Noodle Vague, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:33 (nineteen years ago)

xpost to Marc: "Let it Swchwing" or so.

― Mark G, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah - Bobbysocks.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

all I can think of is that she was trying to appeal to some sort of LGTB solidarity

still, low numbers

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 17:48 (nineteen years ago)

Telex should win.

― Cameron Octigan, Monday, 14 May 2007 18:13 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.rte.ie/tv/eurovision/av_20070512.html - The entire contest, streamed in RealPlayer, courtesy of the lovely folks at RTE.

― William Bloody Swygart, Monday, 14 May 2007 20:30 (nineteen years ago)

"Molitva" was also the most popular song amongst WESTERN European voters:

http://chig.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_chig_archive.html#1030149418906230769

― mike t-diva, Monday, 14 May 2007 23:34 (nineteen years ago)

Sweden was the only act I would really want to see live.

I eagerly await the album from the Russian group, however.

― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:38 (nineteen years ago)

"Molitva" was also the most popular song amongst WESTERN European voters:

Note that several Serbs live in Western Europe. Who do you think they voted for? All night in some cases.....

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:05 (nineteen years ago)

Blimey, Geir! The things you know!

― Mark G, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:25 (nineteen years ago)

Yes! I, for one, didn't realize Western European Serbs got a longer voting period than the 15 minutes the rest of us had!

― anatol_merklich, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:30 (nineteen years ago)

But they all voted for the same song, regardless of whether they liked it or not. Same about Turkish people living in Europe (but they got less votes from Eastern Europe)

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:38 (nineteen years ago)

Cyprus voted for Greece, as they always do.

Hey, they probably do like Greek music best!

― Mark G, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:42 (nineteen years ago)

The last time Cyprus and Greece didn't vote for each other was in 1993, when Norway's song was a beautiful Greek-sounding ballad with bouzoki and all. :)

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:43 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, not that the Scandinavian countries ever vote for one another, eh Geir? ;)

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:02 (nineteen years ago)

http://info.rsr.ch/xobix_media/images/tsr/2007/swisstxt20070512_7813405_3.jpg

say no more

― the Dirt, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:08 (nineteen years ago)

and that got what, second place?

― the Dirt, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:09 (nineteen years ago)

That was performed directly before the UK entry, right?

Made the UK version seem very polite. and forgettable.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:10 (nineteen years ago)

I thought this was one of the worst Eurovisions I've ever seen, the Ukraine song was the only one that stuck in my head for more than 3 milliseconds... the Romanian entry is surely grounds from them being thrown out of the EU?

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:19 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, not that the Scandinavian countries ever vote for one another, eh Geir? ;)

We all vote for Sweden. Sweden never vote for us though....

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:21 (nineteen years ago)

... they're obv. not as parochial and narrow-minded as you lot then

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

Or they may be better at writing, well, I wouldn't say good pop music, more like pop music that they know people (In Northern Europe, that is) will like.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 19:48 (nineteen years ago)

shake it up, sekerim

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 22:13 (nineteen years ago)

I thought Hungary was OK - no way to win but I'd spend the phone call on it. Like Matt A. I eagerly await the album from the Russian group also.

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 20 May 2007 06:49 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not sure why the fact that neighbouring countries vote for one another is always construed as some sort of political statement. Wouldn't it be equally as valid to assume that geographically close countries also share some sort of cultural heritage that makes an appreciation of a shared musical styles more viable?

Not to say that its never political, just perhaps not as nepotistic as it is sometimes portrayed.

I have to say that everything seemed fine after enough absinthe. "Eurovision cocktails" only really works if you've bothered to find out something about the country, and bought a wide enough variety of alcohol.

SANDI TOKSVIG FOR NEXT YEAR'S EUROVISION. THE CAMPAIGN STARTS HERE.

― hobart paving, Sunday, 20 May 2007 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

I agree. It's all about musical taste really. In Southern Europe, they prefer the entries to be sung in the singer's native tongue, and influence by folk music. This doesn't compute with Northern European taste, but after the addition of the Balkans and some other Southeastern European states, Southern Europe does now have the majority to decide.

The distaste against the English language may have political connotations though.

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 20 May 2007 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

It might also have a lot to do with people of one nationality living in a neighbouring country. That's one reason why Ireland getting nothing from the UK shows how bad the song was: there's plenty of Irish people who can vote in the UK poll for the Irish song.

― Noodle Vague, Sunday, 20 May 2007 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

Georgia's entry is #175 in the UK charts this week on downloads.

― blueski, Friday, 25 May 2007 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

and The Ark's 'The Worrying Kind' is all the way up at #121

― blueski, Friday, 25 May 2007 12:27 (nineteen years ago)

The cultural thing makes more sense than the political thing. A couple of years ago when Switzerland were represented by Vanilla Ninja, who were Estonian, they got good scores from quite a few ex-Soviet countries (not just Estonia). Those countries don't have a reason to care about Switzerland doing well, but they were probably familiar with the band and the music.

― V, Friday, 25 May 2007 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

Now this really is, like, reallyreally hardcore -- peeps discussing euro"vision" when whole WEEKS haveth passeth since the latest ~~acci..~~ erm, event-ah. heheh.

― t**t, Friday, 25 May 2007 14:24 (nineteen years ago)

Right, so basically the UK has no chance, unless next years entry is sung in French by a Ukranian based in Cyprus?

― Mark G, Friday, 25 May 2007 14:26 (nineteen years ago)

No. NO! Er, metaphorically speaking - "yes", of course. But better still if ~~she~~ he ...IT be from Arctica. No, like, shit.

― t**t, Friday, 25 May 2007 14:32 (nineteen years ago)

It struck me the other day where I'd heard "The Worrying Kind" before - the chorus has a huge lift from "Love Grows" by Edison Lighthouse.

― aldo, Friday, 25 May 2007 14:34 (nineteen years ago)

yeh i noticed that at the time

― blueski, Friday, 25 May 2007 15:07 (nineteen years ago)

Already noted. Indeed, the composer of Love Grows publicly accused The Ark of plagiarism.

― mike t-diva, Friday, 25 May 2007 15:07 (nineteen years ago)

Oops. Already noted:
Eurovision Song Contest 2007 thread.

― mike t-diva, Friday, 25 May 2007 15:09 (nineteen years ago)

I have to admit "The Worrying Kind" is a bit too similar to "Lowe Grows", yes.

But my main reason for loving it was the middle-eight, which is original and contrasting and very great.

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 25 May 2007 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

I can't find an English news link, but according to the Finnish news Marija Serifovic has officially come out of the closet in Serbian TV, which I guess isn't really news to anyone.

― Tuomas, Saturday, 26 May 2007 12:15 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know that much about Eurovision history, but she might actually be the first Eurovision winner to come out of the closet.

― Tuomas, Saturday, 26 May 2007 12:19 (nineteen years ago)

Dana International obv. Except she wasn't gay anymore after her operation.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 26 May 2007 15:50 (nineteen years ago)

She's certainly not the first lesbian Eurovision winner....

― mike t-diva, Sunday, 27 May 2007 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

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