Eurovision song contest

[Flash Gordon]

Total Disney. Dr Who was sold out.

[Cartimand]

"One was surprised aboiut Israel considering what has happened recemtly"

Given the appalling rise in antisemitism, the huge public support for Israel was really heartening!
Goes to show how out of touch the hate mob are with genuine public opinion.

"a Doctor Who lovely warm-up "

Oh good grief no! Now that Doctor Who has been totally Disneyfied and with Bollywood style song and dance routines thrown in, it is officially dead to me!

[George 1978]

Gives a different meaning to Going Dutch, methinks? We are not going to get a "50 years of Teach-In" tribute next year. At least the UK was no longer 13th to play since the incident, but we were unlucky to be the only country to get nothing from the televote. Again, I feel sorry about Olly Alexander's result - 18th position with 46 points. One was surprised aboiut Israel considering what has happened recemtly, and I believe that had Ukraine had won, the situation would have been identical to two years ago.

Voted for Lithuania during the "09015 - 15p a call" interval part, and putting "07" at the end of it because I thought that Silvester Belt (which on at least three occassions I accidently referred to him as Suspender Belt) needed a bit of TLC from the punters. He seems like a nice lad (not in the Larry Grayson-sort of way, may I add), and I almost felt sorry for him, especially with that silver butterfly clip thing perched on his nose - what was that, I wonder? Silver - Silvester, perhaps?

Watched it as always (a Doctor Who lovely warm-up with dancers alike throwing themselves down just a few minutes before); while I was almost getting comfortable on a black "Mastermind" swivel chair in the front room and feasting on Pizza Hut takeaway sides as I did so becaue no food was in the fridge. Congratulations to Nemo with his song The Code. As Switzerland was the very first country to win the contest back in 1956, it means that the country has the longest run between first and most recent wins. Croatia and Baby Lasagna were the favourites to win and got a worthy runner-up spot. Also, as a country, Croatia had never won the contest before.

I think, post contest, and three hours after the contest had ended, it makes me think "shall I give it another go next year, or shall I not bother?" By the time it comes around next year, we are rearing to go, or should I say in true Argos Catalogue slogan style: "you're good to go"? just like Martin Österdahl - (the ESC's answer to Rob Walker) would say.

[Cartimand]

The Dutch singer Joost Klein (who looks like a young Jimmy Savile) has been disqualified from tonight's final following a "backstage incident involving a female member of the production crew".

[George 1978]

First semi-finals on Tuesday, in a nutshell:

Australia - out
Lithuania - in

I think that this is the first year since their first year in 2015 (?) that Australia has not made it to the finals. Had they done so, and won, one assumes that the show the following year would be fromr country would host (a la UK on befalf of Ukraine last year?)

[George 1978]

"My Lovely Horse" is the best song

Now that is a song title that Graham Norton would easily relate to!

[Flash Gordon]

"My Lovely Horse" is the best song

[Star Attraction]

At long last, my Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Grand Final review is now available on my blog. I know it's just over 11 months have passed since the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Grand Final took place in Liverpool on Saturday 13 May 2023, but anyway, my review will still be a memory of last year's Grand Final.

Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Grand Final review

[Hair Bear]

And... Petra's back!

[George 1978]

Only five weeks to go, but people are talking about it already!

Listened to Olly Alexander's song Dizzy on YouTube for the first time this week (I nearly wrote put Olly Murs on here!) Hearing the first few seconds, it felt very "Pet Shop Boys in 1987" to me, especially during their "It's a Sin" era. Quite a few people online have said the same thing as well.

I am not really fond of the name of the Irish entrant: Bambie Thug - the name sounds like someone from the University Challenge episode of The Young Ones, and even his birth name of Bambie Ray Robinson makes him sound like a boxer or a relative of Sugar Ray. The song title, Doomsday Blue sounds a little too negative for my liking, even if blue is my favourite colour (not to mention the UK's entrant in 2011 where I got the autographs of every member a few years later!) I have relatives living in the Irish Republic so I have got to think of them if they are watching them on their RTE screens!

I always like to stick up for countries that have never won the contest, and thus give them the benefit of the doubt; it would be nice is Luna who represents Poland, gets beyond the semi-finals, and also Silvester Belt from Lithuania - two countries that I haven't won or hosted it yet. I will probably adopt a neutral stance if neither of them go through on 11th May.

It's gonna be a cracker in Sweden.

[Hair Bear]

I think I read somewhere for next year Australia are out, and Canada are in.
Sweden next year... Yay, more Petra Mede!

[George 1978]

I SAW IT LAST YEAR FOR THE 1ST TIME IN NEAR 20 YRS WAS VAMAZED HOW MUCH IT HAD CHANGED

THE SCORING SYSTEM IS SO DIFFERENT AND THE BIGGEST WORST CHANGE IS australia in it.

I supported Australia's entry last year because of the singer. Mind you, if Australia had won, I would assume that the UK or another European country would host it in lieu, just like Ukraine winning it last year.

[George 1978]

We are usually second from the top or second from the bottom - the former last year, and the latter this year. Listening to Sweden's winning entry, I did notice that the part of the rhythm in the song sounded a little bit like Abba's Winner Takes It All - same songwriter, by any chance?

So, Sweden won, and it will be 50 years since Waterloo winning in 2024 - they will probably give it a huge celebration next year, and no doubt that hashtags like Waterloo50 will be doing the rounds.

It would be interesting to find out how many UK viewers voted for Norway and/or Czechia (trying to get used to pronouncing it like that) via the televote this year by virtue of Kings, Queens, and Crowns being mentioned in their song titles, as a result of the contest being a week after HM King Charles III's Coronation. I did for both.

[Cartimand]

I SAW IT LAST YEAR FOR THE 1ST TIME IN NEAR 20 YRS WAS VAMAZED HOW MUCH IT HAD CHANGED

THE SCORING SYSTEM IS SO DIFFERENT AND THE BIGGEST WORST CHANGE IS australia in it.

As long as Australia pays their national subscription to Eurovision, they are every bit as entitled to submit an entry as those other famous European countries Morocco, Turkey, Israel, Algeria, Egypt, Azerbaijan and Tunisia! (and Canada planning to join next year)!

[darren]

I SAW IT LAST YEAR FOR THE 1ST TIME IN NEAR 20 YRS WAS VAMAZED HOW MUCH IT HAD CHANGED

THE SCORING SYSTEM IS SO DIFFERENT AND THE BIGGEST WORST CHANGE IS australia in it.