Eurovision song contest

[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.

[George 1978]

Muller (with an umlaut over the U - don't know how to do that on my keyboard) is a German name (I think of the yoghurts which have the different compartments), but despite this, I didn't know that she had connections with Germany.

I noticed that the Moldovan entry will be sung in Romanian - Wikipedia tells me that it is the official language in that country.

Also, last Friday I also won the 2023 Eurovision CD on eBay for around £12 - it should arrive in the post, ironically on Saturday itself.

[Cartimand]

Since reading that Mae Muller, this year's UK performer, once tweeted "I hate this country" and has applied for German nationality, I don't particularly want her to do very well.
I will be rooting for Moldova - foot-tappingly catchy and you gotta love the Wicker Man vibe and the flute-playing dwarf!

[George 1978]

Great to see that Norway and the Czech Republic (Czechia) are in the final - in the aftermath of HM King Charles III's Coronation last Saturday, I will certainly support their Royal themed song title entries: Queen of Kings and My Sister's Crown! I will definitely vote for them in the telephone vote on Saturday night!

Great timing!

[Hair Bear]

In more recent years the shenanigans with Petra Mede and Mans Zermolow gave things a whole new personality - search them out on yt.

[George 1978]

I dare you to watch it again - I was thinking about jacking it in after Jemini nil points, and again after the 2021 contest, but you never know what the next year might bring.

[George 1978]

And the UK entrant is Mae Muller - a German sounding name. That doesn't mean that we will get votes from Germany or German speaking countries of course.

Remember that ihe final will be on Saturday 13th May this year, and not the 6th when King Charles III's coronation will take place - Saturdays in May this year will be so interesting, especially if the FA Cup is on one of those dates as well.

[80sChav]

How long have they been doing the other voting system after the normal voting system.
And australia in it still bugs me.

I agree it is unusual that Australia are in it I must agree Darren, but they are like a guest/wildcard and to be fair after the British and Irish, Australian's and New zelanders are the kindest-best people in the World and considering the UK sent our convicts - rightly or wrongly (as did Ireland with Ned Kelly) too, all these years this makes Australian as English as Yorkshire Pudding, so as strange as it is having them in it and knowing they'll never host it - I am in fulla pproval of them (and more so as other Countries not European or with any real european Links- like Russia prior to last year was entilted to join as are other border Country's that are more non-European too