Eurovision Uberthread

**DaveyCakes** · 26/05/2010, 11:51 AM

Poor standard in the first semi-final. The only half-decent songs were Belgium, Iceland and Bosnia. At least they all qualified.

**mypost** · 28/05/2010, 4:37 AM

Originally Posted by DaveyCakes

Poor standard in the first semi-final. The only half-decent songs were Belgium, Iceland and Bosnia. At least they all qualified.

Well we qualified for the final for the first time from a semi-final for 4 years. Obviously the jury voting is making its mark. Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, and Iceland all made it out of the semi final. Ireland are 10th in the final.

With all the ballad songs around for the juries to pick from, I don't like most of the songs this year. Albania, Iceland, Slovakia, and Germany are the few highlights for me. Slovakia are already gone, while Croatia and Sweden failed to qualify. The rest are much of a muchness.

**DaveyCakes** · 28/05/2010, 9:40 AM

I enjoyed Sweden, Azerbaijan and Turkey last night. Our song is the best we've had in years, but I thought it was still pretty dull. Azerbaijan and Germany are favourites.

**holidaysong** · 28/05/2010, 10:00 AM

I enjoyed the Turkish one myself. Was surprised we got through actually, I don't think much of it at all.. How was our entry chosen by the way?

**culloty82** · 28/05/2010, 2:37 PM

Originally Posted by holidaysong

I enjoyed the Turkish one myself. Was surprised we got through actually, I don't think much of it at all.. How was our entry chosen by the way?

Quite liked Turkey's too myself, rockier than the usual tripe. As for Niamh, there was a Eurosong Late Late in February with five different songs against each other. You'd 6 regional panels and based on the public and the jury, each gave a maximum of 12 points and Niamh got a perfect score of 144. I think this is the second year that the jury's back so shouldn't be as much bloc voting this time.

**mypost** · 28/05/2010, 4:08 PM

Originally Posted by holidaysong

Was surprised we got through actually, I don't think much of it at all.. How was our entry chosen by the way?

Contest was March 5th, and Niamh walked it.

Our song has no appeal for voters, but is manna from heaven for juries. They love ballads, and Eurovision is stuffed with them this year. There's still mass bloc voting, especially with the new rules, it's just nullified more with the jury vote carrying the same power now as the televote. Only Holland, Sweden, and Switzerland of the "Western" countries didn't qualify.

**superfrank** · 28/05/2010, 4:30 PM

Wait til yez hear the Spanish one. It's absolute dross. The guy is a big ham.

**DaveyCakes** · 28/05/2010, 9:39 PM

There's been a lot of money on Armenia today. They're joint favourites with their friends and neighbours Azerbaijan now, maybe they'll restart the war if it gets very tense.

**Spudulika** · 29/05/2010, 7:25 PM

The Azeri's have put a massive amount into publicity for their entry (lots on the web). Armenia is a good one, Russia is absolutely tragic - which is what happens when you pick a youtube song! Good luck to Ireland - hopefully top half respectability will be achieved.

**GUFCghost** · 29/05/2010, 10:05 PM

dear god!They'er all ****!

**Longfordian** · 29/05/2010, 10:23 PM

Such a load of ****e, the German girl that won was hot enough though!

**mypost** · 30/05/2010, 12:47 AM

You're not going to get top half respectability with that, up against the competition that was out there.

No gimmicks, no choreography, no visuals, just a 42-year old statue singing a flat meaningless ballad, in an ocean of ballads. As usual, our song is 100% focussed on the performer, when you actually need a performance to go with it. And as usual, it doesn't stand out, and it didn't work.

Western countries are back in the contest with a bang now with 3 of them in the top 5, there's the effects of the voting system in operation. Delighted for Lena and the Germans, they've tried for very long, and nothing worked for them until this year. They're the first Top 4 country to win it since televoting started, and ARD will probably fund most of it themselves next year, rather than half as they have done for so long now.

At least the Brits finished last. It's the only consolation we can take from the final.

In the semi final, we finished 9th, level with Cyprus on 67 points. Sweden finished 11th. Swiss juries loved Niamh, as they gave her 12 points. The UK gave us 10, Croatia gave us 3, we gave them one, and handed Lithuania the 12. Again.....

**De Town** · 30/05/2010, 9:44 AM

Terrible bit of aftertiming I know, but I had a look at the betting yesterday around 3 o'clock, and went and listened to the top 8 songs or so, and I picked out Germany as the winner. Course I didn't bother putting money on it though.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 30/05/2010, 9:45 AM

Discussing the merit of this thing from a musical perspective is akin to discussing the cinematic value of Home & Away but sure anyway

Originally Posted by mypost

You're not going to get top half respectability with that, up against the competition that was out there.

No gimmicks, no choreography, no visuals, just a 42-year old statue singing a flat meaningless ballad, in an ocean of ballads. As usual, our song is 100% focussed on the performer, when you actually need a performance to go with it. And as usual, it doesn't stand out, and it didn't work.

I believe you. The whole of Belgium reckons you're talkin' ****e mind. ;-)

Originally Posted by mypost

Western countries are back in the contest with a bang now with 3 of them in the top 5, there's the effects of the voting system in operation. Delighted for Lena and the Germans, they've tried for very long, and nothing worked for them until this year. They're the first Top 4 country to win it since televoting started, and ARD will probably fund most of it themselves next year, rather than half as they have done for so long now.

Ah the good old certainty of chance. Good to see that at last Europe gets a demonstration that democracy simply doesn't work too. Worse again giving an untramelled vote to countries from the dismal side of the sadly defunct iron curtain.
She was gracious too -reigning in her victory speech with only half the count in and all that.

Originally Posted by mypost

At least the Brits finished last. It's the only consolation we can take from the final.

I suppose "our" 25 votes affords us some height relative to their 10 -though I fear ****y boots will the reward for attempting to whizz on them. Graham Norton was pretty good too

**mypost** · 31/05/2010, 7:48 AM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Discussing the merit of this thing from a musical perspective is akin to discussing the cinematic value of Home & Away but sure anyway

Well, at least there is no miming, and no covers, like you get at every other concert. Every song is brand new, regardless of type or country.

I believe you. The whole of Belgium reckons you're talkin' ****e mind. ;-)

Yes, Belgium qualified from the semi for the first time in 6 years. At least they had a guitar. We didn't. Cutbacks and all that.

I suppose "our" 25 votes affords us some height relative to their 10 -though I fear ****y boots will the reward for attempting to whizz on them. Graham Norton was pretty good too

I never ever listen to that fruitcake. Since Wogan left, I watch RTE's coverage in the final now. Hamburg will imo, get the gig next year.

**OwlsFan** · 31/05/2010, 9:29 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

I watch RTE's coverage in the final now.

Marty thought we were going to win it but once it became obvious we weren't, he almost shut off and became bored and resigned. Instead of focusing on what was happening at the top of the leader board, he just got more depressed every time another null poins came is for us.

I am expecting a few photos at least of that Armenian woman in the Totty Watch thread. I will always think of apricots in the different light in future. They call her the new Angelina Jollie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74Hcf...eature=related

As ever good entertainment and trying to predict the voting is fun. Cyprus/Greece is always the most obvious and Iceland -> Denmark.

**Wolfie** · 31/05/2010, 12:34 PM

The contention that music is peripheral to this entire competition was further enforced when it was announced you could start voting before you heard any of the songs!!!!

This competition also serves as a reminder that we have far more in common with Britain than remotely anywhere else.

Forgive the gross generalisation - but the rest of Europe are on an entirely different wavelength to us.

**bennocelt** · 31/05/2010, 2:21 PM

MyPost I enjoy your posts, but please tell me you dont seriously actually like the Eurovision for its music???? I only watched the voting part, in a pub - and it was fun and a bit of craic guessing who woud vote for who - but thats all it is - a joke!!!
And Wolfie is right, Europeans are a strange bunch........................
But then on the other hand I suppose we did give the world Westlife, Boyzone, Chrystal Swing and Jedward!

**mypost** · 31/05/2010, 7:29 PM

In the early years, I used to just watch the voting, but it's now so predictable, that I prefer watching the songs.

The Europeans put everything into the contest, and get the rewards. They're much more sophisticated and organised than us. We and the Brits do sfa for it, and get nothing.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 31/05/2010, 8:16 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

The Europeans put everything into the contest, and get the rewards. They're much more sophisticated and organised than us. We and the Brits do sfa for it, and get nothing.

A somewhat bizzare statement. I don't doubt that some of the countries you seem to be referring to (we're Europeans too btw) put everything into it -too much some would say. But I'm not sure where they "get the rewards" you speak of. Only Ireland, Sweden and Norway have won the thing more than once in the last two decades. That fairly even spread of winners means all these other countries, including the one-time winners, who bust a gut for it every year actually have very little to show for it relative to their outlay.

Little wonder in that scenario that Italy, Czech, Austria, Luxembourg and more to follow have decided there's no percentage in it and have walked.