Eurovision Uberthread

**mypost** · 07/03/2006, 1:04 AM

Originally Posted by Green Tribe

oh, cop on, brian kennedy is an amazing singer

Originally Posted by me

Kennedy's own song was chosen. His own song may be typically Irish, but it's Gary O'Shaughnessy-esque, and hasn't a prayer at Eurovision.

Kennedy's song is of Father Ted standard.

Originally Posted by you

I have not heard the song yet.

Count your lucky stars. I have listened to several of the competing songs already, and I had to switch Kennedy's off after less than a minute. If that's what I do, you can imagine what the rest of Europe will do on the night. It's boring, and as flat as a pancake. The song is frankly, horrendous for Eurovision.

Belgium remains the clear favourite as the singer and song ticks all the right boxes. Croatia's is good too, as is Belarus, and Turkey. Kennedy's song however, is one of our worst ever entries. It's that bad.

**mypost** · 20/03/2006, 2:30 AM

2 months before Eurovision 2006, and all countries have selected their artists for this year's contest. March 20th sees RTE make their first trip to Athens, for the Head of Delegation meetings with the EBU. The draw for the running order of the semi-final and final is made the next day.

No Name achieved the remarkable feat of representing their country for the second year in a row, however Serbia later withdrew from the contest after a row over the selection process. Carola represents Sweden for the third time, having won the contest in Rome in 1991. Anna Vissi represents Greece for the second time, and it's also her third try to win the show. One's to watch out for this year are, Monaco, Belgium, Belarus, Germany, and Holland. Outsiders are Croatia, Norway, Sweden, and UK. Plenty of competition for Kennedy to look forward to.

**dfx-** · 22/03/2006, 9:54 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

Belgium remains the clear favourite as the singer and song ticks all the right boxes.

For "ticks all the right boxes", read "standard and formulaic"

The Eurovision stopped whenever Denmark won it last, it seems to have thought it should take itself seriously since then in particular........(The Eurovision taking itself seriously

)

PR wins it now, not genuine bad songs, just preplanned bad songs. A whiparound tour of Europe for a few months to win it and then nothing. Sad to see iot like that, it used to be simply fun.

Bucks Fizz, Mr. Logan, Eimear Quinn, Abba, Norwegian null pointers should be turning in their Eurovision graves. What would happen now to a country that gets null points? Excommunication from the circle of love? It used to be just a funny joke, now it's treated so serious that you can't dare *humiliate* your country...

The last song I remember from the Eurovision with any wish or fondness is whatever that Austrian had with his cardboard cows and pigs as backing singers.

It finished 4th or something like that because it was in the true, age-old fun Eurovision style and was therefore popular - against all the very studious betting fraternity's thoughts, iirc. No coincidence then that's the last one I remember then..

RIP Eurovision..

**Pauro 76** · 25/04/2006, 10:34 AM

Just spotted in the English Sun a pic of this year's Finnish entry for the Eurovision. Bucks Fizz it aint. Wonder what Wogan will make of these lads?

http://www.eurovision.tv/english/49.htm

Hope they are on after Brian Kennedy. It'll be like Slipknot following Daniel O'Donnell on the same bill!

**Lionel Ritchie** · 25/04/2006, 2:20 PM

kudos to Finland for giving this overblown joke the two fingers.

I think I might just break the habit of a lifetime and vote this year.

May Lordi give Eurovision the death ist's been beggin for this long time.

**Pauro 76** · 25/04/2006, 2:34 PM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

kudos to Finland for giving this overblown joke the two fingers.

I think I might just break the habit of a lifetime and vote this year.

May Lordi give Eurovision the death ist's been beggin for this long time.

William Hill Eurovision Song Contest: 2/1 Greece, 8/1 United Kingdom, 8/1 Belgium, 8/1 Sweden, 8/1 Romania, 12/1 Bosnia, 14/1 Switzerland, 16/1 Estonia, 16/1 Norway, 16/1 Germany, 16/1 Croatia, 20/1 Iceland, 25/1 Denmark, 25/1 Finland, 33/1 Turkey, 33/1 Russia, 33/1 Poland, 33/1 Malta, 33/1 Macedonia, 33/1 Latvia, 40/1 Ireland, 50/1 Spain, 50/1 Netherlands, 50/1 Lithuania, 50/1 Monaco, 50/1 Cyprus, 66/1 Ukraine, 66/1 Slovenia, 66/1 Israel, 100/1 Belarus, 66/1 Andorra, 100/1 Portugal, 100/1 Moldova, 100/1 France, 100/1 Bulgaria, 100/1 Albania, 100/1 Armenia.

Going to slap a few quid on Finland so! watch the price come tumbling down.... it would be pure comedy if they won. and confirming in the process that it's just a mad freakshow...

**CollegeTillIDie** · 27/04/2006, 10:46 PM

What are the odds on Ireland crashing and burning in the semi-final?

**Lionel Ritchie** · 28/04/2006, 8:54 AM

I'll be crossing everything crossable. All together now "Every song ...is a pile of muck"

**CollegeTillIDie** · 01/05/2006, 8:41 PM

Maybe it should be rechristened the " Eurovision Schlock Contest"

**mypost** · 05/05/2006, 2:15 AM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

kudos to Finland for giving this overblown joke the two fingers.

I think I might just break the habit of a lifetime and vote this year.

Precisely why Finland should be ignored this year. It's a pr stunt, full of gimmicks, masks, fireworks, and the odd lyric or two thrown in. Unfortunately, it will score well among the Lionel Richie-type voters.

As for Brian, he's em, doing his bit to promote his song. Along with visiting music stores in Dublin

, he's visited Serbia, and most recently, Croatia, where in amongst fellow ESC contestants on tv shows, his song was the only one described by the locals as...boring.

In a country where Eurovision is quite rightly taken seriously, that's a pretty damning verdict, from a key voting area. The delegation fly out for the first rehearsals next week. We have been drawn 8th in the running order for the semi-final, directly after red-hot favourites this year, Belgium. Luck decrees that Brian will perform the 1,000th song in the contest's history.

With the show imminent, how are the others getting on? The Belgian girl with the distinctly Irish surname, Kate Ryan, has visited 20+ countries to promote her song, Je t'adore. Treble, the Dutch group, will visit all 38 competing countries. UK artist Daz Sampson promoted his song in the Med countries. Croatia have sent an artist, who's famous for a private video of hers that found it's way to the internet. Armenia will open the contest. Serbia withdrew from the contest, but are still ALLOWED to vote, the points awarded from 1 to 7 will appear on the voting scoreboard before each jury vote in the final. Only the countries who have scored 8 to 12 points will be announced on the night.

**Real ale Madrid** · 05/05/2006, 7:42 AM

[QUOTE=mypost]

The Belgian girl with the distinctly Irish surname, Kate Ryan, has visited 20+ countries to promote her song, Je t'adore. QUOTE]

Actually thats just her stage name - her real name is Katrien Verbeeck. Extremely popular over here in Belgium even though the song is isnt great. Catchy i suppose.

By the way i'm surprised she hasnt featured on tottywatch.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 05/05/2006, 9:20 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Precisely why Finland should be ignored this year. It's a pr stunt, full of gimmicks, masks, fireworks, and the odd lyric or two thrown in. Unfortunately, it will score well among the Lionel Richie-type voters.

What? Former Commodores frontman and mega selling pop-soul artist Lionel Richie votes in Eurovision?! For Finland???!!!

Lionel Ritchie on the other hand, if he has nothing better to do, will indeed root for the Rob Zombie/Ted Nugent/Kiss tribute from Finland. I'm not sure what narrow strata Mypost thinks an act featured on Eurovision should come from -but if "gimmicks, masks, fireworks and the odd lyric or two" disqualify -can we bury Riverdance without trace and not before time?

**mypost** · 06/05/2006, 5:36 AM

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

(Re: Kate Ryan) Actually thats just her stage name - her real name is Katrien Verbeeck.

Nah, we'll go with her stage name. It's Irish, and nicer on the ears.

the song isnt great. Catchy i suppose.

It's precisely what Eurovision fans want. It will do very well.

**hamish** · 06/05/2006, 4:34 PM

Saw Kennedy singing his awful ditty on the Late Late last night, mypost.
You're dead right - it's brutal.

**dfx-** · 06/05/2006, 5:01 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

Precisely why Finland should be ignored this year. It's a pr stunt, full of gimmicks, masks, fireworks, and the odd lyric or two thrown in. Unfortunately, it will score well among the Lionel Richie-type voters.

That's the real Eurovision for you...

I've finally found the link to the Austrian song a few years ago that managed to finish fifth with 101 points with cardboard cows cats and parrots and apparently his mother as a backing singer...

Only in the Eurovision would this song survive and thrive. It was all expected to fail miserably amongst the serious types and the serious attempts and yet finished 5th out of 25 (?)

Alf Poier, Weil der Mensch Zaehlt:

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/quickt...errike,00.html

**mypost** · 07/05/2006, 5:16 AM

Originally Posted by d f x-

That's the real Eurovision for you...

I've finally found the link to the Austrian song a few years ago that managed to finish fifth with 101 points

Only in the Eurovision would this song survive and thrive. It was all expected to fail miserably amongst the serious types and the serious attempts and yet finished 5th out of 25 (?)

Alf Poier, Weil der Mensch Zaehlt.

Jaysus, you still haven't shut up about it. You'd swear that it had won.

It was a flashback to the bad old days of the contest, which you'll find are very rare now. The highly organised, marketed, and sophisticated contest these days is not worthy of such junk.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 07/05/2006, 8:35 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

Jaysus, you still haven't shut up about it. You'd swear that it had won.

It was a flashback to the bad old days of the contest, which you'll find are very rare now. The highly organised, marketed, and sophisticated contest these days is not worthy of such junk.

Organised and marketed perhaps -but sophisticated?

Only if you're working with your average fashion supplement contributors definition of sophistication I'd say.

Though you're absolutley correct in your (I'm guessing unintentional) assertion that the contest these days is not worthy of such junk

Flashback to the bad old days? These ARE the bad old days.

**mypost** · 12/05/2006, 2:17 AM

Originally Posted by d f x-

I've finally found the link to the Austrian song a few years ago that managed to finish fifth with 101 points with cardboard cows cats and parrots and apparently his mother as a backing singer. Only in the Eurovision would this song survive and thrive.

Yes, it did so well that ORF decided to withdraw from the contest this year.

**mypost** · 12/05/2006, 2:22 AM

The first Irish news from Athens this year:

Pre-contest Interview with the team

First Rehearsal and Press Conference

**onenilgameover** · 16/05/2006, 2:47 AM

The semi-final is on Thursday. I dont fancy our chances of being round on saturday. have the song on me Ipod and its no 'hold me now'...Good luck to Brian all the same hopefully he's stayed off the pies cos he was lookin a bit chubby the last time I saw him. Come on Ireland..!!!!!