05.14.07
Eurovision
Poor John. You wanted to give him a big hug as he reported his devastation on Marian on Sunday morning and fair dues to him he refused to give in to begrudgery about block voting.
I watched the whole show. It was brilliant. Lots of the songs were really really good pop songs and the production was just outstanding. I think it was one of the best shows in recent memory. Its easy to sneer at the get up of the Ukrainians, but that was a good disco song. And so there’s still a lot of heavy metal out there. It rocks! Me and the husband were head banging away, (well, gentle head banging) for the night. Last year’s winners rocked!
The Serbian winning song was great and had a cool lesbian thing going on. Butch lead singer in the suit with dollybird backing singers crowding round her. AND she had the Johnny Logan “uh” (like being in pain uh) factor..its that moment where in order to reach the note and display passion for the lyrics, the singer bends their legs, like they are about to crouch down, and holds the non-microphone hand in a fist, drawing it down from head to chest height. Johnny used it all the time. The sisters and I judge all acts on their ability to replicate this movement.
But there were lots of songs that could have won. The Moldovan was cool. GREAT song and the underwear! She had it all going on. Can’t find a link anywhere, but black leather trousers slashed at the hip….
So what about us? It was embarrasing. It’s not a bad song. In fact, it sounded like plenty of other songs on the night. It was the production. F*cking cringe. All you needed was a leprechaun. Cathy, tripping around the stage with the bowran and the laids not miming very well – one guy had a poloneck. A POLONECK? And she had some stage Irish mock tudor gimmicky dress. The winning song was HUGE, BIG VOICE, MASSIVE production. A traditional Irish band for small venues just didn’t cut it.
If Westlife sang the song it would have been fine.
So can we just put Louis Walsh in charge next year please?
Brits were hilarious though. It was Buck’s Fizz meets, I don’t what…We have them 7 points and put them ahead of us. Spain went with a boyband which was fine but they should’ve sung in English. Big mistake.
Thanks.
John of Dublin said,
May 14, 2007 at 11:46 am
Hi Sarah. I agree. In recent years we seem to forget again and again that Eurovision is now big visual , big impact entertainment. It must have instant appeal for public voters all around Europe. It needs major professionalism put into the song and presentation. It’s not near enough just to have a reasonable song. Both UK and Ireland and now increasingly remote places to the expanding Europe. We need much more wow factor and imagination to get even noticed.
graham said,
May 14, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I’m glad you liked the whole show too. I agree that it was one of the best productions in years. It’s always camp and a little OTT but thats what is so much fun about the whole thing.
There were some really great songs. Sure, they won’t be iconic or truly memorable, but they’s sell and they’re catchy enough. The Ukrainians definitely had a catchy, if somewhat ridiculous, entry. I also liked the very operatic one, with the lady with the lights on her hand. And the Il Divo-esque entry too.
Our entry never had a hope. There was just nothing that stood out or caught people’s imagination about it.
Darren said,
May 14, 2007 at 12:28 pm
You know, Eurovision is one of those things which is just fundamentally bizarre to North Americans. At least, to this North American (and his wife), and this is my third Eurovision.
To me, all the songs are absolute dreck, the singing is pretty spotty and the theatricality is, well, gayer than a two dollar bill. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s profoundly odd to a lad raised on rock and roll.
Liam Nolan said,
May 14, 2007 at 12:59 pm
The result might have been totally different if John Waters had asked the lovely Sinead O’Connor to sing the sing…. it might at least have been intelligible to the listener – and in fact, much more than that.
Paul said,
May 14, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Darren, I would say that most Irish and English people would concur with your view.
Darren said,
May 14, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Liam: Will I hurt anybody’s feelings if I thought she sounded like a braying donkey?
Conor O'Neill said,
May 14, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I’m still trying to figure out who the old drag queen was who read out the Irish votes.
Wogan still does the business: “A wonderful night….not musically obviously”
Sarah said,
May 14, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Great idea on Sinead! She’d be the woman alright. What I don’t understand is British music dominates “popular” music and they can’t get it right for the Eurovision either.
Sarah said,
May 14, 2007 at 3:41 pm
The brother found this link to the Moldovan act… http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070512/ids_photos_en/r119163452.jpg
Doesn’t do her as much justice as she deserves..you had to see her standing up straight to get the full effect..but you get the idea..
Daniel K. said,
May 14, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Sarah, I thought the Georgia entry was great. If all the ladies look like that then I’m upgrading Georgia to one of my top places to move to if FF get an overall majority.
Sarah said,
May 14, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Yeah, M. was well into her AND she was cool too. That song was great. We were suprised she didn’t do better.
This is my point. Loads of great acts!
Orlaith said,
May 15, 2007 at 8:59 am
I disagree Sarah when you say that the Spanish entry should have sang in English. I think that is the opposite of what the Eurovision should aspire to be. I actually find it quite depressing to see acts from Sweden, Finland or elsewhere abandoning their native language to sing in English. I’m a huge fan of world music and every country in Europe has a rich store of popular musicians and songwriting talent to draw from in their respective language.
Leon said,
May 15, 2007 at 11:09 am
It is a sin that the Albanian did not get through the semis.
http://www.eurovision.tv/addons/mediaplayer/video/alb.html
http://www.eurovision.tv/addons/mediaplayer/audio/alb.html
What about the Armenian, he had a great ballad as well.
We need either a camp as fuck disco song or a big big ballad.
By the way I hear RTE are considering pulling out of the competition. This is the only time we get to benchmark them at all (though we know they are shit) and they are taking the opportunity away from us.
Leon said,
May 15, 2007 at 11:15 am
Oh yeah for the Moldovan google
Natalia Barbu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSUxLq__ryU
Leon said,
May 15, 2007 at 11:18 am
Sorry just listened to FIGHT again AWFUL AWFUL Bad Moldovan and she just looked slutty
The Russians were the sex bombs of the competition.
leon said,
May 16, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Orlaith you should be in the Dail. Scratch that you’re too stupid for the Dail. Eurovision is about glitz, glamour and novelty. It is about fun; it is NOT about sitting in a circle of dreadlocked twats in Goa boasting about how you got your beads for a rupee less than the other guy.
Sarah said,
May 16, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Leon, I edited your comment. That’s the second one I had to doctor. I am going away for a few days so TRY not to get me in trouble when I am gone.
omaniblog said,
May 16, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I asked my 15 and 17 year old niece and nephew if they knew anyone who’d watched Eurovision. Neither of them knew anyone.
I saw the Irish song sung before the competition and I thought the singer had a very poor voice. So I’m not surprised the song didn’t do well.