Nil points

[AMJ]

Well we have got round to that time of the year again when the Eurovision fiasco rears it's head above the parapet once again.

 

I'll probably be watching for the dubious voting for your near neighbours.

 

As a slight link the UK entry is one organised by Pete Waterman - saw him on one of the semi finals earlier this week.

 

From what I saw there is no outstanding act unlike when Lordi won.

 

Just a shame that one of the rules states that the length of the track is limited otherwise many of the musicians that I like wouldn't even get the intro into the desired length!

 

Turn it down from 11 tonight.

[kintbury jon]

It's usually a fairly awful event but I still seem to end up watching it. That says a lot for Saturday TV viewing!

[Steve K]

The UK's entry this year is so cheesy, so irredeemably naff, so repetitive... that I predict a top-5 finish!

[JZ]

I will probably end up watching some of it, but only because the kids will be.

[gwrrob]

The UK's entry this year is so cheesy, so irredeemably naff, so repetitive... that I predict a top-5 finish!

 

Maybe so but the rest of Europe don't like us and won't vote for us anyway.

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

I think the UK entry is abit naff!

 

The best I've heard is Lithuania entry 'East European Funk' by Inculto, but it didn't make it into the final and Germany with Satellite by Lena (simply base the girl is quite nice! As is the song!)

 

Simon

[298]

The UK's entry this year is so cheesy, so irredeemably naff, so repetitive... that I predict a top-5 finish!

 

 

You haven't been following Europen politics, have you...

 

Nobody is going to vote for Greece because their economy is broken and they've ruined the Euro,

 

Nobody (especially Germany) is going to vote for the UK because we're not in the Euro and no-one likes us anyway.

 

Nobody is going to vote for Poland, because it's another final they're not in.

 

Nobody is going to vote for Italy, because they saw sense a few years ago.

 

 

 

Bit windy in the studio, wasn't it...? Personally, I liked the Turkish entry.

[big jim]

well we did well!!

[298]

well we did well!!

 

Yes, wasn't that a waste of licence fee payer's money. Why do the BBC insist on paying our way into the final....?

[Del]

Kalyr of this parish just put this on Twitter:

'Pete Waterman now has far vaster credibility in the world of model railways than he does with music.'

[Guest Phil]

Absolute sham

 

Mostly about countries voting for their neighbours and very little about what the songs were like IMHO.

 

We only watched some of the results after a break from producing wedding invites.

 

I happen to like some of Amy Winehouse's stuff but the German entry was a very very poor crib of an Winehouseesque tune.

 

Eurovision is obviously a very popular contest in "Europe" but no longer so for the Brits. We are obviously not liked because we came last, but it is hardly surprising because we have no neighbours apart from Ireland to vote for us. his is unlike the former USSR states that voted for each other and the Slavs similarly.

 

The good thing is next year I won't have to stop in and produce wedding invites, so I won't be watching the drivel !!!!

 

Oh and that little twerp Norton is not a patch on Terry for commentary !!!

[Horsetan]

.....the German entry was a very very poor crib of an Winehouse-esque tune.....

 

I disagree. I think she sounded more like Janet Street-Porter.

[Guest Dutch_Master]

Congrats to the German entry. The critisism about the Slavic countries voting for eachother isn't new, we (the Dutch) spotted that years ago. Anyway, this song-contest is a relic of the 50's and should be abolished ASAP! Did you watch the semi-final Thursday? My God, the Dutch entry was appalling! What should the rest of the world think about us, after seeing that crap!

 

[edit: just to make sure you've got it right: I didn't watch either broadcast as frankly, I can't be bothered about the crap. But the news replayed some clips of the semi-final Thursday and I've read the news about the German victory. I haven't watched TV for days, honest! ]

[JZ]

Pretty girl in a sexy black dress. No contest really

 

I know a lot of people moan about certain countries voting for neighbours and there was a certain amount of political voting, the most blatant was Greece and Cyprus. But no one seems to take account of the fact that neighbouring counties often have similar cultures.

[Hammer]

I'm always a bit suspicious that people see political motives where none exist. Would you really go and vote for the Irish just because they are also an English speaking state in the British Isles? I suspect many people living in countries with Slavic languages would also answer no. Not least because in several cases bloody wars have been fought to get away from their neighbours.

 

What they do have is common culture and language which, I suspect, accounts for far more votes. Hearing a good song in a style that is popular in your country and in a language which you understand seems like a far better motivation to vote for said entry then the fact it's your neighbour. I suspect the common language thing may be a particularly big factor.

 

I can see why the German entry won. It's in English which is widely spoken across Europe, it's got a nicely generic popular music sound which reflects several current acts, the lassy is quite pretty and there's no real trace of an accent or firm national identity.

 

Edit: The Germany lassy also has three number one records in Germany. Maybe if we put up chart-toppers instead of people selected by public vote, we'd be in with a chance

[Guest dilbert]

Only saw the later stages of the voting - what does appear to improve on a yearly basis is the sycophantic comments from each of the country voting representatives - "Thank you Oslo for a wonderful/brilliant/superb entertaining show" - this does come across better from women with boobs. No doubt the tele moguls report this back to their respective boards.

 

The other disappointment was that Luxembourg, Monaco,Lichtenstein and the Isle of Wight weren't represented.This could have changed the whole voting pattern with zillions of kudos being transferred in realtime on a lesser known alto or tenor clef that would fix/address the current financial crisis.

 

I reckon that the UK would do much better with a song linked to reality like "Roll out the Barrel" by a Big Oil Company...dilbert

[Horsetan]

.....I can see why the German entry won. It's in English which is widely spoken across Europe, it's got a nicely generic popular music sound which reflects several current acts, the lassy is quite pretty and there's no real trace of an accent or firm national identity....

 

I'm not sure about the "no real trace of an accent" - the German entry swung from an American one, through to East End of London, all in the same sentence. The overall effect to my ears sounded like a very weird version of Janet Street-Porter.

 

--->

 

 

.... this does come across better from women with boobs. ....

 

In which case, the Armenian entry should have run away with the contest. Did wonder whether they were actually all hers....

[Welly]

Yeah, Lena looks great! But HER VOICE Ugh! Having heard Janet Street Porter's voice on the radio recently, I know exactly what you mean, Horsetan!

[Oldfield_Park]

We ended up watching it, accompanied by a few strong beverages...

 

Not surprised to see that we lost it, but I do wonder if the whole 'nobody votes for us because they don't like us' is a little off the mark. Last year we came *checks* 5th, after putting forward a well-known name (Andrew Lloyd-Webber), a decent singer that we'd thrust into the faces of the Europeans for months beforehand to give her some exposure, and a decent song. This year we put forward an unknown with a lacklustre song - albeit by Mr Waterman, but how well known is he in Europe? It's hardly rocket science...

 

A surprising number of our own acts are incredibly popular in Europe. Some who are unkown here have had Number 1s in Germeny etc. Why not put forward someone like Amy MacDonald? She's very successful in Germany and Belgium, as well as Eastern Europe, writes decent songs (in my view) and isn't too bad to look at.

 

We do like to take the whole thing as a joke though (let's be honest - it is). but for as long as we do, we won't be getting far.

[Flying Pig]

I'm not sure about the "no real trace of an accent" - the German entry swung from an American one, through to East End of London, all in the same sentence. The overall effect to my ears sounded like a very weird version of Janet Street-Porter.

That's not Janet Street-Porter:

is Janet Street-Porter. To me she sounds a lot like

(doesn't look like him, fortunately).

[Ragtag]

Why do the BBC insist on paying our way into the final....?

 

They'll keep doing it as long as people keep watching it.

[Harbottle]

We should treat this outdated and naff event with the contempt it deserves. Get Roy "Chubby" Brown to write and perform one of his "ditties".

[David Rickard]

Waterman's song was 80's crap. Simple as really.

 

I really liked the Flashmob idea though. Granted, most of it wasn't live, but the idea of it was quite nice in these cynical times we live in. People united by music - it might seem a little trite, but if who award douze points to who was the biggest concern we had, we'd all be a little better of.

 

And really, that's what Eurovision is all about.

[Steve K]

Yes, wasn't that a waste of licence fee payer's money. Why do the BBC insist on paying our way into the final...?

Because it's relatively cheap TV. From what I read, the whole shebang costs the BBC about the same as one episode of Strictly come Dancing, a show which has taken a lot less time than Eurovision to outstay its welcome, IMO.

 

I've watched this "festival of music" quite a few times in the last 10 years, and as long as you don't take it seriously, as long as you know it's all about countries sucking up to their neighbours, it's harmless fun. It's also a safe bet that other countries' commentators take the whole thing a lot more seriously than ours, which shows that we take retain a sense of humour in the face of adversity!

 

Oh and that little twerp Norton is not a patch on Terry for commentary !!!

I'm not normally a huge fan of Norton (except in Father Ted, of course...), but I have to disagree. Of course, he's quite different to El Tel, but I thought he had the right attitude the other night, especially after Malta gave their votes. Their spokeswoman was a very large lady wearing a tent-like floaty number. Norton was rather kind, commenting how Malta usually give the UK the odd point. But after they gave us no points he said "OK, well now I'll say it: hideous dress." That was pretty funny at the time...

 

Someone came up with a good idea - we should employ a singer or group, not necessarily British, who is popular throughout Europe, to represent the UK. David Hasselhoff would do it, I'm sure, or maybe we could get Iron Maiden to have a go?

[pete_mcfarlane]

We should treat this outdated and naff event with the contempt it deserves. Get Roy "Chubby" Brown to write and perform one of his "ditties".

 

I'd send Cradle of Filth as the UK entry next year. They'd hopefully manage to upset most of Europe!