Eurovision again

Subject: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 May 09 - 03:59 PM

That time of year again. I've been having a listen to the entries, and good grief bit there are some bloody awful ones, and the chances are one of them is going to win.

But as always there are a couple of good 'uns in there - and the one I like is the Bosnia-Herzegovona entry, Bistra Voda. Here's a site with words and pictures, with an English vesrin included. Worth a listen - strip away the razzle dazzle and there's a good song in there.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 15 May 09 - 04:48 PM

I rather liked the Portuguese entry - had a Fado feel to it

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: GUEST,eric the viking
Date: 15 May 09 - 05:47 PM

At one time, many years, ago I sat with my family to watch as it was, back in the 60's, a family evening. I think the last time I paid serious attention to it was when ABBA won or Buck's Fizz....That's a long time ago !! I fail to see how Russia can be counted as part of europe, Turkey? Ukraine? We might just a well include China, Korea etc. they are all the same land mass. A bit pointless really. Why can't they call it: The giant landmass of eurasia song contest? Or who can write a crappy song and get their allies to vote for it?

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 15 May 09 - 06:08 PM

Quite a surprising number of entries used melodeon, I thought (as in, more than one). A fair bit of orchestral strings, but quite a bit of fiddle too - check out the Norwegian singer (Seth Låkemøn). And the Moldovan entry is actually a song about a Moldovan dance.

One of the talking heads actually said that the UK had a good chance this year because songs drawing on local musical traditions had done well... and our local musical tradition is the West End musical! We shall see.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: GUEST,eric the viking
Date: 15 May 09 - 06:14 PM

Don't you mean http://www.sethlakeman.co.uk/ ? There has to my way of thinking often been a folkie style theme in many of the songs.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 May 09 - 06:23 PM

Look at a map showing the borders of Europe, eric. Europe isn't and never has been just the western bit. 78% of Russians live in European Russia. Ukraine is wholly within Europe. Turkey's a bit different, but there are ten million people living in European Turkey, which is a lot more than the population of a good few countries in Europe.

The only country in Eurovision that is completely outside Europe is Israel.

I rather doubt if people in countries bordering Russia voted for the Russian entry last year because they love Russia - many of them have good reason to loathe Russia. I assume they liked the song because it was their kind of music, and it had been effectively plugged in advance. (I think it was terrible, but that's another matter.) For the same reason people in the former Yugoslavia who had recently been slaughtering each other voted for each other's songs.

The reason virtually nobody voted for the British entry last year was surely because it was a completely crap song.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Emma B
Date: 15 May 09 - 06:35 PM

Britain hasn't taken the contest seriously for a long time - the appallingly patronizing and mocking style of 'commentary' by Wogan ensured that, not to mention the level of the entries (and I'd prefer not to) - although, at least, we never actually had a singing 'turkey' :)

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 May 09 - 06:44 PM

Wogan was the only thing that made most of the songs even barely tolerable. How could anything other than a mocking style of commentary have been appropriate?

"...we never actually had a singing 'turkey'" But there have consistently a good few British entries that were undeniably utter turkeys. I know Eurovision songs can make you despair about the taste of viewers across the continent - but the miniscule size of the vote for recent British entries does indicate that there are limits.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Emma B
Date: 15 May 09 - 06:53 PM

just in case you were unlucky enough to miss this
I think I'd rather not use a word here to describe Wogan!

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Emma B
Date: 15 May 09 - 06:55 PM

oh bugger did I say 'un' lucky? LOL

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 May 09 - 07:03 PM

Of course that dreadful song was eliminated in a semi-final, getting only 22 votes, while the British entry got a free pass to the final - where it got 14... Which was a fair reflection of its merits, if perhaps a bit generous.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Brakn
Date: 16 May 09 - 03:49 AM

The Uk's entry is not very good at all - in fact just grim. Lloydd-Webber works hard writing such songs - I think you'd have to.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Kampervan
Date: 16 May 09 - 04:19 AM

Shouldn't this thread be below the line in the Non-musical section??

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: goatfell
Date: 16 May 09 - 07:12 AM

well it beats football, at lest you can sing along

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 May 09 - 07:28 AM

Can't sing along with football?

Here's another version of the song, in the course of an interview, with the group Regina sitting on a sofa, with just one (acoustic) guitar - as I said "strip away the razzle dazzle and there's a good song in there."

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 16 May 09 - 04:13 PM

Watching it now. I decided to watch it properly for the very first time.

My god. My life has been wasted. I have seen the lights (and colours and costumes). I am taking a new musical direction. Mere folk music sux. The popfolk fusion is here! Follow the ukele, and the maracas, and the barefeet and bellies.

whew!

Invited Andie to sit and watch with me. She would love it. Love to take it apart, laugh at it, be surprised at the good bits, etc. And there are some saving graces, if you can stand to sit through the absolute crap. Sometimes it helps to not look and only to listen. Really I just want to design and make the costumes.

Oh hang on Estonia is not bad. Actually, really good. I need to find out who this group is. Wonderful!

I was going to say, heard that, seen that, used the tshirt to clean the oven. But That was really good.

But now I am going to change the channel.

Stigmata is on.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 09 - 05:07 PM

I reckon Bellowhead with their version of Copshawholme Fair followed by a Rapper dance, like they did on summatoranother, would win it hands down! Oh, hang on. That is actualy quite good. Hmmm. Back to the drawing board...

:D (eG)

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: glueman
Date: 16 May 09 - 05:28 PM

Eurovision is the last stronghold of high energy/ boystown. It should be included in 1954. Was that Dita Von Teese or a lookylike? Nice foundation garments either way.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: skarpi
Date: 16 May 09 - 06:24 PM

well

eurovision is over ,

Norway first ,
Iceland second .
Atzjerbatian third. ( strange writing )

kv Skarpi

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Aeola
Date: 17 May 09 - 08:17 AM

Norway's entry, definitely folky!!

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 May 09 - 08:23 AM

Norway's winning song....on Youtube


So, hands up all those who saw just the merest hint of Seth at the start of that song?

sorry Norway, you'll NEVER touch The Original Fiddlin' Lad! :0)

Seth Lakeman - The Hurlers....A song that would have won, had it been entered..

If Andrew Lloyd Webber's reading this ;0)...then get SETH BOOKED UP FOR NEXT YEAR AND WATCH THE UK RISE RIGHT TO THE TOP!

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 17 May 09 - 08:49 AM

Am still reeling from the German entry-it caused somewhat of a commotion in the pub-several older people nearly expired with laughter.At one point the noise from the karaoke in the next room drwoned out the TV so we thought Albania's entry was a version of Rhinestone Cowboy!

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 May 09 - 08:53 AM

Snork

Germany..Was that dancer really toting a ridng crop? Introducing a little BDSM in the this wholesome family oriented contest.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 May 09 - 09:13 AM

Sweden was good, that gal could actually sing..naff song though..and she definitely got ripped off paying £37,000 for that dress! Yikes!
Beautiful hair though.

Sweden


Even with her mermaid hair and voice though, she's still not as good as.... ;0)

Tam, YOU are the Snork Maiden! :0)

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 May 09 - 09:28 AM

Lizzie honey, you don't know the half. Who do you think inherited Andie's laugh.

I snort all the time now. Somebody's got to do it.

Wasn't Graham Norton's commentary good? I had gotten bit tired of him, but I think he did that pretty well last night. He was quite subdued in his funnies which made them more powerful.

I did not like the Sweden entry at all. Just didn't get the whole phantom of the Popera thing.

What is Seth playing in that video? It is too big for a uke. It only gots 4 strings.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 17 May 09 - 09:31 AM

Tenor guitar.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 May 09 - 09:42 AM

He normally gets through several sets of strings for it during a gig...and shreds his fiddle bow too..


"Lizzie honey, you don't know the half. Who do you think inherited Andie's laugh. - I snort all the time now. Somebody's got to do it."

I'm so glad you have, and do, Tam. I bet Andie snorts away right beside you too. :0) x

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 17 May 09 - 09:55 AM

So, hands up all those who saw just the merest hint of Seth at the start of that song?

Ahem.

"check out the Norwegian singer (Seth Låkemøn)"
- Pip Radish, 15 May 09 06:08 PM

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: skarpi
Date: 17 May 09 - 10:11 AM

Portugal had a great song , but they needed stronger singer .
it was a folkie song ,

Malta had also great song , but was not secured in the singin ,

Sweden , I love that voice what great performer váaaa
and like the Yohanna the Icelandic girl , they did not sing a fail note
it was perfekt .

Norway , its a sing a long song very good one , just a good singer
and a good norwaigen fiddle tune , when we where turing in Norway 2005
we got to know about 5 fiddle players and váaa what a tune hey got out those fiddles , Hardangurfiddles and fiddles , my fiddler Rósa learned in Norway and learned for many years to play this style . so we use it
a little .

The UK singer was also great singer and a great looking performer
If UK goes on like this , you r on next year , also France
great performance and a great song .

no more to say , . All the best to you all
Skarpi Iceland

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 17 May 09 - 10:34 AM

That guy was worse than Wogan. Far too much to say for himself. The BBC must really be stuck for presenters.

It is sad to watch Andrew Lloyd Webber trying to be hip. The old guy needs to act his age, I never thought he was right, something odd about him. Sarah his ex, confirmed it in a recent interview on Sky.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 May 09 - 11:23 AM

What you disliked about Graham Norton's comments were was what other people liked, Al. Myself I think the commentary was a lot better than most of the songs, as was the case with Wogan over the years.

I can never understand how so many people root for their country's song regardless of how crap it is. I'd have thought it'd be the other way round. I was delighted that this year's Irish entry never made it to the final, because it wasn't much good. The English entry was better than the last few year's but that's not sayng much - it was still pretty poor.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 17 May 09 - 12:53 PM

And Graham Norton rooted for the British entry just as Wogan used to do !

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 17 May 09 - 01:02 PM

And why not? He, like Wogan, is being paid by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 May 10 - 06:49 PM

And here it comes again - Eurovision 2010

A rapid flick through on that link - some pretty terrible songs in there, though none to match the UK one.

But some are entertaining enough. Finland is fun.

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: skarpi
Date: 23 May 10 - 07:34 PM

The Irish song has two lines in it from , " Will you go lassie go "

Ireland has a good song .

Danmark is lalala

Iceland is terrible urrrrrrr

Norway is ....
Finnland is good I like it .

Rumania has a good song ....

kv Skarpi

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 May 10 - 07:04 AM

As long as you have a drink from the country that is currently performing it is quite an entertaining experience. Well, in between the first few and the last few...

:D (eG)

Subject: RE: Eurovision again
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 May 10 - 06:30 PM

Here's a link to a page giving the lyrics of the various songs.

The Irish one is beautifully sung, and it's a good song of its type. Interesting to see it hasn't got a rhyme in it, and doesn't need them.

The Icelandic one, with a traditionally built girl in a dressing gown jumping off a diving board in an apparent suicide bid, is a strange one indeed. As are a lot of the others, many of them so-bad-it's-good, in the traditional eurovision way.

But I don't think there's much doubt the British entry is the worst, not even so-bad-it's-good, just plain dreadful.