Eurovision 2024

Subject: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 08:00 AM

Thread just for the music and entertainment please. There is a 'Damned Eurovision' thread below the line for criticism, politics and anything about Israel!

I will start with what I just posted on there

It's on tonight and I shall be glued to the box :-)

After Doctor Who of course!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Johnny J
Date: 11 May 24 - 09:11 AM

The UK haven't had a decent song since The Allisons...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySufc64ssis&ab_channel=ESC%3A56-73

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 May 24 - 10:23 AM

Programmes like this make me really glad that I don't watch TV   :)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 11:21 AM

That was really good, Johnny J :-) Thank you. I quite Mary Hopkin's 1970 entry too Knock, knock. Who's there?

Mind you I was also partial to a bit of Sandy Shaw and Gima G so that probably tells you a lot :-D

John Mc - How do you know if you never watch it? ;-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 11:24 AM

Good site to see all the past UK entries

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2p23Z0lyVSX0VHxqNj9kBjH/uk-entries

And even I must admit that there are some there that make me shudder :-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Johnny J
Date: 11 May 24 - 12:05 PM

Oh I liked Mary Hopkin, Sandie Shaw, and Lulu too.
Their EU song entries not so much.

We had some really bad ones, mind you...


https://youtu.be/ABJgaFnCn40

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 01:11 PM

Odd shenanigans with the Dutch act being expelled and doubts cast on Ireland's entry with them missing dress rehersals. Controversy even before it starts!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Johnny J
Date: 11 May 24 - 01:28 PM

I think the Dutch entrant was expelled because he looked too much like Jimmy Savile..... ;-)))))

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 02:05 PM

:-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 03:05 PM

The end of Doctor Who led into it perfectly!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: The Sandman
Date: 11 May 24 - 03:43 PM

what is the appeal pf the contest?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:01 PM

Bambi Thug rules!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:07 PM

Don't need to watch it when it's plastered all over the news pages

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:14 PM

I quite liked the Greek job...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:16 PM

I repeat, Thread just for the music and entertainment please. There is a 'Damned Eurovision' thread below the line for criticism, politics and anything about Israel!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:17 PM

I thought Greece were good too. Was there some sort of bagpipes in the background?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:20 PM

No politics from me this end: I thought Israel's was pretty good too.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:28 PM

Three wrinklies watching in our house. We all liked Italy's effort... proper job!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:30 PM

UK: embarrassing bunch of shite, or is it just me. Not healthy somehow.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:33 PM

I wasn't impressed with the UK entry either. No idea what was supposed to be going on,

The Finnish Flasher was weird too!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:38 PM

Damned fine singer that Portuguese lass. Not keen on the act but one has seen worse...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 04:42 PM

Loved Armenia. Just for once they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves and they did a great job. Beautiful lady, beautiful singer.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 05:02 PM

Rim Tim Tagi Dim?

You don't get daft lyrics like that in folk music :-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 05:09 PM

The French bloke has a hell of a voice. I liked the song too.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 05:26 PM

The whole shebang was plagued with flashing lights tonight. I know a couple of people with epilepsy who have been completely unable to watch the show.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 05:30 PM

I seem to recall the Silly Sisters singing ring ting tingling too, Dave... :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 06:08 PM

This is farcical. Bloody Switzerland fer chrissake?! What's going on here!
.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 06:21 PM

They won the first one in 1956!

Popular vote may change everything yet

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 06:40 PM

Well, the rest of the world hate us...

Glad it wasn't just me :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 24 - 06:51 PM

Not wishing to be trite but...

What was he wearing?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 11 May 24 - 07:09 PM

I hate the fact that Eurovision in the UK has been hijacked as a camp joke. A gay fest. Nothing wrong with what sexuality someone is. However, when an OTT gay club culture overrides to such an extent as to what was shown tonight - it alienates the majority out there, and the joke wears thin. Apart from the appalling quality of singer, the song was crap.   They didn't learn from the year before about these club type songs that are all effects and autotune, which don't work well live.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Johnny J
Date: 11 May 24 - 07:20 PM

Is it just me or did anyone else think that the vocals were drowned out by the other instruments, backing tracks, beats etc?   All the songs seemed to suffer from this.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 24 - 07:47 PM

I'm not against gay/camp/whatever you want to call it, but I'll be brave enough to echo what Rossey says. The flashing lights, the overt sexuality, even the symbolic hints of sexual abuse...It's called a song contest fer chrissake. In most cases the song was somewhat lost in the glitzy nonsense of it all, and in most cases the singer, supposedly the only person obliged to "perform live," was augmented by echo, double tracking (or worse) and God knows what other manipulations. A really poor do in my opinion and I might have to give up watching it...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 May 24 - 03:04 AM

And I have to echo what Rossey, Johnny J, and Steve Shaw say.

Barely audible vocals which prevented any understand of the song, a ‘performance over musicality’ ethos, including a lot of highly over-sexualised consumes and performances (Graham Norton mentioned on a number of occasions the ‘shortages of apparel’ - or some similar expression - in a number of performances), presentations dominated by flashing lights and over-loud backing-tracks. And the overt sexuality of some of the performances which, as Steve points out, hinted, in some instances, at sexual abuse.

Mrs Backwoodsperson and I commented several times that the raison d’etre of the contest - the songs - has been lost to the desire of its producers to provide ‘sensational TV’.

An international song-writing and performing contest is a great idea, that sadly has gone increasingly tits-up in recent years.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 May 24 - 03:05 AM

‘UnderstandING! Buggerbuggerbugger!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 May 24 - 03:28 AM

Yes, music did seem to take a back seat this year. With some exceptions - France and Greece spring to mind although there were more. I do enjoy the spectacle myself but the staging needs to take second place to the music and performance. Hey-ho, let's see what the Swiss can do next year. Maybe a nod back to the 1956 roots?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 May 24 - 03:46 AM

With regard to our own entry, it was a poor song, poorly-sung, and poorly-presented - I’m convinced that the image of a grubby, sweaty changing-room with hints of gay abuse did not sit well with the international voting audience.

Two years ago, the UK’s Sam Ryder came second and, were it not for the huge swell of sympathy for the recently-invaded Ukraine, would have won very easily with a well-written, well-sung, and well-presented song, ‘Spaceman’ - sadly, those who determine the UK’s entry to the competition appear to have learned nothing from 2022 and, the very next year, and again this year, it was back to badly-written, badly-sung, badly-presented dross. And we were caned for it - quite rightly.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 May 24 - 04:40 AM

Indeed. I think the UK were the only entry to receive no votes at all from the public vote. Maybe we will learn but probably not :-(

It's not as if we can't do music and spectacle. Maybe Wet Leg and Boss Morris next year :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Mo the caller
Date: 12 May 24 - 08:56 AM

Not watched it for decades. But I remember liking a French* entry years ago that got very few votes but later became a hit here as Love is Blue

*Wiki says Luxembourg

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 12 May 24 - 11:13 AM

I still remember watching as a five year old, Cliff doing his funny dance wearing a frilled jabot, singing 'Congratulations' (he was robbed!).   Ann Marie David's 'Wonderful Dream' is still my favourite winner. Classy orchestration and big end.   My favourite UK entry of recent years is now 30 years old! I virtually stop after that. Too subtle, low key and with some religious overtones so it bombed to 10th place.. Frances Ruffelle singing 'Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free). The words "We Will Rise, Never Fall again and we will be free..", can apply to many present day conflict situations as well as romance.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2024
From: Thompson
Date: 12 May 24 - 12:54 PM

Didn't watch it, but came across the Croatian entry, Rim Tim Tagi Dim and like it.