Eurovision 2018

Subject: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 May 18 - 06:44 AM

Saturday 12 May 2018 brings us the annual cheese fest known as Eurovision. As I am as on call from work I will have to enjoy the acts without the benefit of having a drink from each country performing! Still, it means I should remember who won :-D

Love it or loathe it, it is a music event so let's keep the comments respectful(ish) and the thread should not drop below the line.

Enjoy

DtG

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: banjoman
Date: 09 May 18 - 07:19 AM

It would be far more acceptable if the music reflected the traditions and culture of the countries taking part. As it is, its a pop song competition

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 May 18 - 07:52 AM

It does occasionally feature some more traditional music but surely the pop culture of the countries taking part has equal place with traditional music does it not? Maybe it is more relevant to more people as well. In my opinion.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 May 18 - 08:02 AM

The ESC has always been a pop-song contest, nothing new there. I do think that it has been very much devalued over the years by the rise of the concept of 'spectacular presentation' taking precedence over musical and lyrical content, and by the plain-as-the-nose-on-yer-face 'political' voting. But I dare say Mrs Backwoodsperson and I will sit through it, even if only to exercise our joint vocabulary of expletives as the disgrace of the look-after-yer-mates voting unfolds.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 09 May 18 - 08:42 AM

My annual comment...

For a short period just over a decade ago,
Eu Vis became a showcase for very good folksie influenced Balkan and East European pop songs.
imho this invigorated the show.. despite Wogan's arsehole commentary...

Sadly, too many songs now seem to be written by a small group of pro songwriters for hire,
who have no allegiance to any nation, and impose the same bland homogenous style on all performers they contribute songs for...

I usually find I prefer songs discarded in the semi finals..

But we'll still get some wine in for Saturday night.
This is still one of the wife's highlights of the year..

And May Sumo Wrestling tournament starts soon after,
all 15 days of it...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 May 18 - 09:00 AM

I'll have to fall out with you for dissing the esteemed Mr Wogan, PFR ;-) I used to love how his commentary got more and more outlandish as the evening progressed. Nothing to do with the drink of course. Mine or his :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 09 May 18 - 12:49 PM

Saw part of the first semifinal last night: that woman from Estonia hit a high C more reminiscent of opera than pop, and amazing lighting effects on the skirt of her dress!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 09 May 18 - 02:05 PM

Its almost all pop-pap, and pretty low quality pop-pap at that. For every Waterloo, there's a Save Your Kisses for Me, an All Kinds of Everything, a Making your Mind Up, a Hold Me Now, a Love Shine a Light, or a Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi. In fact there's all of those. And those ones won. In fact, apart from Waterloo and Calm After the Storm which came second in 2014, its difficult to think of anything of remotely any quality from the Eurovision song Contest. And please, nobody say Congratulations.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 May 18 - 02:07 PM

I did not see the semi but heard about the Irish act having 2 male dancers depicting a couple. That would not have happened a few years back! Well done, Ireland:-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 May 18 - 02:15 PM

There have been a few half-decent songs over the year, hardly ever ( if ever ) winners, but I think it's been getting worse over the years. From the bits I saw of the first semi- final thatms contiued.

The Estonia lady did stand out with that high note. I was amazed she got through - anything approaching good generally gets filtered out at semi-final stage.

I don't expect it to be folk, but there's good pop music of all sorts, and this isn't that. Mind the over production drowns out everything so you couldn't tell.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 May 18 - 04:19 PM

I though 'Puppet on a string' and 'Love shine a light' were pretty good UK winners, Kevin. Bucks Fizz were pretty good with 'Making your mind up' but that may just my memory of skirts being whipped off :-) (Was that them?) The Finnish heavy metal band a few years back were great and of course we had the inimitable ABBA (Nice to see that they are back) You could well be right about recent winners though. None spring to mind but that could be more down to my tired and over emotional state towards the end... ;-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 May 18 - 04:22 PM

I hope you noticed, David C, that while I disagreed with one or two of your no-nos, I did very carefully steer away from the 'C' song :-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 09 May 18 - 04:30 PM

Bucks Fizz were the skirts off merchants, though I think ABBA did that first (not on Waterloo). I really, really detested Puppet on a String. Right up there with Agadoo as an annoying earworm in my book.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 May 18 - 05:07 PM

ABBA were a great band, but Waterloo I reckoned was about their least great song.

If the Finnish entry you mean was this one, in 2015, I agree. I wanted it to win.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 09 May 18 - 05:22 PM

WHY is this down in BS...!!!!!!?????

The protest begins now...!!!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 09 May 18 - 06:55 PM

"Eurovision SONG Contest 2018"...

See the clue in the title...???

It might not mean that much in the USA...
but over here it is an important celebration
of international unity through the medium of song,
big budget state of the art stage & lighting production,
and camp humour...


Back upstairs into the public accessible music section please...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Iains
Date: 09 May 18 - 07:31 PM

Pfr did it ever get better than this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXkNKPLke-g

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 09 May 18 - 09:17 PM

Iains - if you've avoided watching it since 1959....

Settle down comfy Saturday night with a bottle of strong drink
and prepare to have your senses blown away
by the best of the worst of 21st Century spectacular light entertainment..

Though as Portugal are staging it this year,
it might all be a bit cheap and shite.....

Portuguese comedy writers have not really grasped the knack of writing in English...
The 'amusing' sketches during the first part of the semi finals
are at about the same level of sophistication as early 1960's "Crackerjack"...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: robomatic
Date: 09 May 18 - 09:24 PM

ABBA was a great group but not for their lyrics, which were great for non-English speakers but not of great depth.

Robo, who loves the utterly sensible lyrics of Talking Heads and Napoleon XIVth.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 May 18 - 03:23 AM

PFR - I posted this in the Israel thread before I saw your question on here.

The Eurovision one was moved because of an outbreak of guest trolls including ake who has been banned from down here. It is the only way to prevent them from infecting threads at the moment. I did ask for it to be moved so bon't blame the mods. I worked out that they would have to spend an inordinate amount of time monitoring the thread to remove the crap. Not worth it for such an inane subject.

Hope that explains it.

Robo - If you are talking about proper sensible lyrics like what they used to write you need to check out Boom bang a bang

:D tG

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 10 May 18 - 09:01 AM

THIS was the best ever: 1964, my final year at school: we all suddenly became fluent in Italian, and those who played the piano just had to copy those chord riffs!
Gigliola Cinquetti:
Non Ho L'Eta

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 10 May 18 - 09:11 AM

DtG - Well.. I suspected that possibility.. but I still think it's not the right decision...

This is a music thread, and as such it will be more actively modded upstairs where it belongs...

We can not allow the forces of evil cultural snobbery to win in denying Eurovision it's rightful place of free public discussion...

Would Wogan have been cowered by fukwit guests...!!!???


[yes.. I know that's a dirty trick playing the Wogan card to one of his fans...]

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 May 18 - 09:26 AM

If it was me moderating, PFR, I would agree. But I cannot lay the task of deleting posts from knobheads on to the mod team when I suspect it will only get worse.

And to be fair, it is still a public discussion. We have just stopped people from shitting on it :-)

Wonder if we could write a Eurovision song about it?

I started a thread that I thought would be a hit
Then a guest came along and thought he'd take a shit
Right in the middle of my lovely little thread
Now the thread he shit on has ended up stone dead

All together now...

Flip, flippity, flip flit
My thread is full of shit...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 May 18 - 09:36 AM

Sorry - I need to correct my last post

We have just stopped people from anonymously shitting on it.

People who's faces (faeces?) we know well can still take a dump! But please don't :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 10 May 18 - 09:49 AM

But how many of the multitude of EuVis fans that would flock here to post in this thread
are already members and enabled to post in BS.. hah.. think on that...

Unless this is a cynical ploy to force them to join as members,
thus swelling mudcat membership by hundreds of thousands of camp pop culturists
to counteract the forces of dull acoustic folk snobbery...

In which case, count me in, I'm fully behind this new popularist recruitment drive of yours..!!

boom bang a banging...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 10 May 18 - 10:13 AM

Never forgive the fecckers for displacing Causality
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 May 18 - 10:18 AM

I'm so glad someone else calls it Causality! Thanks Jim, brother :-)

Is the the second semi tonight or have I missed it?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 10 May 18 - 10:37 AM

8.00 tonight BBC4..

The wife will be home from Zumba just in time to phone for pizzas and fizzy pop...

I've never seen a full grown woman get so excited over a semi..!!!???

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 May 18 - 11:14 AM

Ha! Mrs Fenswoman and I call it 'Casual Titty'. ;-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 18 - 01:36 AM

Missed the second semi as well :-(

Want to give us an update PFR?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 May 18 - 09:00 AM

Well.. me and the mrs both nearly nodded off during it last night...

This has got to be the worst presentation and dullest bunch of songs for years...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 18 - 09:01 AM

Sounds like I didn't miss much then :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 May 18 - 09:11 AM

I'd expect newspapers may be making as much political issue as they can about Russia being eliminated this year...???

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 May 18 - 10:19 AM

There was a Latin American version between 1972 and 2000 called the OTI Festival. They wound it up, largely because of the poor quality of entrants. From what I've seen of this years songs that might be quite a good idea for us too...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 May 18 - 10:29 AM

Maybe state of global economy..

but it looks as though most nations are trying their best not to win...???

Portugal probably regret winning last year...???

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 18 - 10:32 AM

It's not been about the quality of songs for years, Kevin. It is the spectacle and kitsch quality of performances that does it for me. Having said that, I stand by my list of songs that escaped the (bad)quality control :-)


It was the asides that Wogan used to make on the performance and presentation that did it for me. Graham Norton is not bad but has a long way to go to beat the master!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 18 - 10:56 AM

"Ha! Mrs Fenswoman and I call it 'Casual Titty'. ;-)"

We've been calling it that for donkeys' years too, and, in order to differentiate, we call the other one Holby Citytitty!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 18 - 10:58 AM

"Ha! Mrs Fenswoman and I call it 'Casual Titty'. ;-)"

We've been calling it that for donkeys' years too, and, in order to differentiate, we call the other one Holby Citytitty!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 11 May 18 - 11:44 AM

"we call the other one Holby Citytitty!"

ROTFLMAO! Wish I'd thought of that! :-) :-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 18 - 05:36 PM

Just got back from Morris practice and there was a program on about Eurovision. Only saw the last 10 minutes but caught what must have been the best quote about it I have heard.

"Anything that brings people together is good as there is so much that divides."

I may have paraphrased but the sentiment was that and I think it is very true.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 18 - 10:08 PM

We're hearing about this a little bit in the US.

What It Takes To Write A Eurovision Winning Song.

Hungarian Metal, Israeli Pop, Dancing Robots: It Must Be Time For Eurovision

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 May 18 - 03:59 AM

Only skimmed the articles, Acme, but what I saw was pretty accurate.

Forgot to mention the political side of it but there have been some significant political statements in both the songs and the voting but I don't really want to turn this into yet another politthread!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 May 18 - 04:06 PM

Germany so far. Jeez, pass the mogadon...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 May 18 - 04:26 PM

I liked the way Serbia made no effort to modify what they did to suck up to other countries.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 12 May 18 - 04:28 PM

Christ allfuckingmighty - do people really sit and watch this crap???

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 May 18 - 04:50 PM

Hungary - bloody Nora...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Will Fly
Date: 12 May 18 - 05:04 PM

Newsflash - UK Nazi grabbed the mic and shouted pro-Nazi slogan before being wrestled off stage...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 12 May 18 - 05:15 PM

Bonz - yes... 2 bottles of wine drank out of a prosecco bong... 3 to go...
the wife is now ready to cast her vote.. I'm going for a pee...

that's how to do Eurovision at home on the sofa..

[errr.. but not the pee.. yet...]

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 May 18 - 05:19 PM

Right. Germany, Ireland, Portugal. For sheer eye candy, Cyprus. Pass the corkscrew...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 May 18 - 05:41 PM

Christ allfuckingmighty - do people really sit and watch this crap???"
i agree

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 May 18 - 05:53 PM

Are the people who are complaining it is crap either

A) Watching it or

B) Not watching it?

Because, either way, it does not make much sense.

Albania for me btw:-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 12 May 18 - 05:57 PM

thank christ it's not a football final..



[ooh.. i'm a stirrer...]

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 12 May 18 - 06:31 PM

the political voting is getting nasty now..
world wars started over less than this..

if the bomb drops tonight while we sleep..

g'night... nice knowing you...


ps if we all wake up tomorrow. i liked Moldova... carry on europe...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 May 18 - 06:44 PM

Tsk. I'll stick to the Irish Washerwoman on the mouth organ.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:01 PM

So, Israel did it.

I liked the sentiment of the song. Not fond of the silly noises. Heaven help this thread now that Israel has been mentioned ;-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:03 PM

We could always sidetrack it into an obesity thread...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:07 PM

Another freak wins - it seems

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:11 PM

hooray.. for diversity....

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:21 PM

Don't need it thanks.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:32 PM

Just because you don't get many of 'er to t'pound doesn't mean she's a freak. Twat.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:36 PM

So the Eurovision tradition of lyrics full of nonsense syllables is back, with a vengeance.

Boom bang a bang...Ding a Dong...Abi ni ba...Diggi doo diggi lay...
And now: Bucka-mhm-buck-mhm-buckbuck-buck-mhm toy

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Allan Conn
Date: 12 May 18 - 07:38 PM

I thought the winner was awful as were most of the songs. Most impressive thing being how folks fool the censors nowadays. "Mothabucka beat" wouldn't have been allowed in Katy Boyle's day.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: robomatic
Date: 12 May 18 - 10:25 PM

Just watched the video of the Israeli entry.

Holy guacamole.

The singer reminded me of James Corden, a little bit.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Stanron
Date: 12 May 18 - 10:32 PM

Bonzo3legs wrote: Christ allfuckingmighty - do people really sit and watch this crap???

No

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 May 18 - 03:10 AM

My TV recording secretary records on freesat recorder, then we can fast foreward when the freaks appear!!!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 May 18 - 04:21 AM

There were too many strange sounds in the winning song which I could certainly do without but the sentiment of the real lyrics were excellent. The lines

Look at me, I'm a beautiful creature
I don't care about your "modern time preachers"

And

I'm not your toy (Not your toy)
You stupid boy (Stupid boy)

Certainly resonate with some of the more recent comments :-(

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 May 18 - 04:26 AM

Stanron, do you mean they do not watch it or that it is not crap?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Thompson
Date: 13 May 18 - 05:15 AM

I was up for the Israeli song - thought it was the most Eurovision-y. Connecting it to the horrible politics of Israel/Palestine seemed foolish - though the winner's acceptance speech - "I love my country… next time in Jerusalem…" made my skin crawl in the context of the current horrors.

Hungary had a song talking about purity of blood. Finland had kind of neo-Nazi-looking dancers. What the hell, Europe?

The rest seemed pretty anodyne to me.

The UK's continuing custom of having a UK-resident Irish commentator (previously Terry Wogan; now Graham Norton) who refers to the UK entry as "we" and "us" and the Irish entry as "they" and "them" is just nasty.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 May 18 - 06:15 AM

I downloaded a Jethro Tull show from 1980 this morning, its magnificence outshines anything Eurovision - with the exception of The Shadows' "Let me be the one" in 1975 was it?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 May 18 - 07:01 AM

I am a huge Jethro Tull fan as well, Bonzo, but we are talking 2 completely different kettles of fish there. If you don't like Eurovision that is fine by everyone. What is not fine and could be very hurtful to a lot of people on here and elsewhere is body shaming anyone on it.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 May 18 - 07:10 AM

It is what it is.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Stanron
Date: 13 May 18 - 07:28 AM

Dave the Gnome wrote: Stanron, do you mean they do not watch it or that it is not crap?

I did not watch it. Although the reference to ordure is not altogether inaccurate I would prefer it unsaid.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 May 18 - 07:54 AM

Manure then!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 13 May 18 - 09:58 AM

If it's that bad what are the non-watchers even doing on this thread? Thought they'd have given it a wide berth, just like the TV! ;-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 May 18 - 01:55 PM

That's what puzzles me too, Tattie.

Stanron, you responded to the question "do people really sit and watch this crap???" With the single word, "No". Now, seeing as it is well known that the viewing figures run into the hundreds of millions I do not believe you meant that literally. I just wondered what you did mean. No skin off my nose but I was just interested.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 May 18 - 08:31 PM

France's entry was the only one that took a serious look at the times. And wasn't a bad song either. One of the very few I can conceive of anyone singing in six moths.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 May 18 - 09:33 PM

Aazed to see things change with the publicvs panel votes but can't really care less.

Bring back abba, brotherhod of man, bucks fizz, sandy shaw, dana...

And McGrath, I still can get through some of Dana's song, me being in late primary school at the time, and bits of the others mentioned.

And the Dana joke, why is she in hospital, as she suffers from all kinds of everything...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 14 May 18 - 12:58 AM

Eurovision brings joy to millions...

A bunch of grumpy old elitist gits on mudcat bring joy to.... well.... anyone...????

.. just themselves then...


..the joy of feeling superior...

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2018
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 14 May 18 - 01:34 PM

Having now seen no more than 15 seconds of all finalists except Albania and the UK, whose songs were very good, I noticed that the drummer in the band backing the Albanian singer was wearing a toga, very much in the style of Lord Sutch's Savages in 1962-63 - he must have been a fan!!!