The Eurovision Song Contest

[JackLadd]

14 hours ago, manaliveits105 said:

Can we just send Toyah next year ?

 

Toyah milkmaid routine would be worth a swatch.  

[Captain Slog]

The German bursd that announces the score could be invited for a cameo.  And the French one from last night everyone found so arresting, she'll be legal next year.

[Captain Slog]

Damiano David: Eurovision winner cleared of drug use by broadcaster - BBC News

 

Now they don't seem so Rock n roll anymore...

 

Who could represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022? - BBC News

 

I quite like Bill Bailey, but I think JKB, or the KJB as it is now known on another thread, has a clear opportunityto take over and send Toyah out of our Sundays for good.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Captain Slog

[FWJ]

On 23/05/2021 at 13:54, Seymour M Hersh said:

 

It's just a bit embarrassing you're trying to blame a lack of success in the Eurovisions on the Tory party and Brexit. If Blair was so loved by Europe why didn't we win in his 13 year reign? There was even a winner when your nemesis was in power in 81 with Bucks Fizz.  

We did.

And we came second in ‘98 and third in ‘02.

[DETTY29]

Kimberley Rew confirmed on the The 4Cast Podcast why UK do crap at Eurovision.

 

Shit songs apparently.

[FWJ]

On 23/05/2021 at 19:26, Ulysses said:

 

 

 

 

 

Jaysus lads, some of you are very sensitive.  There were over a dozen juries that aren't in the EU and couldn't give a shite about the UK's politics.

 

The reason the UK does crap at this is the same reason Ireland does.  Since Ireland and the UK last won (mid-90s) the voting power has shifted eastwards, and neither the UK nor Ireland has followed the voters.  Write a decent song that audiences like (or can have fun with) and we'll do well.  Keep sending the sort of stuff we sent this year and we won't.  That's "we", lads, not "yiz".

I think the reintroduction of being allowed to sing in any language and not just in your national language (or one of them if several) damaged the UK’s & Ireland’s chances too.

(Have Ireland ever entered a song in Gaelic?  I’m not sure - but all of their winners have been in English)

It was good to see the top 3 on Saturday were Italian / French / French.

[FWJ]

On 23/05/2021 at 18:34, King Of The Cat Cafe said:

Used to be it was just Ireland that gave the UK songs no points, now it's the whole of Europe.

I blame Boris Johnson.

Ireland has given the UK more points over the history of the competition than anyone else.

[Cade]

That Italian band are all just bairns too; 20, 20, 21 and 22 years old.

[Seymour M Hersh]

57 minutes ago, FWJ said:

We did.

And we came second in ‘98 and third in ‘02.

 

When is 2nd or 3rd winning? Are you a hibs fan?

Edited May 24, 2021 by Seymour M Hersh

[FWJ]

1 minute ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

 

When is 2nd or 3rd winning? Are you a hibs fan?

Coming first in 1997 isn’t never winning.

[Seymour M Hersh]

1 minute ago, FWJ said:

Coming first in 1997 isn’t never winning.

 

Sorry but that has to go down to a conservative win only two days after the election. 

[FWJ]

19 minutes ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

 

Sorry but that has to go down to a conservative win only two days after the election. 

No.

You were wrong.

 

And it could be said (if you thought that politics played a big part in Eurovision voting) that such a comprehensive victory in the 1997 competition showed just how glad the rest of Europe were to see the back of the Thatcher/Major years.

1997 also saw the introduction of the ‘televote’ in some countries.

Edited May 24, 2021 by FWJ

[Ulysses]

Lads, lads.  In the Thatcher years, the UK finishing places were 3, 1, 7, 6, 7, 4, 7, 13, 2, 2, 6.  One win, five top 5 finishes, 10 top ten finishes, and the average finishing place was 5.3.

 

The Major years weren't as good, but still included two top 5 finishes (and Seymour's right about Katrina & The Waves), all top 10 finishes, and an average placing of 7th.

 

So don't be blaming this on the Tories, or the UK's international reputation.  Sheesh. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest

[Seymour M Hersh]

6 hours ago, Ulysses said:

Lads, lads.  In the Thatcher years, the UK finishing places were 3, 1, 7, 6, 7, 4, 7, 13, 2, 2, 6.  One win, five top 5 finishes, 10 top ten finishes, and the average finishing place was 5.3.

 

The Major years weren't as good, but still included two top 5 finishes (and Seymour's right about Katrina & The Waves), all top 10 finishes, and an average placing of 7th.

 

So don't be blaming this on the Tories, or the UK's international reputation.  Sheesh. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest

 

I'm with you here U. I was having a bit of fun about a nonsense competition that really has no bearing on real music nowadays. 

[Jambo-Jimbo]

8 hours ago, Ulysses said:

Lads, lads.  In the Thatcher years, the UK finishing places were 3, 1, 7, 6, 7, 4, 7, 13, 2, 2, 6.  One win, five top 5 finishes, 10 top ten finishes, and the average finishing place was 5.3.

 

The Major years weren't as good, but still included two top 5 finishes (and Seymour's right about Katrina & The Waves), all top 10 finishes, and an average placing of 7th.

 

So don't be blaming this on the Tories, or the UK's international reputation.  Sheesh. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest

 

Indeed.

 

I wonder what Norway did that pissed off the rest of Europe, to finish in last place 11 times with four of them being the dreaded 'null points'.

Or Austria who have also had the dreaded 'null points' on 4 occasions including in 2015 when they hosted the contest having won it the year previously with Conchita Wurst.

 

Or maybe, just maybe, the real reason was because they had entered shit songs in the contest............I know what I believe.

 

Martin Osterdahl the new supervisor of the contest was being interviewed by one of the TV news (BBC I think) and they asked him where are the UK going wrong, he said he can't comment about that, but he did say that Sweden had also went quite a few years since their last win and with not great results, and what the Swedes did was to completely re-vamp their entire process......we have won it twice since we did that, he said.

 

[Cade]

UK music scene has always looked west for inspiration, so we keep making songs that are pleasing to the US and UK markets.

That's not what Europe wants.

It's really that simple.

[Jambo-Jimbo]

4 minutes ago, Cade said:

UK music scene has always looked west for inspiration, so we keep making songs that are pleasing to the US and UK markets.

That's not what Europe wants.

It's really that simple.

 

Agreed, I said similar the other day, that songs which the British public like the Continental Europeans might not.

 

On the other side of the coin, every year there are several huge 'Euro Pop' hits all over the Continent, number 1 in 12 countries etc, but sink without trace when released in the UK. 

[Turkishcap]

1981 was the last time I watched it.

[Ulysses]

12 hours ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

 

I'm with you here U. I was having a bit of fun about a nonsense competition that really has no bearing on real music nowadays. 

 

 

The contest is absolute nonsense, and the songs are almost always universally appalling.  I'm a huge fan. 

[Seymour M Hersh]

21 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

 

The contest is absolute nonsense, and the songs are almost always universally appalling.  I'm a huge fan. 

 

What's not to love? 

[Mysterion]

Have to be honest - when i was younger i thought Eurovision was awful but over the years realised just how must fun it is as a spectacle. 

 

I think in the last few years the music has actually improved, I've even got the playlist on Spotify as well as Daði Frey's back catalogue on (which i didn't realise i had listened to through Spotify related artist playlists due to Hot Chip remixing the 2020 Eurovision entry).

 

Going to one is on my bucket list. I think it would be a superb night out. 

[Ulysses]

On 24/05/2021 at 21:02, FWJ said:

I think the reintroduction of being allowed to sing in any language and not just in your national language (or one of them if several) damaged the UK’s & Ireland’s chances too.

(Have Ireland ever entered a song in Gaelic?  I’m not sure - but all of their winners have been in English)

It was good to see the top 3 on Saturday were Italian / French / French.

 

We had one Irish-language entry, in 1972, at the Usher Hall.  It was called Ceol an Ghrá, or The Music of Love.  It came 15th out of 17.

 

The last time the top 3 songs weren't in English was in 1995.  Even when countries couldn't sing in English it was unusual to get a top 3 without English, mainly because the UK and Ireland had a habit of finishing in the top 3. 

[FWJ]

6 hours ago, Ulysses said:

 

We had one Irish-language entry, in 1972, at the Usher Hall.  It was called Ceol an Ghrá, or The Music of Love.  It came 15th out of 17.

 

The last time the top 3 songs weren't in English was in 1995.  Even when countries couldn't sing in English it was unusual to get a top 3 without English, mainly because the UK and Ireland had a habit of finishing in the top 3. 

Indeed.  The U.K. still holds the record for most second place finishes (15).

 

Is it treated with as much of a joke in Ireland as it is here?  (I’m thinking of Dustin the Turkey here....)

[professorfate]

BREAKING NEWS!

 

Europe hates us.

[JackLadd]

Faked doing a line to get a few more days publicity. Smart this kid.  

[Ulysses]

15 hours ago, FWJ said:

Indeed.  The U.K. still holds the record for most second place finishes (15).

 

Is it treated with as much of a joke in Ireland as it is here?  (I’m thinking of Dustin the Turkey here....)

 

It is and it isn't.  People don't take the contest or the songs seriously, but they like to see us doing well.  Dustin was a misjudgement by the TV people here.  They saw it as a bit of a pisstake that might get a few people laughing along and voting along.  But in fact it caused some ill-will towards Ireland among Eurovision fans and judges.  The people who laugh at the contest don't vote, and those who do vote take the contest seriously.  Sending a comedy puppet did not go down well in Eurovisionland.

 

But for the most part we have the same problem here as the UK.  Talented people don't take the competition seriously, and we tend to look across the Atlantic for our musical influences, but to get votes songs have to appeal to a more Central and Eastern European audience.

 

Anyway, here's a song that finished second in 1991 and that I think should have won.

 

 

[DETTY29]

5 hours ago, Ulysses said:

 

But for the most part we have the same problem here as the UK.  Talented people don't take the competition seriously, and we tend to look across the Atlantic for our musical influences, but to get votes songs have to appeal to a more Central and Eastern European audience.

 

 

 

Crap songs, not marketing them seriously enough in our own country let alone overseas, BBC deciding now what the UK public wants not realising that it doesn't get traction at home without trying to figure out what could be popular overseas and the shift to Central and Eastern Europe.

 

Amanda Holden.

[Captain Lithuania]

On 25/05/2021 at 23:42, Mysterion said:

Have to be honest - when i was younger i thought Eurovision was awful but over the years realised just how must fun it is as a spectacle. 

 

I think in the last few years the music has actually improved, I've even got the playlist on Spotify as well as Daði Frey's back catalogue on (which i didn't realise i had listened to through Spotify related artist playlists due to Hot Chip remixing the 2020 Eurovision entry).

 

Going to one is on my bucket list. I think it would be a superb night out. 

Really like Daði Freyr, seems like a talented lad. I like his style. 

[Mysterion]

6 hours ago, Captain Lithuania said:

Really like Daði Freyr, seems like a talented lad. I like his style. 

His music videos for the two Eurovision songs are fun.

[Ulysses]

18 hours ago, DETTY29 said:

Crap songs, not marketing them seriously enough in our own country let alone overseas, BBC deciding now what the UK public wants not realising that it doesn't get traction at home without trying to figure out what could be popular overseas and the shift to Central and Eastern Europe.

 

Amanda Holden.

 

Consolation: The UK finished last on the night, but Ireland finished with the lowest score in the semi-finals.  We're shite, and we know we are. 

 

 

[DETTY29]

5 hours ago, Ulysses said:

 

Consolation: The UK finished last on the night, but Ireland finished with the lowest score in the semi-finals.  We're shite, and we know we are. 

 

 

Yeah but remember UK is one of nations that can't get relegated.

 

It's like a reverse version of the ESL.

[John Gentleman]

On 23/05/2021 at 23:43, SectionDJambo said:

As for Brexit, it took years for British governments of both colours to persuade the French to let the UK into the Common Market in the first place.

It was, singularly, De Gaulle who blocked entry.

[A Boy Named Crow]

Folk in our apartment building go nuts for Eurovision. They put bunting up on their balconies, have arrange viewing parties etc. I'm not sure how it works though,  we're 9 hours ahead, so basically you'd need to pull an all-nighter, then tune in at 5am or something!

 

Whatever floats yer boat I suppose. 

[sadj]

2 hours ago, John Gentleman said:

It was, singularly, De Gaulle who blocked entry.

Tbf there is other airports they could have flown into

[sadj]

11 minutes ago, A Boy Named Crow said:

Folk in our apartment building go nuts for Eurovision. They put bunting up on their balconies, have arrange viewing parties etc. I'm not sure how it works though,  we're 9 hours ahead, so basically you'd need to pull an all-nighter, then tune in at 5am or something!

 

Whatever floats yer boat I suppose. 

Maybe get help of the sort was going around the artists to stay up

[A Boy Named Crow]

3 minutes ago, sadj said:

Maybe get help of the sort was going around the artists to stay up

I'd say that's an absolute certainty 

[SectionDJambo]

3 hours ago, John Gentleman said:

It was, singularly, De Gaulle who blocked entry.

Indeed.

I recall “Non!” being the catchword used by the British press. 

[neilnunb]

This year's UK entry...

 

 

 

Apparently some Tiktok star. Thank Christ I don't bother with that then.

[Locky]

1 hour ago, neilnunb said:

This year's UK entry...

 

 

 

Apparently some Tiktok star. Thank Christ I don't bother with that then.

Destined for shiteness.

[FWJ]

Maybe not zero points but bottom 5.

[Jambo_jim2001]

Dutch entry gonna be space bun !🙄😁

Edited March 11, 2022 by Jambo_jim2001

[ri Alban]

The Ukraine are the the winners. 

 

:

[The Old Tolbooth]

11 hours ago, ri Alban said:

The Ukraine are the the winners. 

 

:

 

They were 10/1 a three weeks ago, they're now 6/4 favourites, I reckon everyone will vote for them whether their song is shit or not as a statement. 

[ri Alban]

2 minutes ago, The Old Tolbooth said:

 

They were 10/1 a three weeks ago, they're now 6/4 favourites, I reckon everyone will vote for them whether their song is shit or not as a statement. 

Definitely. The UK might get some points, for a change.

Edited March 11, 2022 by ri Alban

[FWJ]

Not sure about Ukraine walking it at the ESC.  Back in ‘93 Bosnia & Herzegovina were in the middle of a civil war and their act had quite a job getting to Ireland (that was the year it was in Millstreet).  They got a standing ovation and loads of sympathy but still finished 16th.

It was before public voting though - so who knows.

[Harry Potter]

22 hours ago, FWJ said:

Maybe not zero points but bottom 5.

Thats actually not too bad.

[manaliveits105]

22 hours ago, FWJ said:

Maybe not zero points but bottom 5.

What’s another year 

[Ulysses]

1 hour ago, manaliveits105 said:

What’s another year 

 

[Ulysses]

16 hours ago, ri Alban said:

The Ukraine are the the winners. 

 

:

 

Hosting it in Lviv, Ukraine next year (as opposed to Kharkiv, Democratic Free People's Republic of Ukraine).

[Ulysses]

I had a listen to the Ukrainian entry.

 

It's - and I can't stress this enough - completely ****ing shite.

 

I also listened to the original winner that was thrown out and replaced on political grounds.

 

It is also - and I can't stress this enough - completely ****ing shite.