Eurovision Song Contest 2013 - Malmö

[Eyes]

Yes, it's that time of year again for Europe and the Europeans amongst us for the most watched show on earth (according to the BBC3 thing on earlier), so I'm starting the thread this year. It's probably the only thing I'll do around here anytime soon.

Anyway... if you don't want to get spoiled on anything about the contest beforehand, I'd suggest just skipping to the bottom of the page right about now. I don't give away that much, honest.


Semi 1, 14 May

Semi 2, 16 May

Grand Final (Big 5 + hosts Sweden), 18 May



We have a lot of ballads this year. I think almost half the songs could be qualified as that. Some are good, some are not so good. Your mileage may vary depending whether you like Romanian, Hebrew, Italian or Estonian (seriously, a fair amount not in English also this time round) being belted at you.

The good news is that there isn't anything offensively awful. To my ears that is. And there isn't much kitsch. Greece is the only thing approaching novelty and it's rather fun, being called 'Alcohol Is Free'. Make financial jokes at your leisure.

The current faves with bookies are Denmark, Ukraine, Norway and Russia I believe, with Georgia and Azerbaijan sneaking in there.

Personally, I have a few favourites myself; Ukraine's Disney-esque midtempo complete with Avatar-style music video, Moldova's Romanian ballad supreme and Montenegro's foray into dubstep-rap (far far better than it sounds). Also Bulgaria, Norway, San Marino and Germany.

Side note: I'm British myself but I honestly don't care how we do, we have Bonnie Tyler representing us but the song is nothing compared to the stuff from the peak of her career in the 80s and just goes to show even more how we need to wisen up and send something modern like near everyone else. Can't blame it on political voting anymore (not like you could blame that much before but I digress).

So.. if you have listened to the songs beforehand (which I strongly recommend for maximum enjoyment) which are your favourites, who do you think will win, and is this opening post too long and geeky?

 

[Seven of Five]

Looking forward to this, as it's a good excuse for friends over and a few drinks. It's usually good for a laugh. I can see the UK doing poorly again, basically just repeating last year with another old star being wheeled out with a mediocre song. I was a fan of Englebert's song, but compared to the majority of acts last year there was no energy in the performance. I'm not quite sure when we'll learn our lesson. The best year we had in a long time was when Andrew Lloyd Webber had a hand in the selection, and there was a whole series dedicated to picking the winner. The BBC have only gone backwards in their thinking since then, and then wonder why we do horribly. Oh well. The other song I've heard so far was the Belgian entry. I was all geared up to listen to the whole song list on YouTube, but that was first and it was pretty dull. And then I stopped listening! I'm sure I'll come back to it before the semis though.

 

[MacLeod]

Isn't the point to do badly but not too badly so as to avoid the expense of hosting it the following year?

 

[Eyes]

Looking forward to this, as it's a good excuse for friends over and a few drinks. It's usually good for a laugh. I can see the UK doing poorly again, basically just repeating last year with another old star being wheeled out with a mediocre song. I was a fan of Englebert's song, but compared to the majority of acts last year there was no energy in the performance. I'm not quite sure when we'll learn our lesson. The best year we had in a long time was when Andrew Lloyd Webber had a hand in the selection, and there was a whole series dedicated to picking the winner. The BBC have only gone backwards in their thinking since then, and then wonder why we do horribly. Oh well. The other song I've heard so far was the Belgian entry. I was all geared up to listen to the whole song list on YouTube, but that was first and it was pretty dull. And then I stopped listening! I'm sure I'll come back to it before the semis though.

The BBC don't care, it's a ratings hit no matter what, there's unfortunately not much motivation from them to do well anymore (), so they just get the biggest washed-up name they can find to attract press.

Also, the Belgian one is one of the more boring ones, so don't let that put you off.

Isn't the point to do badly but not too badly so as to avoid the expense of hosting it the following year?

2nd is doing badly? Nah. There's 39 countries in it to win it (most of them), coming in the top 15 I'd count as a hit. Although obviously hosting is expensive it can sometimes be worth it with the new developments and interest it brings, I think Helsinki and Baku did very well in the long term out of hosting it recently.

Sweden actually have gone on a budget this year, spending less than half of what Azerbaijan spent in an attempt to make hosting more attractive for less economically well-off countries. The one-upmanship that was happening from contest to contest with all the pretty pyrotechnics and screens is not necessarily needed for a great contest. Although we'll have to see how that works; they have booked loads of big Swedish names for the interval acts so I'm looking forward that regardless of relative Svenska stinginess.

 

[MacLeod]

The question is to us Brits think of the Song contest as a bit of a joke or do we take it seriously, or is the truth that it's somewhere in the middle?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Fuck me, is this shit still going?

 

[MacLeod]

Yes it is.

 

[Count Zero]

The question is to us Brits think of the Song contest as a bit of a joke or do we take it seriously, or is the truth that it's somewhere in the middle?

The standard approach is to pretend to see it as a joke but be bitter afterwards because you didn't win or even did badly. That's how we do it.

 

[MacLeod]

Well so long as we don't finish last with nul points.

Found this site

http://www.nulpoints.net/

 

[Seven of Five]

Did anyone watch the first semi-final? I was actually impressed with the quality of songs this year. Lots of good stuff. Of course one or two slip through that get ahead of the better ones, but that's part of the fun.

I was very happy to see the Netherlands progress. It's been years since they made the final, and their song was quite different to everything else.

The boring Belgium song I mentioned before went through, though I completely missed the hilarious dancers strutting the stage when I first saw it. Can't wait to see it again on Saturday.

Ukraine was a dull entry also spiced up by some unusual staging. The giant bringing the singer on stage was pretty strange.

I was surprised that Serbia didn't make it through, as their zesty technicolour number was very Eurovisiony. I suppose Belarus will have to carry the torch for campness alone, unless something pops up on Thursday.

 

[Eyes]

Quite sad about Serbia and Montenegro not making it, the former was very trashy Eurovision and the latter I've been enjoying a lot recently (and it would have been their first qualification).

Lithuania and (to a lesser extent) Belgium were DULL DULL DULL. Not particularly good singers either, surprised they went through.
I'm very happy Slovenia failed though, awful song.

Anyone notice what happened to the blocs? All of Bene(lux) and the ex-Soviet countries went through, but the entire Former Yugoslavia got destroyed. Quite unusual. If Macedonia, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria all don't make it on Thursday (quite likely in all honesty) we'll be Balkan-free for the final unless you count Greece, who ARE making it.

Ukraine and Moldova were my absolute favourites, excellent performances as I was expecting. And pleased to see the Netherlands through, it was in my top 10 of the night and they've been wronged too much before.

As far as expected campness on Thursday goes, I'd watch out for Finland, Greece and Romania in particular (although Romania isn't that good, just standout-ish).

 

[Starkers]

Looking forward to this, as it's a good excuse for friends over and a few drinks. It's usually good for a laugh. I can see the UK doing poorly again, basically just repeating last year with another old star being wheeled out with a mediocre song. I was a fan of Englebert's song, but compared to the majority of acts last year there was no energy in the performance. I'm not quite sure when we'll learn our lesson. The best year we had in a long time was when Andrew Lloyd Webber had a hand in the selection, and there was a whole series dedicated to picking the winner. The BBC have only gone backwards in their thinking since then, and then wonder why we do horribly. Oh well. The other song I've heard so far was the Belgian entry. I was all geared up to listen to the whole song list on YouTube, but that was first and it was pretty dull. And then I stopped listening! I'm sure I'll come back to it before the semis though.

On the plus side Bonnie's entry can't help but be more energetic than Engelbert's was! The downside is, yeah it is more of the same.

I really don't know why the BBC don't link Euovision with The Voice. Have the winner of The Voice get their 2 year contract but have the runner up effectively be our Eurovision entrant next year? Any one of the final 4 from last year would probably get more votes than Bonnie will.

 

[stoneroses]

.... Also known as 'Which European country is least hated by the others 2013'

 

[MacLeod]

^So cynical, next you'll be suggesting they name it.

Eurovision Least Disliked Country Contest: The Musical.

 

[Eyes]

Looking forward to this, as it's a good excuse for friends over and a few drinks. It's usually good for a laugh. I can see the UK doing poorly again, basically just repeating last year with another old star being wheeled out with a mediocre song. I was a fan of Englebert's song, but compared to the majority of acts last year there was no energy in the performance. I'm not quite sure when we'll learn our lesson. The best year we had in a long time was when Andrew Lloyd Webber had a hand in the selection, and there was a whole series dedicated to picking the winner. The BBC have only gone backwards in their thinking since then, and then wonder why we do horribly. Oh well. The other song I've heard so far was the Belgian entry. I was all geared up to listen to the whole song list on YouTube, but that was first and it was pretty dull. And then I stopped listening! I'm sure I'll come back to it before the semis though.

On the plus side Bonnie's entry can't help but be more energetic than Engelbert's was! The downside is, yeah it is more of the same.

I really don't know why the BBC don't link Euovision with The Voice. Have the winner of The Voice get their 2 year contract but have the runner up effectively be our Eurovision entrant next year? Any one of the final 4 from last year would probably get more votes than Bonnie will.

That'd be fine and would make sense. I still wouldn't like it though, as the Voice tends to inflict bland (but good) voices on us wherever it goes. Look at The Voice contestants in last night's semi. Austria, Belgium, Russia.. they're not performers. Good singers but visually boring. That said, the Swedish contestant was the runner up on their Voice last year and he has a lot of energy and should be reasonably interesting. But then Sweden are the exception rather than the rule.

Something that is played on Radio 1 now and could conceivably be a hit would be good. It would appeal to lots of people (particularly young people, in effect the opposite of Englebert's 'audience') and if they get the right performers, would be entertaining too.

.... Also known as 'Which European country is least hated by the others 2013'

If that was the case Azerbaijan would never have won in 2011 and wouldn't be in contention for winning anytime again soon. Yeesh. It's the performance that appeals to the most people across Europe that tends to win, I'd guess that merely a small percentage of the winner's points comes from people voting blindly for the country closest to them.

 

[MacLeod]

We shall soon see if there will be any bloc voting, remember in part the new voting system mix of telepohone and panel was brought in part because of perceived bloc voting.

Though one has to wonder how some countries would do if they went back to having to sing in your native language or one of your countries offical languages.

 

[.:: TSN ::.]

Block voting pretty much only affects lower positions in score board. Winning perfomances usually get high points from across Europe. So most popular song usually wins by its own merit.

And scores in lower positions dont really matter (except to country in question) since nowadays everyone, except winner & paying countries, need to go through semifinals.

 

[Eyes]

Awful results in tonight's semi. A few of my favourites, the strong ones, got through but I really liked all the non-qualifiers - and my 4 least favourites got through.

Bulgaria and San Marino especially, really sad for them; they never qualify and they had really good songs. Bulgaria was really unique too.

There is a lot of good in the final but the semi-voters have really made some mistakes this year and let some crap through too. Still, there's mostly something for everyone, but a lot of the glorious ethnic stuff didn't make it in.

 

[Seven of Five]

Missed this other semi thanks to work, but I'm probably glad I did by the sounds of it. I caught the clips of the qualifying songs and was happy to see more strangeness with the Greek entry ("ALCOHOL IS FREE!"), and also whichever entry the guy doing soprano was. Norway sounded good, or at least what I heard.

I really like the sound of the French entry. I'm not sure it will do well, but I hope it gets some points. I think it's the better song of the Big 5.

Looking forward to tomorrow anyway. Have friends coming for food and drink so we'll enjoy ourselves whatever happens.

 

[MacLeod]

Awful results in tonight's semi. A few of my favourites, the strong ones, got through but I really liked all the non-qualifiers - and my 4 least favourites got through.

Bulgaria and San Marino especially, really sad for them; they never qualify and they had really good songs. Bulgaria was really unique too.

There is a lot of good in the final but the semi-voters have really made some mistakes this year and let some crap through too. Still, there's mostly something for everyone, but a lot of the glorious ethnic stuff didn't make it in.

Where would Eurovision be without the odd bad song?