Originally Posted By mawnck It's that time again, when Europe has fun and we don't, because we don't know about the Eurovision Song Contest. It's kind of a cross between American Idol and the Olympics. It's an annual event that's been going since 1956, it gets about 100 million TV viewers without even airing in North America, and it has produced numerous international hit singles that we didn't get here, as well as a few we did. (Volaré, Love Is Blue, Eres Tu, Just a Little Bit, Save Your Kisses for Me, Waterloo) And it launched the careers of Abba, Celine Dion, and "Riverdance" (long story). There are two American-born headliners in the contest this year, appearing for Austria and Slovenia. Bonnie Tyler is appearing for the UK. The dance group Cascada ("Evacuate the Dance Floor") is in for Germany. And Black Sabbath's guitarist Tony Iommi co-wrote the song for Armenia. And Greece's song is called "Alcohol is Free". Nuff said. There are no obvious runaway winners this year IMHO, and the lineup is a bit too ballad-heavy, but the rehearsal footage is indicating a banner year for wacky costumes and over-the-top staging - and at the ESC, that's REALLY saying something. THREE ACTS brought a fire curtain this year. One brought astronaut suits. Ukraine brought this guy to carry their singer onstage: <a href="http://www.thetallestman.com/igorvovkovinskiy.htm" target="_blank">http://www.thetallestman.com/i...skiy.htm</a> The contest can be streamed live (or tape-delayed) here: <a href="http://www.eurovision.tv/page/webtv" target="_blank">http://www.eurovision.tv/page/webtv</a> There are two semi-finals, on Tuesday and Thursday, and the Grand Final is on Saturday. All broadcasts start at 3 PM Eastern Time, Noon Pacific. The Americans are both early in the Tuesday semi-final, and if you want to see them, I suggest tuning in then, since I'm afraid it will be your only chance in both cases. The UK is an automatic finalist, so Bonnie Tyler will be debuting on Saturday. The official promotional videos for all 39 of this year's contestants can be found here: <a href="http://www.eurovision.tv/page/malmo-2013/about/shows/participants" target="_blank">http://www.eurovision.tv/page/...icipants</a> For awesome music, I personally endorse Malta, Iceland, the Netherlands, CROATIA!!, Bulgaria (it's VERY Bulgarian), Italy, France and Denmark. For the wackier side of the contest, check out Greece, Serbia, Finland, Latvia, and for gosh sakes Romania (yes, he's serious). And do at least tune in (uh, log in?) for the final on Saturday. Trust me, you'll never forget it. 100 million Europeans can't be wrong.
Originally Posted By dagobert It's already time for a nother Song Contest? Time really flies by. I'm not going to watch it, but it will be huge all over Europe Again. And like every year, Austria has no chance. I don't like our song at all. Mawnck, are you going to watch a livestream again?
Originally Posted By mawnck Darn tootin'! Yeah, sorry about Austria's song. It's not terrible, it's just kind of ... there. She's the first act in the first semifinal. BTW, I finally got to meet a Eurovision performer in person a couple weeks ago when Mika Newton (Ukraine 2011 - the one with the sand artist) did a set at a bar in LA. That girl is an *amazing* singer!
Originally Posted By u k fan I remember the sand artist! That was a great song. I may have even voted for it! I can't watch live this year as I'm singing at a charity concert on Saturday, but I'll watch both semis and will record the final and avoid the news until I can see it. I think Bonnie's song is a bit forgettable unfortunately, but I prefer it to Englebert last year!!!
Originally Posted By Fowley I have some flex time owing to me and I'm taking it for Eurovision. I LOVE it, thankfully our free to air international channel SBS shows it here in Australia. I still love Johnny Logan's Hold Me Now from the 80's, ooh and Bucks Fizz too
Originally Posted By mawnck >>I still love Johnny Logan's Hold Me Now from the 80's, ooh and Bucks Fizz too<< Neither of which will get even a flicker of recognition if you mention them to the average American. It's really stunning how well the US has kept the ESC out since the mid 1970s. "Euphoria" sells a couple million copies ... and doesn't even get a proper release here. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...-8z86x80</a>
Originally Posted By dagobert In my opinion the ESC is a bit overrated. I haven't seen it for some years now and I'm always suprised to see that it is still so popular in Europe. As for "Euphoria", I don't think that the US missed something with this sone not released in the United States.
Originally Posted By Fowley Euphoria never got a look in here in Australia either and I was telling everyone what idiots they where for not listening to this song. Most Aussie thinks it's a joke to watch it, not me I make a weekend of it
Originally Posted By dagobert It fascinates me that in Australia and in the US people are going to watch the ESC. They shows are usually nice to watch, but unfortunately the songs, even the winning song, are forgotten soon after the show. The ESC doesn't produce stars like ABBA anymore.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>In my opinion the ESC is a bit overrated. ... It fascinates me that in Australia and in the US people are going to watch the ESC. << Well, by "people in the US", you of course mean me and about 10,000 others, all of us cussing up a blue streak at our ISP. It's still a very underground sort of thing. It's not on TV here. I understand the situation is *considerably* different in Australia. And I strenuously disagree that it's overrated. If anything it's UNDERrated by Europeans (and especially Brits) who take it for granted. And overrated in what terms? Musically? You can't just write a hit song to order. Not even Lennon/McCartney could do that consistently. Yet the Contest invariably spits out a couple of (European) chart-toppers, and the songs often pop up in unexpected places. (For instance, Turkey's "Dum Tek Tek" from 2009 was a #1 hit in Japan!) Next time you're listening to current pop radio, just pretend that the next song is, say, Denmark's entry in the ESC ... I think you'll find that it's not that much of a stretch. I was in 7 Eleven the other day listening to the PA and thinking "my gosh that's a Eurovisionny song". And it was Rihanna. Costumes and staging? Eurovision is in a class by itself. Overrated or underrated doesn't even apply there. It's friggin' EUROVISION, dang it! As for Euphoria, let's go to the videotape: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...-8z86x80</a> The defense rests, your honor.
Originally Posted By dagobert I have watched the ESC for years and maybe that's why I don't like it anymore. One reason for that is that the ESC starts in February with a live show in which people can vote for the favourite partcipant and the winner will be sent to the finals. And in recent years Austria has chosen badly. And this year again. In addition Austria's biggest radio station, owned by ORF, the EBU-member, plays that stupid song so often that people get annoyed. I'm glad you like it, maybe one day it will be broadcasted in the US as well. Maybe I have to give it another try.
Originally Posted By leemac <<And I strenuously disagree that it's overrated. If anything it's UNDERrated by Europeans (and especially Brits) who take it for granted.>> Take it for granted?!?! I can't watch the thing because it is musically horrific - an absolute car crash - if you like national stereotypes and '90s electro pop then knock yourself out. Thankfully the BBC ridicules the whole spectacle so at least some of the biting commentary is entertaining even if the music is pure excrement. I'll happily be nowhere near it this week. But enjoy!
Originally Posted By leemac << And in recent years Austria has chosen badly.>> And it would make no difference even if it was the finest piece of pop ever written - everyone east of the old Iron Curtain all vote tactically and that is how the winner is determined.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>And it would make no difference even if it was the finest piece of pop ever written - everyone east of the old Iron Curtain all vote tactically and that is how the winner is determined.<<< So true and that's another reason why the popularity in Western Europe is declining.
Originally Posted By leemac <<So true and that's another reason why the popularity in Western Europe is declining.>> The East is welcome to this circus - I'd hate to see my licence fee going to pay for hosting this mess.
Originally Posted By dagobert When Germany won a few years ago, it got another boost over here, but now it will be another Saturday evening show, but not the great Song Contest that it was many, many years ago. Maybe it would help if it wouldn't be allowed to release the songs before the show. But with so many countries, I guess that's impossible.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>The East is welcome to this circus - I'd hate to see my licence fee going to pay for hosting this mess. <<< I don't mind them participating, but their tactical voting didn't help to improve the show.
Originally Posted By mawnck >> if you like national stereotypes and '90s electro pop then knock yourself out<< From the UK, I take it? The UK's view of this contest is more at odds with reality than Fox News's view of Obama. Decades of Terry Wogan has permanently ruined it for the UK. Many many years ago, outdated granny garbage like "Congratulations" and "Boom Bang a Bang" was winning it. And the UK was happy then but not now. Weird. This year the UK sent Bonnie Tyler singing a country song. Nuff said. >>their tactical voting didn't help to improve the show.<< Winners the last 5 years: Russia Norway Germany Azerbaijan Sweden Darn that Eastern bloc and their tactical voting!
Originally Posted By leemac <<From the UK, I take it? The UK's view of this contest is more at odds with reality than Fox News's view of Obama. Decades of Terry Wogan has permanently ruined it for the UK.>> Ha. Wogan saw the camp lunacy in the whole thing and ran with it. Graham Norton has continued that tradition. <<This year the UK sent Bonnie Tyler singing a country song. Nuff said.>> I've absolutely no idea how they select even the contenders for the song but they have been instantly forgettable for years. We are music snobs - and rightly so in many cases (although apologies for One Direction who you can keep) - and the whole thing is just one long snoozefest. Your list is a little selective (I think) as I'm sure the likes of Estonia and Latvia have won in recent years. The new voting seems to have eliminated some of the bias that marred the event for years but it definitely hasn't totally gone.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Many many years ago, outdated granny garbage like "Congratulations" and "Boom Bang a Bang" was winning it. And the UK was happy then but not now. Weird.>> We only had 4 terrestrial TV stations until the late '80s - so access to music channels was non-existent. We have dozens of them now plus hundreds of other channels. The BBC is currently running The Voice and ITV Britain's Got Talent so there are plenty of "musical" options that are (allegedly) more suitable for British taste than Finnish rockers and Israeli transvestites.
