Illuminati-R-Us

This weekend and sadly I will be in a field in North Umbria so unable to watch/liveblog. I'm sure you'll be in safe hands with Arneb and Lianachan.

In last night's semi-finalIreland continued their run of failing to qualify with their latest version of My Lovely Horse. Oz also fell at the first hurdle, as it were.

Heid the Ba wrote:Ireland continued their run of failing to qualify with their latest version of My Lovely Horse.

But the original My Lovely Horse won!

It won a Song for Ireland but got no points in the actual competition.

Heid the Ba wrote:It won a Song for Ireland but got no points in the actual competition.

Ah, that's right. I forgot the plot.

Following the chain of web links while investigating Eurovision, I eventually came upon the classic, Shaddap your Face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFacWGBJ_cs

Iceland and Finland are proper nonsense.

Not seen any of the pre-final stuff - never have, never will. This weekend I will mostly be writing a critique of the various theories of the mechanisms of the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition in Scotland and Ireland. But I also hope to have time to drink extensively and watch the final, as is traditional.

Since I've alwsys studiously avoided watching the stuff (except when discussing it with members of this board), would you care to blog about the Final? I think having had a few before and and adding another few during and after cannot hurt the succinctness of your writing.

I’m planning on not nearly being sober enough, sorry. It’s the only way to watch the damn thing.

Between us, we'll do what we can! I didn't see any of the pre-final stuff yesterday, but looking forward to the finals tonight. Eurovision is strange - it manages a selection ranging from the seriously awful to, at least sometimes, something really special. The approach to politics is really weird. Overtly political songs are banned - but it is a given that certain countries will support certain others regardless. (All Cyprus has to do to get 12 points from Greece is show up - and vice versa.) And in recent years, some issues have appeared in songs that are pretty political, albeit not in a nationalist sense. For example, I really liked Israel's entry last year on a number of levels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjzyZZ-oidc if you didn't see it.

Let's see what tonight brings.

We'll count on your faithful reporting! I just skimmed a selection of songs that made it to the final. I won't bring myself to watch it.

ETA: Ah awright, maybe Ukraine. Or Italy.

I haven't heard them yet, but Ukraine have produced some great entries in the past, including a winner. The singer of that one, Ruslana, went on to be a central figure in the Euromaidan protests.

9 songs in, all shite so far. Maybe I’m just too sober. I am working on that, though!

Russia not bad. I liked Bulgaria but it won’t win. Serbia also good. Though I like Greece. Ah, Ukraine next - Arneb liked them.

I see Arneb’s point about Ukraine. But France’s entry is up there as well.

Iceland for me so far. Also quite liked Germany, Lithuania, Ukraine and Italy.

Loved Italy. Hard, punky rhythms, rough guitars, Italian swear words. Perfect.

Delighted to see Brexitistan still on fuck all points after all the jury scores are in.

ETA And after the public vote!

Italy!

Good to see a band, of people who can presumably play instruments, win rather than some manufactured pish. I'd rather Iceland had won, as we'd have gone to the next final if it was there.

That Brexistan got nul points is not surprising - even less surprising now that EU nationals are feeling the full force of the Home Office's "hostile environment". But there are things that doesn't explain. Such as why the juries (happily the people less so) were so impressed by the Swiss entry. And why the Netherlands did so badly.

After listening to the German entry, I am utterly unsurprised that nobody is surprised at how badly we did.

Richard A wrote: But there are things that doesn't explain. Such as why the juries (happily the people less so) were so impressed by the Swiss entry. And why the Netherlands did so badly.

Indeed, we were wondering that. The Swiss entry was extremely dull. France too, although she got bonus points round here for forgetting to put her top on I doubt that influenced the juries much.

Arneb wrote:After listening to the German entry, I am utterly unsurprised that nobody is surprised at how badly we did.

I like the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously, and the German entry certainly didn’t do that.