Wednesday 26 December 2012

UKRAINE

The Ukrainian Final was held on December 23rd in Kiev. The winner, chosen by a mixture of SMS voting and jury, was the song Gravity sung by Zlata Ognevich.

I have been trying to think for days now about my opinion and feelings about this song but I am still very confused. First of all the girl can really sing. She has a lovely tone to her voice and the song shows the different parts of her voice really well. It is also nice to see a simple singing performance where the efforts of the backing singers are not ignored and shown to the full. It would be nice to have a similar visual performance in Malmo.

I guess my problem about the song is that it doesn't really have a strong predictable structure. (Unpredictability is normally a strength in pop songs but ESC songs require a strong structure and flow) It has a repeated bit which I guess is the chorus and a few extra bits which seem to come in and out at random patterns and these don't seem to have the same tune. Then there is also the weird fact that Zlata doesn't actually sing the title of the song...

Then there is the middle part. This part reminds me of "Love of the common people" by Paul Young or "Life in a Northern Town" by The Dream Academy. This middle part is possibly the best part and the part that most sticks out in my mind. It is also the part where it turns from a dreamy balland into something a bit stronger. A really great light show mirroring the different shouty parts would work really well here. Then there is the end which is a real damp squib. Just as you start getting into the song it end and ends poorly.

I think it is a safe to say it this early stage in the Eurovision season that this will qualify, plus I also think that this will be a clear Jury favourite. It is a singers song and has that kind of 'I'm from a musical' kind of quality. All in all I think this is a good strong song but something just doesn't sit right...


Artist - Zlata Ognevich
Song - Gravity
Music - Mikhail Nekrasov

Lyrics - Karen Kavaleryan



Monday 24 December 2012

ALBANIA

The Albanian Final was held on December 22nd at the Palace of Congress in Tirana, hosted by Enkel Demi and Floriana Garo. Before the final there were 2 semi-finals and the eventual winner was chosen by an "expert" jury. The winner of the Festivali i Këngës 51 was the duet of Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko with the song "Identitet" meaning Identity. 

This song has an ethic edge to it  but also maintains a rock edge and a lot of the song is lead with strong drums and guitar. Here was me thinking that Belgium was the only country that still liked Simple Minds - it looks like Albania does too. However this is Simple Minds if they had been re-fronted by an middle aged Adam Lambert. The two singers have that kind of gravelly retching tone to their voice which seems to be popular in Eastern European circles but I am not sure if this will be enough to be reprieved into the final.

The song, as many Albanian entries are, are well over 3 minutes long. This is a shame as the introduction to this song (which lasts almost a minute) is the best part of the song and will probably get cut to pieces before it gets to Malmo. However the pointless dad-dancing guitar solo is the bit that really needs to be cut. Unlike many Albanian entries I would say that being translated or re-written into English would be a good thing. It does has a strong repetitive tune and having English lyrics would help the song's catchiness no end.

Needless to say this is no Suus. In many ways this is the furthest they could probably get from it. As it is, there is very little chance of this song getting to the final but with some clever tweaking it could actually be a good song.

Artist - Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko
Song - Identitet (Identity)
Music - Bledar Sejko

Lyrics - Bledar Sejko

Saturday 22 December 2012

LITHUANIA

The Lithuanian Final was held on December 20th at the LRT TV Studios in Vilnius, hosted by Andrius Rožickas. Previous to this there had been a slightly complicated system of heats and semis before getting to the 8-act final. The winner was jointly decided between jury and televoting. The winner of the ticket to Malmo was Andrius Pojavis with his self-penned song "Something".

The Lithuanian 'tradition' of sending slightly barmy/strange/wholly unsuitable entries to Eurovision has once again been continued into 2013.OK, I am being a little harsh here but there is a lot about this performance I do not get. On the plus side, I really like the song. Within a couple of listens I had the chorus firmly stuck in my head. It is certainly a contemporary song, in a kind of Killers/Editors style with a  bit of electro-pop thrown in for good measure. In these respects it is almost a bit of an 'anti-eurovision' song as nothing quite of this ilk has been sent before.

On the other side we have the actual performance. His voice is ok, quite memorable in places. As he also wrote the song it is fair to say this plays to his vocal strengths. However the visual performance is more akin to something you would find in Junior Eurovision. He is dressed in top hat and tails, which doesn't suit the song and more over does not suit him. During the final he was also joined by a couple of masked mime artists and a ballet dancer holding a red ball. Confused much.

I really like this song and although the lyrics are a little trite it does get in your head. But something drastic is going to have to be done about the performance of this song to make it truly memorable enough to get out of the semi-final.

Artist - Andrius Pojavis
Song - Something
Music -
Andrius Pojavis
Lyrics - Andrius Pojavis
 

Friday 21 December 2012

BELGIUM

The Belgian Final was held on December 16th on Radio Vivacité, hosted by Jean-Louis Lahaye. The internally selected singer, Roberto Bellarosa, sang all the songs and the winning song was chosen by televoting (50%) and "expert" jury (50%). This turned out to be "Love Kills"

Unlike most Eurovision finals, this was a radio based show although there was a webcam available to show Roberto singing the song. There has obviously been some criticism about this as this obviously focuses too much on the sound of the song and not on the presentation - something integral to modern Euro songs.

The song is a slow building pop song with an up beat edge. The song needs to have a much bolder beat in the background as it doesn't grow and build as it possibly should. The break part in the middle is very weak and doesn't work as it stands. The final key change in the last chorus is obviously too much for Roberto as most of the last part is totally flat. Roberto has a nice voice but he does have quite a strong accent which can make listening to the song a little tricky.

One could say that the main positive about this selection is that it really cannot get any worse. With a bit of reworking in the song, a bit of extra practise and some presentation skills it might just get better. Don't book a hotel for Brussels, Antwerp or Hasselt in May next year.

Artist - Roberto Bellarosa
Song - Love Kills
Music - Jukka Immonen, Iain Farquharson, Andreas Anastasiou
Lyrics -
Jukka Immonen, Iain Farquharson, Andreas Anastasiou

 

Thursday 20 December 2012

SWITZERLAND


The Swiss Final was held on December 15th at the Bodensee Arena in Kreuzlingen, hosted by Sven Epiney. The winner was chosen entirely by televoting and that was Heilsarmee with "You and Me".

As ever, the Swiss final was an entertaining show although almost all of the songs sung were not exactly Eurovision material. The clear winner is actually a Salvation Army band, which included a man on double bass who is in his 90's ! It was the stand out song however the standard was not particularly high.
 
The song has an anthemic quality to it, although it starts off more like Lordi. The chorus is quite memorable however the rest of the song is a bit shambolic. The two singers (one male one female) are very singers and have a good rapport. There is a whiff of Jonsi and Greta Salome about their partnership and it could do with their strength in performance. Overall the staging is a bit twee and static and possibly some more drama in the background.
 
However, the winner itself is still under some scrutiny. Because of the religious connotations of the entrant they have appaently been told to change their name AND they will not be allowed to perform in uniform, which is a bit of a shame really.

Artist - Heilsarmee
Song - You and Me
Music -
Georg Schlunegger

Lyrics -
Georg Schlunegger

 

Saturday 8 December 2012

BELARUS

Eurovision 2012 has offically kicked off with the first (well, possibly!) full song and singer chosen by Belarus !

The Belarussian Final was held in Minsk on December 7th, with the winner being chosen by a mixture of televoting and an "expert" jury.  The winner of "Eurofest" with a full points victory from bith jury and televote was last year's disqualified winner Alyona Lanskaya. Last year she won the final with a ballad but was then stripped of her ticket to Baku after vote rigging allegations. This year she returned with a very different song.

"Rhythm of Love" is an uptempo dance song (I have a feeling we'll have a lot of these this year) with a radio friendly feel and a bit of a Girls Aloud/Swedish production edge to it. The start of the song is quite strong and the verses are well paced but the chorus is a little bit lacklustre and a bit too rushed. It doesn't have the punch that the start seems to promise. She is not a bad singer, although the accent can seem a bit garbled at times, and she has good stage presence even when she is lying on the floor! Visually it is not bad and the dancers do add a strength the song needs.

Obviously at this stage it is hard to judge how well a song like this will do when there is nothing to compare it too, however I would suggest this is a "good but not good enough". By the end of the month we should have at least 5 songs and singers to compare her too.
Knowing Belarus, she may have won the vote, but will she be off to Malmo...?


Artist -Alyona Lanskaya
Song - Rhythm of Love
Music - Leonid Shirin, Yuri Vashchuk, A. Shirin
Lyrics - Leonid Shirin, Yuri Vashchuk, A. Shirin


Friday 31 August 2012

Eurovision Triplets


Here is the last podcast of the summer holiday and more of the triplets!

I do have a good idea for the next podcast but as I am back to work on Monday (and have the small matter of a wedding to plan for 8 weeks time) I am not quite sure exactly when that will be... but there will be one soon, I promise !

Keep an eye on the twitter feed at @DVVHolland as well as the facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DVVHolland to find out the latest news :o)

You can download or listen to it here
http://www.archive.org/details/EurovisionTriplets

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Thursday 23 August 2012

More Eurovision Duos

Hello again and it's back to the duos on De Vogels Van Holland !

Lots of different languages this time, from Icelandic to Maltese, as well as some background knowledge about some of the duos - including some scurrilous naked rumours !

You can download or listen to it here
http://www.archive.org/details/MoreEurovisionDuos

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Thursday 16 August 2012

Trios

Hello all and welcome to another podcast!
As promised this week's show focuses on entries sung by trios.  As I have discovered, there have been far too many duets and trios in Eurovision and am going to do more shows covering them in the next few weeks.

You can download or listen to it here
http://www.archive.org/details/Trios

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Friday 10 August 2012

Eurovision Duets

This week's podcast is all about duets... and there have been a surprising amount of them ! From the 50's up to the present day, Eurovision has been littered with memorable (and not so memorable) and good (and not so good) duets and songs.

Next time we'll be adding another one to the mix to look at trios !

You can download or listen to it here
http://www.archive.org/details/EurovisionDuets

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Friday 27 July 2012

A return!

Hello all !!!!
After a shore hiatus the podcast is back - I cannot promise I will remember but now that I am *kind of* over my throat problem I will be more than inclined to actually do the podcasts without being self conscious !!!

And as you will hear, I would be very intersted to know where I can find an ESC version of the Turkish entry I play today ... Confused? Then listen!

You can download or listen to it here
http://www.archive.org/details/VariousESC


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Sunday 24 June 2012

Euro 2012

So what connections are there between Eurovision and Football? Are there any?

Not many but there are lots if you are tenuous like me !!!!

I've chosen a few songs which have footballing and sporting connections (of a sort) and tried to put them together into a cohesive podcast *chortle*

You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/Euro2012Eurovision


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Tuesday 5 June 2012

The Aftermath

So eurovision is over for another year and what a year it was !
So here I am with a quick round up of the entries in the final an whether thy deserved their placing. The general answer is NO but I hope that doesn't put you off listening to the podcast !

As of next week the podcast will go back to the normal layout of songs on a theme !

You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/TheAftermath2012


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Friday 25 May 2012

Final Predictions

So the last podcast before Eurovision!
Mr Jopijedd and I (_forky) take a mournful look back over the semis and unsuccessfully look at who the winners might be on Saturday night/Sunday morning depending on your time zone !

We both apologise profusely for all the farting XD

You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/FinalPredictsions2012


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Monday 21 May 2012

Rehearsals 2012

So here is a look at the rehearsals over the past week, and look at who the contenders and no hopers are AND who I think will be in the final on Saturday!
You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/Rehearsals2012


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Wednesday 9 May 2012

SOA_5

So the final Shite Or Alright podcast is now here!

Songs being dissected and spat out today are Slovakia, FYR Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Albania, Slovenia, Latvia and Ireland.

I hope you have enjoyed our silliness and have informed you (in whatever way) about Eurovision, music as well as an insight into our future marriage counselling...
Wait 'til the end when I spring the surprise that we need to choose a winner of winners...  Y

You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/ShiteOrAlright5


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Sunday 6 May 2012

SOA_4

A first on the Shite or Alright Podcast this week - a listeners competition !
If you get the answer correct you will get an amazing prize - keep tuned in for details !!!!

Songs on the chopping block this wees are - Serbia, The Netherlands, Montenegro, Austria, San Marino, Bulgaria, Finland, Russia and Switzerland.

Please note - SHOCK SCORES GIVEN OUT !!!!

 You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/ShiteOrAlright4


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Friday 4 May 2012

SOA_3

Here is the third of 5 podcasts regarding the Eurovision 2012 contest, happening in just over 3 weeks !

The entries on the line today are Cyprus, Belgium, Ukraine, Croatia, Romania, Iceland, Georgia and Spain

Please note that today’s podcast also includes ranting about Flemish music, Icelandic fiddling, physical fisticuffs including a Chinese Burn (works well on radio) but soberly starts with a recent OFCOM adjudication regarding episode 2.


You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/ShiteOrAlright3

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Wednesday 2 May 2012

SOA_2

So here is the second nailbiting (followed by nose picking and finger clicking) episode of "Shite or Alright". It's just a good job we don't rate the show on its highly original scale... or we would probabaly still be waiting for a mark...

The songs being examined today are Israel, Hungary, Turkey, Moldova, United Kingdom, Portugal, Lithuania, Germany and Norway.

Listen carefully for LOLZ concerning Andy's much better alternative name for the Hungarian act, falling asleep and a game of 'how many songs does the Norwegian entry plagiarise?'

You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/ShiteOrAlright2

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Monday 30 April 2012

SOA_1

So this is the very first edition of the De Vogels Van Holland Eurovision ranking game - “Shite or Alright” !!!

I am joined on these 5 very special shows, by my better half, Andy, who is not per se a Eurovision fan but does like good music and the odd Eurovision song (the two do not crossover too often).

You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/ShiteOrAlright1

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Saturday 21 April 2012

Song Number One

Here is the last 'normal' podcast for a while showcasing some of those acts who kicked off the proceedings in spot number one !
As of next week we will be profiling and reviewing the songs from this year's Eurovision in the feature (well known in the Squires-Fear household) known as "Shite or Alright" Language will be frank and varied !

You can download or listen to it here http://archive.org/details/SongNumberOneEsc

Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Saturday 14 April 2012

Minority Languages

This week's podacst has the theme of Minority languages.
There are certain languages which have only been used a number of times in Eurovision, and this podcatst shows some of those off !

You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/MinorityESC


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Ex-soviet

The new podcast! Last time I focused on Baltic entries, now here are some gems from the rest of the former Soviet states. Listen out for another advert for the Epic Sax Game and taste of things to come when I unveil the ‘Shite or Alright’ feature which will form part of the podcasts in a few weeks time !
You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/Ex-soviet


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Friday 6 April 2012

Monday 2 April 2012

Ex-Yugoslav

Sorry that the podcast has been late in coming but here it is. A range of songs that have come from the countries that used to amke up Yugoslavia. You can download or listen to it here http://www.archive.org/details/Ex-Yugoslav


Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)

Thursday 29 March 2012

Der countdown läuft - 2012 !!!

1) Sweden
This is by far the most contemporary song of the year. Loreen sings emotionally and the mood is made more intense by the lighting and her captivating martial arts inspired choreography. The song will be a big hit wherever it places. Ironically this and the very different Spanish entry are co written by Thomas G:son.

2) Spain
This the best chance Spain has had of winning since Rosa back in 2002. Is not exactly the most Spanish sounding of songs (although this has mostly been their problem) but is a very dramatic ballad that makes best use of Pastora’s lungs. Sang this flawlessly during the national final and will go BIG in the hall.

3) Switzerland
This was the first song chosen all the way back in December and to be honest very little beats it. A good solid rock-pop song with a catchy chorus. Lots of repetition of the song title. It has a good tempo which switches between fast and slow and keeps you on your toes. Some apprehension on the singers pronunciation.

4) France
A really catchy number with lots of twists, turns, changes of language, tempo and chord. The song switches from French to English and back again seamlessly and work well in the structure of the song. Recent videos of her live versions have impressed me and I feel that with a good visual show this will go big in the hall.

5) Italy
At the last minute, Italy changed their song. Good job really. Like last year this is a jazzy entry but this one is more in the Caro Emerald/Paloma Faith field. The song, mostly in English but with parts in Italian, is terribly catchy and could easily be found on the playlists over Europe. Like last year will definitely get the jury vote.

6) Albania
OK, OK. There is no way this song will win or even get out of the semi final but if you want drama, passion and mad vocal skills, this has to top the lot. Rona has an interesting visual look as well as the biggest voice (and mouth) possibly ever seen at Eurovision. Possibly too technical and odd for the once a year viewer.

7) Ireland
Let’s be honest, this is no “Lipstick” however in the scheme of things, this will probably do better. The boys, of course, deliver their pop number with a lot of gusto and jumping around and actually don’t do a bad job in keeping to the tune. They are now well known in Eurovision circles which may get them the odd extra vote. 

8) Slovakia
This is possibly the best out and out rock song ever seen at Eurovision. Sounds very commercial and could do well all over the world never mind just in Europe. The mix of slow and fast beats keeps you on your toes and the chorus is a standout piece of work. No live performance as yet but this could be a dark horse. 

9) Norway
Tooji’s song is an up-tempo pop song with a mix of western and eastern stylistic influences. Cleverly choreographed as it looks like he is doing a lot of moving and dancing but is effectively doing it all on the spot. This will also help his vocals which need to be strong. Will get the young girl vote like Eric Saade last year. 

10) United Kingdom
Initially an odd choice for the UK but the combination of singer and song has shut up a lot of the critics. A very simple and moody chanson style number it shows off Englebert’s voice and style well. His voice, diction and passion are clear. Will be interested to see what the show looks like. Would like it better in French possibly.

11) Germany
Roman is a contemporary sounding singer who will get many a young girl vote. The song, co-written by Jamie Cullum, is a laid back number with a very repetitive chorus. The tune is very simple and easy to remember. I fear the performance will be bland compared to others in the contest and will possibly be forgotten.

12) San Marino
This year’s ultimate Marmite track composed by Ralph Siegel. It’s the song you really, really, REALLY want to hate but has an ear worm so infectious you end up singing it all day long. Initially disqualified due to its Facebook lyrics but all this did was gain the song more publicity. Valentina is unbelievably 37 years old. WOW.

13) Slovenia
One of the early favourites for this year’s contest. Eva has a good look and I hope she keeps the weirdly dressed backing singers too. The song, in Slovene, is strong although it does sound suspiciously like ‘Motliva’ from 4 years ago, however both are composed by the same person. Will get lots of neighbourly votes.

14) Austria
Trackshittaz should have won last year’s ESC ticket however this song is nowhere near as good as last year’s effort. Cannot wait to see what kind of show they put up in Baku. Sung in a dialect of German this will get a fair share of Alpine votes. The chorus is very catchy, even if you don’t quite know what you’re saying.

15) Denmark
Soluna sang this song during the Danish final  in a military style outfit and having her backing singers on a sofa. This is a mid tempo guitar based song which is lo laid back it is vertical. The chorus is extremely memorable but the verses let it down slightly. Keep on thinking it is going to turn into Seal’s “Crazy”

16) Finland
The only song in Swedish in this year’s contest. A subtle lilting ballad that has a lovely laid back jazzy feel and some interesting chords in the chorus. The tune is easy to pick up and hummable immediately, even if the language is not to your taste. The performance is also aided by the lovely dancer at the front.

17) Ukraine
Another of the dance songs in the contest. Reminisces of Ruslana in the background. Gaitana has a very distinctive voice although the recorded version does not do it justice. Will be interesting to see how this is performed. Encouraging to see an Eastern European country being represented by a black woman. 

18) Bulgaria
One of the very few dance songs this year and it could do well. The instrumental parts are used well. The chorus is cleverly written involving several different languages. Sofi’s top notes are little bit on the thin side and quite nasal sounding. The song could easily be a hit in the clubs of Europe but maybe not at Eurovision. 

19) Serbia
I can feel the evil glares from here. I’m really sorry but Zejlko has been hoist by his own petard. Compared to his other Eurovision efforts this just doesn’t cut the mustard. It is far too slow in getting going and the tune is not memorable enough. His only saving grace is that he didn’t choose to sing the English version.

20) Moldova
Well, well, well. This is a strange one. A fun track which just about stays away from the ‘we’re taking the piss’ camp. I love the plinky-plonky piano in the backing track which gives it a fun retro feel. The performance during the national final was weird to say the least and needs refining. Part of me hopes Sasha will keep the odd suit !

21) Hungary
This is a modern and contemporary pop ballad which has a Hurts kind of feel to it. The tune, which is a little low at points, must be sung perfectly or it will sound flat. The band could also do with a bit of a makeover. The chorus really stands out but the verses are very throwaway and this might be the song’s downfall. 

22) Belarus
The Belarusians need to work out if this is a rock song or a dance song and know which version they are going to perform! The song has quite a good chorus but the rest of the song lets it down a little. I also hope they have a change of outfit and leave the Tron-esque jumpsuits at home !

23) Malta
Possibly the most typical Eurovision song of this year- an up-tempo song with a repetitive chorus. Kurt sings the song well and even does a little bit of swivel dancing during the chorus. Needs a bit more performance to take it to the next level. The earworm of the ‘eh-eh-eh’ part of the chorus will be a Marmite moment.

24) Belgium
Iris is a pretty girl and has a strong voice although she goes a bit Diana Vickers every so often with the squeaking. The song is a slow ballad (no “Me and my guitar”) but has its own memorable moments. Not sure how well the song will stand out amongst the others in the semi and I fear that that is where it will stay.

25) Croatia
I was impressed when Nina revealed her entry a few weeks back however the newer ‘produced’ version lacks power and build. I am hoping her live performance is better than the one on the CD. It would be nice to see this entry do well as it is a good song although we are yet to hear or see Nina sing this song live.

26) Romania
I am still a little wary of this entry, hence its low placing. Mandinga have produced a great dance-party song mostly in Spanish with a plethora of strange instruments. I just feel it is style over substance (especially with the drumming choreography) and the nonsense title and simplistic chorus doesn’t sit right with me at all.

27) Lithuania
I feel quite harsh putting this entry this low down. Donny is a great singer and performer, he works a good gimmick and the song is not bad either. However for me it just doesn’t work. I guess it just feels a little bit dated and possibly a bit on the predictable side. It needs a lot more oomph and power to be more memorable 

28) Netherlands
Country music has never done well at Eurovision and this won’t buck the trend. Joan has an interesting tone and accent to her voice, sounding a bit ‘mockney’ at times. She will need to update and stylise her performance much more from when she won the Dutch ticket. Will she still be wearing the headdress?

29) Iceland
A dark and moody song with a kind of mystical, Medieval and Celtic feel to it. It is quite slow to get into its groove and one could dismiss it too early. The verses have a strange rhythm which is not conducive to singing along to straight away. Greta and Jonsi are good singers but the song sounded better in Icelandic.

30) Cyprus
This song is just annoying. I am sure there used to be a joke about Eurovision songs being full of la-la-las… The song is one of the few dance songs in the contest so will stick out a mile. Mind you, Ivi mimed all of her songs in the Cypriot final, so confidence of her being able to sing this live is a big fat ‘nil points’

31) Latvia
A Eurovision song that is *kind of* about Eurovision. Trying to work out if this is a joke entry or not. The tune is OK and the title of the song is very prominent so will be remembered. Everything about its presentation screams ‘we’re trying to be wacky’ but the song is indulgent. Plus Anmary has the strangest eyes ever.

32) Portugal
When will the Portuguese learn? Sending the same song year after year is the reason you haven’t won once in 48 years! The song is passionate but predictable and also needs a lot of work visually. Typical Portuguese Fado fayre sung by a(nother) pretty girl. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, another no-win. 

33) Greece
It doesn’t really matter what I write about this song, it will qualify whatever happens (even if she sings every note out of tune or forgets the words completely). A very typical girlie pop song with Greek influences and a chorus made out of oh-oh-oh-ing to the nth degree. If they do win, Greece will go completely bankrupt.

34) Azerbaijan
Two things are is for sure – 1) this will get 12 points from Turkey and 2) we won’t be back in Baku again next year. Very forgettable in the scheme of things. The song is a nice enough jazzy ethnic ballad but Sabina puts on far too many vocal gymnastics into it and it takes away from the simplicity of the actual song. 

35) FYR Macedonia
This is one of the best entries from this country for quite a while, yet that only gets them this lowly placing. Kaliopi’s song certainly has some gusto about it, as well as a range of styles to show off her voice but most of the time it sounds like she’s in pain. I have a feeling many of her top notes may well be flat ones too.

36) Israel
This probably wins the title of strangest retro track of the contest. Verses in English, choruses in Hebrew and the song’s structure belongs back in the 60s or 70s. Possibly the most ‘un-Eurovision’ song of this year. The choruses sound like the band are taking the piss too… which I don’t think they are.

37) Montenegro
Surprisingly high on the list considering this is as far away from the meaning of the word ‘song’ as you can probably get. A mish-mash of supposedly comedic rapping in an incomprehensible accent and random shouting, over a weirdly accented backing track. The repetition of the title does give it one memorable feature. 

38) Estonia
One of the many cases of the wrong song winning the national final (both 2nd and 3rd places were much better) A nice enough ballad in the local tongue but is instantly forgettable. Ott does absolutely nothing during the song (either he is shit scared or he is actually paralysed) Either way, it’s 3 minutes of your life wasted. 

39) Russia
If anybody needed proof that this year’s ESC has been taken over by the mad quarter – this is it. Only one of the grandmas seems to know what they are doing, where they are OR know the words. Can imagine at least one of them wandering round Baku looking for fairies instead of being on stage. Embarrassing.

40) Turkey
Do you know what? I don’t get this at all. Can’s dress sense and dance sense is a sight to behold. Bez has a Turkish love child ! The tune is just awful and the backing track sounds really cheap. However what is more annoying is that the chorus contains the line “Like me like I like you and say na nani nani nani na...” Man alive ! 

41) Georgia
Is this a song or a list of Anri’s mental health problems? He seemingly has more personalities than there have been Eurovisions. The song has been updated and improved (well it could not have been made any worse!) since the Georgian final but it is still dire and embarrassing. Cup of tea time, put it in your diary now.

42) Bosnia Herzegovina
Look - it's last year's plinky-plonky woman ! I am very disappointed by this song. By all means it is a beautiful song sung by a very beautiful and talented lady but having heard it at least seven times I still can’t remember any of the words or the melody. I would equate it to upper class muzak you might hear in a posh lift.

Friday 23 March 2012

THE DRAW

The draw took place in Baku on the 20th March.
Here the placing for both semi-finals was finalised as well as the placing of the 6 countries that have pre-qualified for the main final.

As ever, there were wildcards. This meant that 2 countries in each semi, and one in the final, would be able to choose their placing rather than be drawn a random one. As we know choose in a place can be beneficial.

In semi-final 1, Finland chose placing 9 and Ireland chose placing 18.

01) MONTENEGRO Rambo Amadeus - Euro Neuro
02) ICELAND Greta Salóme & Jónsi - Mundu eftir mér
03) GREECE Eleftheria Eleftheriou - Aphrodisiac
04) LATVIA Anmary - Beautiful song
05) ALBANIA Rona Nishliu – Suus
06) ROMANIA Mandinga - Zaleilah
07) SWITZERLAND Sinplus – Unbreakable
08) BELGIUM Iris – Would you
09) FINLAND Pernilla Karlsson - När jag blundar
10) ISRAEL Izabo - Time
11) SAN MARINO Valentina Monetta – The Social Network Song
12) CYPRUS Ivi Adamou - La la love
13) DENMARK Soluna Samay - Should've known better
14) RUSSIA Buranovskiye Babushki - Party for everybody
15) HUNGARY Compact Disco - Sound of our hearts
16) AUSTRIA Trackshittaz - Woki mit deim popo
17) MOLDOVA Pasha Parfeny - Lăutar
18) IRELAND Jedward - Waterline

In semi 2, Ukraine chose place 7 whilst Lithuania bagged place 18.

01) SERBIA Željko Joksimović - Nije ljubav stvar
02) FYR MACEDONIA Kaliopi - Crno i belo
03) NETHERLANDS Joan Franka - You and me
04) MALTA Kurt Calleja - This is the night
05) BELARUS Litesound - We are the heroes!
06) PORTUGAL Filipa Sousa - Vida minha
07) UKRAINE Gaitana - Be my guest
08) BULGARIA Sofi Marinova - Love unlimited
09) SLOVENIA Eva Boto - Verjamem
10)CROATIA Nina Badrić – Nebo
11) SWEDEN Loreen - Euphoria
12) GEORGIA Anri Jokhadze - I'm a joker
13) TURKEY Can Bonomo - Love me back
14) ESTONIA Ott Lepland - Kuula
15) SLOVAKIA Max Jason Mai - Don't close your eyes
16) NORWAY Tooji - Stay
17) BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA Maya Sar - Korake ti znam
18) LITHUANIA Donny Montell - Love is blind

The final has also brought up a few noticeable points. Spain was drawn first and asked to be placed 19 -  the placing Azerbaijan won from last year.

1) UNITED KINGDOM Engelbert Humperdinck – Love will set you free
9) FRANCE Anggun - Echo (You and I)
10) ITALY Nina Zilli - L'amore è femmina
13) AZERBAIJAN Səbinə Babayeva -
19) SPAIN Pastora Soler - Quédate conmigo
20) GERMANY Roman Lob - Standing still
The draw for the first Semi-Final:
Semi 1 has a very interesting mix. Montenegro going first will be an ‘interesting’ start and I fear the next few songs will sound very boring and too similar next to each other. The Albanian entry will then really stand out at place 5 amongst all the mid tempo nonsense. Switzerland has an OK draw but might be shafted around a bit depending on where or if advert breaks are put in. The end of semi one could bring up a surprise as Austria, Moldova and Ireland will ensure a very up-tempo and full throttle ending to the show.

Semi 2 is a little more difficult as many of the more fancied numbers are placed near the middle of the running order as well as very similar entries being drawn together. Serbia stars off, which in this case I don’t think is a good thing and if followed by another Balkan entry from FYROM. Later on Ukraine is followed by Bulgaria and Slovenia is followed by  Croatia. On the plus side Sweden, a big favourite, is followed by Georgia by far the worst entry in the contest. Also the big rock number form Slovakia has a favourable draw and could be a bit of a dark horse.

In terms of the final, going first has not seen as very favourable in the recent past, however the last time the UK were drawn first, we won (1976 Brotherhood of Man). I think this start placing could show up the professionalism of Englebert and maybe show the flaws in our competitors. Spain and Germany have good draws but I think France’s draw is not so good especially with Italy straight after.

More will be read into the draw as the participants plug their entries around Europe and (hopefully) sing live !

Thursday 22 March 2012

22/03/12 SAN MARINO

It is a good job I didn’t do a review first time around – I just knew in my water that the first song just wasn’t going to cut the mustard!

On the 16th March  Valentina Monetta revealed the song she would be sending to Baku “Facebook uh oh oh” composed by Timothy Touchstone, Jose Juan Santana and Eurovision stalwart Ralph Siegel. However, the next day the song had been disqualified. The Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest evaluated the San Marino entry and concluded that the entry was in breach of rule 1.2.2.g of the contest.
"The lyrics and/or performance of the songs shall not bring the Shows, the ESC as such or the EBU into disrepute. No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted during the ESC. No swearing or other unacceptable language shall be allowed in the lyrics or in the performances of the songs. No commercial messages of any kind shall be allowed. A breach of this rule may result in disqualification." 1.2.2.g of the Rules of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest.

You can see and hear the song for yourself...


 
The country was giving an extension to their change the lyrics of the song OR to find a completely new song.

On the 22nd of March San Marino TV revealed Valentina’s new entry. The song is now renamed “The social network song” and has very slightly changed lyrics from the original version.

The song is either downright awful or genius.
It has a very infections chorus and has some very predictable rhymes but this makes is strangely memorable. Some will see this as being quite cynical others will see it as being topical and relevant. The video is also very clever (as well as cheap) and does it’s job quite well. On a performance point of view this gives us little idea about if Valentina can perofm this live OR what it will look like on the stage.

All I can say about thus is that San Marino may well be the smallest country in Eurovision but bloody hell do they know how to create a publicity stunt. There is no was in hell that this was an accident. On first hearing I actually even wrote on esctoday.com  that they would have to change the lyrics. This said, I actually really like this song and I think with a light hearted performance it will go down in Eurovision history- although it already has !!!



SONG - The social network song
ARTIST - Valentina Monetta
COMPOSERS - Timothy Touchstone, Jose Juan Santana, Ralph Siegel
LANGUAGE - English

Wednesday 21 March 2012

19/03/12 UNITED KINGDOM

A few weeks ago the BBC announced that they had internally selected Englebert Humperdink to represent the UK in Baku. On March 19th his song was released via the BBC Eurovision website and he will be singing the song “Love will set you free”

The song is quite a typical Englebert song -  a romantic, slow, waltzing ballad with a big finish. It starts of very quiet and haunting. The voice and guitar work at the start really sets the atmosphere of the song. After 2 verses and choruses the song really starts to ratchet up and springs into a fifth gear when he goes for the key change at 2:20 and the big note at the end really makes the song very memorable. The song is very well constructed and will do well in the contest. It does finish a bit short though and he could string the final note out or make the backing for that part even bigger to get it to the full 3 minutes.

Englebert is very experienced and I think most people are confident that he will be able pull of a good performance on in a vocal way. Obviously the video does not show off or showcase this but I think he will do a good job. Cannot wait to see a live performance though! It really does have an old fashioned chanson feel to it and I almost feel like the song could have sounded even better in French. I terms of visual performance I think they could go two ways. They could have him on his own with a very central focussed individual performer or have musicians/dancers involved n the periphery. Either way I think Englbert will not be doing a costume change or bursting into a dance routine!

This is a very good, classy choice and I feel that it should do well – especially with the juries as well as the schlager community. This is a very tasteful choice and I think many countries in Europe will be seeing this as a very serious contender.


SONG – Love will set you free
ARTIST – Englebert Humperdink
COMPOSERS - Martin Terefe, Sacha Skarbek
LANGUAGE – English