It's time

First semi final was yesterday, and wonderful news for music lovers everywhere : Jedward are in the final

i missed the semi final. i'll probably try and watch tomorrow's and the final on saturday.

is the bit i bolded meant to be sarcasm barry

I watched the first half dozen acts and then gave up. Even the undoubted beauty of the Greek girl could not atone for her bland and boring song. As for some of the other "contestants", Salvador Dali himself could not have dreamed up anything so surreal.

I shall not be wasting any time on the final this weekend. Eurovision is not even amusing any more. I may listen to some music instead.

Yep, Jedward, Russian grannies and Our Englebert - surreal is the best word I've heard yet. Perhaps they should have the Argos alien family commentating to add some relative normality.

Unfortunately I'll be on a train on Saturday night so I'll miss a lot of it


Ah well

One of my pupes and his family are having a Eurovision Party on Saturday. His mum and him are going as Jedward. This lad aspires to becoming a music teacher.

Head-in-Hands-Bag x

(Or should that be Head-in-Paws-Bag)????

Well, I never ever thoughtI'd find myself saying this - but that song that Englebert is presenting for us is beautiful and touching. A slightly unusual sentiment, and his style doesn't grate nearly as much as I'd expected. Sounds good for his age - I couldn't stick him at any price when he was young, thought he was smarmy, just a cheap sopangly version of Tom Jones. (I just wish he wouldn't sing lurve, though)

My family are spread around the world, yet a new tradition (started last year) brings us together for Eurovision.

We watch online, and have a shared google document which we use to vote. Votes come in from Canada, Switzerland, Hungary and England. I make comments about the quality of the music, younger siblings the entertainment value, nieces concentrate on how good looking the men are, and the beauty (or not) of the dresses.

It makes for a fun evening - not much fun from the show, but lots resulting from the comments from my peculiar family.

Second semi final tonight on BBC 3 at 20:00hrs

In our house we play "key change bingo". Guess the number of mindcrunchingly excrutiating and unnecessary key changes the song will go through. You have to have placed your bet in the first 30 seconds of the song. It's great fun for all the family! Play for a prize to add to the excitement!

Ah well. It won't win then.

I won't be able to watch as I will be doing something else - even if I don't yet know what it is.

Just had the REALLY horrible realisation that instead of settling down with a bottle of wine to enjoy this on Saturday night I am going to be stuck in a choral concert (daughter singing) where I will have to endure surely inferior songs by chaps called Purcell, Handel, Parry, Walton and Rutter. Noooo!!!

I had begun to dip into the Eurovision website to prepare myself too. Interesting Albanian video. Does anyone know what she's singing about? With characteristic bad taste, I liked quite a few of the bits and bobs I listened to - Iceland, Hungary, Albania - and I'm afraid to say I do quite like the UK entry. Not at all taken with the Russian grannies, though...

Or on BBC4 is a programme on Hugh Munro and peak bagging.

( )

I'm watching it now on Swedish TV online!

Now there's a thought - combining peak bagging with a camping trip.

No - that's not a thought. Dismiss it immediately. Thank you.

Vote Russia. That is all.

i'm voting for sweden and malta (maybe lithuania. )

That is the wrong answer Rach. The correct answer is 'I'm voting for Russia'.

i didn't really like their song much.

So i'm still voting for sweden and malta. The only reason i voted yesterday (and probably will vote for them tomorrow) for Lithuania is because of the lead singer (song was good though)

There's so much political voting in Eurovision these days that there isn't much point! The UK has no chance of winning, whatever they submit. If you enjoy the hype and listening to the songs on the night, that's fine, but it's not a true competition.

I'm just listening to radio 3. The announcer has just mentioned the Eurovision, and said he thought Englebert H would take the proze, political voting or not.

"So, in his honour:" and on comes the overture to Hansel and Gretel!

I'm sure Eng's song has more prose in it than in some of the other songs, so he'd get a prize for prose, if there was one!

We have got semi final 2 on TV here in Oz as I write but I fear that I missed Englebert. How old is he? Our commentator says he is older than all except one Russian.....They look pretty old....

He's 76. A voice like that (even electronically somewhat enhanced, dare I suspect?) is pretty impressive. Nearer 80 than 70!

And looking good to someone who's 64 like what I am!

I thought he looked extraordinarily good - perhaps the voice isn't the only thing that might have had some enhancement? (NB I'm not criticising, just commenting - he's perfectly free to do whatever he chooses!)

I just checked out Engelbert on YouTube.

That great voice could belong to anyone from their mid-20's upwards.

If you only listened, and could not see him, you'd have no idea how old he is. Except that you would never imagine it was a 76-year old.

I am amazed.

COME ON SPAIN!

It's almost on tv!!! getting excited

do do dodo do do dooooooo doooooo do do dodo do do dododododo, do do dodo do do doooooo doooooooo do do do do do*trill* do doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Hump is approaching

I thought he was good. if people around europe dont forget the song, we could get quite good points (not enough to win though).

Hungary (act on the moment are absolute rubbish)

Oh was Hump on first? I've only heard the song on Jonathon Ross no Graham Norton oh heck one of those shows.

I can't drink enough to get through the evening...

Barry, Your favourites are coming. (im still not voting for them)

Oooh like Iceland's one!! But then I would, folky fiddle!!

i liked them too. (sort of like Norway from 3 years ago though)


don't really like cyprus (the ones on atm)

Me neither, it's too low for her....and France has had a few slightly offkey moments....


Italy's song sounds very familiar, I just can't quite place the one that they've copied based it on....chart hit from the last few years!

Oh God. I've ended up watching the damned thing Well I've had a fair bit of booze.

OH just pointed out that the Italian entry was clearly influenced by the Arctic Monkeys.

Alicia Dickson, is what I was thinking of....I think it has a few major influences...

Estonia was a bit angsty for me, and really don't like Norway!!

Actually I'm enjoying it. Though I have the sound turned off and can hear the blackbirds in the garden.

Ah here's the entertaining bit. Voting. Though I do miss Katie Boyle.

Nurse - my medication.

Just want to officially note that in keeping with a tradition I've maintained since 1973 I am not watching it

Well I am...and my faves are Iceland, germany and Denmark...all real music, no miming (or minimal) and nice tunes...LOL bet none of them come near the top!

Very glad (with the current issues we have in Gib with our neighbours) that I wasn't keen on the Spanish one...

It's too close to call. Sweden and Malta could be close for the winning. Russia might get good points too.

Snap!

I loved the cakes in the oven thing (but I couldn't help noticing they didn't use oven gloves )

CONGRATULATIONS SWEDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!








(At least the babushki didn't win)

although she was the bookie's favourite and the track had been number1 in several european countries.

Don't like you any more

Poor old Engelbert...not quite so bad as Norway...