Well I've done really well haven't I? 6 months without a single post is quite an achievement. I'm sure all two of you have been very disappointed.
So gone is the NF season of 2011. Gone is Melfest 2011, MGP 2011, the other MGP 2011 and a whole heap of others that we pretend we like as much. So has this season given us the results we wanted?
Surprisingly yes. Although initially it felt very disappointing, in retrospect the general quality of this year is actually fairly strong. Central Europe is finally growing some balls and sending sone real gems (I'm looking at you Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia), while the countries you wouldn't expect to be less than perfect (Greece, Turkey) suspiciously are this year, though they're by no means bad songs.
And then there's the UK. It seems that odd numbered years could end up being our stronger ones (in contrast to Belgium). I almost cried when I found out that Blue were doing it. I'm not even a fan, I was just ecstatic that we weren't going to send a turd! I do love this song and it's definitely got a shot at the top 5. Anything less than 10th would be a disappointment which is an amazing thought in itself.
And Italy! That's weird, right?! They're actually back! Honestly never thought I'd see that in my lifetime! Not the best of return songs though.
So yeah, 2011 is pretty decent. I really do think that Sweden have it in the bag though no one seems to think. He's got the whole package, he just will win!
Who knows, maybe I'll write another bit of Blogger goodness before the next one comes along. Well you never know.
No I probably won't.
Friday, 25 March 2011
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Oh dear, this is going horribly wrong.
Huh. Well... a Eurovision blog that not only managed to miss the contest itself but the ENTIRE NF season! I am very embarrassed...
It was good though wasn't it?! The six joyous weeks of Melfest (granted it wasn't as good as 2009, especially semi-final 2, JESUS!), four weeks of the not so good but still great MGP and of course the truly embarrassing shambles that was the BBC's comical attempt at a national final. Or indeed a light entertainment programme. Bless them. The world's most respected broadcaster yet they can't even get an entertainment programme right. Better luck next year, eh?
Yes, although this blog was totally ignored by both author and readers alike, I did fully immerse myself into the season and came out of it with a much heavier iPod... as always. I'm now a proud owner of a bootleg copy of Alyosha's album, Manboy, Darin's album, Kom and yet another Alcazar track! Doesn't get much better than that!
And of course, the lovely Lena is spreading her poorly pronounced joy all over my ears to this day. Bee has to be one of the greatest Eurovision songs that never was. Like Mambo in 2006, Lay Your Love On Me in 2008 and Stay the Night in 2009 (I can't remember what it was in 2007) Bee defined my Summer of 2010. That's the best thing about Eurovision being in May: you spend three amazing month filling up your MP3 with the best Europe has to offer, enjoy three incredible, drunken nights of broadcasting beauty, and then listen to your rewards all the way through the hottest (usually) time of the year, picking up the odd album along the way. Lovely. That is exactly why I love Eurovision so much. So many people think it's just a one night a year thing but it just makes the year worth living through with incredible music that you know that barely anyone else is listening to. It's yours. And it's special because of that.
And just think, it'll all be starting again in barely a few months time. Potentially we could be hearing our first entry imminently since the deadline was brought forward to 1st September. We can of course be certain that the ever dependable Albania will be giving us a present on Christmas day of all times! And of course Switzerland reverts back to NFs again, thank god, this December.
Farewell Summer 2010, Summer 2011 I'm coming to get you!
It was good though wasn't it?! The six joyous weeks of Melfest (granted it wasn't as good as 2009, especially semi-final 2, JESUS!), four weeks of the not so good but still great MGP and of course the truly embarrassing shambles that was the BBC's comical attempt at a national final. Or indeed a light entertainment programme. Bless them. The world's most respected broadcaster yet they can't even get an entertainment programme right. Better luck next year, eh?
Yes, although this blog was totally ignored by both author and readers alike, I did fully immerse myself into the season and came out of it with a much heavier iPod... as always. I'm now a proud owner of a bootleg copy of Alyosha's album, Manboy, Darin's album, Kom and yet another Alcazar track! Doesn't get much better than that!
And of course, the lovely Lena is spreading her poorly pronounced joy all over my ears to this day. Bee has to be one of the greatest Eurovision songs that never was. Like Mambo in 2006, Lay Your Love On Me in 2008 and Stay the Night in 2009 (I can't remember what it was in 2007) Bee defined my Summer of 2010. That's the best thing about Eurovision being in May: you spend three amazing month filling up your MP3 with the best Europe has to offer, enjoy three incredible, drunken nights of broadcasting beauty, and then listen to your rewards all the way through the hottest (usually) time of the year, picking up the odd album along the way. Lovely. That is exactly why I love Eurovision so much. So many people think it's just a one night a year thing but it just makes the year worth living through with incredible music that you know that barely anyone else is listening to. It's yours. And it's special because of that.
And just think, it'll all be starting again in barely a few months time. Potentially we could be hearing our first entry imminently since the deadline was brought forward to 1st September. We can of course be certain that the ever dependable Albania will be giving us a present on Christmas day of all times! And of course Switzerland reverts back to NFs again, thank god, this December.
Farewell Summer 2010, Summer 2011 I'm coming to get you!
Monday, 8 February 2010
The Superfan's Guide to the NF Season
So clearly this blog isn't going to be a regular thing. More a sporadic burst every few months. Or every few days if I feel like it. Oh just subscribe to the damn RSS feed!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And Happy Valentine's Day. There, that's that one covered.
So as this is my fourth(ish) year of religiously following the national finals (NFs) from across Europe, I thought it would only be fair of me to finally share the wisdom and genius I've picked up over the years. Trust me, if you're just starting out on this niche road, you should really give these 8 simple rules a quick read.
1. Prepare Your Internet
If, like most of us, you're unlucky enough not to have one of those massive satellite dishes that let you pick up practically any channel from Europe, Asia and possibly even beyond, then you're going to have to experience the majority of the NF season through your computer. Ensure you're on an unlimited download internet plan as you're going to be using A LOT of bandwidth over the next few months. If you're using Wi-Fi, pray to god that you're not going to lose signal during Russia or Melodifestivalen. Keep an emergency Ethernet cable on your person at all times.
2. Prepare Your Armoury
You don't want to find a webcast that's being hosted on software that you haven't yet installed. Make sure you're already equipped with the latest versions of Windows Media Player, Flash (you haven't got the internet if you haven't got Flash), RealPlayer (yes, it's awful, we know!) and most bizarrely... and perhaps most importantly, Octoshape. If you're as embarrassed about following Eurovision as I am then a set of headphones are essential to keep the room deadly quiet. Otherwise use some really loud speakers to get the full effect!
3. Prepare a Timetable
Make sure you've got a record of dates and times at hand so you know exactly when you need to make that excuse during the night so you can quickly leave the room ("I've...got hepatitis. Bye."). Try and be aware in advance of which website the stream will be on so you can navigate your way there without any fuss. It's also useful to know the channel that it's being broadcast on in the country of origin so that if your webcast dies you can frantically attempt to find another one on Google by typing in "NRK1 live" or whatever and praying for the best (annoyingly the best rarely happens).
4. Prepare Yourself for Disappointment
It's easy to get your hopes up during the day for a night of pure NFs but do be aware that streams are often of dreadful quality. Whether this is down to a poor country's broadcaster having a really shoddy satellite that cuts out every five seconds and has wonky sound, or a very popular NF's stream being watched by too many fans. Whichever way it is, it's incredibly irritating but an all too common occurrence during the season. Just be grateful for YouTube.
5. Prepare Yourself for Boredom
There's nothing quite as tedious as a very long conversation in a very ugly language taking place between each song. Or how about a really long performance of something you have no interest in. You'll know what I mean if you were watching the Greek NF of 2009: a 40 minute 'tribute' to each and every sodding decade of Eurovision which was followed by Sakis finally performing (miming) three very average songs (R Jade, bless her was the only live one that night). Oh and there was also the 50 minute Ruslana concert in 2007 or 2008 in Malta between the entries and the results. All this happens regularly. Come up with ideas to make it more exciting: drinking games, cleaning, toilet breaks, Kit Kat eating. The possibilities are endless. As is the conversation or performance you're trying to avoid.
6. Prepare Yourself for Confusion
At most there's only going to be two or three NF conducted in your language so most of what you watch is going to make little sense to you. Formats of NFs vary dramatically from country to country. Some have straight televoting, some have a 'super-final', some have formats that don't actually work (Netherlands 2010). So if at first you think that your favourite has lost, wait a few more minutes just in case the one you thought had won has actually come third (and for some inexplicable reason is really happy about that (Malta every year)) or qualified into a super-final with the second wildcard of the fourth semi-final with the jury vote. You may laugh but it's probably happened in Slovakia or something.
7. Prepare Yourself for Clashes
This is inevitable. There's always going to be a night where at least two of the NFs you really wanted to see are on at the same time. Don't panic. Be aware of which NFs will be available on demand immediately after the show. If you play your cards right and avoid the fan sites and forums you should be able to watch the non-live NF without the result being ruined for you. Well fingers crossed anyway. If you're well aware of when one NF finishes then see if there's another final you could be watching as soon as that finishes, even if it's just 10 minutes. They could be the most exciting 10 minutes of the show! Another technique is to watch the performances of one NF, then as soon as they're finished flick over to another final and find out the results of the last one on a fan site.
8. Prepare Your Community Spirit
For me, part of the fun of the season is watching with fellow fans. Belittling and bitching about the worst entries will make your night complete, or at least fill in the gaps provided by those long foreign conversations! I've spent many a dark NF night in the company of the Eurovision fans of British entertainment site Digital Spy where we've all developed a delightful rapport with each other. If you're one for genuine bitchiness and even a bit of national offence then I'd almost certainly recommend the comments section of ESC Today where things get more than a little heated. At the most exciting of finals it almost compares to the comments section of a YouTube video! And that's saying something!
I think that probably covers the basics (and a bit more) for now. Feel free to leave your hints and tips in the comments for anything I might have missed.
In the meantime, scowl about the Netherlands' entry whilst desperately trying to get it out of your head.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And Happy Valentine's Day. There, that's that one covered.
So as this is my fourth(ish) year of religiously following the national finals (NFs) from across Europe, I thought it would only be fair of me to finally share the wisdom and genius I've picked up over the years. Trust me, if you're just starting out on this niche road, you should really give these 8 simple rules a quick read.
1. Prepare Your Internet
If, like most of us, you're unlucky enough not to have one of those massive satellite dishes that let you pick up practically any channel from Europe, Asia and possibly even beyond, then you're going to have to experience the majority of the NF season through your computer. Ensure you're on an unlimited download internet plan as you're going to be using A LOT of bandwidth over the next few months. If you're using Wi-Fi, pray to god that you're not going to lose signal during Russia or Melodifestivalen. Keep an emergency Ethernet cable on your person at all times.
2. Prepare Your Armoury
You don't want to find a webcast that's being hosted on software that you haven't yet installed. Make sure you're already equipped with the latest versions of Windows Media Player, Flash (you haven't got the internet if you haven't got Flash), RealPlayer (yes, it's awful, we know!) and most bizarrely... and perhaps most importantly, Octoshape. If you're as embarrassed about following Eurovision as I am then a set of headphones are essential to keep the room deadly quiet. Otherwise use some really loud speakers to get the full effect!
3. Prepare a Timetable
Make sure you've got a record of dates and times at hand so you know exactly when you need to make that excuse during the night so you can quickly leave the room ("I've...got hepatitis. Bye."). Try and be aware in advance of which website the stream will be on so you can navigate your way there without any fuss. It's also useful to know the channel that it's being broadcast on in the country of origin so that if your webcast dies you can frantically attempt to find another one on Google by typing in "NRK1 live" or whatever and praying for the best (annoyingly the best rarely happens).
4. Prepare Yourself for Disappointment
It's easy to get your hopes up during the day for a night of pure NFs but do be aware that streams are often of dreadful quality. Whether this is down to a poor country's broadcaster having a really shoddy satellite that cuts out every five seconds and has wonky sound, or a very popular NF's stream being watched by too many fans. Whichever way it is, it's incredibly irritating but an all too common occurrence during the season. Just be grateful for YouTube.
5. Prepare Yourself for Boredom
There's nothing quite as tedious as a very long conversation in a very ugly language taking place between each song. Or how about a really long performance of something you have no interest in. You'll know what I mean if you were watching the Greek NF of 2009: a 40 minute 'tribute' to each and every sodding decade of Eurovision which was followed by Sakis finally performing (miming) three very average songs (R Jade, bless her was the only live one that night). Oh and there was also the 50 minute Ruslana concert in 2007 or 2008 in Malta between the entries and the results. All this happens regularly. Come up with ideas to make it more exciting: drinking games, cleaning, toilet breaks, Kit Kat eating. The possibilities are endless. As is the conversation or performance you're trying to avoid.
6. Prepare Yourself for Confusion
At most there's only going to be two or three NF conducted in your language so most of what you watch is going to make little sense to you. Formats of NFs vary dramatically from country to country. Some have straight televoting, some have a 'super-final', some have formats that don't actually work (Netherlands 2010). So if at first you think that your favourite has lost, wait a few more minutes just in case the one you thought had won has actually come third (and for some inexplicable reason is really happy about that (Malta every year)) or qualified into a super-final with the second wildcard of the fourth semi-final with the jury vote. You may laugh but it's probably happened in Slovakia or something.
7. Prepare Yourself for Clashes
This is inevitable. There's always going to be a night where at least two of the NFs you really wanted to see are on at the same time. Don't panic. Be aware of which NFs will be available on demand immediately after the show. If you play your cards right and avoid the fan sites and forums you should be able to watch the non-live NF without the result being ruined for you. Well fingers crossed anyway. If you're well aware of when one NF finishes then see if there's another final you could be watching as soon as that finishes, even if it's just 10 minutes. They could be the most exciting 10 minutes of the show! Another technique is to watch the performances of one NF, then as soon as they're finished flick over to another final and find out the results of the last one on a fan site.
8. Prepare Your Community Spirit
For me, part of the fun of the season is watching with fellow fans. Belittling and bitching about the worst entries will make your night complete, or at least fill in the gaps provided by those long foreign conversations! I've spent many a dark NF night in the company of the Eurovision fans of British entertainment site Digital Spy where we've all developed a delightful rapport with each other. If you're one for genuine bitchiness and even a bit of national offence then I'd almost certainly recommend the comments section of ESC Today where things get more than a little heated. At the most exciting of finals it almost compares to the comments section of a YouTube video! And that's saying something!
I think that probably covers the basics (and a bit more) for now. Feel free to leave your hints and tips in the comments for anything I might have missed.
In the meantime, scowl about the Netherlands' entry whilst desperately trying to get it out of your head.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
I'm in love with ESC Kaz!
You've got to love the way a universe of Eurovision fan sites manage to keep on ploughing out news despite the fact that the Eurovision season doesn't even last the best part of five months. I do wonder if I'd be the obsessive that I am if it wasn't for the truly extraordinary amount of information served up by these sites. But there's one blog/news page that I've come to love, especially in recent months.
ESC Kaz is for me the most accurate Eurovision news site (or at least, it has been for the last two or so years) and one of the few that I'd trust with my life... well not my life; my endless Eurovision MP3s maybe. I'm sure you all know of it. It's the home of OGAE Rest of the World and the writers (or is it just writer?) seem to have a surprisingly massive multitude of contacts in the Eurovision world, often getting official words from actual broadcasters. They take Eurovision very seriously and certainly succeed in getting the job done. Just a shame there's no RSS feed. And just how do they make any money from it?!
Of course ESC Kaz is only one of many websites desperate to give you tidbits of information. But there's probably only two others that I religiously use.
ESC Today is always a pleasure to visit because it feels like you're on an actual news website which makes you feel like your obsession is something really important to the world! Then you realise it's not. It's an accurate site, they never jump the gun, but recently it's felt like they're losing out a little to ESC Kaz. They can sometimes be a bit few and far between with their updates.
And then of course there's the legendary Oikotimes: the shitrag of ESC. This site has a place in my heart solely for the fact that it is pure tabloid. Rumours are constantly reported as hard news. Anyone else remember a few months back when they "exclusively" told of how Luxumbourg would definitely be returning in 2010 and this would definitely definitely be happening? Bless their hearts. Another classic moment I remember was last year when they said that 28 countries may be present at the next Junior Eurovision Song Contest because the Dutch Wikipedia said so. Even by Oiko standards, this was a step too far and it was removed a few hours later. I also love the way the majority of staff at Oikotimes are unashamedly Greek. They do love their Greek NF rumours and they always pick out even the slighest indication that FYR Macedonia might be presented as just "Macedonia" and immediately express their disgust. Oh what a website! But just what is an "Oiko"?
Eurovision for me definately would not be the same without these websites: the second-by-second updates from rehearsals at the arena, the wild gossip of NF participants, the obituaries for former ESC contestants... actually come to think of it, obituaries for Eurovision are very rare. Perhaps if you compete, you end up living forever! Except for Toše, of course, oh poor Toše.
Good night Europe!
ESC Kaz is for me the most accurate Eurovision news site (or at least, it has been for the last two or so years) and one of the few that I'd trust with my life... well not my life; my endless Eurovision MP3s maybe. I'm sure you all know of it. It's the home of OGAE Rest of the World and the writers (or is it just writer?) seem to have a surprisingly massive multitude of contacts in the Eurovision world, often getting official words from actual broadcasters. They take Eurovision very seriously and certainly succeed in getting the job done. Just a shame there's no RSS feed. And just how do they make any money from it?!
Of course ESC Kaz is only one of many websites desperate to give you tidbits of information. But there's probably only two others that I religiously use.
ESC Today is always a pleasure to visit because it feels like you're on an actual news website which makes you feel like your obsession is something really important to the world! Then you realise it's not. It's an accurate site, they never jump the gun, but recently it's felt like they're losing out a little to ESC Kaz. They can sometimes be a bit few and far between with their updates.
And then of course there's the legendary Oikotimes: the shitrag of ESC. This site has a place in my heart solely for the fact that it is pure tabloid. Rumours are constantly reported as hard news. Anyone else remember a few months back when they "exclusively" told of how Luxumbourg would definitely be returning in 2010 and this would definitely definitely be happening? Bless their hearts. Another classic moment I remember was last year when they said that 28 countries may be present at the next Junior Eurovision Song Contest because the Dutch Wikipedia said so. Even by Oiko standards, this was a step too far and it was removed a few hours later. I also love the way the majority of staff at Oikotimes are unashamedly Greek. They do love their Greek NF rumours and they always pick out even the slighest indication that FYR Macedonia might be presented as just "Macedonia" and immediately express their disgust. Oh what a website! But just what is an "Oiko"?
Eurovision for me definately would not be the same without these websites: the second-by-second updates from rehearsals at the arena, the wild gossip of NF participants, the obituaries for former ESC contestants... actually come to think of it, obituaries for Eurovision are very rare. Perhaps if you compete, you end up living forever! Except for Toše, of course, oh poor Toše.
Good night Europe!
Monday, 14 December 2009
This could be the start of something...
Let's get this straight. I'm a closet Eurovision fan. Always have been. Probably always will be. I'm terrified of the looks I'd get in the street, the laughs I'd recieve from strangers, the torturous glares I'd get in coffee shops, restaurants, train stations, libraries, airports, buses, car parks, homeless shelters, mirrors, McDonald's, cups, pens, chairs, EVERYTHING!
I just wouldn't be able to handle it. I'd rather stick to a life of quietly watching NFs on my laptop in the corner of my room through headphones.
So yes. I'm obsessed with Eurovision. I wish I could just be a casual viewer who longs for Wogan to return, despises the East, gets bored of the voting and is unaware of the exsistance of the semi-finals. But I'm not that viewer. I'm the sodding opposite. I love the East, I adore the voting, I refuse to uriniate during the semis (let alone the final) and I HATE(d) Wogan with all my f-ing heart. Melfest has turned me into a social recluse six Saturdays of the year while my Eurovision house parties are just a way to ensure that I definately get to watch my beloved, rare programme (annoyingly my friend's birthday almost always falls on that night).
I've been holding these feelings inside for far too long. I need to get them out. I need to tell someone that I've played Stay the Night by Alcazar 1453 times on my iPod, I need to tell someone that I weapt as I sold my small and Precious (UK 1999) ESC DVD collection which I'd hidden under my bed for two years as I couldn't risk my mum finding them once I'd moved to university, I just need to tell someone and let it all out before I accidently lose my mind and do something adverse like...like... well something adverse and Eurovision related (possibly).
And that, my friends, is the purpose of this blog. I'll be returning here every so often (and hopefully you will too) noting my thoughts and feelings (yeah, ramblings) on that international event we all love so dearly. I'll document my daily struggle not to blurt out "BOM" in the street or burst into the entire Stay the Night routine which I have embarrassingly learnt step by step, off by heart. Fingers crossed my suffering will of some entertainment to someone out there.
Goodnight Europe!
I just wouldn't be able to handle it. I'd rather stick to a life of quietly watching NFs on my laptop in the corner of my room through headphones.
So yes. I'm obsessed with Eurovision. I wish I could just be a casual viewer who longs for Wogan to return, despises the East, gets bored of the voting and is unaware of the exsistance of the semi-finals. But I'm not that viewer. I'm the sodding opposite. I love the East, I adore the voting, I refuse to uriniate during the semis (let alone the final) and I HATE(d) Wogan with all my f-ing heart. Melfest has turned me into a social recluse six Saturdays of the year while my Eurovision house parties are just a way to ensure that I definately get to watch my beloved, rare programme (annoyingly my friend's birthday almost always falls on that night).
I've been holding these feelings inside for far too long. I need to get them out. I need to tell someone that I've played Stay the Night by Alcazar 1453 times on my iPod, I need to tell someone that I weapt as I sold my small and Precious (UK 1999) ESC DVD collection which I'd hidden under my bed for two years as I couldn't risk my mum finding them once I'd moved to university, I just need to tell someone and let it all out before I accidently lose my mind and do something adverse like...like... well something adverse and Eurovision related (possibly).
And that, my friends, is the purpose of this blog. I'll be returning here every so often (and hopefully you will too) noting my thoughts and feelings (yeah, ramblings) on that international event we all love so dearly. I'll document my daily struggle not to blurt out "BOM" in the street or burst into the entire Stay the Night routine which I have embarrassingly learnt step by step, off by heart. Fingers crossed my suffering will of some entertainment to someone out there.
Goodnight Europe!
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