I hadn’t realised that Eurovision was still running? But it is apparently.
It’s a pretty appalling bit of television which I will try to avoid at all costs. I think the last time it was any good was when Abba hit our screens back in 1974 with Waterloo. I remember it well, which shows how old I am?
I gave up when the whole thing became like a Russian election – with a predictability about voting. That ‘we’ll vote for you if you vote for us’ or ‘You’ll vote for us otherwise we’ll invade your Country’ rather detract from the ‘music’. That’s another thing – the ‘music’. It’s challenging at the best of times. Bust most of the time it’s just awful.
So I was delighted that we have really pulled the stops out for 2012. Forget trying to push out some young talented groups (actually in fairness it would be the kiss of death) we have wheeled out a 75 year old. Englebert Humperdink is to represent the UK? He seems well qualified – having his last hit 40 years ago – “Too Beautiful to Last” reached Number 14 in the UK charts. Apparently he has sold 150 million records.
What is going on?
I think there is an ulterior motive. As Ireland found out, it’s expensive to run this gig. And if you win it twice, it’s twice as expensive. Frankly the UK can’t afford it – we’re doing the throwing spears games thing this year. We need a few years to save up for anything else. So, rather than just tell the ‘committee’ to stick their barely disguised fixed ‘competition’, we are entering a no-hoper.
Genius.
And I’m still not watching it. I would rather saw my leg off with a spoon (that might win…)
Although I agree that the voting is very iffy. One thing to take into account is that in a majority of countries that participate the acts are actually mainstream and popular not only in their own countries but also across europe. From a continental point of view it seems that for the last two decades we only ever put forward unknown acts.
France, Germany, Italy and Spain have similarly suffered in the last decade since the rise of eastern european countries taking part has forced a change in eurovision’s musical tastes.
Bad for us, great for anyone who loves Eastern European pop. My favourite was Kraljevi ulice and the rapper 75 Cents (so called because he was 75 years old) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkHL5tULoWw
That all said i’m as equally baffled as you as to why we take part, perhaps the ratings are still high?
Thanks Martin, clearly there are talented people out there and I’m not knocking them. But the whole voting thing is a joke most of the time. And that’s what bores me. As to our entry this year it will be interesting to see just how low we can get in the league table!