Eurovision Semi 2 Cont...

[RedToothBrush]

Your Summary:

Armenia Refunded Boots
Ireland Milkshakes and Lichtenstein
Moldova One Sleeved Woman and her Sand Bitch
switzerland Red Dirty Dancers and Rylan’s Outfit
Latvian Norah Jones in a hat
Romania - Transylvian Bring your Gimp to Work Day
Denmark - Ladders and Clouds
Sweden - Gospel Velux Window
Austria - Blue Haired Vocal Panic Attack
Croatia - Ben Affleck’s Angel Wings
Malta - Maltese Molly And Her Pet Chameleon
Lithuania - Captain America and His Lions
Russia - Vanity Shower Screens
Albania - Rylan’s Nashers Channel Dark Yodelling
Norway - Ken The Spirited Club Style Yoiker
Netherlands - A Nice Moody Ballad from Duncan the Dutchman
North Macedonia - Mel Off Eastenders
Azerbaijan - Shut Up! Lazzzzeerrrssss

Vin Diesel

It's David Essex. He was in Eastenders for a while.

Very good Serhat comparisons! I have decided he has Duncan Bannatyne's eyebrows.
Insomnia has meant me replaying my top 10 several times and I have finally decided who I am rooting for on Saturday.

I want Italy to win. The lyrics are bloody heartbreaking, like Stromae's Papaoutai. It's a really strong song, have had it on repeat the last hour.
wiwibloggs.com/2019/02/11/mahmoods-soldi-lyrics-tell-a-painful-story-about-living-without-a-father-figure/

If not Italy then out of the other message songs, France

I want Norway to come second. Totally different genre but really catchy.

If not Norway from the earworm songs then I'd give it Switzerland

Happy for Netherlands to come in 3rd. Duncan performs well live.
If not him then Sergey.

I know some of you think it's a poor year but it's the first time in ages I've had half a dozen songs I love, another four I like, and several I wouldn't mind winning based on live performance.

Now watch Maschreiah Scary from Albania go and win it

Views on YouTube - shall I take a punt?

1. Italy 4.2 million views / 71k
2. France 2.8 million / 766k
3. Norway 1 million / 36k
4. Switzerland 4 million / 113k
5. Netherlands 9 million / 126k
6. Russia 3.2 million / 185k
7. Australia 2.2 million / 1.1 mill
8. Iceland 1.4 million / 1 mill
9. San Marino 1.3 million / 519k

10. Slovenia 1 million / 652k

Hmm. Am no good at assessing odds - smart money on Australia or France from the live performance/rehearsal views? will they equate into votes though?

Still not tired. Curse you insomnia

Running order is up!

Ha! Albania has the death slot (2nd) break song 4 (Germany) Pimp slots for Australia and Spain.

1. Malta
2. Albania
3. Czech Republic
4. Germany
5. Russia
6. Denmark
7. San Marino
8. North Macedonia
9. Sweden

10. Slovenia 11. Cyprus 12. Netherlands 13. Greece 14. Israel 15. Norway 16. United Kingdom 17. Iceland 18. Estonia 19. Belarus 20. Azerbaijan 21. France 22. Italy 23. Serbia 24. Switzerland 25. Australia 26. Spain

I give up and am going to make a
@RedToothBrush
hey lovely, I have here your reminder list for Saturday's round up so all you'll have to do when copying and pasting is add our snark for the Big Five and Host along with any edits/funnies from the non-spoilered mumsnetters joining us. I am still not sodding sleepy. See you in 48 hours

1. Malta - Maltese Molly And Her Pet Chameleon
2. Albania - Rylan’s Nashers Channel Dark Yodelling
3. Czech Republic - The Wiggles EuroFwend
4. Germany
5. Russia - Vanity Shower Screens
6. Denmark - Ladders and Clouds
7. San Marino - Right Said Fred Goes to Benidorm
8. North Macedonia - Mel Off Eastenders
9. Sweden - Gospel Velux Window

10. Slovenia - Dull and In Love. Apparently. Snore. Slow-venia 11. Cyprus - Chandelier pants and PVC 12. Netherlands - A Nice Moody Ballad from Duncan the Dutchman 13. Greece - Nasally 12 Days of Christmas Fairies 14. Israel 15. Norway - Ken The Spirited Club Style Yoiker 16. United Kingdom 17. Iceland - Do I Really Need to Remind You?!! Mad Max the Musical. 18. Estonia - Mr Wholesome with the Disappearing Guitar 19. Belarus - Britney Belarus 20. Azerbaijan - Shut Up! Lazzzzeerrrssss 21. France 22. Italy 23. Serbia - Wicked Ice Queen Angelina Jolie's False Leg 24. Switzerland - Red Dirty Dancers and Rylan’s Outfit 25. Australia - Glenda The Good Witch on a Bouncy Stick. 26. Spain

Rylan hath murdered sleep. Loved him in this

It may be due to the lack of sleep but have decided to put some cash on Australia as they have a pimp slot and the staging went down a storm

I am thinking the same Rage, and that song has really grown on me.

Though Iceland are going to stand out marvelously between the UK and Estonia. Estonia in particular.

I tend to overlook the big 5 and most of the time I think their entries suck but this year I think Italy has sent a really good song.

It is now on my permanent playlist math and I can sing the chorus even though me speak no italiano!
I am feeling most warm towards them all this year - there's only a couple I'd begrudge winning.
Do I dare do a double bet where I put Germany last?!
(I still don't know why we got the shrieky sisters when we could have had Linus Bruhn (cute boyband type) or Aly Ryan (projections on a sexy dress). He sang better than her live but at least they both had something less shrill.

Yeah agree Australia has the ideal slot and that's going to really work for them.

The first 6 act of the night are warm up songs. Russia will be gutted at the draw as it's definitely a slow start to the night. Serhat comes on for the first big song of the night and we start to get going.

We get the instantly forgettable slot between the fun of Norway and the crazy Iceland where everyone goes to top up on snacks or for a toilet break (although people might cross their legs until Estonia not wanting to miss Iceland). I think there might be a break for pointless talking to contestants around song 16 and 17 though. If we are lucky it'll be straight after us. But of a shit slot. Only thing going for us this year is there isn't too much similar and ballads like that tend to do okay. If we have a good night it's mid table mediocrity and if we are lucky we get the left side of the results.

Norway and Iceland have the benefit of being early enough before everyone is ratted. San Marino hit a sweet spot where everyone has just woken up and are tipsy if they haven't followed 'Wogan's Rule'.

But it's hard to argue between the winner being one of France, Italy and Australia.

So I think top eight will feature Norway, Iceland, San Marino, France, Italy, Australia plus a disappointing show from The Netherlands and a surprise good result for North Macedonia (its by far the best female ballad so that should stand it in good sted).

Winner: Head says Australia. Though I hope either France or Italy pip it.

I'd be happy with any of that top eight winning apart from The Netherlands tbh (don't tell my Eurovision loving Dutch mate who I've promised to visit for Eurovision if they ever win!)

Not a vintage year but I think there is a nice bunch of fairly memorable songs to pick a winner from.

Image if Serhat won though!!!

I don't like the lyrics to Iceland's having read the translation (I don't like Denmark's schmaltz but the dystopian warning isn't doing it for me either although I'm a big depeche mode fan so I wouldn't begrudge them a win). I know they are meant to be anticapitalist synthpunk political performance artists. They are so damned serious though and take themselves so seriously (even though sometimes their delivery is so deadpan it's funny and their drum gimp wore full leather to the beach). But Richard Arnold asked whether douze points was the mute one's safeword and alluded to Hannibal Lecter and not a snicker from any of them. The whole toppling capitalism thing (and needing to sell merch to do so) just makes me think of Rik Mayall.
I ended up liking Slovenia's even though it's slow - I assume them getting through was why Monkseal tweeted IN YOUR FACE HETEROPHOBES lyricstranslate.com/en/sebi-yourself.html The lyrics and melody are nice enough but I don't see their chemistry as a couple. He probably needs to make her a projecting, much
Portugal and Romania ought to have been there instead of Estonia and Denmark but you can't win 'em all.

Since 2013, the running order has been decided by the show producers and the EBU. The only thing randomly determined is which half each act will perform in, which is drawn after each semi-final.

The idea is to provide a degree of variation in genre and feel, rather than, for instance, giving us six ballads in a row. The running order also takes staging requirements into consideration, ensuring that large props won’t be crowding the off-stage area all at once, nor will we get a glut of performances all with the same colour lighting.

Pretty sure we must be act before the chat break. With Iceland and their big cage straight after.

If we look at the history of Eurovision then we will see that in the last 20 years (1998-2018) only six songs which performed in the first half have managed to win to contest. That’s around 30%. If you are lucky enough to draw second half then spots 17-25 have the best chances of winning the contest.

In particular, spot 17 has three victories: Loreen in 2012 for Sweden, Marija Šerifovic in 2007 for Serbia and Lordi in 2006 for Finland. The next best position is 22 – Netta won for Israel last year performing 22nd and Lena had the exact spot nine years ago in Oslo.

Iceland have the Lord slot which is interesting and possibly good for them.

In previous years, the running order has also given an indication of who might have done well in their semi-finals. 2018 is a very good example – Netta performed 22nd after she had won her semi-final. Runner up Eleni Foureira who came second at the semi final was positioned 24th .

They are expecting good showing for Italy, France and Australia then...

wiwibloggs.com/2019/05/17/eurovision-2019-grand-final-running-order/239155/

Ooh thanks red I wondered how they did it - just heard a youtuber saying similar...and that Australia and Netherlands had 'won' their semis. Interesting for Iceland and Italy. I wouldn't have done France and Italy next to each other and would have shoved Israel in the first six, sorry Israel!

I wish they could have prize categories as well as the main prize - one for ballad, one for banger, one for kitsch, one for message.
It's genuinely hard for me to choose this year when the ones I like are so different. I still need to go buy snacks but my scorecards for the famalam are ready!
pix.eurovisionworld.com/grafik/2019/scorecard-eurovision-2019-final.pdf
DD1 and 2 were watching Germany's Top Model last night and didn't want spoilering on either night so it will be really good to see how they react (eldest likes a choon, youngest likes camp). DH missed Tues but saw Thurs - he liked Azerbaijan.

David Sneddon wrote the Greece entry so, being an utter nerd, I just wikied him. He helped co-write Lana Del Rey's song National Anthem. Colour me shocked! Very prolific too, I had no idea.

I also wish to disapprove in the strongest terms of the German entry's band name having an exclamation mark in it,
S!sters.
It is reminding me of the film Se7en and I want whoever's idea it was's head in a box

I am having a long procrastinate and need to get shit done soon but in the meantime drinking game inclusions taken from...
www.missioneurovision.co.uk/games/eurovision-bingo/

Thigh Boots
Singing out of tune
Key Change
Someone wearing a hat
Synchronised dance routine
Fake rain
Fire
Bondage

My favourite on there is
Hey! You were here in 2016!

I'm so glad Austria didn't get through. I never want to hear that "song" again. And why is autocorrect questioning the word Austria? Does it even exist? Maybe I'm imagining it and that song was just my subconscious crying out for help.

The only song which makes my heart melt is the Zero Gravity . If Australia doesn't win I am still going to be happy with the gongs going to the Netherlands, Italy, France or Azerbaijan.

@RageAgainstTheVendingMachine - wish they could have prize categories as well as the main prize - one for ballad, one for banger, one for kitsch, one for message.
Jayzus, we'd never get home if that happened! I can imagine the calls to the 41 international juries would take ages like they don't already take forever to give their 8, 10 and 12 points

At this point in Ireland our national broadcaster wants the government to agree to increase the cost of the TV license fee, all the while spending money on sending songs to Eurovision that haven't a hope of qualifying.

I would honestly think that if we were to send "The Voice" with Emer Quinn in now, we wouldn't qualify for the Final let alone win the thing, yet that was our last winning song.

If only we could have come up with "Baby Shark" which could have been sung in all European languages and be so catchy bet you are all singing it now in your heads we might have a chance but I think we should withdraw from the competition for the next few years.

Oh, forgot Iceland to add to my list! Sorry Iceland.

I’m still not sure what why Australia is in Eurovision. Nothing against Australia or Kate (I’m Australian myself!) but it’s Eurovision so I guess they can do whatever they want

Just finished semi 2 and Norway was my clear favourite.

Totally on the Australia bandwagon, would love to see them win but I think it will be hard to beat The Netherlands. They do deserve a win too as they've sent some really great entries since they started making an effort.

I'm no great fan of Russia but it does feel like it has been buried in that running order. And surprise surprise, Sweden get a good spot once again. Feel sorry for Malta opening. While I understand the reason for the producer picked running order, I think I preferred it when they drew numbers as it was a lot fairer.

I wouldn't have done France and Italy next to each other and would have shoved Israel in the first six, sorry Israel!

The host country draws their position in the running order quite early on. So Israel’s slot has been known for weeks, and isn’t flexible.

I would honestly think that if we were to send "The Voice" with Emer Quinn in now, we wouldn't qualify for the Final let alone win the thing, yet that was our last winning song.

Well yes, because it's a 23 year old song and would not work in modern Eurovision. It also wouldn't be commercially popular. Times change and both Ireland and the UK have totally failed to keep up. RTE and the BBC make minimal effort with their entries and then whinge when they don't qualify/come last in the final. The answer is not to withdraw, but to make an effort.

The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Portugal were in the doldrums for years, but they've all had successful entries recently.

Why don't they get some of the super fans to pick the song? They are the experts and whoever is doing it now doesn't have a clue.

I’m still not sure what why Australia is in Eurovision

Israel isn't in Europe either.