Eurovision 2023 Grand Final - thread 4

[GrandTheftWalrus]

Just incase anyone wants to carry on the chat.

Red I almost completely agree with your list-and I'm glad you have Salvador Sobral on there, because I know he wasn't everyone's cup of tea and he's one of my favourite winners, for being different (and I can still hum the tune)

For the last couple of days, I had the song from the Netherlands from last year going around my head - no idea what it was called, or who by - to the point I had to google 'Eurovision ooh aah 2022' and it came up! (It's S10, De Diepte, btw).

Eurovision really started for me though the year that Bucks Fizz won - and reached a real high when I was at uni (91-93 the Sam Janus/Michael Ball / Sonia years) .

We had some great parties.

Oh good no, definitely don't want to go back to public vote only. I think the balance now is about right.

I don't think there is a winner since 2009 who isn't memorable.

I think generally speaking Eurovision is now churning out two maybe three acts every year now that you will still really remember in some way in five to ten years even if you aren't an uber fan.

I think the depth of the contest is great.

If I have the Eurovision CDs on, I think there's generally about a third that I want to listen to again and again. There's a third that are mediocre and don't really stand the test of time. And a third that are utter dross.

But I think that's a pretty good hit rate tbh. Especially if you look at the mainstream charts.

And one of the bit things for me is the sheer variety of music.

We range from 12 to 50+ and all wanted Finland to win. It's been permanently ear-wormed in my head and I'm still not annoyed by it. Also voted for Austria and Czechia. All time favourite is still last year's Moldovan entry - it's just so happy! Loreen wasn't my thing, but can see why she won, and Sweden will be great hosts next year, so not too bitter about it. Love the idea upthread of the UK sending something sea shanty orientated - could be fun at least.

Did anyone else see the documentary about how not to win Eurovision about the Scottish lads who wanted to get a Scottish entry into Eurovision so entered the San Marino contest?

Every year someone mentions in the post mortem Eurovision round up how we should send a Welsh or Scottish entry. I don't think anyone has yet so I need to oblige...

The Proclaimers might be a winner, but since they are very pro Scottish independence, they'd never enter as the 'United Kingdom' song.

would it even be possible to separate out votes from England, wales etc in the phone votes?

There'd probably for technical reasons have to be a blanket bar on anyone from within the UK voting for any of the four constituent countries, which would almost certainly disadvantage the UK if all four were in the final because the UK's votes would be split amongst 22 countries whereas other countries' votes would be split amongst 25 countries.

Why is this relevant?

We havent sent a Scottish or Welsh or no representative for the UK in donkeys.

There isn't a voting issue with selecting someone from the regions to represent the uk.

I think there are two separate things being discussed here - sending a non-English act under the banner of the United Kingdom, and sending non-English acts under the banner of 'Wales' etc. as they do in football.

I can't see the latter happening. We'd have to forfeit auto qualification as the other countries, quite rightly wouldn't want the nations of the UK claiming multiple positions in the final.

Oh, I thought you meant the 4 nations sending a representative each!

Thank you, yes, I was confused!

Send someone from NI and give us lot down here somebody to support 🇮🇪

What was wrong with Wild Youth?
😂😇

Well the fact they didn't qualify kinda made it hard to cheer them on.

Love this

I'm 60 and thought the Finnish song was shite, as did my 29 year old son.

Thank you Jane, that was brilliant 🤩🐛

I love it and can't stop listening to it can't remember the Swedish song for the life of me.

I think that there is a real cultural element missing to the appreciation of some songs.

Take Treneletul from last year. Yes, they had a great rousing play in the fiddle and accordion in a looooong run of angsty ballads in the final.

But actually, the lyrics celebrate the cultural similarity between Romania and Moldova, in a train journey. And having done that very train journey, holy fuck, did they nail the atmosphere, the dialogue, the general chaos.

Keiino, Spirit in the Sky - incredibly evocative of riding a skidoo under the moonlight and the northern lights. Brividi - you didn't even need to read the translated lyrics to understand that it was about nerves tenderness, excitement of new love. Queen of Kings - you do feel like you could be on the prow of a ship with a sword in hand!

(nb spot the odd one out as something I have actually experienced)

Some experiences are more culturally specific than others, others more experience based. A song with a very generic message is always going to score better, but I do wish that the juries valued that evocative nature of songs - they certainly don't seem to with Keiino and Alessandra, they keep robbing Norway!

Horses for courses but just because a song is memorable doesn't make it good! There are lots of tunes that stick on your brain (e.g. We Buy Any Car), doesn't make them something you necessarily like and want to listen to. But if you like it - that's cool. I thought the Finnish song/performance etc was awful apart from part of the cha cha cha refrain.

Amazing video. Wow!! Thanks Jane.

I wouldn't normally* *listen to the Finnish song in a month of Sundays, but he had great energy and it was such good fun. A crowd pleaser. We were chanting along at home. I thought it was clever how it started off kind of techno, but morphed into a pop song.

What was wrong with Wild Youth?

Lacking in Cha Cha Cha ;)

I thought the Finnish song/performance etc was awful
How was it awful?