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Eurovision 2023 Grand Final - thread 4

500 replies

GrandTheftWalrus · 14/05/2023 00:15

Just incase anyone wants to carry on the chat.

OP posts:
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19
thecatsthecats · 14/05/2023 10:56

RedToothBrush · 14/05/2023 10:44

We spent A LOT this week and I'm local and didn't need a hotel.

I haven't seen Liverpool as busy as that before. Not midweek mid-afternoon.

I believe that they think Liverpool itself will break even at least if not run a profit. Which is unheard of for a host city. I'm not surprised tbh.

Plus it's been good for the city in terms of it being cleaned up - which it needed and will do it good in other ways for a good while.

It's good for the BBC in terms of prestige and international reputation. That in turn is good for Britain in soft power terms.

Show quote history

One of the locals we spoke to said that from his knowledge, Aintree brings in millions, and that's not even a vaguely comparable scale of event, that mostly happens off site.

Plus it reminded us how much we love the city. Planning to come back soon.

(in contrast, we were in Turin last year, and whilst it's a nice city, they were dreadful hosts and put in an absolutely pathetic effort - not remotely the same vibe and atmosphere)

Willmafrockfit · 14/05/2023 10:57

You will never Walk Alone
was fabulous

KnickerlessParsons · 14/05/2023 10:58

There was definitely a problem with the voting too, in the U.K. at least. I never actually managed to get through to vote for Australia

OublietteBravo · 14/05/2023 10:59

I’ve loved the U.K. being the host country. It was fabulous to see the semis given a spot on BBC1.

Delighted to see the continued love for Sam Ryder. He was such a wonderful ambassador for us last year.

I think the rest of the world televote should stay. Not convinced that televote-only semis are good. I think there is a danger that this will discourage some countries from competing. I’d think I’d bring back the juries, but have them vote in the opposite semi to the televote (so the national jury would vote in the opposite semi to the one their act was performing in, with the televote voting in the same semi as their act).

KimberleyClark · 14/05/2023 11:01

Mindovermatter247 · 14/05/2023 00:18

Convenient Sweden won, so it will be hosted there next year on no other than the 50th anniversary of abba winning… little bit sus if you ask me 🧐

I thought the same.

KimberleyClark · 14/05/2023 11:04

Inthedarkagain · 14/05/2023 09:22

Did anyone else find that the quality if the songs or level of the artists experience didnt match the effort we put into the stage/production. Not clutching at straws here as I didn't rate the UK entry, but I thought maybe some of the more duller songs or more inexperienced artists didnt match the stage aspect with all the lights and big screens. It was very full on, but the songs stuck out as a bit crap against it all. I don't think that helped some of the entrants at all.

I think the songs are overwhelmed by the staging in many cases.

Mandalor · 14/05/2023 11:08

Mae was awful, the song was okay-ish but sadly she doesn't have any stage presence or performance charisma, no wonder we did so badly, such a let down really. I feel like any song sung better would have been in the top 10! Lots of meh songs so it was a good year to shine...shame! Just shows how amazing Sam Ryder was/is.

Who on earth chose Mae?? I'm sure she's a lovely woman but just not cut out for performing/singing/dancing!

RitaCrudgington · 14/05/2023 11:10

I like the televote-only semis. It means that bonkers stuff like Croatia gets through over worthy but dull torch songs, and it keeps it varied.

I think that the reason you can't vote in your own country's semi-finals is to stop gamesmanship: deliberately not voting for your strongest competitor and sending weaker acts through - I can't see that changing.

I noticed that the UK put Poland and Lithuania second and third in the phone vote as usual. Their diaspora always comes through for them in the UK televote - the UK Lithuanian population is surprisingly large.

Spudlet · 14/05/2023 11:10

I did feel for her when Sam Ryder came on stage five minutes later and absolutely smashed it…

KnickerlessParsons · 14/05/2023 11:24

PlusOneMet · 14/05/2023 09:52

Did the UK pay for all of that? So let’s say with Sweden they asked for that box thing? I think nowadays so much can be done by graphics/CGI? There seemed to still be a lot of expensive staging .

U.K. (BBC) is one of the "big five" who bankroll most of the cost and the European Broadcasting Association/Company/? fund the rest.

KnickerlessParsons · 14/05/2023 11:26

Mandalor · 14/05/2023 11:08

Mae was awful, the song was okay-ish but sadly she doesn't have any stage presence or performance charisma, no wonder we did so badly, such a let down really. I feel like any song sung better would have been in the top 10! Lots of meh songs so it was a good year to shine...shame! Just shows how amazing Sam Ryder was/is.

Who on earth chose Mae?? I'm sure she's a lovely woman but just not cut out for performing/singing/dancing!

I agree so much with this. Quite nice song, poorly performed/staged on the night.
Sung/performed by anyone else it would have been on the left of the scorecard for sure.
Unless the BBC didn't want to win and host the whole thing for a second year running)

EsmaCannonball · 14/05/2023 11:29

I, too, think something akin to the sea shanty man, or something with a bit more UK flavour, would be a good idea. Something non-generic, with personality and a singer with presence and stadium-worthy ability.

We also need to go to town on the production values. Sam Ryder looked very Eurovision but the bloke two years ago looked like he'd shopped for his outfit in Burton's and Mae looked like she was in some kind of office-wear to evening-wear combo. I don't mind not winning but I hate it when we don't even bother to enter something with a bit of impact.

Riverlee · 14/05/2023 11:30

Does anything think the contest has lost its focus? It’s no longer about the song, but about the performance. I wonder if you listened to the songs (without reference to the country?) there’d be a different outcome?

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 14/05/2023 11:41

Riverlee · 14/05/2023 11:30

Does anything think the contest has lost its focus? It’s no longer about the song, but about the performance. I wonder if you listened to the songs (without reference to the country?) there’d be a different outcome?

Yes, I think so. It's definitely a different experience when you listen to them.
Staging and performance has a lot to do with the success of a song on the night.

Willmafrockfit · 14/05/2023 11:42

so glad the man from iceland got to sing, after 2020 and then again 2021. covid

oops2 · 14/05/2023 11:47

Interesting comments. Actually, I'm surprised (or maybe not) that Finland was the favourite. Apart from the cha, cha, cha - which was catchy but annoyingly so - it was awful. Singing and visually.

Sweden's entry I thought was very good and actually better than Euphoria. Staging cool (I think each country bring their own sets?), but was distracted by those nails so I think that put people off, because if you listen to it without visuals, it's catchy (and a top streaming track even before the competition).

Don't forget, Loreen/Sweden did come in 2nd in the public vote, it's not like she didn't get any of the people's votes! Sweden are prolific music producers so a lot of the tunes you hear from the big US/UK stars are written/produced by Swedes so maybe there is a familiarity that means the Swedes generally do quite well in these competitions.

Johnny Logan won twice so she's not the first, and there have been several other times a winner has entered a second time, though not necessarily winning on return.

I actually quite like the UK tune but performance a bit meh. UK will never do that well in tele voting because Brits generally are not into the Eurovision like some of the other countries, so their expats (compared with the Nordics expats) will never be the most prolific voters! And Brexit and Boris hasn't helped with the UK image abroad...

JediIsMyMaster · 14/05/2023 11:49

I didn’t actually like Euphoria either, so perhaps I just don’t like Loreen’s music much!

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 14/05/2023 11:55

Just thinking about @Riverlee's comments again. I don't think Eurovision has lost its focus. It has been like that for years and years. It's a long time now since it was only about the song. It will never be impartial either.

I agree that the Swedish song was popular with juries and the public where Finland's got the popular vote. I don't know if a winner should be allowed back though? Loreen didn't bring anything new to the competition.

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 14/05/2023 11:56

JediIsMyMaster · 14/05/2023 11:49

I didn’t actually like Euphoria either, so perhaps I just don’t like Loreen’s music much!

I'm not either.

PrincessScarlett · 14/05/2023 11:58

Yes, agree that Sam Ryder coming on 5 minutes after Mae and singing his arse off didn't help at all and totally showed her performance up.

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 14/05/2023 11:59

Unfortunate timing.

oops2 · 14/05/2023 12:08

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 14/05/2023 11:55

Just thinking about @Riverlee's comments again. I don't think Eurovision has lost its focus. It has been like that for years and years. It's a long time now since it was only about the song. It will never be impartial either.

I agree that the Swedish song was popular with juries and the public where Finland's got the popular vote. I don't know if a winner should be allowed back though? Loreen didn't bring anything new to the competition.

So, if previous winners are not allowed back, does that mean previous song writers shouldn't be either? Because I have a feeling that will really limit the number of entries as the songwriters often reconfigure and tend to be asked to contribute again and again and again...

oops2 · 14/05/2023 12:11

So Finland won the public vote but both Finalnd/Norway (I liked this)/Sweden were way ahead of the pack

Finland - 376
Sweden - 243
Norway - 216
Ukraine - 189

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 14/05/2023 12:11

That's a really good question @oops2.
Maybe they shouldn't be!