Jade Makes A Video!

We've just over a month to go until Eurovision 2009, and our very own entry - Jade Ewan - has just unleashed the video for 'It's My Time' and it's made me warm to it much, much more. Forgetting the jaw-droppingly bad lyrics, Jade's managed to add a bit of personality and zest to the track, building it up and up before letting go in an almighty fashion on the last chorus. Plus look who pops up a minute in.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTos6sAXJ_Q[/youtube]

(The Digital Dog remix is worth a poppers o'clock giggle.)

Eurovision 2009: The Netherlands

The draw for Eurovision 2009 took place today and we know now that the UK are performing 23rd out of 25. Good spot.

I've just started looking through the rest of Europe's entries and an immediate high (low) light is Netherland's entry from De Toppers. They're all individual solo stars in Holland who've now come together to form this group. One of them has even released a whopping 22 albums. It's all very strange.

The costumes are hilarious, the women look inexplicable, one of the men appears to be about 30 years younger than the other two and there's a brilliant hands in the air breakdown towards the end. Never mind the extremely ridicuous keychanges in the last ten seconds.

It's exactly the type of thing the UK will award 12 points to.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfmiyg4hnag[/youtube]

Eurovision 2009

Some people are scarily obsessed with Eurovision. To my friends, I probably seem the obsessed one, but in my case it's only mild. However, in 2006, thanks to a couple of press passes and a why not attitude, my friend Darren and I went off to Helsinki to check the contest out. It was amazing. Finland was so excited to be hosting the contest and everyone but the UK seemed to be taking it deadly seriously. Of course, we sent Scooch, and fully deserved the bottom two placing we got.

Last year, I became Lucio's official Eurovision 'correspondent' on Capital FM in London and had great fun engaging London in the contest. We discussed who the UK should represent, were horrified when the decision was made and then took to deciding which country London should vote for. We went for Ukraine's strut-tastic Shady Lady and Ani Lorak even dropped in for a chat.

So this year, we're claiming to take it a bit more seriously, mainly by getting the bizarrely endearing should be couple of Graham Norton and Andrew Lloyd Webber involved. 'Your Country Needs You' replaces 'Making Your Mind Up' and started on BBC1 last night. At times it was spit at your drink funny but we didn't seem to take the advice of Europe with the idea that we need to send an actual professional performer. Although Jade will certainly satisfy Adrian's strutting criteria, surely her failure to make it so far, despite being signed twice must be an indication. The twins are frankly annoying and already failed at X Factor this year and Emperors of Soul were pointless. Solo men traditionally don't do very well, so despite Damien and Mark seeming the most professional, I'm not sure they'll win. That leaves the slightly lacklustre Charlotte. Not a brilliant selection - but in reality it's more about the song. If Webby can pull together a fabulous ballad, then we'll be in with a chance.

I'm vaguely tempted to go again this year, just because I really want to go to Moscow anyway and it's a good excuse. I shall ponder.

Your country needs you!

Is this going to be the greatest thing ever?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sISPPVcAAXQ[/youtube]

Andrew Lloyd Webber is writing the 2009 UK Eurovision entry, and you can enter to be a part of it. I cannot wait!

Eurovision 2008: The Beginning

I am proud to say I love Eurovision. Last year I went and now we're in the middle of countries selecting their songs for the 2008 contest. I am not sure I will be as successful as last year in getting eurovision songs national radio plays though :-)

I've just had a listen to everything that's been selected so far, and to be honest - it's sounding pretty pants. Here are my 'first listen' thoughts... (I am rubbish at judging ballads)

Albania: Ballad, starts very quietly, then builds with some proper eurovision monk chanting. Sounds quite influenced by last year's winner. Big, strong - pretty boring to watch - but there's passion. Give her a big dress and it could be a contender.

Andorra: Silly euro-trashy song - the type of thing that doesn't really win anymore. But it will probably have a big performance with glitter streams, can-can dancing and hot pink.

Azerbejiaian: A man in some wings screams. This is interesting. Then it goes into a rubbish, growling version of "Vampires Are Alive" but without any tune or fun.

Belarus: He is no Koldun. This is a terrible, boring performance. He looks like he's thinking about his shopping list. The song, however, is good - the bells make it. Go Belarus!! Again. WOO WOO.

Czech Republic: An intersting idea that fails to work because taking off clothes should always signal an amazing change in the song. Instead this goes a bit Israeli when the coat comes off. Obviously anything going a bit Israeli is quite nice for me but this is all a bit cabaret.

Denmark - There is nothing wrong with this. It is a not unattractive man, wearing a hat, singing a song. It is just non -descript and contains a very cheesy chorus. Yeah let's all hold hands and love one another dudes!!

Estonia - Rubbish. Not even good rubbish.

Lituania - I don't care how it sounds, 'Nomads in the night' is the best song title ever. It's a bit Lloyd Webber, but also A BIT PITCHY. If he pulls off a good performance this could do very well.

Malta - They've gone mental and ditched their traditional podgy women singing ballads. Instead it's a slightly scary woman singing mid 90s dance. No discerning hook but it might sound good when it's done well as it has a mental thing going on on the backing track that might work in a slightly 'comedy' way. The Maltese audience look terrified.

Moldova - Oddly going for a French theme, this is a little bit Nouvelle Vague. It looks boring though and will be forgotten. It started well but got kinda bad.

Norway - I am rubbish at judging ballads as I can get easily bored. This is essentially a woman singing an Enrique Iglasias song. It sounds 'expensive'. Will either win or be mid-board. Yes!

Slovenia - midtempo. Non English. It's a bit messy. The breakdown could have made it but doesn't. Also it looks like a 90s mess and has a random woman air splitting at the end.
**UPDATE**: the studio version makes it much better. I now like it and would dance to it at a gay club. However she needs to sing it in English.

Switzerland: Now we have a latino Brian Dowling doing an epic ballad. If you like Westlife, you will like this. The piano is nice and then suddenly when you're bored, up goes the tempo and out come some crazy women throwing some clothes about. Unfortunately it is not as exciting as that last sentence makes it sound but still. Westlife ahoy!

RESULT
Slovenia, Norway, Belarus, Lithuania and Albania are the best so far.

**END RESULT**
None of them are as good as 'Ding A Dong'