Trip The Light Fantastic

I've been looking forward to the new Sophie Ellis Bextor album for ages. "Catch You" was great, and "Me & My Imagination" has grown on me a lot. But I was somewhat worried it would feel really out of place in today's pop climate.

And it does... a bit. I'm in no way saying the amazingly named "Trip The Light Fantastic" is actually really good. It's quite good, it's not bad, but I'm beginning to get a bit bored with myself being mean about pop albums I'd probably have loved 4 years ago. Plus Sophie is nice. She played our annual Popstarz charity event "Ray of Light" a few weeks ago, and generally bigs Ghetto up in interviews. Hooray for her.

Nothing here makes me scream out load with glee, but various tracks quite quickly grow on you. My 360 turnaround opinion on The Feeling is consumated here, as the tracks written by Dan have quickly become my favourites, especially "Love Is Here". Anyway the real babbling is over at BBC Music.

Kate Nash - Foundations

I first heard of Kate Nash early last year when Lily Allen posted a bulletin telling all her myspace friends to check her out. I did and didn't really think much of it. Similarly 'Birds' and 'Caroline Is A Victim' passed me by without much interest.

Today on the show we played Kate's new single, her debut on fiction (an imprint of polydor) - "Foundations" - and finally I begun to see what the fuss is all about. Despite being 3 years younger than Lily, Kate sounds like a more grown up version of her famous friend. "Foundations" is in a different league to her last single, but I'm unsure whether it will break through because of the Lily Allen similarities. Her almost identical accent and cheeky chatty style will certainly get the Lily haters despairing.



"Foundations" is out in June. I love the video, especially as it makes me think of something Rod would make.

Eurovision the end.

Things we loved:

Slovenia. They were robbed! But we especially loved their point announcer and his special torch.

Fearne Cotton looking like an mail-order Eastern European bride. Who did her makeup?

Seeing Russ from Scooch necking champagne in a panic.

Texts from our boss after every 3 songs

Ireland deservedly coming last.

Malta RANDOMLY giving UK 12 points. And me & Darren being snapped celebrating as the official UK celebrators!

The cheering every time Finland got a point (why so low!)

Spending a 1 1/2 hour boat trip with the head of the Swedish delegation and him claiming that The Ark's song was a bit rubbish. It was. Well done voting Europe.

The idea that no non former Yugoslavian country is ever going to win again.

Cyprus giving Greece 12 points.

All the Nordic countries giving each other 12 points.

The way that some countries either got 12 points or nothing. The voting was so random.

Latvia surprising us all by doing terribly.

Scooch giving the best performance they've ever done.

The hilarious Dutch point giver calling Serbia "Kelly Osbourne".

We're flying home in 4 hours. Yawn. Belgrade then next year? We've been and there are about 5 hotels, the cabbies cut the seatbelts out of all their cars and there is a LOT OF MEAT. Serbia is staying on our hotel and there is a crowd WOOPING outside.



Bring it on.

Updates from Euroland

Last night we went to Euroclub which is like the official hangout for fun, a all year round Eurovision bar and a gay club stuck in 1987. Here is what we learnt:

Finland are so excited about today, they declared yesterday a national holiday!

The word on the street is that the shit but amazing song from the Ukraine is going to win. Some nutters are predicting it's going to receive 12 points from everyone apart from Cyprus.

Greek men hate the Greek entry. One man angrily told us that geeky Sarbal is a fraud because he is half Lebanese and half Cypriot. Feel their wrath!

I started off hating France's song, now I love it. This is because they a) have a hilarious performance and b) their chorus is lyrically the best in the contest because it is very fun for anyone with a basic grasp of both English and French as it wildly weaves in and out of them :

Et je cours, je cours, je cours,
I've lost l'amou, l'amour, l'amour
Et je suis perdu, here without you
I'm crazy, seul a Paris!

Despite the BBC proclaiming Roger Cicero as the UK's favourite, German men think it is pants. Roger though, is hot (at least from a distance).

Songs from the past were played at Euroclub, and we were given strange looks for not knowing a certain song was say the Hungarian entry in 1987. The biggest cheer and dance of the night went to Dana International.

People with passes really like to wear them at all times they can. We don't. They are MASSIVE.

Someone said to me "I'm not getting into this argument so early in the night. You're talking RUBBISH" when I claimed Scooch were defacing the name of pop.

When Estonia's 2007 non qualifier "Partners In Crime" came on, the singer Gerli Padar was put on the shoulders of men and carried to the stage. There she carried out the routine (with backing dancers) in full. It was ace! Sadly lighting conditions meant no photo :(

Eurovision Day 2 - An Update

We've just left the first dress rehearsal for the final and have now seen all the songs in the order with their stage performances. Here is what is happening

My favourite Belarus is on 3rd. This means he is buggered. He's between two other uptempo songs and makes no impact, despite a shirt split of Uncle Sp levels.

My 2nd fav Greece is also buggered. He is in the middle of the show so is forgettable, and it seems in real life instead of being the hip-shaking lover he sounds like, he looks like a geek.

France is gay, gay, GAY. Think pink, think fairy wings. Oh yes.

Ireland has the worst song and frontwoman in the show

It could actually be two years in Finland after Hanne's great song.

Bosnia has come dressed as a Xmas tree.

Bulgaria has an amazing drum bit. It could only be better if it were done by men in hotpants

Sweden get naked.

Russia could win. The song is a little outdated but is made better by a bit where they fall through the internet

Serbia might win but the girlfest didn't have the same impact it did on semi-final night. Instead Slovenia are going to be the former Yugoslav top song.

About 14 people clapped after Scooch. They need to can the talky bits.

Ukraine is ridiculous, and it is on Scooch so there are two shit songs in a row. ESC have realised this and put a little break in the middle. Ukraine is really shit, but in an amazing way. It is sung by Timmy Mallett.

Turkey is much later in the contest than Greece so I no longer think they'll get confused. It's sung by a man who has had 24 number 1 hits, is 3 songs from the end and ... is going to win.

Bottom Line: Turkey, Slovenia or Bulgaria are going to win. Poor Koldun.

Darren is embarassing me already.

We went to the semi-final last night. Some points:

Despite being sold out, the arena was pretty empty.

Andorra's Busted wanabee's Anonymous got the biggest cheer of the night at the event but didn't go through.

Denmark, Netherlands, Cyprus and Malta also got massive cheers and should, but didn't get through.

The Eastern Europe voting front have taken over.

The interval act (which app viewers at home didn't see) was DULL. Actually it was very pretty but I think I just don't like dance.

We had breakfast 'with' Evridiki this morning.

No Wogan spotting yet.

I am going to Eurovision in 7 hours!

Woo. Woo.

My predictions

• UK will give Switzerland 12 points and Denmark 10


• Belarus or Greece will win.


• Serbia will come close to winning.


• Scooch will score 7 points.