EUROVISION 2012

Your belief in it is giving me pause, actually. Most of the people I'm mentioning wouldn't know anything that's not charting in the UK or Sweden and haven't got any idea of what might work Europe-wide. I still think it'll be top 5 but perhaps not a winner.

I won't even speculate on the influence of SNOWFLAKE COUGH SHOCK.

Well I tend to have this kind of belief in a song, but I'm not sure I am right more than about one time in five... :)

(ie I remember being this way about Lena's "Satellite", and have conveniently forgotten my enthusiasms that *didn't* win)

Sure-to-be-wrong prediction:

1. Sweden
2. Italy
3. Russia

I'm going to go with Norway, Sweden, Serbia, Denmark, Romania.

Having some people round so not gonna be able to liveblog with y'all on this thread tonight. I've decided I'm supporting Albania, though, in goth retaliation for the overbearing sunshine and heat of today.

Been watching the Song for Eurotrash episode from around '98(?), it's pretty good: Edwyn Collins doing 'Ding a Dong', Kenickie doing 'Save All Your Kisses For Me', Shane MacGowan doing 'What's Another Year', Saint Etienne doing 'La La La'.

IT BEGINS

Graham Norton, Azerbaijani government spokesman "There have been stories about riots. I've seen no trouble."

I still don't like the UK song, but Eng's vocals are better live than on the recorded version.

The Hump has a certain... presence, it must be said. Song also Not Bad At All.

Also the botox has worn off and he doesn't look like embalmed like he does in the video.

This is probably the best of the ballads, tbh.

There are a lot of ballads this year, hopefully Eng's performance has shown people 'how it's done', so to speak, and we'll get some votes out of it.

liking hungary a lot more this go-round - getting kind of a nu-george michael vibe (enough with the wobble bass already tho)

Hungary: much effort into what sounds like a bare skeleton of approximately nothing

HORSEMEN LAND

The person doing the subtitles tonight is a faster typist than whoever was doing it during the semis.

TAILPIPE MAN LAND

xxp

HORSEMEN LAND

That long plait of hair going across her chest looks like a turd.

markedly less terrible than the semifinal at least

Albania is like alien music on Star Trek...not a gd look.

emil.y does a mean goth retaliation, it must be said -- this is wtf in all the most fabulous ways

CITY OF DRIVE

It'd be funny if everyone left the building before he took off the blindfold.

Hahahaha!

The 'rrrruuuhhhh' bits make him sound like the singer from Bros.

would have been better if he'd done those acrobatics with the fold on

*does somersault and nuts self unconcious on the floor*

The Boz/Herz entry is like a subdued Celine Dion B-side. Really forgettable.

For a second I thought 'what are those huge lumps on the Russian grannies' faces?', but then I realised that they were microphones.

UDMURT

I have a feeling they'll be advertising car insurance for whoever Russia's equivelent of Shelia's Wheels is.

Just turned on and those grannies are bluddy awful.

Iceland = time for a piss break

Umpty-tum nonsense. But would have been top 3 10 years ago.

OOH KEY CHANGE

if you liked that key change, you're gonna love moldova

I wait with bated breath.

This Cyprus thing sounds like a David Guetta b-side.

I must disagree with Aldo. Rabid grannies for the win!

But info quite like Cyprus ( actually I seriously do warn Enge to win, I just don't think it will happen)

France = shit.

It's a bit 'mid 90's French Eurovision entry'. They've never really moved beyond that.

Oh I dunno. It's OK. I'm quite perversely thinking of It Bites.

it's kinda like the climax of a jodorowsky film

France = ok indeed.

xp lol It Bites!

LAND OF CARPETS

Italian woman has annoyed me enormously in the build up, but the song has a chance.

Cut price Winelodge.

"you're an independant Roman after all"

Yeah, I think your right
Xpost

"Come on audience, sing along to these lyrics that are very likely to be in a language that you don't speak!"