Eurovision 2017

Simultaneously the campest performer at Eurovision 2017 and "the biggest homophobe in Croatian showbiz".

Perfect combo! Uh.

Yeah, such a shame, I liked the Croatia song. Also quite liked the Switzerland one, tbh, though I'm not sure what makes it stand out from the other mid-tempo belters that I've been dismissing these semis.

Where are you all watching (US)?

Swedish feed

https://www.svtplay.se/video/13572909/eurovision-song-contest/eurovision-song-contest-2017-semifinal-2-11-maj-21-00?start=auto&tab=kommande

i am watching on the bbc bcz i am brexit

switched from BBC to Youtube live stream - so much better when you're doing your own commentary

Sofia 2018 imo.

with the "Heroes" stage show? hope not

Betfair market's ranking for reaching final at end of first reminder round:

Top ten: BUL, ROU, NED, ISR, HUN, DEN, EST, BLR, CRO, AUT
Then: NOR, SRB, SUI, MKD, MLT, IRL, LTU, SMR

we're not worthy #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/S28ziOyQHQ

— Hilary (@exit_everything) May 11, 2017

Nostalgia for buying overpriced fruit at Besarabsky Market is just about making me stay with this terrible BBC skit.

Once again, market goes 9 for 10, with the 11th-ranked going through instead of one of the top 10 (#8 on Tuesday, #7 tonight).

Really surprised by NED but what do I know. Drawing a complete blank on what AUT sound like.

Never be surprised by me.

I should have learned by now

Austria was horrendous, but I knew it'd go through.

i liked NED

I am perfectly fine with the reincarnation of Wilson Phillips putting my good name forth.

I initially haaated them, but by the end there was definitely something that won me round. Not to the extent of particularly loving it, but definitely dissuading me from hatred.

I heard a yodelling one, the commentators were all lol, but I thought "it's not that far from Dragostino Din Tei", or however it's spelled..

Gigi Dr'agostino

I was just all "it's no Edelweiss" about that one. I love the idea of rap yodelling astride big cannons, but it was surprisingly non-interesting.

For those who weren't there -- I was one of the lucky ones! -- Tom Ewing's Pop Conference presentation on Eurovision is now up.

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/nylpm/2017/05/making-your-mind-up-how-eurovision-caused-brexit/

Set aside 20 minutes to watch it all, it's great.

Less than two hours to go!

Are most places only paying out E/W bets on 1/2/3 this year? I could have sworn it was 1/2/3/4 last time.

Italy, Bulgaria and Portugal are all really short. Aus at 150/1 suggests he tanked his jury performance as the song is basically quite decent and they have been top five both times they have been in it.

Wow, yeah, maybe he had another problem with his voice or something. Pity, he's a good singer for sure.

I kinda want to be called a freelance kulturjournalist now

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_ueDA3XgAAvPmw.jpg:large

Oh weird, did that not go through?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_ueDA3XgAAvPmw.jpg:large

I've had 12 quid on Portugal because they won the Euros and i like coincidences

I consider myself a peurist so I don't look at any of the entries until the Final... here we go!
(Ok, I don't have any free time or I would live it all year)

OK they're getting the shit/cringey presenter action in early.

Oh God, these presenters are a nightmare. What are those accents?

ukraine dude, keep up

unless you meant graham norton in which case no idea

this is like when rock profile did Shirley Bassey

(Poland)

Those aren't Ukrainian accents but some awful generic pan-European English with overly fastidious vowel sounds.

eurovision began in 1956

NATHAN TRENT

White is the new black.

Of the two overly-jolly folk-yodel efforts, Belarus is definitely the best.

This Austrian entry sounds like the theme tune to a sitcom.

The type of sitcom where the main character is played by an actor who also has a mid-level singing career.

Armenia backing track sounds like something from the Residents' Mole Trilogy.

except actually good, unlike anything the residents ever did

NED IS NEXT

As someone said on Twitter, the Netherlands sent all three women from the hair dye boxes.

they are sisters so that is handy for the hair dye firm

Moldova - the return of epic sax guy.