wrung out 24 May 2008
Apologies to my American visitors but I have to devote myself to THE event which happened tonight. A highlight of my year always. Yes, it was another year’s worth of Eurovision and I am wrecked. For those of you in the US think American Idol without the decent songs, or performers some of the time.
As you all know I am a gay man living, very happily, in a woman’s body and my devotion to Eurovision is something of a proof. So much so that I almost scheduled the repotting of my (2) orchids to take place during the glorious battle this evening, but I was too busy texting.
I had a great range going throughout the night with stalwarts of the fine and dodgy institution that is Eurovision. My mate Deborah hosted a doo in Liverpool and was in touch from there. She served appropriate snacks for each country – a lot of FAST eating ensued as the contest really moves along at a lick. (She had some trouble with Albania as Wikipedia said the national foods were sheeps’ heads and offal). I told her not to ignore the herring as it will see you through a lot of places.
Some gems emerged – when I wondered if the aul fella with Croatia was actually rappin, my sis in law texted ‘yeah, he’s 75 Cent’. General consensus was Felicity Kendall looked terrible singing for Sweden. There were a few ‘Wot IS that?!’ moments, mostly about actual human beings…and trouble distinguishing between men and women, and men who might once have been women, and vice versa. In other words classic Eurovision fare.
Lots of moonlighting – Eva Longoria performed for Ukraine, it seemed, and Lindsay Lohan for Greece and both did very well, it must be said. And was that Jarvis cocker disguised and singing for France (where he now lives, I believe) with backing vocals from The Magic Numbers? And wasn’t the Serbian entry actually a winner for Norway some years ago when it was performed by the Irish lassie Fionnuala Sherry?
Morto that both Ireland and UK voted for the pirates of Latvia though – I thought that would be the nul pointer. Loved Bosnia-Herzegovina and Azerbaijan. Many strong numbers so it was a great year.
Loved also the set and the lighting – Serbia did a great job… notwithstanding the complete eejit woman outside in the square who greeted us from The Belgrade several times and made no sense anyhow and the two ninnies backstage trying to convince us there was a brilliant party going on there when clearly there was not.
Top nerd moment to my friend Paul who, when i enquired if the Russian entry using an ice-skater was a first, texted back ‘what about Sweden in 1972?’. The man is a machine, a human data base – remarkable.
BUT I think the voting has got boring. Now the music section of the evening is much better – a reverse of how things used to be when the voting was SO exciting the music couldn’t hold a candle to it no matter how good.
Also a veh veh worrying moment when it seemed like Terry Wogan was going to retire….i don’t THINK he did though, did he?
Phew.
Next year, Moscow. Da.
