A different world

It's becoming a very strange world and quite the opposite of what I had expected in one particular way. 

One would have thought that the internet would have provided free transmission and sharing of information and, whilst there would always be a load of rubbish on websites, it would be much more difficult for governments to succeed with propaganda and downright lies about other parts of the world.

Now we learn that students in Hong Kong will no longer be taught that the city was a British colony from 1899 to 1997. All reference to this will be deleted from textbooks and China already has in place quite impressive filters on what data can be searched and found in this respect.

We have also become familiar with what would be amusingly farcical if it were not so serious; the increasingly regular news items on Russian TV which show empty supermarket shelves across the whole of Britain, Jeremy Clarkson's comments about soon needing to consider eating children or neighbours and there being no bread anywhere here either. They, of course, also continue to accuse Ukraine of inventing stories of destruction and civilian casualties every day.

We can verify almost any news we read. Sometimes very easily, sometimes it can be a little more difficult but the conspiracy theories and most copied drama we see on Facebook or in our email inboxes seldom stand up to much investigation. It seems that people in Hong Kong, China and Russia cannot. Moreover, many prefer not to question what their governments, teachers or TV presenters tell them and the thought of making an enquiry arises less and less frequently. 

They really are now living in a different world. 

We've known North Korean people are cut off from much knowledge about what happens outside their borders but that has been the case for so long we kinda ignore it, and them, for that matter. We may eventually be able to ignore Russia but I am not at all sure about China.

Likely contenders for the the mad, mad Eurovision 2020

These are the likely contenders as I see things at the moment. Now, I haven't heard all the songs as some haven't even been released yet so we're talking of Top 10 or perhaps higher finishes but plenty of good odds ought to be available at this stage.

You'll be glad to know that Ireland have a great entry this year with a real pop star and a great track that will be a hit anyway and has a good chance on the Eurovision stage too. Huge odds too as Ireland have struggled even to qualify recently.

Australia have a good entry too. A super actress / singer playing a slightly mad role which could well catch the emotions on the night. The country always throws everything it has into the competition and is going to win before long. This could be their year. Again, great odds at the moment.

Malta have one hell of a massive singer - some big-voiced and limbed kid who won their X Factor competition last year and blew everyone away with her raw talent. Not my style by any stretch of the imagination but she's got Eurovision written all over her ample frame. I'm backing her even before the song is issued. Modest odds but look around.

Romania often do well as they attract votes from all directions. Maybe not a winner but a great entry that will go down well again. Similar style to the Australian - a sort of mad, slightly left field theme this year. Much fancied.

Russia will win again before long. They've come really close and will be throwing the Putin sink behind their entry as well as tweaking our social media feeds to promote it. The band is the weirdest punk bunch but they are very well-known across Eastern Europe. Probably banned here but they've had huge hits with the most crazy stuff and their YouTube stuff has visitors in the many millions. Again, I haven't heard the actual track - no-one outside the Kremlin has - but I can almost guarantee that it will run all the others a close race. Odds are not great but if it is as commercial or crazy as I expect then they'll shorten damn quickly and you won't get a look in later. Pop a fiver on at least.

Lastly the weirdest of all is Iceland and yet it is also strangely tuneful and very memorable. Someone has designed the suits and stuff very well so there's this tall, long-haired gormless-looking twit and a bunch of nerds doing a dance that would make even me look cool. It's a blend of jazz and stuff I can't put a name to but I am convinced it will be Top 5 and the odds will tumble. They're also not great as people have already latched on to this one, unfortunately.

There may well be others in contention but I have a strong feeling this year that one of these will be the winner and certainly Top 10.

More another day. UK is very average. Lithuania are current bookies' favourite. Likely Top 10 but nothing special and it simply can't compete with the ones I've mentioned. Its odds are way too short at this very early stage to even consider a bet. They'll lengthen for sure.

I may need to add Norway to this list as the sensible entry.

Eurovision. How Low Can The Netherlands Go?

With just over a month to go it's a good time to see how the main contenders have been faring at the bookies.



What is evident is that The Netherlands have stayed clear favourites ever since Russia's entry was released. Whilst not bad, the second attempt by Sergei to bring Europe to Moscow has not really excited anyone much. However, as the only 'Eastern' nation that seems to stand a chance, Russia is very likely to win by default in that all their friendly neighbours and those who do not wish to offend Big Red will give them bags of votes near the top end of the scale and that may well be sufficient in  a year with no obvious stand-out so far.

The only other ex-Eastern bloc country to stand much of chance is Slovenia but their still out at about 60-1 and haven't changed over the months much at all.

As the artists start to perform at various places you get feedback from people there and it is apparent who has impressed audiences and who may have been rather disappointing.

Iceland seem to have suffered most in this respect. They have a pretty mad entry anyway which will annoy many but which is so out there on the left field that it is unique this year. That could well mean that Iceland attract all the odd votes in their entirety and score well as a result. That's presumably what the logic was when their video came out and there was an almost commercial version of a track about being non-commercial. You could almost imagine it winning. At one point they were second to Russia and stayed in the Top 5 for a long time. Now, though, I am guessing that some poor live performances or negative publicity has lost them some backing.

Greece have suffered too. Again, I am assuming that the singer just hasn't been performing well. The three girls from Greece, Cyprus and Malta have been jostling for position throughout the last few weeks. Malta and Cyprus seem to be doing the better job now.

Competing for 2nd place with Russia are Sweden, Italy and Switzerland. Sweden have something just like Russia. An OK song. A good singer and a song that sounds like it was written by a committee. So it should keep the Swedes in the Top 10 but it really isn't going to be something that we remember afterwards. In fact, they may even get a shock if other nations decide to say that they've had enough of the formula type of entry and give another Nordic entry a chance. Not Iceland, hopefully, but maybe Norway or Denmark will get a look-in.

Switzerland have a surprisingly good pop song but, as it is about some guy appealing to girls on the dance floor I suspect it may not win the PC votes. So it's good enough to win but it would be seen as a retrograde step, I suspect, and various bots would be charged up ready to ensure it just misses the Top spot on the night.

Italy have, in my view, the best chance of defeating the Ruskies and The Netherlands and winning this year. They have consistently come up with remarkably well-written songs over recent years and have been very much in with a chance each time. This may seem one of their weaker efforts at the start but it grows on you and has a suitably anti-establishment theme which will satisfy the Icelanders while not upsetting anyone else particularly.

If the Russians don't use their hacking powers to win then they may accept the Italian venue for 2020 and move swathes of votes in Italy's direction.

The Netherlands entry, just like many in the recent past, is very pleasant and warm and soft and unoffensive. I am happy to play it at home and I can see it will have plenty of appeal. Whether it will warrant lots of 12 pointers I don't know. The Netherlands is one of those nations other countries feel they can vote for and not cause problems with their governments. It's a pretty open and Eurovision-friendly nation with lost of posters about sex, sculptures of bits of one's anatomy in parks and how they're happy for people to do whatever they like wherever they like within reason. The Netherlands is a natural 8 point vote for almost anyone and they'll do well. Win? I still don't think so.

At the moment I favour Big Red and Italy but watch out for Iceland and North Macedonia if she gets past the Semis (which is touch-an-go as things stand at the moment).

For my home readers, I am afraid that our nice chap and pleasant song is going nowhere fast this year, despite there not being much by way of competition. The UK will gather a few votes along the way and maybe get several steps up from the bottom if the chap does a good job on the night. But it's another forgettable evening for the UK, I'm afraid. Over in Ireland, too, I fear there will be a lot of disappointment as their entry is not even expected to make it through the Semis. I am surprised as it seems quite a good entry but I can only imagine that the girl isn't performing well or there's something people just don't like about it. Odd, but there you go. The axis would have to stretch up to 350 for the UK odds and 700 for Ireland!

JEdward Songwriter To Help Russia In Israel

This is Russia's Eurovision entry. Sergey Lazarev is good. He's an experienced singer and performer and can be relied upon to do a good job on the big night. Firstly, yes, Russia will be in the final until last year when they slipped up with the very poor Yulia Samoylova. Secondly, yes, this has a great team of writers and instrumentalists behind the scenes, (including the Irish Sharon Vaughn who composed Waterline for JEdward in 2012!). That was a superbly written song, just let down by the boys who didn't deliver on the night.

So this has a hell of a lot going for it and yet, no, I don't think it'll win. It's OK, it's a big number and has all the right heart-warming notes and chords but it never quite makes it. You don't really remember it afterwards. It could do well with the juries but will it win the televote (as he did last time)?

In the video there is a sort of double voice going on which Sergey will not be able to do on his own in a live performance and there's also a lot happening in the background which may be less easily reproduced live.

At the time of publishing this, the bookies give The Netherlands the edge and they're now favourites. It's a close run thing, though and, with Sweden and Armenia yet to declare, and we know they ought each to have a strong entry, it is still anyone's guess.

North Macedonia, incidentally are at 110-1.

Ukraine out of Eurovision

Ukraine's Eurovision story has been pretty impressive. In 9 of their 15 appearances since 2003 they've been placed in the Top 10, 7 of which were Top 6 and they've been runners up twice and won it twice.

After not participating in 2015 on the grounds that the country needed to spend all its money on defence at the height of problems with Russia they were welcomed back in a grand way, winning in 2016 - and with a distinctly national song from Jamala which was pretty close to being banned for being too political!

Winning that year was particularly pleasing for them as the favourite had been Russia's Sergey Lazarev, who finished 3rd. Ukraine's sexy Maruv was expected to be one of the favourites this year. As it happens, Sergey is returning this year as Russia's entry and, even though we don't yet know the song, he's now favourite to win instead!

So Ukraine mat well have landed a potential victory to Russia as a result of this mess, which seems to have originated because Ukraine was not happy about artists performing in Russia. Maruv refused to agree her contract in this respect and the artists who were also in the running and came 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the national competition have also refused.

The European Broadcasting Union may now impose a fine and, indeed, a ban on Ukraine for future participation.

Quite a surprise. It could now be quite a boring year, judging by the entries released so far.

The usual contenders for the top spot: Russia return with a classy song; Sweden just fail miserably.

A nice track from Yulia but not one that will win her the competition. as ever, though, expect Russia to score well and she deserves a Top Ten position based on current released entries.

Sweden's entry this year is completely useless and of very little appeal. Indeed, I cannot now recall much of it at all. They spend almost all year at some huge Melodiefest and thousands of votes get cast but at the end it is like a committee has chosen the entry and allowed more interesting tracks and artists to fall by. So no more worries about Sweden stealing the show as we have had to contend with in previous years for some time now.

As in The UK, something has to change there. So much talent but when it comes to Eurovision they overthink the whole thing. Here we toss the enry card to a few new people we've never heard of and hope one might work.

Eurovision: still waiting for Armenia but here's the Top 10 anyway.

There are still over 50 days to go but already some clear groups of contenders for this year's Eurovision victory are forming. I was waiting for Armenia to release their song but, other than a singer and a title, there's nothing to help yet so I'll carry on with what we can learn from what has been issued now.

Young boys with carefully brushed eyebrows are the in-thing this year. Australia started it with their chap but his singing leaves a bit to be desired and the song is a bit tedious too. They'll be disappointed after Dani did so well last year but I expect they might still make the Top 10 as they're one of those countries people can vote for without worrying about the politics.

Another new kid on the Euro block is the Bulgarian lad who looks set to repeat last year's excellent result for the country. He's very young and no doubt many followers will find him cute and adorable. He can also sing very well and the song suits him and the competition well. In the Battle of The Baby Boys he's the likely winner.

The other boy is the lead singer from Homeland, a successful Irish band, much supported by Louis Walsh who usually knows what he's doing. A very good song and another extremely good singer should get Ireland back into the main show after their embarrassingly poor performance last year which failed even to get them in the Top 10 of their Semi Final group.

Then we have slightly older lads from Sweden, Portugal, Austria and Hungary. Last year, Austria were virtually written off by everyone except me before the competition but actually finished quite high in the table. I wonder whether the same could happen again. They're currently languishing at around 300-1 and, whilst I don't expect them to win, they have a chance of reaching the Top Ten if the singer performs well. It's a pretty good track although it's not going to inspire many.

Hungary have one of the few vaguely traditional tracks with a combination of the new and old that could appeal to quite a few in the juries at voting time.

Sweden have a very smart chap and four similarly smart lads singing and dancing around him. They win the Best Suit Award and the song could easily be a hit in our Top 40 but doesn't exactly come across as an all-out winner as many of their recent efforts have done. It's all competent stuff and is currently predicted to come 2nd so it would seem likely that Sweden will secure another Top 10 place this year.

Portugal is my own prediction for a challenger for the title this year. Much will depend on how the chap comes across on the day and I guess we won't really know until we get a preview at the Semi Finals. That will probably be when most people decide whether he's got a chance or not. I remember how France led the favourites list all the way through the lead up to the competition with a stunning video performance by their young male ballad singer one year - only to get virtually no votes at all on the night after a totally lacklustre live performance.

So it's still the older Italian for the Top Spot amongst the boys as things stand.

There seem to be no groups this year worthy of mention other than an early favourite from the Netherlands. OG3NE had the pzzazz of Little Mix - and the talent - but a poor song has left them way out of the running this year. Indeed, I am not even sure they'll reach the Final which is quite sad but that's the way things go if you get a lousy track.

Romania have a couple with a classic Euro-weird entry that will get votes just for the hell of it. A rapper and average girl singer do yodelling. At times she's quite good but there are other times when she's dreadful. It is crazy enough to win - Eurovision is like that, you know. I expect it'll scrape into the Top Ten and hope that's as far as it gets - even though it does make me smile.

So that leaves us with the girls. There are, of course, plenty of them and this year's main pretender to the Euro Throne is a girl from Belgium with a low voice that could almost be one of the boys we talked about before. Danger Zone is simply a good pop song and, once again, if it is performed well then it will certainly get votes from juries and public across the board. It reminds me of the Common Linnets track from the Netherlands a couple of years ago which quietly surprised everyone and consistently good scoring helped it to come 2nd. I see the same thing happening this year. It is, in fact, a potential winner should either Francesco let Italy down on the night or juries and voters simply not getting Occidentali Karma after all.

Another girl who could make the Top Ten is the young lady from FYR Macedonia. They haven't had much luck over the years and if their success was to rely upon the video then they could forget even qualifying this year. The video is not pleasant viewing. However, the song is good and deserves votes which a good live performance could attract.

A more watchable but nevertheless most confusing video accompanies the Azerbaijan entry. The punk-looking girl is one of the more modern-sounding girls this year, if not the only one now I think about that. There's a tone to her voice that people will either love or hate and we know that Azerbaijan always gets a bundle of votes so a Top Ten position is pretty likely for this unusual but quite effective track.

By my reckoning there's just one place left in the Top Ten if that lot all do well. The girl contenders are UK's Lucie Jones, Greece's Demy, France's Alma and Finland's Norma John. These are all really good singers and experienced performers so any one has the potential to knock out one of the people I've mentioned with better songs on the night. Their own songs, however, are just a bit lacking so if they do make it, it would be more by a combination of luck and their own personality than good songwriting. They should all do well but I think it will be another girl who makes that tenth spot.

There is also, of course, Russia. We've come to expect Russia to come 2nd or 3rd now as they do put a lot of effort into their challenges and, regardless of how good some have been, they have a legion of nations who seem inclined or obliged to give them good voting figures. This year the big nation is playing the Diversity card big time and Yulia Samoylova will be singing from her wheelchair. In the video she seems frail and her singing isn't as good as we've heard from previous entries. There is something very appealing, though, about this attractive young lady's performance and I am sure she'll pull in plenty of votes across the board.

Top 3

Italy | Belgium | Portugal

Top 6

Bulgaria | Sweden | Ireland

Top 10

Romania | FYR Macedonia | Azerbaijan | Russia

Outside chances

UK | France | Greece | Hungary | Finland | Australia

Eurovision 2016. The Top 10.

Tonight we'll find out whether Moscow has won the battle for Eurovision. Big Red has certainly thrown a huge amount of effort and one of its best stars into this thing. They really do mean business, and probably feel pretty hard done by after last year when they would have won had some juries not changed the numbers at the last moment.

Russia and Australia start the favourites bu quite a margin by I shall be brave and say that neither will win. I just have a feeling that the efforts and obvious attempts to appeal to everyone by Russia could backfire and make way for a simpler and more West-friendly nation. Australians may be super supporters of the whole Eurovision thing but, really, there should be a rule that says Australia can join in but we're not letting someone from a totally different part of the planet win. Dami Im is lovely, a super singer and demonstrates the power of make-up superbly but we already give South Korea a massive load of money with all the products we buy that they make without adding support for their recent emigrant to the pot. I am also a bit bothered by her odd sequencing of the lyrics. Paul Simon would definitely not approve, either, and I am a big fan of the guy.

So who will win?

This really is quite an odd year with no particularly good songs so I believe it will be a close-run affair. Here are my predictions, which, as always I have backed with cash at Betfair.

10 United Kingdom

Yes, I reckon the boys will make it this year. There's no-one vaguely like them and they have quite an appeal that our previous years' entries have not had. The singles selling well abroad too. But not that well.

9 Israel

If he gets things right, this guy could put on one of the better performances although I accept that Israel is not everyone's favourite nation, which is why I'm leaving him at 9. A worthy track, well-produced and the guy makes up each performance as he goes so it is very natural.

8 The Netherlands

Last year they nearly made it with their gentle strum-along song. This is pretty similar and is just a pleasant number with a nice guy singing with his band backing him. It doesn't do a great deal or make you want to go and buy it tomorrow but there is a certain charm about the track and the lead singer is a super performer who shouldn't put a step wrong. he;s been great i rehearsals all the way so far.

7 Cyprus

This is a bit of a long shot but this is a group that is unlike the rest of the crowd. Looking at how well The Disturbed have done recently then there may be some who vote for this band who rock along nicely with what is quite a catchy number. Their performances have been complicated and not that brilliant i some rehearsals but if they get it right there's a chance they'll be up there.

6 Australia

Dami Im will endear herself to lots and lots of fans I am sure and her dress and make-up and singing will be flawless. It's just a poor song in my view and, as I said before, Australia is a lovely country but it isn't in Europe. She will get enough votes to make the Top 10, though, easily.

5 France

This has been a huge hit across Europe and deservedly so as it is a good little pop song. It'll do well and many have predicted that it will win. I just have a feeling that it is almost too obvious with its ooo-ooo-ooo bits. The guy has also been missing quite a lot of notes in practice and relying on backing singers. he may do better than this but not a great deal worse.

4 Russia

After all their effort they will have to come close to the top. Sergei is a great singer, hardly ever puts a note wrong and also has a very difficult set of moves to do, with a tremendously impressive backscreen to work with as well. It's just, well, all a bit much. Russia will, though, get support and bags of votes from all their friends - and there are plenty, but not quite as many as before.

3 Italy

I think this is the best song of the evening and the singer is superb in terms of reaching the right notes and her delivery generally. She lacks a bit of personality which is a shame and she will need to smile and appeal a bit more than she has done so far to make this position but I feel there is much love for Italy and hope they do reach this position, or maybe even take the crown.

2 Ukraine

Controversial, this one. I may be completely wrong. The singer has written this herself and it breaks almost all the normal Eurovision 'How To Win' Book rules but that may even be in its favour. I don't understand all the lyrics or the history but suffice it to say she is unlikely to get any votes from Russia. If the singer manages to reach all the notes she has done in most rehearsals then this could be amazing. if she wails instead then I'll be very wrong and regret asking you to listen to it. Because it is so political, I fear that many voters will shy away from giving Ukraine the douze points and prevent her wining but I do expect to see her in the Top Ten.

1 Sweden

I am going for the double for Sweden. The song is not brilliant and the singer a bit bland but he is about the only modern thing on the menu apart from Justin Timerberlake and the Lithuanian guy. Hmm, maybe I should have backed the Lithuanian guy. No, Sweden are the only Scandinavian nation left in this thing this year which is remarkable but also likely to produce quite a few heavy points from their neighbours of whom there are plenty who have no-one else to vote for.

My personal favourites this year have been Austria and Croatia but, despite them both being well-produced numbers, the performers have been a little unreliable in rehearsals and the tracks are probably a bit old-fashioned for a 2016 contest.

Apart from Lithuanian's young fellow, the other two to look out for, each of whom could make the Top if they get things right and some others don't, are Malta's Ira and Armenia's Iveta. Both excellent singers with decent numbers who ought to be in the Top 10, if not the Top 5. One of them may, indeed, replace Italy and come fairly high but there may be some splitting of votes for dark-haired ballad singers this year and I shalls tick with Italy winning that particular battle.

Norway and Germany will probably fight for 14th place, while Russia look set for another 2nd place.

Norway often do well these days, obviously getting nul points back in the 1980s had an effect and since then they have made quite an effort most years, including winning with the cute boy and a violin. And, it has to be said, a well-written song.

They won't come last with this year's entry but they won't do particularly well either. It's a pretty boring affair from a nice enough blonde lass in the regulation white dress. Agnete has Loreen's backing track at the start but then the beat changes and it's all a bit odd. The staging of the video version is odd too but maybe they'll come up with something better in the live show.

They should just make it through the Semis but don't expect a great deal after that.

Russia, as I said before, mean business and they are throwing one of their leading stars at the competition in an attempt to drag us all to Moscow in 2017. This is a different video to the one published before.


Not my favourite entry but it has to stand a good chance. I predict another 2nd place. They really should have brought Polina back.

Germany have another young girl in the shape of Jamie-Lee. She sort of swallows some of the English words and sounds quite odd at the start. She won their version of The Voice this year and certainly has some talent and a fun personality. She may appeal to some but I don't think she'll get very far with this.

Big Red mean business.

Russia really do mean business. Last year they nearly won and they've been in the top 10 almost every year, a force to be reckoned with, particularly if you rely on them for gas supplies or live somewhere they fancy bombing. Thank heavens they have stuck with a decent singer and a decent tune and not reverted to grannies.

I am assuming that this number by Sergey Lazarev is, indeed, their entry although it was released in December and I thought there was some rule about how far in advance of the competition a nation could publish its song. I doubt that Russia will want to contravene any rules, of course, so I guess this is it.

It's a good number but a trifle dated, and sounds as if someone has picked features from the last few winners and put them in this one. Handsome chap with beard. Tick. Butch voice. Tick. In tune. Tick. Key changes near the end. Tick. Computer synthesiser noise like Loreen had. Tick. Heavy beat. Tick. So far so good.

You can rely on Big Red to put on the best show and I expect they'll do graphics in a big way or some impressive set of some sort so this has to be one to watch. There will be politics to play, of course, but they'll probably break even on that front with plenty of states to support them to counter what may be some loss of votes due to events in Ukraine and Syria. In a year when there has yet to be any obvious contender, they may not need that many votes to win. Heavens, even UK has a chance!

I would have preferred them to have sent Polina back for another go but Sergey will suit a good number of fans I am sure.

Eurovision. Somewhere else where neither Ukraine nor Russia win.

Apart from the continuing mystery of why Armenia should be so far out front in the betting for Eurovision 2014, Ukraine's odds shortened and Russia's went out considerably over the last two weeks.

I can't imagine either doing terribly well this year with pretty poor entries.

Group 1 Finalists decided for #BBCEurovision

Well that was fun. remarkably, I managed to predict all 10 of the acts from Group 1 that will make the Final on Saturday.

[Credit for the photos to Photographers Andres Putting, Elke Roels and Thomas Hanses (EBU) Date added 21/May 2012 Topics Eurovision Song Contest, Baku, 2012,]

In no particular order, they are:

Iceland

The violin was there and they cut the looooong break near the end too which worked well. If they can borrow a wind machine from somewhere they could do well.

Greece

Possibly the prettiest girl in the contest this year. Not the strongest song nut she performed well and, come on, the song has maniac rhyming with aphrodisiac so it has to stand a chance. Greece always seem to do well but don't expect too much this year.

Albania

This is that extraordinary track that has the most dramatic style of any for a long time. A serious entry. It will appeal to all those who might have been shaking their heads at the mini skirts and oh oh ohs. Massive outsider yesterday but now a real contender.

Romania

This girl, I mean track, is much fancied! I didn't think they'd manage to attract as many votes without the beach background, tiny bikinis and general appeal that the promo video had in spades. However, she did well and it's a catchy little number that people seem to like.

Cyprus

Great track but not that well performed this time. One of my early predictions. Not so sure now.

Denmark

Another early favourite of mine. Good singer but, again, not a brilliant performance compared to her previous efforts.

Hungary

I suspect this scraped through the semis and doubt that it will make the left hand side of the board on the night so nothing to worry about there.

Moldova

Everyone seems to like Moldova, or feel sorry for them. I mean they haven't a hope of affording to host the contest so it's lucky that this track isn't going to get a great deal further.

Ireland

JEdward were the last to be announced. after a lacklustre performance they may feel fortunate to have got through. This is one hell of a great song but they need to mime to a backing track to stand a chance of getting in the winning zone.

Russia

Yeah, and Russia got through.

Eurovision 2012: Best of the First Semi Final Contenders

Ok, folks, here we go. I've been through all the first semi final contenders and here are 8 that deserve a mention. The Eurovision.tv site has some very smart very widescreen videos this year which are reproduced here rather smaller. The other 10 really are not worth troubling with - some real disasters there you can check out in your own time.

The ones most likely to get through the first round, therefore, in alphabetical order:

Albania

This is an extraordinary song and an extraordinary video too. I have no idea what either are about but maybe that's Albanian 21st Century art. I have previewed this before and said that if the singer managed to reach all the notes this could be impressive. It was a bit of a screech before but in this take she's superb. It's not something I would rush out and buy nor will it appeal hugely to many Eurovision voters but it has got something about it that makes it stand out. It sounds like a typical 8th placer with respectful votes from quite a few but it's not a winner.



Cyprus

I have already promoted this big time. It's a very catchy number and if the girl performs well it should do very well. She does have a lot of competition in the pretty dark-haired girl singing pop songs category, though, so may well suffer from split votes there. despite what I said in the introduction, however, the 'official' video is terrible and totally does not do the song or the singer justice with some silly fairy tale about Snow White. So I've added the far better, albeit very scratchy, one here.



Denmark

This is great, a very US-influenced young girl leading a band with a well-written song that will definitely appeal to lots of the younger voters. She's right on tune and looks like a very young Britney or Christina mixed with someone else I can't quickly identify. Nice but that doesn't mean it's interesting enough to win.



Hungary

Theirs is a strong song - quite a protest too but, without the smart video, I doubt if it will get far. It may not even make it past the semis but I included it as there has been a lot of talk about it and the guy is very popular.



Iceland

This is a nice track, two people, which is often a good combination these days, and it seems to have come from the same stable as Denmark's 2010 brilliant number. The girl sings and plays a violin and the boy's bearable too, something which might have cost Azerbaijan a win last year as he just made us all laugh but luckily there weren't any other real contenders at the end of the day. There's a massive pause near the end which will really confuse the audience. That trick has been used many times before but seldom in Eurovision so it'll help make this a memorable track and may give Iceland their highest showing in this competition. I think it is a contender.



Ireland

Well, this has to be the best song but... can JEdward sing it live? The official video shows their badly synchronised efforts from the performance when their song was selected but, thank goodness, the soundtrack is the good studio version. Now, if they can pull off a good mime, stay fairly still and no one notices they'll win. In other words, they may well not win. Your guess is as good as mine.



Moldova

Great trumpet, rhythm, a jazzy, modern, fun feel to this. It's a bit wacky but I reckon it could have a lot of appeal. The guy singing is good and should come across well on tv and the girls are stunning. It's cool and unpretentious which I admire from this little state that has tried hard over the years. Remember the upside-down flower pots last year? At one point they were Top 3!





Romania

I have just written about this in my last post. A good number and nice video. Could do well.


Russia

If you haven't already heard, Putin has persuaded some old ladies from some distant village to perform. They look pretty sad, despite the grins, and he really is taking the p*** out of Europe with this entry. His nation has tried very hard to win in previous years with some very impressive entries but this is plain ridiculous and I won't even give it another airing here. If you want to watch five or six old women in dresses made of red carpet singing, unbelievably, in English about having a party then go and find it yourself. Putin's boys will ensure that it gets through the semis, though. If it doesn't then there'll be hell to pay.

Eurovision 2010: Russia

OK, what's the Big Bad Bear going to do to us this year? Intrigue us, that's what. I really don't know what to make of this at all. Until a guy behind him asks What are you doing man? and he replies Looking at your photo I wouldn't have bothered including this in the 'possibles' section. It's weird. It'll either do well or disappear off the board with less points than the boss country usually manages to extract from its previous subjugates.

Beware guys! Russian and Ukraine date scammers I've encountered.