Eurovision Updates So Far v2

[GommeInc]

*The most talented singer out the bunch.

Can't they use a proper singer like in the past? We only ever won because we used a world-known singer like Cliff Richard or Lulu, and any other times were probably due to a decent singer too. Don't other countries use big singers too? As in, singers which are well-known in the country?

[Sammeth.]

Cliff Richard didn't win for us! Jade used to be signed to a record label and is a West End actress too, so she is a professional just not well known. Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most famous people in the world thanks to his legendary status in theatre - he might have become a bit of a joke here thanks to his endless reality TV shows, but in Europe they worship him. He'll be on stage playing with Jade on the night so yaknow, we have got someone amazing up there.

Other countries use the same basis and format for their national selection process, usually a few acts and its voted on by the public however they aren't always overly famous in their native country, most take the same approach as us. I think France this year are sending a really famous singer from their country, which is fair enough. You'll get the odd few countries who will also send in their best talent but it might not reflect what other countries in Europe like so you can never be sure sending in a famous singer will mean that you'll get more points. Sweden seem to take things the most serious out of any other country in Europe. They have Melodifestivalen which may as well be called Swedevision as its basically Eurovision but just for Sweden. Its epic.

So yeah, our famous singers have helped us win but when out of 53 contests we've come top ten in over 40 of them, its never going to always be the famous singers who guarantee a high position as the majority are probably lesser known in Europe than anyone else.

The thing is, when we used to win it wasn't because we used to send our pride and glory but it was because phone voting wasn't as widespread. In fact the last time we won was in 1997 and then only five countries had phone voting (one of them being us). Last year we came last however, as Jack has said, if we had used the points from the Back Up juries (only 3 juries points were released) we had something like 24 points which means we got way more points from 3 juries than we did from 42 countries televotes combined. This year there is a 50/50 televote/jury split so we can hope to do better than we have done in previous years where political block voting was rife.

Every year there are juries voting, however they only vote in case something goes wrong with that specific countries televotes. And then there was San Marino who didn't have televotes (cus, well... it's San Marino) so they had a jury. We get good points from country juries as they vote on the quality of the song. They are made up of professionals from the music industry in those specific countries, they aren't related to any of the contestants, and they don't vote politically as can be seen from contests when juries had to be used because televoting didn't exist.

All in all, we will do a lot better this year due to the fact it will be a little less political, and we have taken it seriously. We've done what all other countries do, and our entrant has been on a 20 country tour singing our song around and about in different countries on television, so everyone knows our song already. We've never done that before yet every other country DOES. We've taken a lot of steps to ensure we get at least a good position (the tour, sending a good song, sending a good singer, sending a good composer, sending a good lyricist) and the contest itself has taken steps to try and prevent political voting, and we have a really good song position being 23rd to perform out of 25.

I have high hopes for a top ten position, top three if we are lucky. We won't win but I'm estimating around 5-10ish.

[Rock]

I think that a top 10 position is possible for Britian. When is the actually show anyway?

[PriceTags]

Can't they use a proper singer like in the past? We only ever won because we used a world-known singer like Cliff Richard or Lulu, and any other times were probably due to a decent singer too. Don't other countries use big singers too? As in, singers which are well-known in the country?

In 1969 when Lulu won, it won't have made a difference whether she was well known, because there would have been 10 people in little rooms in 16 countries listening in on the contest, who probably can't speak English, so the repeated line of "Boom bang-a-bang, boom bang-a-bang, oh oh oh" was probably the deciding factor in that.

Cliff Richard's songs were nice and cheerful, but came second and third, but that wasn't due to the fact that he was Cliff Richard.

Big stars might help once it is proven that the UK can get good positions and the contest's reputation as a career ruiner has worn off. Dima Bilan is a big star in Eastern Europe as is Marija Serifovic who won in 2007.

Sweden always send big stars, because their annual Melodifestivalen contest attracts loads of them, because it's publicity, and the Swedish are more forgiving to their popstars.

It's a bit too much for Leona Lewis or someone to risk, because if their entry is a flop, their career will go down the drain!

[Sammeth.]

I think that a top 10 position is possible for Britian. When is the actually show anyway?

12th May is the first semifinal on BBC3.
14th May is the second semifinal on BBC3, which the United Kingdom can vote in (they can't vote in the first one)
16th May is the final on BBC1 which the UK have automatically qualified for as we're too hot not to be in it (in terms of money obv)

[Rock]

12th May is the first semifinal on BBC3.
14th May is the second semifinal on BBC3, which the United Kingdom can vote in (they can't vote in the first one)
16th May is the final on BBC1 which the UK have automatically qualified for as we're too hot not to be in it (in terms of money obv)

Thanks

[Sammeth.]

Oh wait soz, we are voting in Semi 1, not Semi 2, my mistake I put them wrong way round

[Sarah]

The eurovision.tv website is posting performances from the rehearsals today (and i presume up in till the semifinals/finals) there quiet good.

[PriceTags]

The eurovision.tv website is posting performances from the rehearsals today (and i presume up in till the semifinals/finals) there quiet good.

Switzerland did the best rehearsal today followed closely by Sweden. Would you agree?

[Sarah]

I liked Armenia's apart from the girl who sang at the beginning the music was over her voice. But yeah, i liked Swedens! Hadise cannot sing live, she really needs to do something before the semis.