I write this through the inevitable hangover and onset of PED (post Eurovision depression) but I wanted to write a few thoughts down while still in my head and also provide the full results from the Vauxhall vote (the party I was at last night).
As we say goodbye to the 2017 contest, here are just a few random thoughts and reflections of mine…
- While it wasn’t in my personal top 5, I am really pleased that Portugal won. No country has been in Eurovision for so long without winning (and indeed they haven’t even been in the top 5 before) so it’s a delight that with their 50th appearance at the contest they have at last managed it.
- I thought Salvador’s comments about wanting to have music that means something rather than just disposable “fast food” music was a very fair comment – I don’t think it was aimed at the other contestants or Eurovision in general.
- Lucie gave a stellar performance and the staging looked stunning. Didn’t get the result I had dared to hope for but also it didn’t bomb. In the top 10 with juries, and wasn’t in the bottom 5 of the televote. It’s some progress; let’s hope we can build from here.
- Australia was totally overmarked by the juries – top 5 with the juries, but televote it was second from bottom with just 2 points. I don’t really know what juries saw in it!
- Moldova was the main overperformer getting a top 10 jury result and coming third in the televote. Norway was a surprise hit with the juries.
- Underperformer of the night was Armenia – that was expected to come much higher than it did.
- Germany and Spain battled it out for last place as predicted – I am sure Germany are relieved not to have come last this time as would have been three times in a row if they had.
- I thought Ukraine did a great job of hosting the contest – not just the shows but the overall event as well. And was great seeing Verka Serduchka unleashed in the grand final!
- Oh poor Israel – their government has pulled the plug on the Israeli public broadcaster. After 44 years and with 3 wins in the contest, IBA is no more and it’s uncertain whether or when Israel will be back. It was a sad and emotional moment as Ofer (who has announced their votes for past decade and more) said farewell from him and from IBA/Israel in Eurovision.
- Did anyone miss Russia in the end? I didn’t…!
Here is the full result from the Vauxhall vote (20 of us). Apologies to the party attendees that due to technical problems with my PC I could only announce them after the show had finished but thanks for bearing with me!
(I didn’t calculate any scores given for United Kingdom as we were mostly British at the party!)
- Italy (438 points)
- Bulgaria (422 points)
- Sweden (421 points)
- France (410 points)
- Portugal (393 points)
- Cyprus (386 points)
- Israel (371 points)
- Moldova (368 points)
- Austria (366 points)
- Greece (361 points)
- Romania (361 points)
- Belgium (360 points)
- Belarus (350 points)
- Poland (341 points)
- Germany (333 points)
- Azerbaijan (331 points)
- Australia (328 points)
- Hungary (327 points)
- Denmark (313 points)
- Norway (313 points)
- The Netherlands (310 points)
- Armenia (288 points)
- Croatia (286 points)
- Ukraine (244 points)
- Spain (203 points)
So, we’re off to (probably) Lisbon next year – it’s a beautiful city and will be lovely weather in mid May. Fear not, my site won’t be going into full hibernation, I’ll keep posting top 5s by country and other bits and pieces…