The Entente Cordiale is alive and well – with the vocalist of Madame Monsieur (France’s Eurovision 2018 representatives) falling ill just before the biggest of the preview events, SuRie, the UK’s representative for Eurovision this year, offered to take the stricken Émilie’s place and sing (with almost no time to learn the song and rehearse) at the concert. My friend Zoltan was the man on the ground and who I have to thank for sending this through to me. A true magical Eurovision moment! Continue reading “SuRie sings “Mercy” by Madame Monsieur at Eurovision in Concert 2018″
Today (15 January 2018) is so called “Blue Monday” – the day it is claimed to be the most depressing of the year. It’s all nonsense of course – but an excuse for me to do a blue-related Eurovision post. So here are 5 past Eurovision entries, all with some connection to “blue”. Continue reading “5 Eurovision songs for Blue Monday”
So I’m back from outer space…. Sorry, just getting in the (camp) mood for Brighton Pride but just enough time to squeeze in a mini-update after the traditional Eurovision low season when I have a hiatus from posting on my site. But with Eurovision 2017 now three months in the past, and Wimbledon 2017 (my other great passion) now done and dusted, it’s time to turn thoughts back to updating the site and thinking of next year.
And next year is going to be especially exciting for me and my fellow Eurovision fanatic friends, we’ve booked to go to Lisbon during Eurovision week! Continue reading “Destination Lisbon!”
We celebrated Eurofest’s 5th birthday with a great night (my hangover is a testament to that) and fabulous show by Magnus Carlsson, who will know from Melodifestivalen and a former member of Alcazar. Enjoy these vids – sorry, first two I filmed in portrait rather than landscape until my friend Zoltan pointed it out! Continue reading “Magnus Carlsson performing at Eurofest at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern”
With a big political event taking place in Italy this weekend (a referendum on changes to the Italian constitution that could lead to the resignation of the Italian Prime Minister if he loses it), it’s a topical time for my first top 5 of a Big 5 country. Italy were one of the founding countries of Eurovision but took an extended break between 1998 and 2011. They are very much back as a major feature now, and a consistent contender for the top places. Continue reading “My top 5 songs from…Italy”
A very short note just to say what I’m planning for the site over the coming couple of months before we enter into peak national final season in February and March next year.
I’m going to be creating a country profile page for each Eurovision country – they’ll be permanent pages and will include facts about the country’s Eurovision history, maybe include videos of their winners, last places, or otherwise notable songs.
I’m also going to be doing a series of posts of my Top 5 from each country. Very much a personal choice so I hope it will generate some comment or discussion! I’m not going to do it in alphabetical order – in honour of my good friend Zoltan I’ll be kicking off with Hungary in just a couple of hours…
If you have a country you’d like to see me do my top 5 of, let me know in the comments, otherwise I’ll be adopting a scattergun approach!
With this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest having just taken place (Georgia winning for a record 3rd time), and Belgium and Macedonia announcing their 2017 artists in the last few days, it’s definitely beginning to feel a lot like Eurovision season! Time for another top 5 – best debut performances of new countries at Eurovision. I’ve taken it from 1970 as by then, the original core of Western European countries were established, and afterwards saw entrances from the East – first the Mediterranean and Middle East (Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel), and then the waves of Eastern European and ex Soviet countries from 1994 onwards. Continue reading “Top 5 results by countries’ first time appearance at Eurovision”
I’ll be jetting off for warmer climes for a week, but I’m not forgetting my blog in the meantime and with the UK’s Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes’ Night) taking place this weekend, what better time for a fire-themed Eurovision top 5? As it turns out, very few Eurovision song titles have used the word “fire” in the title but I’ve dug into the archives and have 5 fire-themed songs for your enjoyment. Continue reading “Bonfire Night: a Eurovision top 5”
It may not have escaped your notice, but Abba were back in the news this week, announcing plans for a “new and virtual live [Abba] experience“. It’s not, as some people overexcitedly thought, a reunion concert, but nonetheless it sounds a great concept! Abba remain by far the most famous, enduring and commercially successful act to have emerged from Eurovision, so with the news earlier this week, what better to finish a Friday than a spot of Abba! Continue reading “A top 5 of my favourite less well-known Abba songs”
