I am usually there at the contest, working as a journalist to get closer to everything. But this year I decided to sit it out and I am enjoying watching from my armchair. I am wondering if there are any other enthusiasts here.
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Eurovision Song Contest 2015
- Thread starter liam.berlin
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Yes, I usually follow the contest, sometimes at the spot, sometimes in my armchair, like you this time.
I don't think 'enthusiast' is the right word to describe me - however I've always watched it without fail and I have a great big Eurovision pissup with my best mate. Mind you I don't think anybody really watches it seriously, it's just an excuse to get hammered.
In general, I tend to enjoy the voting more than the actual contest, although I sometimes will watch that as well.
This is because it usually has a lot more to do with regional blocs, historical memory, political preferences, returning imagined slights than any sort of objective recognition of musical brilliance.
Of course, occasionally, a song breaks through which is so spectacularly good that normal predatory historical relationships, and current political preferences are cast to one side in the wider interest of saluting quality music. But that is, occasionally, rather, than usually.
This is because it usually has a lot more to do with regional blocs, historical memory, political preferences, returning imagined slights than any sort of objective recognition of musical brilliance.
Of course, occasionally, a song breaks through which is so spectacularly good that normal predatory historical relationships, and current political preferences are cast to one side in the wider interest of saluting quality music. But that is, occasionally, rather, than usually.
So far it has been a bit random. I'm from the UK and like swing dancing so the UK has been the best so far (but my other half hated it!), but the Lithuania one was good fun, although with shameless kissing.
Well that was a letdown, all this about "building bridges" and being broadcast in 45 countries etc... and then they don't let all 45 vote.
I just hope we don't win..
We have a tendency to do that and its expensive as **** to host that ****..
So hopefully everybody hates Måns..
Prepare for a Eurovision song contest organization tax in 2016.
This year is the first time that I've watched Eurovision so I didn't know how the voting worked when I made my post. It seems that Canada and three other countries were in the same boat this year.
But after doing a bit of research, I'm curious as to how this worked in previous years. Voting *was* allowed in 2011 (which was the final year that it was broadcast by the now-defunct Stratos - and I found an old press release from them explaining how to vote). The Wikipedia page for 2011 doesn't list NZ in the voting tables, so were the votes somehow folded in in the background? Seems a bit dodgy really!
I have not watched this for many years but it used to be that every country had a few judges and the host would call them up and ask for their numbers; 1-12 points and that was that. (This is how we all learned to count to 12 in french..) Only european countries was in the contest and they all voted for 12 of their competitors..
Seems to be the same this year; they called up all 40 countries and got their results (and yes, it's still in French). That's why I don't understand how NZ's votes were counted in 2011, since according to Wikipedia we weren't part of the call-out. I have a sneaking suspicion that they collected the votes and then ignored them!
The improvement continues. In the final there were few old-fashioned kitsch-pop songs left. However, I think the semis were poorer, I barely watched.
I think Germany and Austria got 0 points because they did not sing in German.
It is unacceptable that almost the whole contest is in English. I think the rule should be something like:
"
1. You may sing in any European language, but you may only repeat after 5 years, unless it is the official language of your country, in which case you're are allowed to repeat every year.
2. If your country has more than one official language, you must cycle through them before repeating. You must cover all official national languages in a 5 year period.
3. If your country has more than 4 official languages, you're allowed 1 non-national performance every 5 years, and you're not allowed to repeat one of your official national languages before cycling through all of them.
4. It is allowed for a dialect of an official national language to count for it.
5. If a song only contains some sentences in a non-national language, it is considered in the same way as if the whole were in said language.
6. If a song consists of sentences in more than one national language, it is considered to be written in that with the highest number. In case of a tie, the country will decide to which one of those it is assigned.
"
Nobody votes for the UK anyway, so no advantage there.
I think Germany and Austria got 0 points because they did not sing in German.
It is unacceptable that almost the whole contest is in English. I think the rule should be something like:
"
1. You may sing in any European language, but you may only repeat after 5 years, unless it is the official language of your country, in which case you're are allowed to repeat every year.
2. If your country has more than one official language, you must cycle through them before repeating. You must cover all official national languages in a 5 year period.
3. If your country has more than 4 official languages, you're allowed 1 non-national performance every 5 years, and you're not allowed to repeat one of your official national languages before cycling through all of them.
4. It is allowed for a dialect of an official national language to count for it.
5. If a song only contains some sentences in a non-national language, it is considered in the same way as if the whole were in said language.
6. If a song consists of sentences in more than one national language, it is considered to be written in that with the highest number. In case of a tie, the country will decide to which one of those it is assigned.
"
Nobody votes for the UK anyway, so no advantage there.
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I never cared about it until some years ago. I think it was a lot more kitsch in the past, not my thing.
Now there's a lot of "kitsch English".
It's high time for switchable subtitles.
And cable operators should stop distributing some channels only in SD when HD is available. UK may not win with the songs but they win with the broadcast!
And BTW, UK was really cool this year: the music, the video, the wearables.
Now there's a lot of "kitsch English".
It's high time for switchable subtitles.
And cable operators should stop distributing some channels only in SD when HD is available. UK may not win with the songs but they win with the broadcast!
And BTW, UK was really cool this year: the music, the video, the wearables.
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Until 1998, songs were required to be performed in a national language. I liked that rule, it was better.
Had to go back and check and it was as I remembered, we used to sing in our own language.. We won with a Swedish song in 1984 and 1991..
In 1999, 2012 and 2015 we won with english songs..
Hard time believing ABBA won with a Swedish song called "waterloo" thou in 1974? In my head that song is in english, but maybe it was in Swedish from the beginning..
edit: Nope, most def in english..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FsVeMz1F5c
In 1999, 2012 and 2015 we won with english songs..
Hard time believing ABBA won with a Swedish song called "waterloo" thou in 1974? In my head that song is in english, but maybe it was in Swedish from the beginning..
edit: Nope, most def in english..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FsVeMz1F5c
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From the first Contest in 1956 until 1965, and from 1973 until 1976 there was no restriction on language. From 1966 until 1972, and from 1978 until 1998, songs were required to be performed in a national language.
That figures because I remember it was a strange thing in 1999 when the singer used another song in the eurovision than the one she had won with here in Sweden. But I understand why, It´s easier for people to understand..
Ans since she won most of the songs in the swedish contest are in english, we still have some swedish songs but they are basically just for comic relief..
I'm English and think a country loses a small piece of it's individualism and cultural identity if it sings in English - and alienates a large part of their home audience
.. likewise the host nation presenting in English is an awkward experience best avoided - the BBC presentation and voice over is pretty funny
.. guess other nations would just do the same.
Subtitling is technologically easier these days - and lyrics aren't difficult to project on tv - the fusion of words to music works better in some languages than others - so translating it into English may seriously damage it's flow and feel. Knowing it's composers true interpretation is key to properly judge a song.
This show has improved considerably in recently years - BIG congratulations to Austria for staging a very slick high tech event - the audio/visual was superb this year .. it made a great night's tv entertainment .quite staggering how well some nation's fused the audio with the video back projection.
Latvia stood out for me - mind blowing! :
https://youtu.be/-usdXbeGHi8
and the Swedish winner with a more catchy song also did justice to the video presentation potential of the event:
https://youtu.be/5sGOwFVUU0I
Closer to home, I quite liked the retro UK jazzy number .. this type of music has charted a bit lately .. so it wasn't a BAD idea to do that .. but the backdrop projection didn't make an impact and the choreography was likewise lame and embarrassing - though not the wurst (pun intended) on the night.
If you are going to go retro musically - you have to bring something NEW to the table and give it a radical new twist in presentation to grab people's attention definitely an opportunity missed with the video projection Nil points .. Er . sorry . cinq points .. I rest my case!
Pity the British still treat this contest as a bit of a joke . Graham Norton's background commentary on the BBC though very amusing at times ..
The highlight was, of course, Nortons utterly fabulous commentary. On Armenia (the Game of Thrones goddess-cult number): That was worse than I remembered. I would have warned you. It wasnt that bad in rehearsal. On Norway: They are dressed like people who work in a very posh private hospital in the future. On Azerbaijan: At points youll think theyve had a bad oyster. But truly its choreographed.
Mr Montenegro got the worst of it, and deservedly so: The song is called Adio. It means goodbye. So now I know what to say to him later when I see him. And this: If you were thinking of going to Montenegro to get some Botox done, apparently theres a real shortage.
.continues to trawl this vein and consequently Britain may continue to fail to deliver a competitive song/visual experience that the rest of Europe will take seriously whilst this attitude persists.
We have a lot of talent in audio/visual live concert staging in the UK that could impact in this arena - but it needs positive investment by our most creative people in time and money and a certain serious intent to reach the new European standard - yes, the bar has been raised .. can we aspire to reach that new level?
Subtitling is technologically easier these days - and lyrics aren't difficult to project on tv - the fusion of words to music works better in some languages than others - so translating it into English may seriously damage it's flow and feel. Knowing it's composers true interpretation is key to properly judge a song.
This show has improved considerably in recently years - BIG congratulations to Austria for staging a very slick high tech event - the audio/visual was superb this year .. it made a great night's tv entertainment .quite staggering how well some nation's fused the audio with the video back projection.
Latvia stood out for me - mind blowing! :
https://youtu.be/-usdXbeGHi8
and the Swedish winner with a more catchy song also did justice to the video presentation potential of the event:
https://youtu.be/5sGOwFVUU0I
Closer to home, I quite liked the retro UK jazzy number .. this type of music has charted a bit lately .. so it wasn't a BAD idea to do that .. but the backdrop projection didn't make an impact and the choreography was likewise lame and embarrassing - though not the wurst (pun intended) on the night.
If you are going to go retro musically - you have to bring something NEW to the table and give it a radical new twist in presentation to grab people's attention definitely an opportunity missed with the video projection Nil points .. Er . sorry . cinq points .. I rest my case!
Pity the British still treat this contest as a bit of a joke . Graham Norton's background commentary on the BBC though very amusing at times ..
The highlight was, of course, Nortons utterly fabulous commentary. On Armenia (the Game of Thrones goddess-cult number): That was worse than I remembered. I would have warned you. It wasnt that bad in rehearsal. On Norway: They are dressed like people who work in a very posh private hospital in the future. On Azerbaijan: At points youll think theyve had a bad oyster. But truly its choreographed.
Mr Montenegro got the worst of it, and deservedly so: The song is called Adio. It means goodbye. So now I know what to say to him later when I see him. And this: If you were thinking of going to Montenegro to get some Botox done, apparently theres a real shortage.
.continues to trawl this vein and consequently Britain may continue to fail to deliver a competitive song/visual experience that the rest of Europe will take seriously whilst this attitude persists.
We have a lot of talent in audio/visual live concert staging in the UK that could impact in this arena - but it needs positive investment by our most creative people in time and money and a certain serious intent to reach the new European standard - yes, the bar has been raised .. can we aspire to reach that new level?