19 May 2013 (Day 139) – The Eurovision Song Contest Final

I spent today like yesterday, tending to “M” needs as she recovers from her surgery.  Given her propensity for large amounts of sleep I was able to squeeze in some music related viewing, starting with;

(AV 12) Bob Dylan – The Other Side Of The Mirror. Live At The Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 (released 2007)

This is a narration free documentary which brings together footage of Bob shot at three consecutive appearances at the Festival.  Almost everything is presented in chronological order which, by itself, is sufficient to tell the story.   In 1963, its Dylan the wunderkind.  The initial tracks, shot during daylight, show the intense interest in him from both audience and, even more revealingly, other musicians and festival organisers on the stage.  Despite this Bob betrays no nervousness.  1964 shows Dylan as the folkie superstar complete with rapturous applause and an audience unwilling to give him a moment’s peace.  Best of all is the tension evinced in 1965. You can sense it in the air during the initial acoustic numbers which gives way to outright hostility when the two brilliant electric tracks (Maggies Farm and Like A Rolling Stone) here are met mostly by boos.  The audience respond with renewed enthusiasm for the final two acoustic numbers (Mr. Tambourine Man and, fittingly, It’s All Over Now, Baby Blues) almost as a last ditch plea for him to forsake his new direction. For anyone even remotely interested in this phase of Dylan’s career, this is essential viewing.

(AV13) Richard Thompson Band – Live At Celtic Connections (2011)

I hope that every future live DVD is shot like this with a handful of cameras and in high definition.  Of course, when you’ve got someone of the skill of Richard Thompson, it’s easy to just keep one camera on his hands.  This electric show is dominated by tracks from his Dream Attic album with a selection of lesser known tracks from across his career.  An epic Can’t Win is the highlight of this set.

But, as good as these DVDs are, they could only be regarded as mere entrees to the day’s main event;

(AV14) The 2013 Eurovision Song Contest Final, Malmo, Sweden

Let’s face it.  There are only so many reasons why anyone would want to read something about the competition.  So, what I’ll do is summarise each act (once again go to their website for act and song names) as part of my unique scoring  system.

How does my system work? Basically it goes something like this, like the contest itself, my voting system is comprised of two elements.  Whilst both parts of the Eurovision system are subjective votes (a percentage from national juries and a percentage from the votes of the public of the competing countries), my system involves an objective/subjective  mix.  It goes something like this:

- my objective score rewards acts for meeting what I consider to be compulsory Eurovision elements  such as costumes , use of wind machine, etc.  I award one point per element and these will be listed per act.  Each back up dancer or musical instrument is awarded a vote.

- my subjective score relates to the song using the 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 scheme used in both parts of the official Eurovision score.

And so the contest panned out like this, with countries listed in the order they appeared:

COUNTRY	S1	SCORE1 ELEMENTS	SCORE2	TOTAL (+ MY COMMENT)
FRANCE	5	Sung in French; frilly dress; 3 back up singers	6	11 [=11th] French histrionics to great effect.
LITHUANIA	4	4 back up singers and nothing else.	0	4 [=2nd last] ….and I mean nothing else
MOLDOVA	10	Sung in Romanian; a Cameron Diaz “There’s Something About Mary” “hair gell” hairdo; an elevating dress; use of dress for back projection;  1 instrument; 3 dancers; use of choreography involving singer;  use of fog machine.	0	10 [= 14TH] Great gimmick in search of a song.
FINLAND	13	A short frilly dress; 5 dancers; use of choreography involving singer;  body lift of singer; use of flowing cape/sheet; use of explosion; use of glitter bomb; use of explosion; use of firework shower; girl on girl kiss finish.	2	15 [= third] Just needed the song to be half decent to have won.
SPAIN	12	Sung in Spanish; barefoot singer; singer uses walkway; 6 instruments on stage including bagpipes;  use of light prop; use of fog machine; use of explosion	0	12 [= ninth]
BELGIUM	7	2 dancers; use of choreography involving singer; 3 back up singers; use of light prop	4	11 [=11th]   Welcome Belgian weirdness
ESTONIA	9	Sung in native language; use of walkway; use of Celine Dion sustained note; black & white start to performance; 3 back up singers; use of wind machine; use of fog machine	0	9  [=16th] One Celine is more than enough
BELARUS	15	Use of glitter ball; entry of singer from glitterball; singer a blatant Shakira clone;  use of Shakira style dress;  2 dancers; use of choreography involving singer;  body lift of singer; 2 instruments;  3 back up singers; use of flash pot; use of fire	0	15 [= third] If only they spent as much time on developing the song…..
MALTA	9	4 instruments; 2 back up singers; use of back projection as integral part of performance; use of walkway; use of park bench	0	9 [=16th] Now we know how our own Frente! Would have coped if they entered Eurovision.
RUSSIA	7	4 back up singers; use of light prop; use of big balls; BIG FINISH to song	5	12 [= ninth] 5th place in the real competition. A tasteful Russian ballad – thanks Vlad!

GERMANY	7	2 back up singers; use of stairs; use of walk way; use of fog machine; use of fireworks; use of flash pot; use of firework shower	0	7 [=20th]
ARMENIA	9	4 instruments;  speaker stack on stage; band members wearing denim; use of fog machine; use of wind machine; use of fire	0	9 [=16th] “We’re from Armenia, you must be Malmo, wooo”
NETHERLANDS	5	3 back ups; use of walk way; use of fake fog	0	5 [3rd last]
ROMANIA	12	A Dracula outfit; sequens on outfit; 3 dancers; operatic falsetto; use of cape/sheet; rising singer; use of explosions; use of glitter bomb; use of fog machine; use of light props	1	13 [seventh] Inaugural winner of my “Spirit Of Eurovision” award
UK	7	Use of Bonnie Tyler; 5 instruments; use of walk way	0	7 [=20th] Well at least it wasn’t Engelbert
SWEDEN	10	Use of bizarre mound; 5 dancers; use of choreography involving singer; use of fog machine;  use of firework shower; use of flash pots	0	10 [= 14TH]
HUNGARY	4	Sing in Hungarian; 1 instrument; signficicant use of back protection; 1 dancer	0	4 [=2nd last]
DENMARK	10	1 recorder; 2 drums; really big drums; 3 back up singers; barefoot singer; use of confetti; use of fireworks shower	10	20 [winner] My winner and the Eurovision winner.  THE SYSTEM WORKS!
ICELAND	6	Starting with back to audience; sung in Icelandic; 4 back ups	8	14 [fifth]
AZERBIJAN	7	Use of box; singer on box; man in box; 1 dancer; use of choreography involving singer and man in box;use of sheet/cape; use of walkway; use of fog machine	0	7 [=20th] 2nd place in the real competition. Such a fascinating performance, I forgot to listen to the song.
GREECE	11	6 instruments; glow in dark instruments; sung partially in Greek; ; use of choreography involving singers;  men in dresses and long socks; use of walk way;	0	11 [=11th] Unlucky to miss out on votes
UKRAINE	12	Use of native language; 4 back up singers; use of 8 foot man; 8 ft man body lifting singer; use of rock for 8 ft man to place singer; use of fireworks; use of fog machine;  use of thunder; use of butterfly ring	3	15 [= third] 2nd place in the real competition. Best of the non English songs
ITALY	2	Sung in Italian; use of walk way	0	2 [LAST] Man in suit sings song in Italian.  This is not the San Remo Song Festival.
NORWAY	6	Singing with back to audience; 3 back up singers; drums; use of light props	12	18 [2nd] 4th place in the real competition. My runner up overall but the best song.  An absolutely thumping dance song that should be a massive hit.
GEORGIA	9	A duet; 3 back up singers; use of fog machine; use of wind machine; use of fireworks; use of smoke jets; use of firework waterfall	0	9 [=16th]
IRELAND	11	2 dancers; 4 drums; 2 big drums; 2 back up singers; use of choreography involving singers;  men in dresses and long socks; use of flash pots; liberal use of tattoos	0	11 [=11th]