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]

17 & 18 May 2013 (Days 137 & 138) – The Eurovision Semi Finals

I woke on Friday and my mind immediately springs to “M”.  Unsurprisingly she’s already out of bed attending to breakfast and otherwise trying to keep her mind busy.  We have breakfast at 6.30 as she is not permitted to eat or drink after 7am.

The next few hours speed by and then we’re off to the hospital.  “M” checks in for her procedure and realises she has lost her phone.  I dash back to the car and don’t find it.  By the time I return, she has been called in, taking my stuff with her.  (Not that retrieving my stuff was the main issue here; I hadn’t the opportunity to say goodbye.)  Fortunately, hospital staff understands and I’m allowed to stay with her for a couple of minutes.

After a quick lunch, I settle down in the waiting area not exactly knowing what to expect.  I try some reading and writing without success.  Attempting to think up my own objective method for judging the Eurovision final fails too.  So I settle for my iPod and watching the TV as I listen to the Icelandic  band that paved the way for Sigur Ros;

(#367)  The Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good (1988)

Their debut album and, more or less, the one which introduced Björk Guðmundsdóttir  (or just plain old Bjork) to the world.  Whether you truly noticed her vocals or not, and indeed how you view the album, depends upon how you take to the vocal work of Einar Örn Benediktsson (or just plain old Einar) who  takes the phrase “acquired taste” to strange and interesting places.  The opening track Traitor, is the first test although his voice oddly sits well with the fractured music on offer. The far more conventional sounding, but still quirky, Motorcrash is next and the Bjork show is off and running .  This is followed by the sublime ballad Birthday, highlighted by her breathy vocals and screams and Delicious Demon in which her vocals are by the end so off the wall joyous that you’ve actually forgotten this is a duet with Einar.  Mama, a mid-tempo number, is even better.  The rest of the album is solid – Sick For Toys is probably the pick of these – but that’s probably more a reflection about the brilliant standard set by the opening five numbers than anything else.

By the end of this, I’m getting nervous as “M’s” operation should have concluded.  Stiffling some rising tension or anger with the lack of information, I seek solace in my iPod in the form of some soothing sounds from Germany;

(#368) Einstürzende Neubauten – Tabula Rasa (1993)

This is the band led by former Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds guitarist Blixa Bargeld, fabled for their use of non musical instruments such as metallic objects and pneumatic drills. Given that the English translation of their name is “collapsing new buildings”, that’s fair enough.   However, their reputation, approach or even Bargeld’s very Germanic vocals seems to put off the great bulk of punters which is a pity.  If you want to hear their material and don’t have the money to shell out on their four Strategies Against Architecture compilations, this is as good a place to start as any.  Opening track, Die Interimsliebenden sounds very much like a track from one of Peter Gabriel’s untitled early solo albums (especially the third one).  Blume is what can only be described as a ballad with former Cave associate Anita Lane on vocals. But it’s the impressive two track epic Headcleaner that dominates here, seemingly constructed or dominated by the noise of the found objects to powerful effect.

Even before this ended I received a fright.  I finally found a nurse who was willing to say something and she repeated her understanding that “M”s operation was still going on 2 hours after it had commenced.  This was not good news as it was envisaged to last no more than an hour.  About half an hour later she returned to advise that it was complete in the predicted time frame and that she was now sleeping through the anesthetic.   Highly relived, I sought out comfort food and then settled down in an empty waiting room with only the TV for company.  My boredom was temporarily relieved when someone I knew popped up in Millionaire Hot Seat, but it was long wait until about 6.30 when I was reunited with “M”.  She relayed her specialist’s initial highly promising diagnosis and a weight was lifted from my shoulders.  Now my concerns was to get her home, tuck her into bed and not miss the Eurovision Broadcast.

(AV 10) 2013 Eurovision Song Contest – Semi Final 1

There are only 26 spots available in the Eurovision final.  Six spots are automatically reserved for “The Big 6” being the UK, Spain, Germany, France and Italy which provide most of the funds for the broadcast, and Sweden as last year’s winner.  The remaining 33 countries that entered this year, including European heavyweights such as Azerbaijan, Israel and Armenia, are split into 2 semi finals of which the top ten of which will make the final.

Now I don’t plan to write in detail about either semi final as this would entail a great deal of repetition.  So, here are my comments about the 6 unfortunate countries that missed the cut.  As I’m a lazy sod, I’m not going to record artist or song titles. Go to the Eurovision site if you want that detail.

- AUSTRIA: a mid tempo ballad called “Shine” (Gee, haven’t heard too many songs with THAT title before) simply bursting with cliché.
- SLOVENIA:  an attempt to invoke the spirit of Daft Punk, via 3 gymnasts on stage with welder masks that look like they’d been purchased from a $2 shop, fails miserably.
- CROATIA:  another version of the tenor group Il Divo, albeit with rather nice matching robes.  Just what the world has been demanding….not.
- MONTENEGRO: Balkan rappers dressed in spacesuits plus a girl with what appeared to be a jet pack on her back.  Their failure to perform in English obviously denied them a well-deserved place in the Final.
- CYPRUS:  a lovely unadorned ballad set on an otherwise vacant stage, very much like the country at the moment.
- SERBIA: a dancy number with 3 girls but otherwise unremarkable.

By the end of the broadcast “M” had fallen asleep.  I’m not that far behind.  We spend most of Saturday catching up on sleep.  Whilst awake, I tend to her needs, aided by the fact the Doggies are playing on the Gold Coast.  They lose by 32 points and I start to harbour my first doubts about this season.  But, by the time the match has ended its time for:

(AV 11) 2013 Eurovision Song Contest – Semi Final 2

And here is my comments about the unfortunates that missed out.  Better luck next year guys and girls!

- LATVIA: a boy band.  That’s – by Eurovision standards – so 2010.  Don’t they realise the current fad is for the reformations of boy bands?
- SAN MARINO:  somehow they managed to find an act that was able to channel Delta Goodrem. Not a good idea if you’re trying to win over Europe.
- MACEDONIA: a singing troupe comprising individuals seemingly designed to appeal to different target demographics but pleasing no one.
- BULGARIA: rhythmic overkill with vertical drums (a neat idea) but seemingly forgetting about the need to write an actual song.
- ISRAEL: Adele + Nana Mouskouri .  A short sighted idea that’s left a country rolling in the deep. [OK, you do better!]
- ALBANIA: an over the top rock anthem complete with guitar that shoots out fireworks.  Deserved to be in the final.
- SWITZERLAND: a 6 piece acoustic band formed by members of the Salvation Army who were promptly disallowed to wear their uniforms.  The upright bass player at 95 years of age is the oldest person ever to compete.  I have too much respect for the Salvos to say anything other than they should have made the Final.

16 May 2013 (Day 136) – More Euro Rock

By now both of the semi- finals for the Eurovision Song Contest have been held and the final field is set.  Fortunately, SBS knows how to schedule a good thing and schedules the semis for Friday and Saturday nights with the final on Sunday only about 10-12 hours after the event has wrapped up.   Even better is that the mainstream Australian media doesn’t think the semis are worthy of reportage and so a media ban is generally not necessary apart from avoiding the SBS news, YouTube or European online news sites.  The final is a different issue altogether as the TV commercial networks go out of their way to report the result as soon as it is known, presumably in order to damage SBS’s ratings that evening. 

At work, I keep busy trying to tie up a few loose ends as I’m not sure when I’ll be returning.  “M” is undergoing routine surgery tomorrow on a matter that has the potential to be extremely serious.  Suffice to say we’re both on edge which I try to diffuse with a night out after work.

Accordingly, I didn’t listen to much during the day - only 2 and a half albums - but continue my homage to some of the great European acts you’ll never ever see at an Eurovision.

(#364) The Hellacopters – Payin’ The Dues (1997)

The Hellacopters were a high energy garage band from Sweden who loved the sounds by the great Detroit bands such as The Stooges, MC5, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and, by definition, Australia’s own Radio Birdman.  This is the second of their first two albums featuring original guitarist Dregen which are regarded as the pinnacles of their career and are recommended to any serious air guitaist out there.  Payin’ The Dues is very much an album of pairs with a number of one/two punches throughout the record.  It opens with the savage combination of You Are Nothin’ and Like No Other Man which, later on, is made to sound almost impotent by the ferocious combination of Riot On The Rocks and Hey!  The pummelling continues later on with the uppercuts of Where The Action Is and Twist Action and all of the remaining tracks are solid body punches.  Even better, is the knock out limited edition version of the album with a bonus disc of about 25 minutes of the band live which is every bit as good as the gig I saw at The Corner Hotel on their debut tour.

(#365) Etienne de Crecy – Super Discount (1997)

Etienne de Crecy is a French DJ and producer who, along with Daft Punk and Air have created a number of notable dance/electronic albums.  This particular album might very well be the best of them all encompassing a number of different styles.  The opening track, Le patron est devenu fou! Places a reggae beat at the heart of a flamboyant Euro dance beat.  The following track, Prix choc, reduces the quotient of reggae with the remaining tracks giving way to some inspired dance tracks which, at times, weave an incredible hypnotic spell particularly on closing numbers Les 10 jours fous and Destockage massif.

(#366) The Young Gods – Live Sky Tour (1993)

Just about the only act I can name that has emerged from Switzerland, The Young Gods have been creating their inspired take on industrial music for nearly 3 decades.  This live album was recorded in Melbourne at the Sarah Sands Hotel , then a grungy inner city band venue (and now a respectable  Irish pub) during 1992.  (That tour altered me to the existence of the band so I wasn’t in the audience that night, but was on their next tour.)  The early tracks provide a good overview of the repertoire at the time culminating in a wonderful version of Skinflowers. A couple of tracks later comes the epic Summer Eyes which sounds at times like a great lost Doors track complete with Jim Morrison sound alike vocals.  This leads to a number of brutal industrial tracks – Pas Mal, Longue Route and September Song – before an encore of the German cabaret sounding Seeräuber Jenny ends the show to a clearly bemused audience.

I listened to these final tracks after “M” had gone to sleep, knowing that tomorrow is going to be a long day.   

15 May 2013 (Day 135) - Euro Rock

It’s nearly time for my favourite TV long weekend of the year – the Eurovision Song Contest. 

I’m not entirely sure why I love it.  Yes, it is a relic of post war Europe sensibilities.  Yes, it is often a tacky exhibition of truly horrid music to which I wouldn’t ordinarily listen.  Yes, many of the lyrical concepts are truly hysterical.  Yes, the voting process is a shambles dominated by regional favouritism.  Perhaps it’s a combination of these and many other factors.  Who knows?  Ultimately all I can say is that I find it funny, fascinating and hugely entertaining.

I can take this attitude for a simple reason.  Europe has produced more than its share of great artists who have contributed greatly to the development of the music I love.  So far this year, I’ve already played a sampling of these acts including Neu! And other 70s German experimental bands, Serge Gainsbourg, Slovenia’s Lailbach, the Irish U2, Sigur Ros from Iceland, Soulwax from Belgium and Norwegian lunatics Turbonegro.   As such I know that Eurovision is not a showcase for the kind of acts I’d be interested in hearing. 

It’s a knowledge that has developed slowly over the years going all the way back to the start of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), fittingly the network that has always shown the contest.  30 years ago, they put to air a regular music program called Rock Around The World which almost exclusively showcased the best rock from around the continent and, I think, Japan.  Whilst I cannot claim to have become a fan of any particular act because of the program, it did make me realise that great music is to be found anywhere and not just in the UK, USA and home.  It was as great a personal realisation as the discovery that Top 40 radio did not necessarily play the “best” music available.  From that point onwards I never judged an act based on their country of origin.

And so for the next few days I’ll be playing a range of albums by acts from various European countries, starting with:

(# 360) dEUS – Worst Case Scenario (1994)

Belgium is home to a number of eclectic bands including Soulwax/2ManyDjs, Dead Man Ray  and The Evil Superstars.  But ultimately all roads seem to lead back to dEUS, probably the first Belgian act to make an impact outside its borders.  This was their debut album and the opening track Suds & Soda the perfect introduction with its combination of great playing, violins and feedback.  The remainder of the album is a superbly judged collection of fractured songs with vocals and music that recall Tom Waits (on Great American Nude and Divebomb Djingle), Pavement (Jigsaw You) and Camper Van Beethoven (Secret Hell).

(#361) Cato Salso Experience – A Good Tip For A Good Time (2002)

Garage rockers from Norway, the opening track to this album, Listen To Me Daddy O, is a killer note perfect approximation of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion complete with dirty bass and theremin.  Incredibly this is topped by the very next track, the flat out rocker So The Circus Is Back In Town.  Time To Freak Out is aptly named and Move On proved that the opening track was no fluke. A bonus track on my copy of the city, Got Soul If You Want It, is an infectious tune that sounds like an organ based version of The Beatles Day Tripper.

(#362) The Raveonettes – Chain Gang Of Love (2003)

A male/female duo from Denmark, this was their debut album (a mini album preceded it) with each track recorded in the key of B flat minor.  The net effect is an enjoyable set of concise songs that don’t sound all that dissimilar to The Jesus And Mary Chain albeit, for the most part, without the fuzzed up guitars.  Let’s Rave On and The Truth About  Johnny epitomise this approach and on The Love Gang they leave the fuzz in to great effect.

(#363) The Hives – Barely Legal (1997)

This was the debut album for these great Swedish rockers, one of the most dependable live acts going round.  It’s short (only 27 minutes long) but full of exciting short, sharp shocks to the system.   In an album without let up, a.k.a. I-D-I-O-T and, especially, Here We Go Again stand out and Automatic  Schmuck and Closed For The Season are not that far behind.