So the Eurovision is *this* Saturday yeah??

.....perhaps not... but it has been a week since the contest, I have had a sleep and can commit some decent thoughts to paper.

Firstly, despite me not liking the winner, I can totally understand it - especially when walking past a computer shop in Manchester the other day with the new boyfriend and I stop in my tracks as Euphoria is being played. The conversation went:

"Shit"
"what?"
"They are playing Euphoria"
"Whats Euphoria?"
< Cue several seconds of scowling and explaining
"oh, I get it.... its rare huh?"

Damn right its rare Owen my child, It'll be top 5 in the UK charts this week and is already a European hit. Considering *I* thought she was a mumbling woman spazzing out on stage, just proves how wrong *I* am and Europe clearly weren't!

Honorable mentions for the rest of the top 4 as well - The Grannies were the only one that the party i attended remembered after several bottles of wine which suggests they won the televote by miles, Zeljko did what I expected him to do and got the result to match and those pesky Azeri's getting the home town result.

Positives and Negatives down the board?

Positives -

Estonia - Proof, if it  were needed, that singing a song still does well here.
Spain - That they can still "do" this contest. ( First top 10 since 2004 and highest score since 1995)
FYR Macedonia - Give em a chance and not only is qualification a possibility but so is their 2nd highest result ever.
Albania - Highest finish and points score ever for them!!! One note can do wonders!
Denmark - Finally the kicking this country has deserved for being so blinkered they sent the same song 5 years in a row!!
Malta - Just for making the final.  21st is no disgrace.

Negatives

Turkey - Personal negative here.  This song did not deserve 7th place, its awful.
Italy - Ah well, twice back, twice in top 10 but ultimately flattered to deceive?
Norway - NRK must be furious.  No wonder Per Sundnes has "stepped down" - Change of direction?
Ireland - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! - Sorry but this result makes me laugh out loud! - It may have been a more "mature" song, but one trick ponies will always be that!
Iceland - More shock and awe at the result than negativity I guess.

So where does that leave the UK.  As with so many attempts, A+ for the surprise factor and the reasoning, but again like so many years F for the performance.  He really did cock up the jury final and the song was not nearly instant enough to get the telephone voters picking up dem phones.  Kudos for them trying it, though and despite what the press would have you believe, the result wasn't fixed!!

We also learnt that Siegel is a t**t and should be killed or at least stopped from writing songs ever again, that shaking your ass garners you 8 points, that mental Montenegrins score in this contest, that Beautiful Songs are under-rated,  that Bulgaria will never qualify again from the semi and that Eva Bota was flaming robbed!!

So, basically we learnt we know nothing.... again... like every single year.

Stockholm in the "Friends" Arena anyone?? - 3rd to 19th May if you are booking holidays ;)