It's Eurovision Song Contest Night!

http://news.sky.com/home/showbiz-news/article/16235792

'Nervous' Humperdinck Carries UK's Hopes

More than 100 million people are expected to tune into tonight's Eurovision Song Contest, as veteran performer Engelbert Humperdinck carries UK hopes.

The 76-year-old crooner will sing the ballad Love Will Set You Free when he is expected to open the show at the Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Among his rivals are Irish pop twins Jedward and a group of six Russian grannies called Buranovskiye Babushki, who will be dressed in traditional costumes and are hoping to raise money to build a church in their village.
Cheryl Baker, a former Eurovision winner with Bucks Fizz, told Sky News: "Engelbert is going to be brilliant. He's got a great voice and he can still hit those high notes, he's great.

"We're having a Eurovision party tonight so we’ll be cheering him on."
Humperdinck - currently the 14/1 fifth favourite to win according to bookmaker William Hill - admitted to feeling nervous.
"The responsibility is pretty heavy duty, but I’m really really thrilled to be representing my country in this contest," he said.
"I'm nervous, I always get nervous in everything I do."
Britain has not won the contest since Katrina & The Waves sang Love Shine A Light in 1997.
Humperdinck, whose last Top 10 hit was 42 years ago, follows boy band Blue, who finished 11th last year.
His song marks a change in style from previous years when high energy pop songs have been favoured by the UK.

Humperdinck will sing a stripped-back version of the song, accompanied by only a guitar.
He will also carry a good luck token given to him by his friend Elvis Presley.
Humperdinck is one of a handful of people from Presley's inner circle who were given a TCB necklace - which stands for "taking care of business".
Meanwhile, Spain's singer, Pastora Soler, has said it would be best if she does not win, because her country would not be able to afford to stage the event next year.



Buranovskiye Babushki will sing 'Party For Everybody'

Let's hope he doesn't get all rock'n'roll with one of the younger grannies....

As most of Europe is currently squabbling with the rest of Europe, and most of the the entrant nations are too broke to put the show on next year, Engle and the Grannies may well steal the crown....

Apparently the Spanish entrant was told it would be better if she lost, as Spain doesn't have the money to host the show next year! LL

I've just been looking at the list of entrants:

http://www.eurovision.tv/page/baku-2012#Grand Final

No-one's speaking to Germany and France, so they will have to vote for each other; a lot of other entrants are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. Greece and Turkey still hate each other, so who does that leave....?

Let's see, I don't think anyone is fighting with Malta, are they? Or FYR Macedonia? The UK can't really afford it, but that never stops Jubilees, Olympics, royal weddings or anything...Russia could afford it, it's small change to an oligarch.

Anyway, they're better singing at each other than fighting with each other, whoever wins.

Here's a nice piccy:



I'm old enough to remember when Baku was spoken of little, unless it was to do with oil, as it was hidden away behind the Iron Curtain.

I don't think anyone expected Baku to be the stage for the Eurovision Song Contest, so I guess that's one improvement.

So, Bonny, do you have a favorite to win? LL

I haven't heard any of the entrants, LL - not that musical quality has ever had anything to do with Eurovision

I gather that at least some of the entrants are not of pension age, thankfully. Engelbert seems to be holding up well:



though I suspect he has had the odd nip and tuck in Vegas. Unlike the grannies...



I am sure you will be thrilled to know that Jedward are representing Ireland again this year...

Whereas I know who The Hump is, and he looks good for his age - I can't remember having ever heard of Jedward - oh, wait a minute didn't they have a weird hairdo last year? And I am afraid I am a fuddy duddy classic music person, except for classic rock turns like Freddy and Queen, David Bowie .... I think I will pass tho I may pop onto the German TV during the evening to see if anything has happened. Actually, I wish the Grannies all the best! The Hump has drawn the bad straw, he gets to go first!! LL

I thought it was hilarious when Terry Wogan flounced off, complaining that countries were voting for their neighbours instead of by musical merit

Everyone knows the ex-Soviet slav speaking countries vote for each other, Malta and Italy, Spain and Portugal, UK and Ireland, Germany and the Scandinavians, Belgium gets split in 2 for Netherlands and France. It's not at all democratic, it's a bl**dy farce!!! LL

Well, I have to say, that was a spectacular intro from Baku....stunning firework display and dance and music.

So far so good - now the contest is about to start, so things may go downhill now...

Okay just watched the Hump, and then Hungary, singing in English! Clever that, as one of the problems always seems to be the songs sung in a furrin language!! LL

Not too keen on the Albanian experiment jazz singer, she's hurting my ears a bit....

bb1 wrote:Not too keen on the Albanian experiment jazz singer, she's hurting my ears a bit....

It sounded like a cat with its tail caught in a revolving door! Lithuania is belting it out, pass.

Loved the Babushkas, daft song but they were enjoying themselves!

I think they've stolen the show, LL, that sounds like the perfect Eurovision anthem - can't you just imagine that belting out on the Costas this summer, with assorted drunks trying to do cossack dancing?

bb1 wrote:I think they've stolen the show, LL, that sounds like the perfect Eurovision anthem - can't you just imagine that belting out on the Costas this summer, with assorted drunks trying to do cossack dancing?

Well, the ones following them aren't much cop, are they? The French one was dire, and the Italian one shouting away in the background here is a zero. LL

ETA Estonian lad has a good voice, he sings, doesn't shout, which is unlike what the Norwegian is doing. Just a noise, no tune.

Well, it isn't often you see a Cuban/Balkan band, with bagpipes, is it?

bb1 wrote:Well, it isn't often you see a Cuban/Balkan band, with bagpipes, is it?

No! Is it me, or have most of these 'songs' been written by a chimpanzee on coke? They all seem so repetitive, and why they have to be screamed/shouted at 1,000 decibels ....

The Greeks just assaulted my ears with some called Aphrodisiac, and now the Swedes are being dark and gloomy! LL

Yes, that's tipped as a winner, but it sounds like a thousand other Europop instantly forgettable songs to me.

Okay, so far I got The Hump, the Babushkas, Hungary, Estonia .... and we are getting near the end .... even Germany failed to move me .... oh, I would add Turkey because that was very Turkish and I like Turkish music. LL

I was amazed to learn that Jedward now have a huge following in Europe, after they came 8th last year. Oh well, I suppose they're always cheerful....

I didn't think Germany was really right for Eurovision, a bit too low-key and subdued?

Sorry, was staring in disbelief at the Moldova entry....

Moldova was something else, wasn't it? As for Jedward, pass. We have another hour or so; I can't even have a JD while I watch the rest as I am on antibios and painkillers. I will stick it out to the bitter end; seems a shame to have got this far and give up. I will get up late tomorrow. LL

ETA: Germany was just not in there at all, which is surprising as they usually have good songs/singers.

Oh dear, another JD-less spell?

Maybe Germany doesn't want to win because of the cost? Looks like it will have to be somewhere with megabucks - like Russia.

bb1 wrote:Oh dear, another JD-less spell?

Maybe Germany doesn't want to win because of the cost? Looks like it will have to be somewhere with megabucks - like Russia.

Actually, I don't really drink much JD, it started as a running joke on another forum, so going without is no real loss. Germany is well off enough to run it; the problem is going to be if Spain, Italy or Greece win as they don't have the bucks. Nor does Hungary, Turkey would be okay, as would some of the Scandinavian countries, France, Estonia. LL