What the hell just happened?

(Sorry for the super-obvious blog post title but.. well... sometimes obvious is obvious for a reason no?)

The hardest part of keeping this blog 'up to date' - in the very broad sense of that phrase, given it has just two posts a year pretty much - is doing the post-Eurovision write-up. Mainly because there's quite a hard cold turkey moment in the hours after the final, and you do have to rapidly cut yourself off from the source. So then trying to motivate oneself to go back and put some thoughts down about it all is difficult, if not counterproductive.

Also of course everything that needs to be said has been said, and is being said, better across the gamut of Eurovision fan media. So no need for us to provide hot takes on anything, frankly.

But here are a few quick thoughts by way of wrapping up:

• 
  Basel was bloody beautiful and brilliant. What a great host city. There was so much love for Eurovision, excitement about people being in the city, and a complete buzz that grew across the week. It reminded us a lot of Liverpool, with the added bonus of having stunning views and a really lovely way of life with riverside drinking and fantastic places to eat. We'll be back in the city for sure; but also it has set a high bar for a lovely Eurovision week that hopefully Vienna (or Innsbruck.. or Graz) can build on.

• 
  The arena was small, which was why tickets were a nightmare - but it did mean that for those in the room, it felt amazing. We were lucky enough to be there on Tuesday and Thursday for the semi-finals (both rehearsal and live show) and loved being close to the action, witnessing the quick-changes and seeing the artists live. It had Turin arena vibes with the added bonus of being stood (well, a bonus for us - Eurovision is not a sitting-down experience!)

• Remember Monday did us proud, despite the televote not coming for us (again). We were shooting for a strong Jury score and we got one - 10th place, 88 points, double what we received last year. And a 12 from Italy! Lots to feel good about there.  And lots to build on - we 'just' need to couple that with something that cuts through more easily to people at home. But what we did get of course was a song that became a meme, and has been used by pretty much everyone to sum up Eurovision 2025 overall (this blog post included).

• 
  We were gutted but perhaps not surprised to lose Ireland and Belgium, amongst others, of our favourites. And while Denmark only got 2 (!) points in the final... they made the freakin' final! Sissal was just one of a bunch of artists who came across as absolutely wonderful - one of the highlights of this year really was seeing them all come alive on social media. 

• And the results overall? I mean, all over the shop. As we said earlier, we won't go over the same well-worn ground, but there was some real WTF moments, of which Switzerland's 0 with the televote was just one. Our parting thought are that the public vote needs attention, and the EBU must do something before next year - it needs to be robust, and it needs to be something that people feel they have faith in and therefore want to themselves vote in. The erosion of trust in it will just lead to a vicious circle whereby even fewer people vote, the vote itself therefore becomes less reflective of public opinion, and overall interest in Eurovision falls away. This can be rectified! But it just needs taking it seriously and not trying to pretend that just because there isn't actual vote-tampering happening, everything is fine. The rules may not be being broken but they may also not be the right rules...

We had a brilliant, fantastic week - preceded a slightly early Flag-Waving of course, which we enjoyed hosting as always and thanks to all who came. You may have sene that we actually left Basel on Friday, and watched Eurovision itself in a bar in Glagow. Leaving was a wrench and not sure we'd do it again as the energy levels were ramping up massively each day. But Glasgow did make up for it by being the hottest place in Western Europe that weekend - and our venue for the final did a great job - if you're in the city for Eurovision weekend then we can recommend!

So back to Austria we go. Vienna 2015 was great, although the bar has been raised massively since then (cf. above) so let's hope that they got the memo and can deliver another fantastic Eurovision.

The EUROfiasco Top 10 for 2025

QUICK LINKS: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

A bit earlier than usual - taking advantage of the May Day holiday - we had the Flag-Waving today (thanks to all who came!), where amongst other things we revealed our Top 10. 

• 12 points: Belgium 🇧🇪
• 10 points: Denmark 🇩🇰
• 8 points: Ireland 🇮🇪
• 7 points: Spain 🇪🇸
• 6 points: Norway 🇳🇴
• 5 points: Luxembourg 🇱🇺
• 4 points: Cyprus 🇨🇾
• 3 points: Netherlands 🇳🇱
• 2 points: Malta 🇲🇹
• 1 point: San Marino 🇸🇲

Some notable things.. well, for the first time since 2010, Sweden haven't made the cut - although they were one of our 4 outsiders (alongside France, Czechia and Germany). Luxembourg make their debut. And Belgium are top for the first time ever (and they now are amongst 4 other countries that have appeared in our top list 6 times; Sweden are still way ahead on 15 though!)

There are actually a fair few bangers this year, and even outside the 14 there are some songs that we've enjoyed dancing to, including at the fabulous Madrid Pre-Party. (right).

Those in the room also cast their votes - some having done extensive research, others having heard the songs for the first time that day. The top 3 in the room were (in ascending order) Australia, Estonia and Spain - no complaints from us on that douze.

One of the highlights from that event was Go-Jot taking his top off, and on that note the Flag-Waving was themed around all things Oz - as we celebrated 10 years of Australia at Eurovision. Yes, it really was a decade ago that Guy Sebastian stormed into the top 5. They've had a bit of a roller-coaster of late but the Aussie record ain't too bad really. 

We asked our guests which Oz Eurovision entry was their favourite of the decade and the results were pretty close, certainly between the top two...

• 12 points: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love - 2018
• 10 points: Dami Im - Sound of Silence - 2016
• 8 points: Voyager - Promise - 2023 (much to Jo's delight)

And, with Kylie herself hitting the UK this month, what other Aussie would we celebrate but the lady herself? We asked the crowd for their favourite of hers over that same decade, and the results were:

• 12 points:  Padam Padam
• 10 points:  Say Something
• 8 points:  Dancing

Enjoy Eurovision one and all. And good luck to Our Girls, Remember Monday. Hopefully 'what the hell just happened?' will be our reaction on Sunday 18 May to the scoreboard that has them beautifully highly placed...*

* oh, we also asked our attendees where they thought the UK would place. We'll save that one for now and so as not to accidentally manifest anything, and see who came closest after the event!

An unforgettable, dizzy week

Well thought best to write something within 1 week of returning from Eurovision, rather than leaving it 1 year like last time though! You can see why it's tempting to leave it, though... it's such an intense week, micro-focusing on everything that's going on (and boy was there a lot of keep refreshing this week!), then a massive crescendo at pace on Saturday night, and you are spat out exhausted back into Gatwick by mid-afternoon Sunday. The only way to cope is to rapidly cut off the Eurovision oxygen supply!

However after a tough few days emotionally and physically, we're just about back on an even keel after an amazing week. It was a lot of fun - despite what social media may have you believe, there was joy and dancing and the usual enjoyment all around. Yes there were some weird undertones - and, guys, we found ourselves in the same hotel as Eden and the delegation for the first part of the week so we had it, guns and all! - but if you didn't let them get to you, or read Twitter too much (this was the year that the 'fandom' truly took leave of its senses) then it was fine.  Of course the booing and the tension at times was real - it was always going to be - but at the end of the day Eurovision soldiered on, thanks of course to an amazing script by Edward af Sillen, brilliant hosting by Petra and Malin, and overall the solid SVT touch that kept the show on the road with laughter (lots of it - so many great sketches and skits!) and nostalgia. Tak!

What of the results? Probably don't have the energy for a lengthy exposition, but we will say that Switzerland was a great winner and watching Nemo sing their lungs out impeccably while jumping around that stage was quite the spectacle and deserving of all that jury love. We didn't necessarily go mad for the song on first listen, it was something of a grower, but it truly deserves its place in the illustrious hall of Eurovision fame.

As for the UK... well, a mixed bag. It certainly was a relief to see us creep into the left-hand-side from the Jury votes (at one point it felt like we were going nowhere, but some lovely juries put us top 3 - again, tak Sverige!). Given the massive excitement from people we speak to on Sunday who had seen the staging in the arena, and the talk of 'top 10' at that point... well, at least they weren't totally wrong that it had appeal! The televote result was a bit of a gut punch, though. This article has some thoughtful perspectives of perhaps why it didn't connect in the end. The key is we need to Keep Trying - we're not totally off-beam - we will find a way.

Was great to see France back in the top 5. Being as French as they can be seems to be their secret to success (cf. 2021). How can we be even more British? I mean Sam probably best typifies that sound, if we are to be cliched about it. What's the next version of that?

Right, as we continue to decompress and process the entire thing, we'll leave it here and look forward to speaking, no doubt in 11 months time, with our 2025 Top 10 before we step on a plane to Zurich/Basel/Geneva! 

But to end: it was wonderful to be back in Sweden, and I hope it won't be long until they get their 8th win and we return to Stockholm. Marcus and Martinus executed the brief and got a creditable 9th as a result - we think our 'good luck' vibes helped!

The EUROfiasco Top 10 for 2024

QUICK LINKS: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

As (all being well!) hopefully unveiled today - here are the ten songs (plus a pair of outsiders) that float our boat this year. There's a good level in bops, and at the same time no one obvious standout - which all bodes well for a pretty exciting Eurovision!

We head off tomorrow for a week that hopefully will be drama-free and full of the joy that our beloved contest can bring. 

And good luck Olly - you're bringing a superb, radio-friendly, catchy-as-hell banger to the stage and if we can stage it well and get a decent draw then we could be in with a shout of a good placing.

As to who will win... Croatia? Netherlands? France? Italy?... it really could be any of 10 or so songs at this stage. Bring it on!

What's Another Year?

Yes, it nearly has been a year since the last post on this blog.. which was before Eurovision 2023. It says a lot about the sorry state of this website that we've not said a word about a contest that was actually hosted in the UK for the first time in 25 years, the first one we've ever been to, the one we thought would never happen...

But the reality is, yes, updating this website - which was already happening pretty infrequently - has fallen off a cliff, and I guess we just have to accept that. Life is busy! And we've not been that prolific on other social media either so don't think that the website has been abandoned in favour of other stuff...

Anyway this won't be a comprehensive round-up of 2023 either, but it is important to say that it really was epic. Not just as a contest - although the BBC absolutely rose to the challenge and delivered one of the best Eurovisions ever, without question. But also as a city. Liverpool was the absolute antidote to Tepid Turin, in every way. The entire city was going for it - every bar, every shop, every restaurant - they all had Eurovision branding and were marking the contest in some way. It was absolutely amazing, and even writing this now 11-and-a-lot months on I feel a bit emotional about it all.

I won't attempt to include much here except to note that we did make the telly - somewhat unexpectedly - by featuring in the opening titles of the 5pm news on the Saturday of Eurovision final day! 

And at about the time that was going out, we were in fact dancing in the foyer of the Pullman Hotel, being watched by Jan Leeming and a host of others who were on their way in and out of the building for the official BBC party.

Just two anecdotes across an amazing week. Oh - Samantha Janus! Performing at Euroclub! As we lived and breathed! We never thought we'd see it.

At our peak we were a motley crew of around 20, all looking to soak up some UK-at-Eurovision action. 4 of us were lucky enough to be at the final itself, while the gang had a great time in the Euroclub watching the final (and doing the dance). 

And now, we are but moments away from a return to Malmö, 11 years on from our 24-person-strong delegation! We'll be a more mangeable six people this year, which is probably for the best given some of the challenges there may be this year given #worldevents... but we will have a ball, I am sure.

The blog will fire up into life again for the Top 10, fear not - mainly as I'm about to write and schedule the post. But I can't promise much more in the way of updates for the next year - we may just have to accept that situation... and keep an eye on Instagram for a bit more of a topical flavour.