Eurovison 2012: First Impressions #5

Here are my first thoughts on the 6 songs which have pre-qualified for The Final. The number next to the country represents their position in the running order in The Final on Saturday 26th May 2012.

1 United Kingdom Englebert Humperdinck – Love Will Set You Free 0/100

This song didn’t win when the UK entered a better version of it in 1988.  

But music moves on so for an indication of how well the UK might do we don’t have to look any further than last year.  Europe’s biggest festival of Song was kicked off in Dusseldorf in 2011 by a man, a ballad and a guitar. 

Englebert is less slappable than Paradise Oskar but his song is also a lot less engaging.  On balance, I’m not holding my breath in expectation that the UK will finish any better than Finland’s 21^st place.

9 France Anggun - You And I  76/100

Jean Paul Gaultier has already designed the outfit for one winner...

This is France's best effort for a few years and I like it. Anggun has also appeared on many national selection final shows so there will be a recognition factor to take into account. The one note of caution about that is that she hasn't been heard to sing the song live anywhere, so it will be worth tuning in on the night to see if she's actually as flat as a pancake without voice modulation!

10 Italy Nina Zilli - Out Of Love 78/100 

I like this. I liked her original choice, Per Sempre better. 

She's a class act who will get pan-European record sales out of this. We already know she won't win because the song has been drawn 10th.

13 Azerbaijan Sabina Babayeva - When The Music Dies 64/100

When the enthusiasm to host Eurovision dies, would have been a more apt title.

I have a feeling we will be back in Baku once or twice more before 2020, but not next year. The song is OK. She is pretty.  The video is beautiful.   The overall effect is somewhat blah.

19 Spain Pastora Soler - Quédate Conmigo 91/100

We are now at the business end of the Final, though with a field of 26, there will still be 7 more to go after Pastora.

This is Spain's strongest entry for many a long year. A pretty woman with a huge voice and a big ballad nearly always features among the Top 5 and this draw could make it Spain's best finish since 1995.

Ooh. This just in on twitter. @DanaInternational wants her dress back. 

20 Germany Roman Lob - Standing Still 66/100

And this song makes the Spanish one look better.

It's a sweet effort. He's a sweet looking guy. This is just a bit on the blah side.

Eurovision 2012: Semi Final 2 Review

Having awarded the songs in the second Semi Final a score of 100, let's see which 10 I rate to qualify.

Norway: 92

Sweden: 86

Bulgaria: 81

Ukraine: 80

Slovakia: 77

Georgia: 71

Estonia: 67

Belarus: 62

Malta: 58

Turkey: 52

Lithuania: 49

Slovenia: 45

Portugal: 44

Serbia: 41

Macedonia: 38

Bosnia Herzegovina: 34

Croatia: 30

The Netherlands: 25

Well there you have it. On balance this Semi Final seems to be overwhelmed with tedious ballads. I have none of the 5 former Yugoslav Republics making it into my Top 10. Am I so naive as to believe that none of them will qualify?

I have the two Scanda-pops at the top of my list. I like them because they are relatively perky. The voting public of eight of these countries selected joyless ballads as their standard bearers. Are these voting publics going to appreciate what Tooji and Loreen have to offer?  Norway comes later so may have the better chance if it comes to a choice. Favourites have failed to make it through the minefield of qualification before. Might Sweden trip up?  While I have come to like it, on balance I doubt that Sweden will in fact make the Final.

In reality I imagine that Sweden, Malta and Georgia will fail to make the final with Turkey perhaps being too quirky to make it too. I expect Serbia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Bosnia to qualify. I don't believe that any of them should.

Eurovision 2012: First Impressions #4

Here are my first impressions on this year's competitors in the Eurovision Song Contest. These songs will be the last to perform in the Second Semi Final on Thursday 24th May.

Croatia Nina Badiç - Nebo 30/100

I have reached the point in this Semi Final where I'm thinking to myself, 'So only 8 of these DON'T qualify?'.

Another dull as ditchwater Balkan ballad. No No No. Next!

Sweden Loreen - Euphoria 86/100

Let's be clear, this song is going to win The Retro mock 2012 Eurovision.  

But finally we have a song that looks like a potential winner, if only by default.  A weak vocal during the verse; a dated Trance sound; an off-putting set of dance moves and a poor draw in the Final could nonethless see Eurovision 2013 slipping out of Stockholm's grasp. That said, this is the stand out track of both Semi Finals so far. 

Georgia Anri Jokhadze - I'm A Joker 71/100

Well this is absolutely over the top and preposterous.

LOVE IT! Between Sweden and this performance, the second Semi suddenly comes to life. I am under no illusion that this track could win the Eurovision, but the Final would be a poorer place without it!

Turkey Can Bonomo - Love Me Back 52/100

He wants a woman to give his ship a harbour. With an oompah hey nonny nonny.

That is a euphemism for sex isn't it?

This is a bit perky and has 'that' Turkish twang to it. On balance I'm left non-plussed, but I'd rather this qualified for the Final than any of the songs from the Former Yugoslavia.

Estonia Ott Lepland - Kuula 67/100

I have to express an interest here. I think I'm a little bit in love with Ott.

Isn't he handsome? And doesn't he seem so earnest and intense and trustworthy. And what a romantic. And look into those lovely deep eyes. He'd know how to see you through an Estonian winter and I hope to goodness this wonderful soaring ballad wins through to the Final so I can drool over him for another 3 minutes. Be still my beating heart!

Slovakia Max Jason Mai - Don't Close Your Eyes 77/100

Ssssoft rock! Yeah! Super cool for sure!!

I'm not enough of a rock afficionado to know if this counts as proper metal.  I think it's definitely soft rock with screamy bits. Someone help me out here with the vocabulary.

It's pretty cool for Eurovision. It stands out. I like it. I hope it qualifies. Turkey has made Top 3 twice in the last five years with big rock numbers, so who knows with this one?!

Norway Tooji - Stay 92/100

Well Tooji is less slappable than Eric Saade.

Which is a start! While Iceland and Slovenia are making the mistake of trying to replicate former winners, Norway is bringing back a marginally better version of last year's third placed song. This is a strategy which can lead to victory. See Dima Bilan in 2006 and 2008.

I have been waiting to hear a surer-fire winner than this since it was released in January. I haven't. It is one of the best songs in the Contest this year.  The biggest obstacle to Oslo 2013 will be a poor draw in the running order of the Final. The odds of 25-1 on this are ridiculously out of kilter.

Bosnia And Herzegovina Maya Sar - Korake Ti Znam 34/100

Another dreary Balkan ballad, but this has two advantages.

Maya is pretty. Maya is singing in penultimate spot and will be more in people's minds than that Slovenian singer that you've already forgotten. I don't like this track very much. I imagine that it will qualify. I hope it gets drawn second 12th in the Final so I can have a toilet break at the half way point.

Lithuania Donny Montell - Love Is Blind 49/100

This song has a lot of potential but is a bit of a dogs dinner.

• The blindfold. Great.
• Whipping off the blindfold. Great.
• One handed cartwheel. Great.
• Having an intro that lasts for more than half the song. Bad.
• Not kicking into a really funky disco number. Bad. 
• Bringing the song to a halt to do a bit of a jam with the lyrics. Bad.
• The apologetic melting into nothing finish. Bad.

Donny is eye catching and he has some nice gimmicks. The song has been made a bit blah. If he's been drawn third he would have no chance. He's drawn last so maybe he'll get through. 

Eurovision 2012: First Impressions #3

Here are my first impressions on this year's competitors in the Eurovision Song Contest. These songs will be the first to perform in the Second Semi Final on Thursday 24th May.

Serbia Željko Joksimović - Nije Ljubav Stvar  41/100

I just think that this is very very dull.  

Drawn with four other former Yugolsav Republics, it may well get up to 48 points out of the Serbian diaspora.  Drawn first in the final, and as boring as it is, I don’t see anyone else picking up the phone for it.  This won’t qualify.

Macedonia Kaliopi – Crno e Belo 38/100

This is as dull dull dull as Serbia's song, but in a slightly more screechy kind of a way.

Again there are up to 48 points going begging from near neighbours, but catch this now because it won't be on the telly come Saturday 26th May.

The Netherlands Joan – You And Me  25/100

A Dutchwoman dressed as a native American Indian squaw, surrounded by bowls filled with burning crosses. I kid you not.

Holland hasn't qualified for the Final of the Eurovision in living memory. After gaining revenge for non-qualification one year by vetoing the European Constitution in a referendum, the Dutch nation is now sticking two fingers up at a disinterested continent with this paltry effort. 

Malta  Kurt Calleja – This Is The Night 58/100

Well this isn't awesome, but it's the best thing so far and is worth a phone vote for keeping me awake for it's duration if nothing else.

I think this should probably qualify, but it's a bit bland for a Top 10 finish in the Final. 

Belarus Litesound - We Are The Heroes 62/100

Democracy Belarus-style involves the Belarussian public choosing a song, and then the President telling them which one they should have chosen and that one representing the country instead.

The President was correct however in thinking that this track is better than the dreary ballad chosen by the public. I like the indie rock vibe of this song. But then maybe I'm biased because I Love Belarus!

Portugal Filipa Sousa - Vida Minha 44 /100

45 entries and no wins. 

And still Portugal refuses to heed the message that Europe doesn't like Fado!  Listen to any previous Portuguese entry and you'll be listening to this song. I really doubt that this will qualify.

Ukraine  Gaitana - Be My Guest 80/100

Some online bookies have this track at 66-1. Get £5 Each way on it now!

It's perky, bright, entertaining. She is going to sell the arse off this song on stage quite clearly. I am confused as to why it is not better regarded at the moment by the fan base. Especially given that Ukraine has one of the best track records of the last 10 years and seems to win votes for turning up.

I can only think that people are remembering France's poor finish when they used their World Cup 2010 Anthem as their Eurovision entry. But this is a better track than that and has Top 5 written all over it for me.  If it gets drawn in the last 5 singing positions of the Final I would not bet against Kiev 2013.

Bulgaria  Sofi Marinova - Love Unlimited 81/100

I always love the Bulgarian entries. They almost never qualify.

When you listen to the tracks in the running order of the shows, some interesting things can arise. The similarity between Ukraine and Bulgaria is thrown into sharp relief here. Can they both qualify? I like this track more, but on balance I think Ukraine is likely to do better than Bulgaria.

Slovenia Eva Boto - Verjamem 45/100

I commented on Icleand's 2012 entry, that they'd made the mistake of trying to replicate last year's winner. Slovenia are making the mistake of trying to replicate the 2007 winner. 

Serbia at least provided us with a pocket sized lesbian and a bunch of Farah Fawcett glamazons to look at. Slovenia offer us the Bride of Frankenstein and a clutch of jilted bridesmaids. Of all the tedious power ballads served up in the first half of this Semi Final, this is the least bad. if it makes the final, it will not make the top 10. 

Eurovision 2012: Semi Final 1 Review

Having awarded the songs in the first Semi Final a score of 100, let's see which 10 I rate to qualify.


Israel: 77
Moldova: 75
Cyprus: 71
Hungary: 70
Switzerland: 70
Russia: 65
Iceland: 63
Greece: 58
Ireland: 55
Austria: 54

Montenegro: 53
San Marino: 51
Albania: 50
Belgium: 49
Romania: 45
Denmark: 38
Finland: 31
Latvia: 23


So am I happy with my judgements? Well, yes on balance I am. In reality I think that it is likely that either Austria or Montenegro will win. Austria sings third from last and will just shade it.

You may think that both Albania and Belgium are too classy not to qualify. I think they are both too boring and hobbled by being too early in the running to maintain impact by the time the voting begins.

The Eurovision Fanbase at large will think I am mad for imagining Romania and Denmark will fail to make the Final. This is the same Eurovision fanbase that this time last year was already booking tickets to Paris for 2012, so I'll take no advice from them.

Out of my Top 10, I think Hungary and Switzerland may be the two tracks least likely to make it through.

The striking thing for me is that the scores I've given songs in this Semi are broadly speaking pretty average. There is a real cluster around 50. This Semi seems to contain no real stinkers but certainly not the winner either.

Eurovision 2012: First Impressions #2

Here are my first impressions on this year's competitors in the Eurovision Song Contest. These songs will be the last to perform in the First Semi Final on Tuesday 22nd May.


Israel Izabo – Time 77/100

Quirky, catchy, witty. I like a lot, though it does remind me of France 2008.


San Marino Valentina Monetta - The Social Network Song (Oh Oh – Uh - Oh Oh) 51/100

I find this song perkily underwhelming.

 If I were being picky I’d say that’s she sings the lyric “googling”. Other search engines are available so does this contravene the EBU rules on advertising a product or service? I don't care enough to write an email of complaint because I have no fear that this will make it to the Final.


Cyprus Ivi Adamou – La La Love 71/100

Hellenic perky pop princess meets Mad Minotaur-haired vamp in a Dracula inspired Merchant Ivory gothic horror video. And then they ran out of money and they gather all the left over Chinese lanterns from the Rebecca Black ‘Friday’ video and stick our heroine Ivi, in a tree. So far, so inspired.

The song and the video grate on one another like two giant gratey things however and both the video and the song come away from this catastrophe diminished. I hope this isn’t a pointer to the staging or they could throw away what should be a guaranteed qualification.  Again there is an online school of thought that only Greece OR Cyprus can qualify from the same Semi. I expect that they will both in fact go through.


Denmark Soluna Samay - Should've Known Better 38/100

Denmark should have known better than to select this song.  This has got ‘Anna Bergendahl’ written all over it, and everyone scoffed when I said she wouldn’t qualify in 2010.

The difference is that Anna had a less insipid song and a more charismatic stage performance, so Soluna may as well save herself the trouble and withdraw now.


Russia Buranovskiye Babushki - Party For Everybody 65/100

There is a train of thought that says the juries will not vote for this song so it cannot win.

 I’m not convinced this is the case. To be honest I think this song will go either one of two ways.

Scenario 1 sees Europe respond negatively to a joke track comprised of out of tune and out of time singing and dancing and this will accrue fewer than 40 points and claim 23rd place.

Scenario 2 sees Europe in the mood to take the piss and a continent cheers itself up by giving this song a landslide win… Russia themselves rejected a duet between a former Eurovision winner and a former Eurovision runner-up, so we know what mood they are in for a start…  Moscow 2013 is not beyond the realms of possibility.


Hungary Compact Disco - Sound Of Our Hearts 70/100

Hungary joins Montenegro in tackling the debt crisis through the medium of the Eurovision Song Contest.

This is all a bit more Depeche Mode to my ears and the video really enhances this song. Without the video I wonder if the song will come across as a bit dreary, followed as it will be by...


Austria Trackshittaz - Woki Mit Deim 54/100

This song is going to qualify from the Semi Final. Get used to the idea now.


Moldova Pasha Parfeny – Lăutar 75/100

This is the kind of song you’d expect Maroon 5 to enter into Eurovision, if they could be persuaded to enter Eurovision.  A top 7 finish for Moldova beckons I reckon.


Ireland Jedward – Waterline 53/100

Jedward go for the Glee vote. It's not as good as Lipstick.

Will they be back next year? Well last year they came away form the Eurovision Song Contest with €10,000,000 worth of European distribution contracts, so you betcha they will!

Eurovision 2012: First Impressions #1

Here are my first impressions on this year's competitors in the Eurovision Song Contest. These songs will be the first to perform in the First Semi Final on Tuesday 22nd May.

Montenegro Rambo Amadeus Euro Neuro 53/100

So the first word of Eurovisin 2012 will be Euro Sceptic. How zeitgeisty in this era of debt restructuring.

During the song, Euro Neuro (EVRO NEVRO!), Rambo Amadeus tells us he is into nudism and optimism. He’s seen riding a donkey at the head of a traffic jam. The donkey is later seen getting a massage and eating some Euro notes. This is left left field.

You often get a wacky qualifier however and I have a funny feeling this might make it, though singing first doesn’t help. The Greek public certainly will empathise with the mood of the song.


Iceland Greta Salóme & Jónsi - Never Forget 63/100

Each year you have a country that thinks all you have to do to win is to produce a slightly different version of last year's winner. Of course, they never do very well because Europe considers the song to be... well, so last year! What is unfortunate is that this song is better than last year’s winner and classier than most of this year’s entries.

While ice blond hair and chunky knitwear dominate the fabulous video, apart from a guaranteed 12 points from Denmark and 10 from Finland, I wonder if the draw in second place will hamper their chances of progress.


Greece Eleftheria Eleftheriou – Aphrodisiac 58/100

Why mess with a winning formula?

Greece have entered pretty much exactly the same track for 6 of the last 8 years, and they even won with it once in 2005! With a better draw this should be a sure fire qualifier. Whether this perky pop princess can qualify from third we can only wait and see.


Latvia Anmary - Beautiful Song 23/100

From time to time you get a songwriter who loves the Eurovision so much that they write a Eurovision song about the Eurovision. A shame really because they always do very very badly.

This ‘Beautiful Song’ is turgid dreary fayre and resembles a cross between ‘I Know Him So Well’ and ‘The Winner’s Song’. Just dreadful.


Albania Rona Nishliu – Suus 50/100

A quiet thoughtful ballad. Until it becomes a loud screechy vocal firework display.

The staging is the most constantly engaging thing about the video. If she can pull off singing in that long nosed mask in the Semi then good luck to her.


Romania Mandinga – Zaleilah 45/100

A song that screams Benidorm. Shortly before screaming Whigfield. And shortly after screaming Las Ketchup.

If Alisha Dixon were a Eurovision judge she would say that this song gets the party started. If they had only waited for two years, the opening bagpip solo would have netted 12 points from a freshly independent Scotland.

Will it qualify? I don’t care. and I absolutely am not learning the dance moves.


Switzerland Sinplus – Unbreakable 70/100

The advantage for the Swiss in choosing their song in December is that this has been performed live at almost every other national final over the course of the last three months.

The down side is that this guy has not become any more intelligible.

It’s a shame because he’s a committed performer and I quite like the indie vibe to this track. Turkey has blazed a trail with this sort of song, and Georgia had a similar effort last year which qualified for the Final. A few days with Professor henry Higgins could transform the chances of this track.


Belgium Iris – Would You? 49/100

No, I wouldn’t

All I’m saying is that at 1:09, the Lighting Technician was so bored he dozed off, falling forehead first onto the button that turned all the lights off.

This song could plausibly have come from any Euriovision in the last 30 years. It couldn’t plausibly have won any of them.


Finland Pernilla - När Jag Blundar 31/100

Lithuania surprised me last year by qualifying for the Final with a really slow ballad. But in her performance, Ewelina Sasenko managed to wow a continent and perhaps Pernilla can too… If they’re not put to sleep by the Belgian song first.

So then I wondered... What else could iTunes tell me about Eurovision?

Re-writing Eurovision History

Using iTunes tonight to tell me which are my favourite Semi Final tracks for Eurovision 2011 got me thinking. I have the CDs for the last 10 years on iTunes...

What could this piece of software tell me about my favourite tracks from years gone by. If it had been up to me, who would have won each year? Am I at all in tune with the European voting public? Have the winning tracks stood the test of time?

So this post takes each of the last 10 years and tells you which track from Eurovision I have listened to the most over the years which have followed... The results have been interesting, sometimes surprising and also a little bit revealing.

2002: SLOVENIA, Sestre: Samo Ljubezem

If only Scooch had realised that Slovenia had already been there and done it better. While Marie N scored a surprise win with 'I Wanna' for Latvia, iTunes reveals that Slovenia is my favourite from 2002 with hosts Estonia in second and a bunch of game old boilers from Sweden in third.

What I especially like about the Slovenian performance is that they come on to boos and leave to a standing ovation. Go Slovenia!

2003: RUSSIA, t.A.T.u: Nye Ver, Nye Bosye

OK so they didn't sing it well live. Screech more like. The whole 'are they or aren't they' lesbian thing was tedious to us in the West, but the booing at the start of their performance casts their attempt to stand up as gay icons in homophobic Latvia was actually ground breaking and brave. Again they finish their song to resounding cheering.

On the treadmill at the gym on full volume this track has got me to keep going for three more minutes on many an occasion and has been listened to far more often than the winner, Turkey.

2004: SWEDEN, Lena Philipsson, It Hurts

I will never ever forget Lorraine Kelly saying that this was a song about 'the love that dare not speak it's name'. Listen to the lyrics with that thought in mind and you can't disagree!

istanbul 2004 was the first Eurovision that I went to and I remember nothing of this song on the night. I have a vague memory that I was standing next to a Swede who belileved that this song was going to win. I remember dismissing it on first hearing as typical Scanda-pop. Clearly I am a fan of the sound as this has notched up twice as many listens as Ruslana's winning track for the Ukraine.

2005: ISRAEL, Shiri Maimon, Hasheket Shenish'ar / The Silence That Remains

After a blistering run of good form there was a definite feel about 2005 that it was Greece's turn to win. Elena Paparizou's song, outfit and performance reeked of an immense determination to win Eurovision and she romped home with a landslide win. My Number One is one of my favourite tracks and maybe my favourite Eurovision winner of all time.

So imagine my surprise when I find that I have listened to this unassuming but powerful ballad from Israel more times than the winner! I remember on the night dismissing this as a retro-ballad that would have won in any year of the 1970s. I remember dismissing Shiri as a Farrah-Fawcett wannabe. But over the 6 years since, it is the song from the year that I come back to.

2006: ROMANIA, Mihai Traistariu, Tornero

The winner from 2006 is my 31st favourite song from the year according to iTunes, yet on the night I cannot deny that I wanted Lordi to win as much as everyone else in Europe!

Time and my inner disco-bunny have left Mihai and his insistent throbbing baseline as my favourite from Athens. One big surprise in watching the video to this tonight... He's about 40 years older than I would have thought.

2007: CYPRUS, Evridiki, Comme Çi, Comme Ça

Veterans from the 1994 Contest, Evridki were one of the hottest of hot favourites going into the 2007 Contest. Cyprus must have thought they were well on their way to victory with all the hype and betting surrounding their chosen act. But drawn third in the Semi Final, this track fell at the first hurdle and did not qualify for the Final night.

In the end, Molitva won the night for Serbia. Marija Serifovic ties with France and Ukraine as my favourite tracks from the night of the Final.

2008: TURKEY, Mor ve Ötesi, Deli

Deli is not just my favourite track of 2008, it is by some distance the single Eurovision track which I have listened to the most. Bad news for Ani Lorak. The second most listened to Eurovision track on my all time list, was from the same year. Now is it just me or does this man have the most snoggable lips in Eurovision history?

2009: PORTUGAL, Flor-de-lis, Todas As Ruas Do Amor

I was surprised when I did my eve of Eurovision iTunes check in 2009 and found that Portugal was my favourite song at the time. Two years and it still is my favourite from the year with Turkey in a close second place. While Turkey is more typically Eurovision, I think that this cute Portuguese song is just a breath of fresh air in the contest.

2010: RUSSIA, Peter Nalitch & Friends, Lost & Forgotten

Well this shows you cannot judge a song on first impressions gauged from grainy video provided by the Russian national broadcaster alone. I dismissed this song within 10 seconds of the opening bars on first listen. The wonderful comedy in the lyrics and staging, the beautiful lilting tune, the voice, the photo, the snow, the sighing all added up to an act of pure unadulterated Eurovision genius.

I know there are those who rank this as the worst Eurovision song ever, but iTunes does not lie and I have listened to this track marginally more than the winner Lena, but more than twice as often as my third favourite, Lithuania.

There you have it then...

9 years and none of my favourites were actual winners! What do my 9 favourites say about me? A drag act, some punky lesbians, a song about sodomy, a power ballad, a disco floor-filler, an angst-ridden bit of Hellenism, a hot Turk with an indie vibe, a Portuguese song as sweet as a tart de nata and a bit of comedy folk action. In short, my kind of night out!

So now it's time for a drumroll please... Having demonstrated a taste in music which has been shown to in no way be a reflection of the wider voting European public, what is my most listened to song of 2011? I am either setting myself up for a huge disappointment or for once in a decade, as Jade Ewen once sang, it's my time...

2011: UNITED KINGDOM, Blue, I Can

With 10 more listens that Germany's foxy little number, I have absolutely fallen for this track and these boys. With 13 million record sales across Europe in their career and a bag full of Number One tracks, there is a strand of British Eurovision fans who have been given exactly what they wanted in Blue representing the UK (me included). If we come last with this we may as well pull out. Whether Blue can bring home win number 6 for the UK, we have only until Saturday to find out.

Eurovision 2011: Calling Semi Final 2

Good evening Europe!

We have reached Eurovision Eve! And thanks to the wonders of iTunes this means we can now have a look at how many times we have listened to the Eurovision songs of the year and plan how to vote!

For those of us foolish enough to commit our first impressions to the Blogosphere it is also possible to see how right and how wrong we were.

Below then are my Top 10 Tunes from Eurovision Semi Final 2

12 points: Belarus - 54 listens
10: Bosnia & Herzegovina - 47
8: Holland - 40
7: Austria - 38
6: Latvia - 35
5: Estonia - 34
4: Slovenia - 33
3: Moldova - 32
2: Romania - 27
1: Sweden - 26

Non-Qualifiers
Slovakia - 25
Denmark - 24
Cyprus - 24
Bulgaria - 20
Ireland - 18
Israel - 15
Ukraine - 13
Macedonia - 13
Belgium - 3

All change!

My first impressions of this semi-final had Denmark, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Israel all in positions to comfortably qualify. In reality the songs have not appealed to me when I had the chance to listen to them. Why not? Because in the case of Denmark, Slovakia and Israel they are fairly lame songs.

In the case of Bulgaria I can only offer an apology. I wanted to listen to Na Inat more. I wanted to like it better... But for some reason most times the track came on I chose to skip it. For shame everywhereventually... for shame.

Holland, Latvia, Romania and Sweden were the big gainers over the last month, and some were bigger gainers than others...

Holland and Romania's songs are cheerful and upbeat and inoffensive without being too bland.

Sweden was always likely to make it into my Top Ten but nonetheless I still can't say I love it and Eric is certainly a walking definition of slappable.

Latvia's lyrics were originally the cause of my scorn are now seen in the everywhereventually household as being rather fabulous... who wouldn't want to be loved by luscious thighs after all?

Before you leap to the comment bank, Belarus is a bit of a surprise to me too... Yes, I have seen and heard the rehearsal videos. Yet there is something silly and fun and rather rampant about this song which I think will come across well to a giddy audience of 35,000 Eurovision fans in a stadium. Disagree with me if you like... In 2006 my favourite song was Croatia's Moja Stikla, so what do I know?!

Ireland only got so many listens I think because I foolishly left my iPhone in the hand of a Jedward-mad friend for 20 minutes!

Belgium the big 'nul points' of the year.

Eurovision 2011: Calling Semi Final 1

Good evening Europe!

We have reached Eurovision Eve! And thanks to the wonders of iTunes this means we can now have a look at how many times we have listened to the Eurovision songs of the year and plan how to vote!

For those of us foolish enough to commit our first impressions to the Blogosphere it is also possible to see how right and how wrong we were.

Below then are my Top 10 Tunes from Eurovision Semi Final 1

12 points: Georgia - 55 listens
10: Hungary - 51
8: Serbia - 48
7: Poland - 44
6: Croatia - 41
5: Azerbaijan - 37
4: Albania - 36
3: Iceland - 35
2: Russia - 30
1: San Marino - 27

Not Qualifying
Switzerland - 26
Armenia - 22
Finland - 22
Norway - 21
Malta - 17
Turkey - 15
Lithuania - 10
Portugal - 10
Greece - 10

The first thing that strikes me about my iTunes list is that it is actually very consistent with my first impressions. Norway has been replaced with Russia in my top 10 and that is the only change. Norway turned out to be too saccharine to be listened to. Albania has dropped down the ranking... Aurela turned out to be too shouty to be a real favourite.

One thing I am surprised by is that I have listened to the bottom 3 on 10 occasions each. I don't remember having subjected myself to them more than once!

The Tree That Started A War

After a bitter and bloody civil war which lasted for 30 years, Eritrea finally gained de facto independence from Ethiopia in 1991 and de juré independence in 1993.

A sense of independence comes in many forms and for many, the currency is a strong symbol of national identity and independence. After independence Eritrea continued to use the Ethiopian currency, but by 1997 they were ready to launch their own.

Perhaps it was the decision to link the currency at parity to the Ethiopian Birr which enraged the Ethiopians. Perhaps it was the decision to name the currency after the town which had been the Headquarters of the Independence Liberation Army; Nakfa. Perhaps Ethiopia had simply not psychologically accepted Eritrean independence as a fact and thought they could continue to dictate policy in the region.

Whatever the most important of these factors, the launch of the Eritrean currency was a catalyst for a complete breakdown in relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia and a brutal and bitter war was fought along their border. A border which has remained closed ever since.

So what does this tree have to do with all this?

In rural communities the enormous span of this tree makes it an ideal place for people to gather to socialise; to discuss important matters; come to decisions and to share stories of the ancestors. So it was seen as the perfect symbol for the 5 Nakfa note. And this is the very tree that features on the note.

Stupidly I didn't think to photograph a note while I was in Eritrea... It is a currency which cannot be exchanged or brought out of the country either.

How Do You Write UK In Tigrayan?

...Or any other European country for that matter?

Drop your left ear to your left shoulder...

...See the letter 'F'?

It stands for Fascisti and this building was the headquarters of the Italian Fascist Party during the occupation.

The Duomo of Florence...

...In Asmara.

The architectural legacy of the Italian occupation is apparent in all sorts of ways.

A Lonely Planet Front Cover Waiting To Happen?...

...Or just another one of my nearly pics?

A Man Made Landscape

Eritrea has been home to a human population for approximately 55,000 years.

And put into that context it is maybe not surprising to realise that almost the entire country has been literally shaped by human hand.

This terracing was evident everywhere that we went. Though deforestation and reduced precipitation mean that very little of it is now kept in good repair or used for agriculture.

Application for Head of Eritrean Tourism Marketing

Maybe it's just me, but as the minivan came round the corner I expected it to stop and for us to be ushered out to marvel at the natural phenomenon of the landscape that looks like a sitting lion.

If Eritrea had the same Tourism Marketing as Japan then this would be called 'The Lion of Eritrea'. It would have a visitor's centre and a ranking on the 10 best visual landscape effects in Eritrea list.

Of course if Eritrea had an Irish Head of Tourist Marketing it would also have it's own AV as well.

Unmistakably...

...the litter of war.

The School Run

We stopped off at a small village on the run from Keren back to Asmara.

The locals spoke a language which neither of our drivers understood so I'm not sure anyone knew what we were doing apart from a little bit of cultural exchange.

It was lunchtime at the local school so we were mobbed by several dozen kids all building up the bravery to say 'hello' and 'how are you'. We terrified and fascinated them in equal measure I think by taking their photos and showing them themselves on the digital display screens. The way that some of them pointed at the screens and then at themselves in wonderment made me wonder if they had seen themselves before. When we were invited into two of the thatched huts by the locals I certainly didn;t see any evidence of a mirror anywhere.

And then we heard a bell ring in the distance and the kids all screamed and ran off and we resumed our journey.

Eritrean Institute of Agriculture

How do you grow crops in a country with little water, arid soil, sudden floods and dry season temperatures in excess of 40 degrees celcius?

Good questions, and ones which they are trying to answer at the Eritrean Institute of Agriculture.

We saw different irrigation and furrow methods being trialled here as well as different crops and grape varietals being tested against the conditions.

We also learned about the different sorts of cattle that can prosper in East Africa. European cows don't do so well for example because they have too much subcutaneous fat and get too hot; hence the reliance on goats for milk and dairy produce.

Midday: 45 Degrees

You'd cling to the shade too!

Easy To Spot

One striking thing about Eritrea is how brightly the women dress.

I don;t know if I had been expecting something else.

Or perhaps in the sunshine the colours shimmered luminously. Either way, the colours of the fabrics were dazzling.

Another village...

...another blue dome.

This one appearing through the early morning mists on the road out of Keren.

The Early Bird...

... Catches the petrol.

While we saw ready supplies of home grown food and other produce being traded in Keren, Eritrea suffers from fuel poverty.

De-forested as the country is, the place is fed through the use of gas burning stoves. With only one semi-functioning port acting as a bottleneck on supply, queues for fresh fuel start early on delivery day.

Keren Fruit Market

The Keren Fruit Market had been busy during the day.

As had the grain and vegetable markets we had seen too.

At sunset a peace settled over the city after a day of heavy bartering in all quarters. From our rooftop restaurant all we could hear was the occasional birdsong, the occasional car horn and the screams of playing children.