Eurovision / Making Your Mind Up 2007

[Simon R]

I feel it.

It's coming.

It's two and a bit months until this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki and the UK's potential entrants were unveiled this week.

It's a pretty grim bunch as one has come to expect.

See here for full details and to hear clips...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/eurovision/2007/mymu/

We can vote for ourselves in two weeks time when "Making Your Mind Up" is live on t'telly

Who do we have and what are they like?

Donkey faced, helium voiced, former Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins and some lost woman singing some rocky dirge.

E.T. faced but likeable scouse mouse Liz from Atomic Shitten with her blatant "Son of A Preacher Man" rip off.

Former East 17 drug taker and eternal loser Brian Harvey and a nicely sung but dull R&B number.

Turn of the decade chart under-achivers and weird looking, chicken in a basket Steps rip-off Scooch doing a beyond camp air hostess inspired euro anthem.

Quite successful a couple of years ago, UK garage, rap, whatever you want to call it act Big Brovas. Starts of well but goes a bit tits up.

Finally some new "talent" called Cyndi (who we can only wish was Cyndi Lauper) doing a rather nice if generic ballad that might be big with the X-Factor sorts.

There's nothing majorly exciting. The Scooch one is fun (and lewd!) but a bit too by numbers and the Big Brovas one might be too close to last year's rap flop from Daz. You could see the UK going for Hawkins although he doesn't actually make a big impression on the track. We shall see, yes we shall see.

There's only one way to find out....FIGHT!!!

[Milky Tears]

I fear Big Brovaz will get the UK vote (Fearne Cotton will spend all night claiming that they are "wicked" and "cool") and then finish 15th on Eurovision night.

Hawkins is still a bloater who looks like his mum does his hair!

[Matthew T]

SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH!!!!!!!!!! !

That is all.

[Dave Tudor]

I fear Big Brovaz will get the UK vote (Fearne Cotton will spend all night claiming that they are "wicked" and "cool") and then finish 15th on Eurovision night.

I fear that the Milkman speaks the truth.

Me, I would like to see the McClarnon lying back and thinking of England. But that possibly has nothing to do with Eurovision.

[Kaybee Bailey]

Actually Justin Hawkins sense of style might be perfect for Eurovision, even though I think the female singer has the lead vocal. Should think he'd be one of the more well known in Europe as well, though probably Scooch as a rip off of Steps who ripped off Abba could also make similar claims.

[stephenhannan]

If anyone seriously thinks that any entry from the U.K. of any quality good or bad, would win Eurovision then hope is eternal.

[Matthew T]

If anyone seriously thinks that any entry from the U.K. of any quality good or bad, would win Eurovision then hope is eternal.

People were saying that exact same thing before Katrina & the Waves in 1997...the last time we won before that was 1981 / Bucks Fizz wasn't it?

[stephenhannan]

People were saying that exact same thing before Katrina & the Waves in 1997...the last time we won before that was 1981 / Bucks Fizz wasn't it?

Did we have the big Eastern European voting blocks back then? I think not.

[P-Bal]

It is one million percent possible for the UK to win Eurovision. Finland haven't ever finished in the top ten, yet managed to win last year!

It's a mixed bag of choices for us this year, and I honestly couldn't say which one the British public will pick, because quite frankly anything goes, as picking Darren Samson last year proved.

Lizzy Mac's tune is a jaunty and loveable number, and you can completely sing Son Of A Preacherman. She should be able to pull of a strong live vocal, and she's young pretty and blonde, which helps!

Cyndi, not Lauper alas, has the sort of song which can fare well at Eurovision, much like Chiara's mighty Angle which was runner-up for Malta in 2005. Big ballad with a key change, although you can sing You Raise Me Up over it quite easily. She might be a dark horse in the voting!

Hawkins & Brown isn't something I find particuarly pleasant. It's just noise quite frankly. It's got the sort of camp rock jaunt which did well for Norway's Wig Wam, but I really don't want this to be our choice!

Brian Harvey. People die listening to this. They just stop living.

Big Brovaz are bizarrely one of my preferred choices. It's not rap in the Daz Samson stylee, it's a lot classier than that. I'm not sure how well the vocals will translate live, which is a big part of this, but I like it!

And then there's Scooch! My panties wet at the news of their reunion, but I'm not convinced Flying The Flag (For You) is anything brilliant. It's jaunty, camp and throwaway, which isn't always bad, but I don't know it the British public will pick up and vote for it! Hopefully the live performance will be something memorable, and at Eurovision performance is about 85% of the victory!

And popcorn.

My money's currently on a Belrussian victory anyway!

RE: voting blocks - yes, I'm sure Turkey and Greece were helped by Eastern European voting blocks... not!

[Simon R]

The songs aren't so bad when you listen to them a few times. I think Brian's is the weakest which is a shame because he could do with some good luck!

[Si Hunt]

Harvey is cursed (remember when he managed to run himself over?) and so should not be picked.

On paper, this years UK entrants read like a crock of shit at a car boot sale of shitiness holding a discount sale in old shit. But the songs ain't actually that bad - and a really varied lot too.

I don't especially like Liz McClarnon's "effort" because it rips off "Son of a Preacherman" and I don't like that song anyway. Big Brovaz is okay, but I don't want it to win - it sounds too American. I quite like Justin Hawkins song, but I'm not sure it would do well either.

So I'm with Scooch I think. There's something a bit contrived and whiffy about it, but it has the air of Bucks Fizz and...well... European pop. Which surely is the point. And it may not be sounding like a complete winner, but it's at least a step in the right direction: this is a European competition! We do not need dull crooning or old blokes rapping. We want glitz, glamour, iconic women, a camp dance and jaunty songs that make you wistful. Steps back catalogue is the way to go, and Scooch at least have one glittery toe in this "camp".

That is all.

Si.

[P-Bal]

Reasons to vote for Scooch:



That is all.

[Simon R]

They were playing the songs on Radio 2 today. You could see the people of Britain wanting Hawkins to do it.

[P-Bal]

P-Bal wants Hawkins to do it now too.

Although I'm open to a persuasive performance. Liz McLarnon was bean flashing at G-A-Y on Saturday to push her wares, Brian Harvey was flashing his belly at the Loose Women on ITV and Scooch were on BBC Breakfast News.

Anyway, it's worth noting that the UK is the last European nation to pick its entry, and that the draw for the running order of the semi and final took place today. The UK will be performing 19th, which is a mighty good draw for the right song!

And europopcorn.

[Simon R]

19th? I fear Chisholm, Halliwell and Beckham will be sozzled by that point and bloated on Riverside pizza.

[WhiteCrow]

I love Eurovision - an excuse to get drunk, order Chinese and mock a whole load of songs.

Anyone else hold Eurovision parties?

[P-Bal]

Tis ever thus. I remember so little about telebiogenesis and the 2006 final.

I suspect champagne had a role in this.

[Si Hunt]

Cyndi's (not that one) song is crap. If only the Scooch song was the same but better, we'd win for sure.

Get Daz back! GET THE PUMPS IN!

Si.

[P-Bal]

We shall come shining through the rain!

Not that we will be sober enough to notice such things!

[Simon R]

None of our songs are winners are they? They don't give me the right chills as a wise old owl once said. Then again last years' winners was a rubbish song by a novelty act.

[P-Bal]

Cyndi is apparently being tipped for victory. Hmmm.

Joyous news for gays everywhere... NICKI FRENCH is doing bv's for Scooch. Yes, crapbag granny dancer Nicki is pulling her wee wee knick nacks on and returning to prime time TV!

She's also doing a new musical:

http://www.menopausethemusical.com/

I kid you not.

[Dave Tudor]

I saw bits of the programme tonight - hmm, not a great selection, was it? I missed Lil's performance, apart from the little snatch of hers I saw at the end, and it seemed the strongest of the lot.

The only one I heard in full was the Hawkins and Brown number - I don't know whether or not it was just the performance, but despite being fun and jaunty, and having enough of the right ingredients to be a contender, it just didn't seem to have that extra 'oomph'. Brown has good legs, though.

I think it will come down to these two. I confess I voted for Ms. Mac. Of course.

[P-Bal]

Liz was really lifeless!

Cyndi or Scooch all rhe way!!!

[Milky Tears]

Big Brovaz, Scooch or Cyndi for me.

Brown does have nice legs, but Hawkins is a gimpish bloater!

Might help them pick a decent winner if more folk actually watched the performances. Why do they always schedule Making Your Mind Up opposite one of ITV1's highest rated shows?

(Edited to add: What do I know? Sir Terry just said they've been voting in record numbers.)


I'm saying nothing about Dave seeing Lil's little snatch.

[Si Hunt]

It's taking the piss that in this climate of uncertainty about the "authenticity" of phone voting they make you vote twice AND put the numbers up 45 minutes before the lines open.

Si.