I’ve kind of lost track. It seems like I’ve been here a week already – especially as I was roused from my slumber by the man now dubbed as Unlucky Franko falling though the bottom of his collapsing bed.
As social secretary it’s my duty to report that Euroclub was a bit nice but dull. Apparently there’s another big room to one side, but last evening’s sparse crowd only merited the slightly cramped front bar, and the only star on view – well at least by the time that we left – was the Finnish folk boy, who seemed nice enough, but had surprisingly soft hands for someone who plays guitar.
I’m sure it’ll pick up as the week goes on.
As for those song things – I believe that’s why we’re here – Switzerland surprised me last evening. No, she didn’t hide in a cupboard for three hours and jump out on me (although Franko’s so bored I suspect he might resort to that by the end of the week), but she did give us a charming and sweetly understated performance (with bubbles)to a simple song that I can easily see picking up one or two twelvers here and there in her semi – especially as it’s surrounded by a couple of slices of bombast on either side.
The second piece of bombast was never among my faves in the run in – but that’s probably because i was looking at it though punk rock eyes. In the real wolrd I see a band like this about once a fortnight, and these Georgians are skirting around the unoriginal end of that scale. But in Eurovision terms this is a fresh and exciting piece of music, really well staged, and I fancy this could get a lot of the voted that Turkey are convinced they’re going to get. Indeed, it’s far more Turkey last year than Turkey this year – and they’ve even managed to un-ugly that keyboard player… quite possibly the most Herculean feat of the contest.
I didn’t have the stomach for Finland, but I’m told he was nice.
Of this morning, Malta is everything you’d imagine from on of their tunes. He was quite the card in the press conference too, pretending his self-branded white shades were x-ray specs and generally mucking about in a charming but slightly dim way.
San Marino on the other hand is a bit too earnest. It’s all very worthy, well-played and serious, but ultimately a bit to dull for its own good – although one suspects that she thinks she might think she only has to turn up to win it. She may be shocked.
I can’t get Croatia out of my head, even though it’s not very good and she looks like the kind of girl who’s only look twice at from about about 4.15am in a town centre nightclub after an unsuccessful night on the pull. It’s all nice enough, but if nothing else I really hope it finishes higher than Hungary.
Iceland’s rehearsing now, and it’s looking good. No surprises from what you’ve already seen, but there’s a bit of an Olsens-style buzz picking up on the song.If you can still get decent odds on it, chuck a few bob it to win – and most def for a top five.
Tea time next, then I’ll be back to slag off Hungary in a bit.
Rock. And roll.