Time to blog the 'Making Your Mind Up' show in preparation for May's Eurovision Song Contest. There's really limited rapport between Terry Wogan and Fearne Cotton (who's doing everything these days, like last night's Red Nose Day) and even less between the presenters and the audience. There's no mention of the songwriters, just the usual clips of Bucks Fizz et al, and a line-up from the depths of failed careers:
Liz McClackers: after a non-existent solo career, she claims Eurovision is very important to her, well of course it could mean several thousand in single sales. However, a retread of Dusty Springfield's "Son of Preacher Man" is not going to wow a Euro audience. Sarah comments what an odd dress it is, full top and arms and then a shoty-short hemline.
Brian Harvey: the only pop star to be run over by his own car. He's doing it for his mum. His positive power ballad was bland in the non-extreme, almost shouted rather than sung. Co-written by Grant Mitchell, apparently. Brian looked a bit rough, despite wearing a suit, and John Barrowman has started getting boos for telling it how it is.
Big Brovaz: They ain't afraid of makeup, they ain't afraid of bling, and they ain't afraid of bowler hats. Rap is risky at Eurovision, particularly when done by white East Europeans (or even Daz 'paedo' Sampson), but this has enough music and changes of mood to make it a bit more cosmopolitan.
Cyndi: A French nobody singing a retread of Rod Stewart's "Rhythm of My Heart" from 1991. A straightforward ballad from a woman in a straightforward outfit.
Scooch: This horribly self-referential number is trying to push all the right buttons. They couldn't sound more Swedish if they tried. But there's no joy really, not like the sudden buzz you get when a really up-tempo song suddenly appears. It's all too practised and the extended airline theme wore thin after less than a minute. Just because Eurovision is camp doesn't mean all camp works as Eurovision.
Hawkins and Brown: A well-written musical song, notable for its use of the word "craftmanship". Justin looks like Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen in a pair of curtains and Berverlei was just clear sassy. Everyone's being very positive about it.
Is it rigged? All the way through the show, the BBC MYMU website had this message:
Now which of the bands has a name with 3 and 6 letters?
Time to get voting!
Brian Harvey: the only pop star to be run over by his own car. He's doing it for his mum. His positive power ballad was bland in the non-extreme, almost shouted rather than sung. Co-written by Grant Mitchell, apparently. Brian looked a bit rough, despite wearing a suit, and John Barrowman has started getting boos for telling it how it is.
Big Brovaz: They ain't afraid of makeup, they ain't afraid of bling, and they ain't afraid of bowler hats. Rap is risky at Eurovision, particularly when done by white East Europeans (or even Daz 'paedo' Sampson), but this has enough music and changes of mood to make it a bit more cosmopolitan.
Cyndi: A French nobody singing a retread of Rod Stewart's "Rhythm of My Heart" from 1991. A straightforward ballad from a woman in a straightforward outfit.
Scooch: This horribly self-referential number is trying to push all the right buttons. They couldn't sound more Swedish if they tried. But there's no joy really, not like the sudden buzz you get when a really up-tempo song suddenly appears. It's all too practised and the extended airline theme wore thin after less than a minute. Just because Eurovision is camp doesn't mean all camp works as Eurovision.
Hawkins and Brown: A well-written musical song, notable for its use of the word "craftmanship". Justin looks like Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen in a pair of curtains and Berverlei was just clear sassy. Everyone's being very positive about it.
Is it rigged? All the way through the show, the BBC MYMU website had this message:
Now which of the bands has a name with 3 and 6 letters?
Time to get voting!
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