feeling listless

Music(?) Didn't Eurovision seem like more of an endurance test than usual this year? A bit like the British high street, all of the songs and singers are beginning to look and sound the same; those who showed a little bit of individuality really stuck out. Personally I had a soft spot for Estonia's 'Eighties Coming Back' and the Spanish entry 'Dime', all summer club fever. But as the Australian news site, News.au puts it ... "Poms caned in Eurovision". Our song was awful, it was performed badly and we deserved no points (and I'm sure that we helped invade Iraq can't have helped. No really. I'm certain that Tony Blair would have thought twice if he had known that it would have had a knock on effect for Jemini's chances). There can't have been many people in the country who didn't think that Turkey were about to launch into a cover of a Holly Valance song. That it won, I can only put down to it sounding utterly familiar. To be honest my money was on either the Greek power ballad or tatu (but they ruined their chances by (a) being deeply nervous and singing out of key and (b) not offering the first lesbian kiss on Eurovision). Next year can I suggest that the half time entertainment be They Might Be Giants?

"Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks"

My favourite moment of the evening? I was watching the show at my Greek friend Fani's house as she and some friends got ready to go out for the evening (I went to an engagement party). Everyone loved the Greek entry, Mando, who's apparently had a massive career in her home country. Carlo, a club DJ, who hadn't seen Eurovision before was utterly bermused by the performance section of the show. I told him the best bit, the votes, was coming up. I explained that it would be excrutiating and political and he didn't seem to get it. But by the time the second country had failed to give Greece any points, he was swearing at the screen and walking out of the room ... I remember when I used to do that. I must be getting jaded and cynical in my old age.