Eurovision Song Contest...meta-question?

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Hi...it's the Eurovision Song Contest this coming Saturday.

That one time of the year when Terry Wogan is cool! What are your thoughts on it? Do you like it? Loathe it? Favourite Eurovision songs? Who will win this year? What do you think of the UK's entry?

Some background info...it launched the careers of such pop dynamos like Gina G and Bucks Fizz (and Abba!). For those who don't know what it is...there is a website where you can hear all the songs...

Eurosong.net

― james e l, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Was it at last year's Eurovision that Vanessa Mae — who is, incidentally, the Most Important Musician of All Time in All Genres — performed that (no other word, for once) STUNNING medley, featuring every one of the world's styles?

― mark s, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

BEST songs - Waterloo (obviously) and Gina G (can you believe this only got to numbe 10 or something?!?!?)

WORST songs - Last years Denmark and ANYTHING from Ireland that wins.

― Robin, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I still wish "My Lovely Horse" was a real Eurovision entry.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I was about to say. Father Ted uber alles.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

In 1978 (I think), the six rival would-be entrants to EV each played a showcase on six successive editions of (I think) New Faces: on the seventh edition, they were judged. Sixth out of six in the final line-up was a Genuwine Punk-Rock Group, the Fruit-Eating Bears. Tony Hatch gave them a commendation for being game, given their ideological position (not his exact words), and they vanished from history.

Did anyone else spot them on their way out? I have always had a soft spot for them, losers utterly beyond measure.

(Probably they today have their own website and 4-CD best-of reissue with alternate takes, of course.)

― mark s, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Does anyone else remember Oasis in their early interviews saying how they wanted to record a Eurovision song? Or am I just imagining that?

― Robin, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I thought "All Around the World" *was* supposed to be their Eurovision song. At least such was the rumor.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Much as poker is more about human psychology than playing cards, eurovision is not really about songs and just a chance for national stereotypes and prejudices to rear their heads in a camp and bizarre festival of music each year. The scandanavians always vote for each other, as do the balkan and baltic states, france never votes for us etc etc.

The website also features THE SCARIEST INTERNET GAME EVER here. You have been warned...

Also do other european types have serious commentry on the event? We have Terry Wogan ripping the piss which greatly improves things.

― carsmilesteve, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

the Fruit-Eating Bears. Tony Hatch gave them a commendation for being game, given their ideological position (not his exact words), and they vanished from history. Did anyone else spot them on their way out? I have always had a soft spot for them, losers utterly beyond measure. (Mark S)

Yes I saw that show. I also know someone who played drums with them.

― David, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Fruit Eating Bears - Gentle Creatures Despite Their Fierce Appearance

Available from your old friend Amazon for just £8.99

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I8PE/202-2075807- 7400668

It's time I learnt html.

― Madchen, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Oh dear God.

You know in future centuries ours will be known as the Age Which Documented Everything, and WENT AND KEPT THE FUCKING DOCUMENT!

Future centuries will be very irritable centuries, and no wonder.

― mark s, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Yeah, but we are keeping everything on computers...in about 700 years most of our 'information' could be unusable. Someone ought to print out everything ever written here and put it in air-tight container and place it deep under ground. Hello to any future archaeologists...this is what we did back in 2001!

― james edmund L, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I think ILM expects a full report on the Fruit-Eating Bears CD.

The wisdom of ILM will be passed on from generation to generation. Big up the oral tradition, say I.

― Tom, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Future archeologists will be very irritable archeologists, and no wonder.

― mark s, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Future archeologists.. do they excavate the future?

Oh, yeah Eurovision is on. Strikes me that Europe don't get together for all that much, when they do it's to share a tragedy. It's positive to see them getting together to celebrate each other's 'efforts', a sweeter pathos than reflecting on the mistakes of the past. The embarrassment and shame is shared, everyone is implicated, like an internation karaoke (is this why Britain's entry is usually handicapped by 'the King'.) and the points are still diplomatically distributed so no one takes it to heart (cept the 'fool' winners).

― K-reg, Saturday, 12 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Huh. Bring back the Fruit-Eating Bears and Vanessa Mae... And all the irony in the world won't stop me physically loathing T.Wogan. What kind of half-wit anit-violence dweebs are HIS stalkers?

― mark s, Saturday, 12 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I voted for the Russian entry. I thought either Greece or Sweden would win.

― james e l, Sunday, 13 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one month passes...

I am one of the Fruit Eating Bears ..... and we do have a CD out .... but no web-site as yet !!!! I too know the drummer ..... I think !! I'm now in sunny Florida ..... soaking up the rays ...... and not playing any more ...... but cheers for reminding me of when I did !!!

― garry, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

three months pass...

I was and still am the Fruit eating bears guitarist/singer.....i also know the drummer....and the bass player! We do have a website at www.fruiteatingbears.co.uk it's just not finished yet!

― neville crozier, Saturday, 6 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Hullo Gary, hullo Neville!!

This is my favourite Tash-in evah!!

― mark s, Saturday, 6 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

seven years pass...

Graham Norton is replacing Terry Wogan next time around.

― Alba, Friday, 5 December 2008 00:27 (fifteen years ago) link

Oops. I meant this for ILE and now I see ILM has covered it elsewhere. Ignore me.

― Alba, Friday, 5 December 2008 00:29 (fifteen years ago) link

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