Semi-finals Tuesday and Thursday night 8pm (UK), BBC3 – The UK can vote only in Thursday’s semi.
Final Saturday night 8pm (UK) BBC1
Live streaming internationally on Eurovision.tv
Once again it’s time to find out which opinion out of “it’s all a joke, LOL!” and “actually it’s a very serious competition and politics don’t come into play at all, ACTUALLY” is this year’s most tedious as the world’s biggest entertainment show rolls into Copenhagen – the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest!
It’s an entertainment spectacular, we say take away whatever you want from it. And if the voting is rubbish, well The X Factor is boring when Louis Walsh doesn’t put the joke acts through over people who are worthy but were never going to win.
This year the UK is represented by the up and coming Molly Smitten-Downes and her song Children of the Universe, which sounds quite modern but needed more of a hook I think.
If you listen to Brit papers, we’re one of the favourites. We’ll see how that works out.
This is basically the extent of Bother’s Bar’s coverage of the event this year – watching live is better handled with Twitter than here really, but if you have long form opinions during, before or after any of the events feel free to drop them off. Unfortunately for me I’m working through both semis, but at least watching the final with chums so might be able to contribute on Twitter myself. It will certainly be the first year in ages the songs on Saturday are going to be a complete surprise, which is quite exciting.
Less than 5 secs into the first song and we have a rather uncertain start from the director. Although spinning it back on live rewind it did appear the spidercam was rather slow in retracting upwards..
Set and staging lovely. LED screens everywhere and a semi open Cube effect back of main stage – which I’m still trying to work out if they are empty or when things appear in them they are projected or a trick of the light.
Hosts largely anonymous.. Format hasn’t changed in years. End round very dissapointing. Surprised if this gets a second series..
Oh wait…
What got in:
Armenia
Sweden
Iceland
Russia
Azerbaijan
Ukraine
San Marino
Netherlands
Montenegro
Hungary
What didn’t:
Latvia
Estonia
Albania
Belgium
Moldova
Portugal
Every year I spot a good each way bet from the semi finals, then talk myself out of it ‘ because its Eurovision’ – and normal rules about choosing credible songs to win the annual circus, do not ususally apply.
But this year – watch Ukraine. Not because of the enivitable sympathy votes which they will pick up – but it’s actually a well staged, catchy little number.
I may this year, invest in a couple of gold coins on them – as a small interest.
Live odds – 7/1 with the fair betting site..
As much as I hate politicising Eurovision, the chorus of boos when Russia qualified warmed my cold, cold, jazz-handy heart.
I guess I’m pleased for the Netherlands, but their having success by choosing internally surely means the end of Nationaalsongfestival, which was easily my favourite of the low-budget national qualifiers. š
My picks are Swiss, Ireland, or any of the Scandinavians. Not necessarily my favs, but the picks to win.
Love Eurovision! Does anyone else think our song – the UK, that is – sounds like the Coldplay song “Paradise” in the chorus? Ireland all the way for me – great song!
A mash-up of both Paradise and Children of the Universe is going to be stuck in my head for the month. Thanks :/
The order of play for the final- the UK gets the “pimp spot”..
Ukraine
Belarus
Azerbaijan
Iceland
Norway
Romania
Armenia
Montenegro
Poland
Greece
Austria
Germany
Sweden
France
Russia
Italy
Slovenia
Finland
Spain
Switzerland
Hungary
Malta
Denmark
The Netherlands
San Marino
United Kingdom
Crikey. I’m not sure how good a draw 26th actually is, but it’s a lot better than the other end of the draw (Ukraine utterly out of it from that spot, if they weren’t already from the terrible forced rhymes).
Lot of money going on Armenia.
DAMN IT. I considered putting money on an Austria-Netherlands double when the latter were at 250/1, but decided not to after realising how terrible their results are historically (between them, they got more top four finishers last night than every other year since 1975 combined).