Snacks - Check
Friends invited round - Check
Beer and wine chilling in the fridge - Check
Bloody awful song from GB - Check
Anyone else having a "Cultural Gathering"?
Only saw a tiny bit of the semi's last night where the over enthusiastic comedic (?) host, who was dressed in some sort of Predator adaptive camo, was eating stringy cheese with an embarrassed looking Scandinavian S&M enthusiast.
Can't wait!
Aye, we'll be watching on Saturday.
We've actually been twice, saw the semi's in Dusseldorf and Malmo. Great fun.
This is an interesting read (I thought) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e679vn6yqo
Bloody awful song from GB - Check
It's a shocker, isn't it? Our 2023 entry was much better if foiled by her inability to sing and walk down steps at the same time.
Sadly missing this as I'm in work but wife and teenage daughters planning to watch it all...
They can clearly sing, but the song is bobbins.
A touch of the "Father Ted's" after the expense of Liverpool?
We watch the semis and give personal marks out of ten. Our top 4 from the first semi all got through, and the ones that didn't we scored pretty low.
Watching second semi tonight on iPlayer, MsBeej was out last night at a gig. Though it was Bryan Adams, so possibly worse that watching Eurovision.
I'm not working on this one, so will try to avoid it. I can see it being on the TV though, so may have to avoid the lounbge and stick to drinking by the fire pit
Normally a big deal in our house but youngest daughter is working on sat evening and oldest is away at uni
Israel taking part its going to be a bit much as well.
Will be a miss this year
Israel took part last year as well.
Yeah, looking forward to it! 🙂 Got friends round, so Mrs Pondo got Eurovision bingo cards to which, no doubt, drinking penalties will be attached. Israel aside, I like it a lot. 🙂
Can't wait for tomorrow night.
Top tip: get the subtitles on for the full bonkers experience.
Only saw a tiny bit of the semi's
You should probably stop that and put the TV on or something.
I'm in. Eurovision is a guilty pleasure, it's bonkers and ridiculous and glorious. I think this year it's back-to-back with Doctor Who doing a Galactic Eurovision episode.
MsBeej was out last night at a gig. Though it was Bryan Adams, so possibly worse that watching Eurovision.
Bryan Adams is one of the best live performers I've ever seen. I wouldn't run out and buy a new album, I think he peaked at Reckless, but I'd tear someone's arm off for a gig ticket.
MsBeej was out last night at a gig. Though it was Bryan Adams, so possibly worse that watching Eurovision.
Bryan Adams is one of the best live performers I've ever seen. I wouldn't run out and buy a new album, I think he peaked at Reckless, but I'd tear someone's arm off for a gig ticket.
She said it was great , 30 songs, no support act. I've seen him a couple of times and like a few of his but not enough to see him live again! He once was second on the bill at the Vodafone company ball - 2003. Robbie Williams was the headliner. Tickets were £10!
Anyway, good reminder to get the snacks in for tomorrow.
Yeah, ticket prices have got stupid. "Dynamic pricing" can get in the bin, I'd pay a couple of hundred quid not to see a pair of Manc ****s who hate each other.
My first proper gig was Donington 1990, I don't remember the exact cost but it was sub-£20 for an all-dayer with five bands on, affordable as a student. I'm resigning myself to the fact that my days of big gigs are probably over. I bought tickets recently for Bruce Springsteen - who I honestly could care more about, it was a bucket list present for my partner - and they were like £140 apiece.
Bryan Adams is one of the best live performers I've ever seen. I wouldn't run out and buy a new album, I think he peaked at Reckless, but I'd tear someone's arm off for a gig ticket.
saw him a few years ago, he was great! I'm not even a fan particularly but still knew pretty much every song!
10 quid for Robbie Williams in 2003 is anomalously low though. Even for The Olden Days.
A tenner in 2003 would get you into a decent lower-midrange rock/indie gig. I was more into electronic music at the time but to see a mainstay like Slam or Steve Lawler or Plastikman round then would be £12-15 (at least in Manchester)
10 quid for Robbie Williams in 2003 is anomalously low though. Even for The Olden Days.
It was a company event, they had to charge people a nominal amount. It was the week before his Knebworth gigs, so pretty much a dress rehearsal for him. For our £10 there was also the afore mentioned Bryan Adams, Belinda Carlisle, Madness, all you could eat food, a fairground, casino area and 4 drink vouchers.
Ah... the good ol' days of the telecoms/.com boom.
I assume this is the thread for commentary, piss taking and excitement tomorrow? Along with a link to somebody's mates unofficial voting website. @cougar is it you that usually posts that?
What's not to like?!
The camerawork on any song where there isn't a lot of movement on stage is shocking, they feel the need to cut to a new camera every half second or have everything zooming in or out, it's maddening. The Hazel presenter person is also terrible to the point its annoying. They've done a great job of keeping the show moving and how they get everything on and off stage in the time they have is amazing though
It is. I'll check whether they're still doing it.
Excellent, I always vote for that as well as officially for my favourites.
Also, here's a slightly long, but useful primer for tomorrow nights festivities, courtesy of the Manchester Guardian.
They've done a great job of keeping the show moving and how they get everything on and off stage in the time they have is amazing though
We went to Liverpool and saw it live two years ago. Dress rehearsal, afternoon show. Still got fairly merry. So unbelievably slick in operation.
I've not read that link posted above, but the stage is basically a big flat screen telly underfoot. Each song ends, crew zip out and remove the props, marks come on for the new props, props come in, new singer in, countdown and go. It's incredible and all while you're watching the little bit of film about the country.
Australia brought a MK1 Toyota MR2 😁
When UK won it, there are so few venues that are able to host it due to the sheer scale of the event. Apparently they need x changing rooms within y seconds of the state, z space for props etc. Liverpool, Brum and London each have one venue rings a bell.
Israel being included
Quite right TJ. They have crossed the same lines of civil outrage that Russia got kicked out for and should be excluded. I didn't watch it a few years ago when they were hosting and certainly wouldn't now.
Thread drift though, should probably leave it there.
Omg! Just watching semi final 2 as a precursor to the final. Australia - the milkshake man. Bonkers!
Banger from Luxembourg!
Luxembourg acceptably bouncy. Enjoyed that more than Norway.
Anyone know who the mountain biker at the start was?
Sorry for going off topic!
Estonia. Jesus. That's terrible
Drink for the first WTAF? moment.
I liked Estonia. Left the room for a piss when the next country came on.
Money money money!
Thank you Ukraine. Despite a questionable look that song was the first one worth listening too. A proper poor first quarter!
Sadly there's a threatened outbreak of Celine Dion later on. I may vomit.
I like Remember Monday. Might only come second last…
We're a bit behind, but Estonia is just what we're here for, the first good one.
The UK girls did a good job. That's got to get a decent score surely.
