Line Out - Comments on ESC Semi Final: Geta, Complice & O Julissi

Comment by terry miller

terry miller — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:09:35 -0800

wow. i feel so bad for Belgium this year. That was dreadful!

I love Terry Wogan regarding Sonomi: "They had three languages to choose from, Dutch, Flemish and German, and they chose to make up their own."

Moldova was crap.

San Marino at least had pretty boys....

Comment by Griet

Griet — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:47:28 -0800

@1: how can you say that! It's a masterpiece! It's highbrow culture! It's a pair of red boots! It's ... it's... it's... well... it'll stick out... that's something, right. No?

Pfff... I say we should send Nicole and Hugo again. They still fit into their purple outfits, they're ready to go!

Comment by Abby

Abby — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:54:22 -0800

Oh boy, Azerbaijan is next!

Moldova has a soft spot for me because in the first Eurovision contest I ever watched (2005, when I was studying in London) Moldova had some absolutely bizarre song about a grandmother and a drum, featuring a band who looked a little bit like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and an actual old lady. I think that was Moldova, anyway.

I like the idea of San Marino participating more than I like their song. San Marino is my favorite European microstate. Song's not anything special, though, which is a shame.

What did you think of Belgium last year, Griet? Was that Flemish or Walloon? This year is sort of charming, in an absurd way. I like the projections in the back. And at least it's upbeat and a bit odd.

Comment by Griet

Griet — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:14:42 -0800

@3: Bonita Bate Dobe! I think that was the name of the Moldovan song in 2005. I loved the old lady.

Belgium last year was a Walloon entry, the first I can remember that wasn't in French but in English. The KMGs - Lovepower. It was a soft-disco-ish thingie, didn't sound too awful on CD (though not spectacular either) but the singing was so terribly offkey during the first notes that they blew it in those first five seconds.

The projections are the best thing about Ishtar this year and they can't take those to Belgrade with them! :-) Still, we could've sent worse. And I hated Urban Trad in 2003 until I saw it performed live, so me hating a song might be good for the result.

Comment by Abby

Abby — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:07:40 -0800

@4: It was pretty memorable, I must say. Old woman, massive drum. Glad to know it was Moldova.

I remember some video involving Afro wigs on Youtube, but I could have been making it up. It was sort of funk-ish, wasn't it?

They can't take the projections with them? Lame! The projections really are the best part, it reminds me a bit of the Decemberists for some reason. Oh well.

Comment by Sue T.

Sue T. — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:27:43 -0800

I too was in Europe (Sweden) in 2005 and that Moldovan song was one of the highlights of the competition for me. There was a lot of excitement in Sweden that year because even though Greece won the competition, the singer (Helena Pararizou) was part-Swedish. Good times.

Life has been kind of sucky lately and I have to say that reading Griet's Eurovision pieces always cheers me up. I have been fascinated with Eurovision for years & years -- there's nothing like being in one of the competing countries at Eurovision time, the saturation coverage reaches Super Bowl levels. Thank you, Griet & Line Out, for providing this little corner for American Eurovision obsessives!