I just have to share this with someone. Anyone. Surely one of the best treatments for depression ever known, this clip is better than Prozac. Stay with it for the full 3 minutes as it just keeps getting better!
Drums, fire, dancing men, dancing men with drums on fire, hallmark Greek 'shake it!' interlude, soloist of undetermined sexuality and vocal range, woman in red dress, traditional throat singing, themes of a underworldly nature. This should be the most sick-makingly contrived piece of Euro-by-numbers ever. After watching it, I'd happily take Gary Glitter and The Twins singing 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls' in Moscow if I could be promised those three precious minutes of Krassimir on the grand stage. Well done that man.
The last 10 years? Ortal, if you are reading this: I haven't forgotten you: Thompson Pense à Toi aaaaoooow. Seriously though I do think that Tellier was exciting: not like anything ever to cross a Eurovision stage and even though he sung in English, the whole way team France approached the contest last year was very, well... French. Kaas is the present day embodiment of the Chanson tradition. It is exciting that an artist of such renown has agreed to do this contest with a song of such quality. My first listen gave me echoes of Brel's 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' and the thought that France will leave Moscow with its dignity intact and not as many points as it deserves. I hope the returning juries see that this is not the case. My second thought is, that over my time watching this contest , as well as some real classy chansons (notably the 2001-2002 double) and a few wobbles in the wilderness (see HMSS Naya ) France, possibly more than any other country has had a knack for throw...
This is my moment. This is my Euromoment. With you. Not so long ago, I hit the wall. Eurofriends, you know what I mean. That moment when you've seen so many MP3s and YouTube clips, quarter-finals, semi-finals, second chances and wildcards that you can't see how you're going to make it through, but you know that there's no way back. So, I took myself across the pond to the place that gave birth to 1970's Eurovision victor - she who is known as Dana Domestic - to seek solace and inspiration. I made it. The breakthrough happened when I stood atop the Cliffs of Moher at sunset, with the ice cold coastal winds practically whipping the skin off my face. My first thought was not concern for my complexion, or my safety at the top of a 200m sheer drop in gale force gusts. All I could think of was how spectacular it would be to have a gold lamé outfit with a 5x10m blue satin cape and a set of 5 backing dancers with flags. I then experienced what I can only describe as an epip...
Well, I guess they invented it: I just want to say, for the record, that the producers of the Greek national song presentation/selection show must be admired for putting on a live retrospective of THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF EUROVISION split over about 7000 commercial breaks, but it is nearly killing me. If this was Sweden, Sakis would not have given us 4 lip-synched numbers from his back catalogue at the start of the show then disappeared. Rather, he would have banged out the three songs for selection, there would have been a rapid-fire televote and results announcement and we would have everything wrapped up in 30 mins. Instead, it appears that I am doomed to grow old with this ERT production.
Comments
Britney meets Jimmy Somerville, meets Enya meets David D'Or meets Jemini.
Thank you.