JK2006 wrote:
I didn't like Italy or Switzerland - surprised that France only came second but a pretty good showing. And isn't the answer - the British Music Industry is close to dead.

I agree with jk, France should have won
Correction the music industry is dead. I was glad that James Newman got zero. It was no where near as good as Jemini in 2003, which I can still hum today. The whole competition needs an overhaul. Remove the 2o minute interval and bring back full voting announcements, not flashing up the scores all at once. Apart from that an enjoyable show, just the voting spoiled it for me.

Honey wrote:
robbiex wrote:
What a shambles, terrible song winning the competition. Never trust the public. 3 of ths so called big 5 Uk, Spain, and Germany finish in the bottom 3. Who would have thought that a fat northern lad would finish below sexy, glamorous Europeans. I say forget the public vote. You can't rely on drunk people at home to decide the winner.

But the jury thought he was crap too.

Yes, but the public also thought that the cartoon heavy metal group from Italy were great.

If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

robbiex wrote:
Honey wrote:
robbiex wrote:
What a shambles, terrible song winning the competition. Never trust the public. 3 of ths so called big 5 Uk, Spain, and Germany finish in the bottom 3. Who would have thought that a fat northern lad would finish below sexy, glamorous Europeans. I say forget the public vote. You can't rely on drunk people at home to decide the winner.

But the jury thought he was crap too.

Yes, but the public also thought that the cartoon heavy metal group from Italy were great.

True. I cant see it, myself.

Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

WestLife, Ronan Keating, a little known band called U2 not my cup of tea, but they sold millions of records and would probably never do Eurovision in a million years.. Also Ireland won in the 90s with unknown (to us) singers. Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear Quinn, Paul Herrington and Charlie Mcquigan, and Linda Martin. We hadn't heard of them before or since.
I agree about James Newman, it wasn't just his apppearance his song was shite, just like every other uk entrant in the last 20 years, with exception possibly of Scooch and Daz Sampson. However making some effort with the staging could have helped push him up the table and avoid the embarrassment.

I don't agree with Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood of Man. They both had good catchy pop songs which was what eurovision was about at the time. You need more than just a campy image to win or a skirt ripping gimmick.They weren't trying to make pretentious Leonard Cohen type songs, just catchy pop songs. Bucks Fizz made much better records in my opinion such as "My Camera Never Lies" and "Piece of the Action". I know maybe jk adorers won't agree with this, but most people I know who aren't diehard eurovision fans, think that Bucks Fizz were the last uk winners, and Katrina and the Waves seems to get lost in people's memories. You say that you think Brotherhood of Man were bad, but you still went to see them live 20+ years after there last hit. Christopher Cross did have a great song with "Theme from Arthur" back in 1980, but nothing much since then, in the uk at least.

My personal opinion of why Maneskin won was because Heavy Metal has a lot of fans, no where near as much as pop, but there were only two metal bands in the competition so the vote was much more narrowly spread. Pop fans would have spread their vote amongst 20+ different artists (I voted for Cyprus, and then supported France when it quickly became obvious that Cyprus weren't going to win). Metal fans, probably middle aged men watching with families would have Finland and Italy to choose from, and this is why Italy got such a massive public vote, just like the awful Lordi in 2006 (I think).

robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

WestLife, Ronan Keating, a little known band called U2 not my cup of tea, but they sold millions of records and would probably never do Eurovision in a million years.. Also Ireland won in the 90s with unknown (to us) singers. Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear Quinn, Paul Herrington and Charlie Mcquigan, and Linda Martin. We hadn't heard of them before or since.
I agree about James Newman, it wasn't just his apppearance his song was shite, just like every other uk entrant in the last 20 years, with exception possibly of Scooch and Daz Sampson. However making some effort with the staging could have helped push him up the table and avoid the embarrassment.

I don't agree with Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood of Man. They both had good catchy pop songs which was what eurovision was about at the time. You need more than just a campy image to win or a skirt ripping gimmick.They weren't trying to make pretentious Leonard Cohen type songs, just catchy pop songs. Bucks Fizz made much better records in my opinion such as "My Camera Never Lies" and "Piece of the Action". I know maybe jk adorers won't agree with this, but most people I know who aren't diehard eurovision fans, think that Bucks Fizz were the last uk winners, and Katrina and the Waves seems to get lost in people's memories. You say that you think Brotherhood of Man were bad, but you still went to see them live 20+ years after there last hit. Christopher Cross did have a great song with "Theme from Arthur" back in 1980, but nothing much since then, in the uk at least.

My personal opinion of why Maneskin won was because Heavy Metal has a lot of fans, no where near as much as pop, but there were only two metal bands in the competition so the vote was much more narrowly spread. Pop fans would have spread their vote amongst 20+ different artists (I voted for Cyprus, and then supported France when it quickly became obvious that Cyprus weren't going to win). Metal fans, probably middle aged men watching with families would have Finland and Italy to choose from, and this is why Italy got such a massive public vote, just like the awful Lordi in 2006 (I think).

What drugs are you on !

Christopher Cross - Back of my Mind sold very well in Europe. Katriana and Waves still get airplay on American radio stations especially in the Summer season. Lordi were pretty much a rip-off of Gwar. I went to see Brotherhood of Man because I was giving a ticket and why turn down a free gig ?

Robbie even the Irish are getting bored with U2 with their pretentious and hypocritical bullshit. I haven't heard the names Westlife and Ronan Keaton mentioned in years.

Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

WestLife, Ronan Keating, a little known band called U2 not my cup of tea, but they sold millions of records and would probably never do Eurovision in a million years.. Also Ireland won in the 90s with unknown (to us) singers. Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear Quinn, Paul Herrington and Charlie Mcquigan, and Linda Martin. We hadn't heard of them before or since.
I agree about James Newman, it wasn't just his apppearance his song was shite, just like every other uk entrant in the last 20 years, with exception possibly of Scooch and Daz Sampson. However making some effort with the staging could have helped push him up the table and avoid the embarrassment.

I don't agree with Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood of Man. They both had good catchy pop songs which was what eurovision was about at the time. You need more than just a campy image to win or a skirt ripping gimmick.They weren't trying to make pretentious Leonard Cohen type songs, just catchy pop songs. Bucks Fizz made much better records in my opinion such as "My Camera Never Lies" and "Piece of the Action". I know maybe jk adorers won't agree with this, but most people I know who aren't diehard eurovision fans, think that Bucks Fizz were the last uk winners, and Katrina and the Waves seems to get lost in people's memories. You say that you think Brotherhood of Man were bad, but you still went to see them live 20+ years after there last hit. Christopher Cross did have a great song with "Theme from Arthur" back in 1980, but nothing much since then, in the uk at least.

My personal opinion of why Maneskin won was because Heavy Metal has a lot of fans, no where near as much as pop, but there were only two metal bands in the competition so the vote was much more narrowly spread. Pop fans would have spread their vote amongst 20+ different artists (I voted for Cyprus, and then supported France when it quickly became obvious that Cyprus weren't going to win). Metal fans, probably middle aged men watching with families would have Finland and Italy to choose from, and this is why Italy got such a massive public vote, just like the awful Lordi in 2006 (I think).

What drugs are you on !

Christopher Cross - Back of my Mind sold very well in Europe. Katriana and Waves still get airplay on American radio stations especially in the Summer season. Lordi were pretty much a rip-off of Gwar. I went to see Brotherhood of Man because I was giving a ticket and why turn down a free gig ?

Robbie even the Irish are getting bored with U2 with their pretentious and hypocritical bullshit. I haven't heard the names Westlife and Ronan Keaton mentioned in years.

The fact is Christopher cross, only had 1 hit in the UK, and not much more in the US. What sells in Europe is of no consequence. I don't like U2 either. They were completely out of touch with the music and fashion of the early 80s.
Ronan Keating did a 25th anniversary boyzone tour 2 or 3 years ago to sold out arenas and can be seen presenting the one show to millions of viewers on a regular basis.

I'm surprised there isn't more of an uproar about the big 5 countries going straight into the final whilst everyone else fights it out in the semis, considering all the fuss about the European super League, of which this is like the musical equivalent.

robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

WestLife, Ronan Keating, a little known band called U2 not my cup of tea, but they sold millions of records and would probably never do Eurovision in a million years.. Also Ireland won in the 90s with unknown (to us) singers. Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear Quinn, Paul Herrington and Charlie Mcquigan, and Linda Martin. We hadn't heard of them before or since.
I agree about James Newman, it wasn't just his apppearance his song was shite, just like every other uk entrant in the last 20 years, with exception possibly of Scooch and Daz Sampson. However making some effort with the staging could have helped push him up the table and avoid the embarrassment.

I don't agree with Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood of Man. They both had good catchy pop songs which was what eurovision was about at the time. You need more than just a campy image to win or a skirt ripping gimmick.They weren't trying to make pretentious Leonard Cohen type songs, just catchy pop songs. Bucks Fizz made much better records in my opinion such as "My Camera Never Lies" and "Piece of the Action". I know maybe jk adorers won't agree with this, but most people I know who aren't diehard eurovision fans, think that Bucks Fizz were the last uk winners, and Katrina and the Waves seems to get lost in people's memories. You say that you think Brotherhood of Man were bad, but you still went to see them live 20+ years after there last hit. Christopher Cross did have a great song with "Theme from Arthur" back in 1980, but nothing much since then, in the uk at least.

My personal opinion of why Maneskin won was because Heavy Metal has a lot of fans, no where near as much as pop, but there were only two metal bands in the competition so the vote was much more narrowly spread. Pop fans would have spread their vote amongst 20+ different artists (I voted for Cyprus, and then supported France when it quickly became obvious that Cyprus weren't going to win). Metal fans, probably middle aged men watching with families would have Finland and Italy to choose from, and this is why Italy got such a massive public vote, just like the awful Lordi in 2006 (I think).

What drugs are you on !

Christopher Cross - Back of my Mind sold very well in Europe. Katriana and Waves still get airplay on American radio stations especially in the Summer season. Lordi were pretty much a rip-off of Gwar. I went to see Brotherhood of Man because I was giving a ticket and why turn down a free gig ?

Robbie even the Irish are getting bored with U2 with their pretentious and hypocritical bullshit. I haven't heard the names Westlife and Ronan Keaton mentioned in years.

The fact is Christopher cross, only had 1 hit in the UK, and not much more in the US. What sells in Europe is of no consequence. I don't like U2 either. They were completely out of touch with the music and fashion of the early 80s.
Ronan Keating did a 25th anniversary boyzone tour 2 or 3 years ago to sold out arenas and can be seen presenting the one show to millions of viewers on a regular basis.

I'm surprised there isn't more of an uproar about the big 5 countries going straight into the final whilst everyone else fights it out in the semis, considering all the fuss about the European super League, of which this is like the musical equivalent.

Did you ever buy albums or do you just stacks of 45's ? I never did get U2 but are more popular in USA or at least they were than UK and Ireland for a while. I personally don't give a toss either. Before they made it big they did college tours in New York not sure if it was nationwide, I have a friend who saw them live at his college in the late 70's.

In the 1980's I was in to New Wave, soft/heavy rock and of course the metal scene. I was just a baby in the 1970's so was only exposed to my music my sisters and my uncle listened to. He was one crazy and lovebale bastard but he was fun to be around, he had strong family values and had regrets in life. He wanted to take me to a Steppenwolf gig in Michigan when I was only a few months old; he would of a found way.

I never heard of the Boyzone arena tour but then again I was in either USA or Latvia and I don't anyone in my social circles actually likes their music. I am not a football fan so the reference to the sport always passes me by.

Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

WestLife, Ronan Keating, a little known band called U2 not my cup of tea, but they sold millions of records and would probably never do Eurovision in a million years.. Also Ireland won in the 90s with unknown (to us) singers. Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear Quinn, Paul Herrington and Charlie Mcquigan, and Linda Martin. We hadn't heard of them before or since.
I agree about James Newman, it wasn't just his apppearance his song was shite, just like every other uk entrant in the last 20 years, with exception possibly of Scooch and Daz Sampson. However making some effort with the staging could have helped push him up the table and avoid the embarrassment.

I don't agree with Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood of Man. They both had good catchy pop songs which was what eurovision was about at the time. You need more than just a campy image to win or a skirt ripping gimmick.They weren't trying to make pretentious Leonard Cohen type songs, just catchy pop songs. Bucks Fizz made much better records in my opinion such as "My Camera Never Lies" and "Piece of the Action". I know maybe jk adorers won't agree with this, but most people I know who aren't diehard eurovision fans, think that Bucks Fizz were the last uk winners, and Katrina and the Waves seems to get lost in people's memories. You say that you think Brotherhood of Man were bad, but you still went to see them live 20+ years after there last hit. Christopher Cross did have a great song with "Theme from Arthur" back in 1980, but nothing much since then, in the uk at least.

My personal opinion of why Maneskin won was because Heavy Metal has a lot of fans, no where near as much as pop, but there were only two metal bands in the competition so the vote was much more narrowly spread. Pop fans would have spread their vote amongst 20+ different artists (I voted for Cyprus, and then supported France when it quickly became obvious that Cyprus weren't going to win). Metal fans, probably middle aged men watching with families would have Finland and Italy to choose from, and this is why Italy got such a massive public vote, just like the awful Lordi in 2006 (I think).

What drugs are you on !

Christopher Cross - Back of my Mind sold very well in Europe. Katriana and Waves still get airplay on American radio stations especially in the Summer season. Lordi were pretty much a rip-off of Gwar. I went to see Brotherhood of Man because I was giving a ticket and why turn down a free gig ?

Robbie even the Irish are getting bored with U2 with their pretentious and hypocritical bullshit. I haven't heard the names Westlife and Ronan Keaton mentioned in years.

The fact is Christopher cross, only had 1 hit in the UK, and not much more in the US. What sells in Europe is of no consequence. I don't like U2 either. They were completely out of touch with the music and fashion of the early 80s.
Ronan Keating did a 25th anniversary boyzone tour 2 or 3 years ago to sold out arenas and can be seen presenting the one show to millions of viewers on a regular basis.

I'm surprised there isn't more of an uproar about the big 5 countries going straight into the final whilst everyone else fights it out in the semis, considering all the fuss about the European super League, of which this is like the musical equivalent.

Did you ever buy albums or do you just stacks of 45's ? I never did get U2 but are more popular in USA or at least they were than UK and Ireland for a while. I personally don't give a toss either. Before they made it big they did college tours in New York not sure if it was nationwide, I have a friend who saw them live at his college in the late 70's.

In the 1980's I was in to New Wave, soft/heavy rock and of course the metal scene. I was just a baby in the 1970's so was only exposed to my music my sisters and my uncle listened to. He was one crazy and lovebale bastard but he was fun to be around, he had strong family values and had regrets in life. He wanted to take me to a Steppenwolf gig in Michigan when I was only a few months old; he would of a found way.

I never heard of the Boyzone arena tour but then again I was in either USA or Latvia and I don't anyone in my social circles actually likes their music. I am not a football fan so the reference to the sport always passes me by.

Latvia? You have never mentioned Latvia. Is it Boyzone free?

Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

WestLife, Ronan Keating, a little known band called U2 not my cup of tea, but they sold millions of records and would probably never do Eurovision in a million years.. Also Ireland won in the 90s with unknown (to us) singers. Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear Quinn, Paul Herrington and Charlie Mcquigan, and Linda Martin. We hadn't heard of them before or since.
I agree about James Newman, it wasn't just his apppearance his song was shite, just like every other uk entrant in the last 20 years, with exception possibly of Scooch and Daz Sampson. However making some effort with the staging could have helped push him up the table and avoid the embarrassment.

I don't agree with Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood of Man. They both had good catchy pop songs which was what eurovision was about at the time. You need more than just a campy image to win or a skirt ripping gimmick.They weren't trying to make pretentious Leonard Cohen type songs, just catchy pop songs. Bucks Fizz made much better records in my opinion such as "My Camera Never Lies" and "Piece of the Action". I know maybe jk adorers won't agree with this, but most people I know who aren't diehard eurovision fans, think that Bucks Fizz were the last uk winners, and Katrina and the Waves seems to get lost in people's memories. You say that you think Brotherhood of Man were bad, but you still went to see them live 20+ years after there last hit. Christopher Cross did have a great song with "Theme from Arthur" back in 1980, but nothing much since then, in the uk at least.

My personal opinion of why Maneskin won was because Heavy Metal has a lot of fans, no where near as much as pop, but there were only two metal bands in the competition so the vote was much more narrowly spread. Pop fans would have spread their vote amongst 20+ different artists (I voted for Cyprus, and then supported France when it quickly became obvious that Cyprus weren't going to win). Metal fans, probably middle aged men watching with families would have Finland and Italy to choose from, and this is why Italy got such a massive public vote, just like the awful Lordi in 2006 (I think).

What drugs are you on !

Christopher Cross - Back of my Mind sold very well in Europe. Katriana and Waves still get airplay on American radio stations especially in the Summer season. Lordi were pretty much a rip-off of Gwar. I went to see Brotherhood of Man because I was giving a ticket and why turn down a free gig ?

Robbie even the Irish are getting bored with U2 with their pretentious and hypocritical bullshit. I haven't heard the names Westlife and Ronan Keaton mentioned in years.

The fact is Christopher cross, only had 1 hit in the UK, and not much more in the US. What sells in Europe is of no consequence. I don't like U2 either. They were completely out of touch with the music and fashion of the early 80s.
Ronan Keating did a 25th anniversary boyzone tour 2 or 3 years ago to sold out arenas and can be seen presenting the one show to millions of viewers on a regular basis.

I'm surprised there isn't more of an uproar about the big 5 countries going straight into the final whilst everyone else fights it out in the semis, considering all the fuss about the European super League, of which this is like the musical equivalent.

Did you ever buy albums or do you just stacks of 45's ? I never did get U2 but are more popular in USA or at least they were than UK and Ireland for a while. I personally don't give a toss either. Before they made it big they did college tours in New York not sure if it was nationwide, I have a friend who saw them live at his college in the late 70's.

In the 1980's I was in to New Wave, soft/heavy rock and of course the metal scene. I was just a baby in the 1970's so was only exposed to my music my sisters and my uncle listened to. He was one crazy and lovebale bastard but he was fun to be around, he had strong family values and had regrets in life. He wanted to take me to a Steppenwolf gig in Michigan when I was only a few months old; he would of a found way.

I never heard of the Boyzone arena tour but then again I was in either USA or Latvia and I don't anyone in my social circles actually likes their music. I am not a football fan so the reference to the sport always passes me by.

Yes I've got lots of albums, mainly 80s stuff like Japan, Duran, Human League, ABC etc. Duran's first 2 albums, every track is good, not like today where there are a couple of singles and 8 filler tracks. Also I had lots of 45s when I first started buying records at 10 or 11. Grease, Blondie, Abba. Abba were definitely a singles band, as were the Police. The best of Police's non-single tracks like "Tea in the Sahara" are really not very good.

I'm not a fan of Boyzone as I'm not into Boybands. I'm not a teenage girl or gay man, nor was I in the late 90s when they were in their peak. I was just pointing out that they have a big following, as could easily sell out big Arenas, like Lonodon o2 at the drop of a hat.

As for Eurovision, I just think that it is just a frivolous entertaining evening, and we will probably never hear the winning track again, unless you are actively seeking it out, which I'm not.

robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
If you get the best choreographers and theatre stagers in the country, pick a good song by an established pop artist (e.g. Little Mix, Steps, Cheryl Cole, Dual Lipa who would all take a lot of money and persuasion), and then we would stand a good chance of finishing in the top 10. Predicting what will win is a lottery. Do the BBC really care that much about winning. People are still watching it in their millions and enjoying it on the whole. Who won will be forgotten in a week, and the bbc don't have the responsibility of staging it the following year, which is probably the reason that Ireland have made half-hearted atttempts to win the competition in the last 20+ years.
Cheryl Baker gave a good assessment of why she won in 81. They were the right group at the right time, but then again she predicted that James Newman would do well, or was she just been nice.

The Irish don't really care and I can't think of a solid singer or group to represent Ireland on top of my head. The Italian band Maneskin are awful in my opinion. The metal scene is becoming more and more cartoonish these days.

The reason why James Newman got zero points was not on his appearance Robbie but the song was fucking SHIT and forgettable. Christopher Cross is a big man and wears shabby clothes on stage (Seen him live a few times) but his voice is amazing and songs are memorable even his new material.

I like to believe Bucks Fizz won because of their campy image not for their song, because it's damn right corny and embarrassing. Then again Brotherhood of Man song was bad so was their dance moves. When I saw them live about 20 years ago, they put on a very good show and laughed at themselves, also they were very professional.

WestLife, Ronan Keating, a little known band called U2 not my cup of tea, but they sold millions of records and would probably never do Eurovision in a million years.. Also Ireland won in the 90s with unknown (to us) singers. Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear Quinn, Paul Herrington and Charlie Mcquigan, and Linda Martin. We hadn't heard of them before or since.
I agree about James Newman, it wasn't just his apppearance his song was shite, just like every other uk entrant in the last 20 years, with exception possibly of Scooch and Daz Sampson. However making some effort with the staging could have helped push him up the table and avoid the embarrassment.

I don't agree with Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood of Man. They both had good catchy pop songs which was what eurovision was about at the time. You need more than just a campy image to win or a skirt ripping gimmick.They weren't trying to make pretentious Leonard Cohen type songs, just catchy pop songs. Bucks Fizz made much better records in my opinion such as "My Camera Never Lies" and "Piece of the Action". I know maybe jk adorers won't agree with this, but most people I know who aren't diehard eurovision fans, think that Bucks Fizz were the last uk winners, and Katrina and the Waves seems to get lost in people's memories. You say that you think Brotherhood of Man were bad, but you still went to see them live 20+ years after there last hit. Christopher Cross did have a great song with "Theme from Arthur" back in 1980, but nothing much since then, in the uk at least.

My personal opinion of why Maneskin won was because Heavy Metal has a lot of fans, no where near as much as pop, but there were only two metal bands in the competition so the vote was much more narrowly spread. Pop fans would have spread their vote amongst 20+ different artists (I voted for Cyprus, and then supported France when it quickly became obvious that Cyprus weren't going to win). Metal fans, probably middle aged men watching with families would have Finland and Italy to choose from, and this is why Italy got such a massive public vote, just like the awful Lordi in 2006 (I think).

What drugs are you on !

Christopher Cross - Back of my Mind sold very well in Europe. Katriana and Waves still get airplay on American radio stations especially in the Summer season. Lordi were pretty much a rip-off of Gwar. I went to see Brotherhood of Man because I was giving a ticket and why turn down a free gig ?

Robbie even the Irish are getting bored with U2 with their pretentious and hypocritical bullshit. I haven't heard the names Westlife and Ronan Keaton mentioned in years.

The fact is Christopher cross, only had 1 hit in the UK, and not much more in the US. What sells in Europe is of no consequence. I don't like U2 either. They were completely out of touch with the music and fashion of the early 80s.
Ronan Keating did a 25th anniversary boyzone tour 2 or 3 years ago to sold out arenas and can be seen presenting the one show to millions of viewers on a regular basis.

I'm surprised there isn't more of an uproar about the big 5 countries going straight into the final whilst everyone else fights it out in the semis, considering all the fuss about the European super League, of which this is like the musical equivalent.

Did you ever buy albums or do you just stacks of 45's ? I never did get U2 but are more popular in USA or at least they were than UK and Ireland for a while. I personally don't give a toss either. Before they made it big they did college tours in New York not sure if it was nationwide, I have a friend who saw them live at his college in the late 70's.

In the 1980's I was in to New Wave, soft/heavy rock and of course the metal scene. I was just a baby in the 1970's so was only exposed to my music my sisters and my uncle listened to. He was one crazy and lovebale bastard but he was fun to be around, he had strong family values and had regrets in life. He wanted to take me to a Steppenwolf gig in Michigan when I was only a few months old; he would of a found way.

I never heard of the Boyzone arena tour but then again I was in either USA or Latvia and I don't anyone in my social circles actually likes their music. I am not a football fan so the reference to the sport always passes me by.

Yes I've got lots of albums, mainly 80s stuff like Japan, Duran, Human League, ABC etc. Duran's first 2 albums, every track is good, not like today where there are a couple of singles and 8 filler tracks. Also I had lots of 45s when I first started buying records at 10 or 11. Grease, Blondie, Abba. Abba were definitely a singles band, as were the Police. The best of Police's non-single tracks like "Tea in the Sahara" are really not very good.

I'm not a fan of Boyzone as I'm not into Boybands. I'm not a teenage girl or gay man, nor was I in the late 90s when they were in their peak. I was just pointing out that they have a big following, as could easily sell out big Arenas, like Lonodon o2 at the drop of a hat.

As for Eurovision, I just think that it is just a frivolous entertaining evening, and we will probably never hear the winning track again, unless you are actively seeking it out, which I'm not.

Any song by Abba is crap to me and I couldn't stand Duran Duran back then.