Eurovison Song Contest 2013 website

The Eurovison Song Contest for this year takes place on May 18th at Malmo in Sweden.

After weeks of intense media speculation, we can now confirm that Bonnie Tyler will be representing the United Kingdom in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. She will perform the song Believe In Me, composed by Desmond Child.

Eurovison Song Contest 2013 website

The Eurovison Song Contest for this year takes place on May 18th at Malmo in Sweden.

After weeks of intense media speculation, we can now confirm that Bonnie Tyler will be representing the United Kingdom in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. She will perform the song Believe In Me, composed by Desmond Child.


Ah, it's good to see the UK rejuvenating their entrance! :D ;D After all, Bonnie Tyler is 'only' 61 - considerably younger than the Hump... ::)

Ah, it's good to see the UK rejuvenating their entrance! :D ;D After all, Bonnie Tyler is 'only' 61 - considerably younger than the Hump... ::)
Are the grannies back for Russia?

Ah, it's good to see the UK rejuvenating their entrance! :D ;D After all, Bonnie Tyler is 'only' 61 - considerably younger than the Hump... ::)


That should be entry, not entrance, I suppose. So I'm not perfect after all. ;D

Ah, it's good to see the UK rejuvenating their entrance! :D ;D

Can't say if I've ever had my entrance rejuvenated...I'd best ask my doctor!

Bonnie Tyler? Ye Gods...the words 'barrel' and 'scraping the bottom of' immediately spring to mind!

Is it possible to get minus points? I think we'll set a precedent this year!

Only a week to go to the Grand Final, so I figured 'why not have a listen to the semi-finalists..?'  ::)

(Well, now I know! Some of it isn't really worth a listen!)

But here ya go...the line-up for the first semi-final, next Tuesday. With notes.

01. Natália Kelly - Shine (Austria)
Starts off promising, but it never quite fulfills that promise. Marks: 6/10

02. Birgit Ộigemeel - Et uus saaks alguse (Estonia)
Beautiful...if you speak Estonian! Marks: 5/10

03. Hannah Mancini - Straight Into Love (Slovenia)
Straight into the dumpster. Pretty average. Marks: 5/10

04. Klapa s Mora - Mižerja (Croatia)
Even though I don't understand a word: it has quality. And it's Croatia. Marks: 6/10

05. Emmelie de Forest - Only Teardrops (Denmark)
Clever mix of styles, and one of my favorites. On the other hand: Loreen has already won last year... Still, marks 8/10.

06. Dina Garipova - What If (Russia)
Yes, what if...Russia failed to make it through the semis? It's all too sugary for me! Marks: 6/10

07. Zlata Ognevich - Gravity (Ukraine)
Another rather average song. It never really takes off. Marks: 6/10.

08. Anouk - Birds (The Netherlands)
The public seems to like it, the journalists like it, I like it. Marks: 8/10

09. Who See feat. Nina Žižić - Igranka (Montenegro)
It sure as hell is different. Probably too different. Marks: 6/10.

10. Andrius Pojavis - Something (Lithuania)
This is really WAY below par. Marks: 4/10

11. Aljona Lanskaja - Solayoh (Belarus)
Another clever mix of styles, but it might be a bit outdated. Marks: 7/10.

12. Aliona Moon - O Mie (Moldova)
Beautifully sung, skilfully produced...I have high expectations of this one. Marks: 8/10.

13. Ryan Dolan - Only Love Survives (Ireland)
It sure beats Dustin The Turkey, and a whole bunch of others. Should make it to the final. Marks: 7/10.

14. Despina Olympiou - An me thimase (Cyprus)
Sorry, but I couldn't sit through the entire song. Without the 12 points from Greece, this is going nowhere. Marks: 5/10.

15. Roberto Bellarossa - Love Kills (Belgium)
Another 'no' for Belgium, I'm afraid. Not a great singer with an average song. Marks: 5/10.

16. Moje 3 - Ljubav je svuda (Serbia)
Great voices, but the song isn't that great. Still, 6/10 ain't half bad.


To sum it up, these are the countries I expect to make it to the final:
Croatia, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Montenegro, Belarus, Moldova, Ireland and Serbia.

And here's the line-up for the second semi-final, next Thursday.

01. PeR - Here We Go (Latvia)
It's not bad, but not particularly outstanding either. Sounds a bit 1980s-ish to me. Marks: 6/10

02. Valentina Monetta - Crisalide (Vole) (San Marino)
A power ballad like only the Italians (and Sanmarinese) can make. Should make the final. Marks: 7/10

03. Esma Redžepova & Vlatko Lozanoski - Pred da se razdemi (FYR Macedonia)
Not sure what to make of this. A rather odd mix/clash of styles. Some parts I like, but others not so. Marks: 5/10

04. Farid Mammadov - Hold Me (Azerbaijan)
Pretty average, if you ask me. That's all. Marks: 6/10

05. Krista Siegfrids - Marry Me (Finland)
Really clever and catchy tune. Not something you'd normally expect from the Fins! Marks: 7/10

06. Gianluca Bezzina - Tomorrow (Malta)
Pleasantly surprising and catchy tune, but what DOES it sound like?! Marks: 6/10

07. Elitsa Todorova & Stojan Jankulov - Samo shampioni (Bulgaria)
At first I was like, yes. But then again, no. Definitely no. Marks: 5/10

08. EyÞór Ingi Gunnlaugson - Ég á líf (Iceland)
Powerful ballad, although I think it lacks that undefinable 'something'. Marks: 6/10

09. Koza Mostra & Agathonas Iakovidis - Alcohol Is Free (Greece)
Not sure if this is meant to be taken seriously. I think not, but with most of the song in Greek... Marks: 4/10

10. Moran Mazor - Rak bishvilo (Israel)
A ballad in Hebrew is never a good idea. I also suggest wearing another (less revealing) dress. Marks: 4/10

11. Dorians - Lonely Planet (Armenia)
A valiant effort, but not nearly good enough, I fear. Marks: 5/10

12. ByeAlex - Kedvesem (Hungary)
It's different, it's a bit quirky. I like it, but I fear Europe won't 'get' it. Marks: 6/10

13. Margaret Berger - I Feed You My Love (Norway)
Very strong composition/arrangement/vocals. May be a winning combination? Marks: 7/10

14. Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko - Identitet (Albania)
I usually have a soft spot for Albania, but this being average rock in Albanian...not so. Marks: 5/10

15. Sophie Gelovani & Nodi Tatishvili - Waterfall (Georgia)
I'm not a fan, and I'm afraid you can't make out any of the words they're singing in a live performance. Marks: 5/10

16. Takasa - You And Me (Switzerland)
The band is actually named Heilsarmee (Salvation Army), but they had to change their name for obvious reasons. The song is catchy, and it's about time the Swiss had some success again. Marks: 7/10

17. Cezar - It's My Life (Rumania)
No, just no. And it only gets worse. Marks: 3/10


These are the countries I expect/hope to go through to the final:
Latvia, San Marino, FYR Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Finland, Malta, Iceland, Norway, Georgia and Switzerland.

And for good measure, I've also listened to the six countries already in the final...


Cascada - Glorious (Germany)
Oh my, where to start? It sounds like everything they've done before, but slightly worse. Nothing to get overly excited about. Marks: 6/10

Bonnie Tyler - Believe In Me (United Kingdom)
Oh my, where to start? It sounds like everything she's done before, but toned down to an absolute minimum. I don't believe in her. Marks: 5/10

Marco Mengoni - L'essenziale (Italy)
Italy has produced better ballads. This is just about average stuff. I actually prefer San Marino. Marks: 6/10

El Sueño de Morfeo - Contigo hasta al final (Spain)
Some interesting changes of pace in this song, but overall it's still a bit bland. Marks: 6/10

Amandine Bourgeois - L'enfer et moi (France)
Powerful and haunting song. Let's hope this stays upright on the Swedish stage. My favorite from the lot. Marks: 7/10

Robin Stjernberg - You (Sweden)
No, really? Is this the best Sweden could bring? It's terrible! Marks: 5/10

I like Emmelie de Forest - Only Teardrops (Denmark) the most. Good song in an otherwise dull contest.

I like Emmelie de Forest - Only Teardrops (Denmark) the most. Good song in an otherwise dull contest.


She is also doing very well in polls.

Other countries generally doing well in polls are San Marino, Ukraine, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and (rather surprisingly) the UK.

To sum it up, these are the countries I expect to make it to the final:
Croatia, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Montenegro, Belarus, Moldova, Ireland and Serbia.


I've been giving this some extra thought, and I've come to the conclusion that we (i.e. The Netherlands) might be struggling to get through to the final. Not because the song isn't any good, but because of bloc voting and an overall surplus of quality songs in this semi-final. I feel we would've been better off in the second semi-final, where there's less chance of bloc voting, and the quality of the songs in general is considerably lower.
Plus, "our" song may be to complicated for the general audience on first hearing, AND we're in a rather unlucky starting position.


I fear Slovenia (or maybe Austria) might make it through to the final, at the cost of The Netherlands. :-\\ :(

She is also doing very well in polls.

Other countries generally doing well in polls are San Marino, Ukraine, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and (rather surprisingly) the UK.


Personally, I don't expect the UK to finish anywhere near Top 5. More like bottom 5, I'm afraid.

Tonight is the night, and I'm glad to see everyone around here getting all excited and stuff... :D ;)

Only a week to go to the Grand Final, so I figured 'why not have a listen to the semi-finalists..?'  ::)

(Well, now I know! Some of it isn't really worth a listen!)

But here ya go...the line-up for the first semi-final, next Tuesday. With notes.

01. Natália Kelly - Shine (Austria)
Starts off promising, but it never quite fulfills that promise. Marks: 6/10

02. Birgit Ộigemeel - Et uus saaks alguse (Estonia)
Beautiful...if you speak Estonian! Marks: 5/10

03. Hannah Mancini - Straight Into Love (Slovenia)
Straight into the dumpster. Pretty average. Marks: 5/10

04. Klapa s Mora - Mižerja (Croatia)
Even though I don't understand a word: it has quality. And it's Croatia. Marks: 6/10

05. Emmelie de Forest - Only Teardrops (Denmark)
Clever mix of styles, and one of my favorites. On the other hand: Loreen has already won last year... Still, marks 8/10.

06. Dina Garipova - What If (Russia)
Yes, what if...Russia failed to make it through the semis? It's all too sugary for me! Marks: 6/10

07. Zlata Ognevich - Gravity (Ukraine)
Another rather average song. It never really takes off. Marks: 6/10.

08. Anouk - Birds (The Netherlands)
The public seems to like it, the journalists like it, I like it. Marks: 8/10

09. Who See feat. Nina Žižić - Igranka (Montenegro)
It sure as hell is different. Probably too different. Marks: 6/10.

10. Andrius Pojavis - Something (Lithuania)
This is really WAY below par. Marks: 4/10

11. Aljona Lanskaja - Solayoh (Belarus)
Another clever mix of styles, but it might be a bit outdated. Marks: 7/10.

12. Aliona Moon - O Mie (Moldova)
Beautifully sung, skilfully produced...I have high expectations of this one. Marks: 8/10.

13. Ryan Dolan - Only Love Survives (Ireland)
It sure beats Dustin The Turkey, and a whole bunch of others. Should make it to the final. Marks: 7/10.

14. Despina Olympiou - An me thimase (Cyprus)
Sorry, but I couldn't sit through the entire song. Without the 12 points from Greece, this is going nowhere. Marks: 5/10.

15. Roberto Bellarossa - Love Kills (Belgium)
Another 'no' for Belgium, I'm afraid. Not a great singer with an average song. Marks: 5/10.

16. Moje 3 - Ljubav je svuda (Serbia)
Great voices, but the song isn't that great. Still, 6/10 ain't half bad.


To sum it up, these are the countries I expect to make it to the final:
Croatia, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Montenegro, Belarus, Moldova, Ireland and Serbia.


And the verdict is...


Moldova...


Lithuania... (What?!? Now there's a surprise!)


Belarus...


Ukraine...


Denmark...


Belgium...(What?!? Didn't see that one coming!)


Russia...


Ireland...


Estonia... (WTF? This is all going wrong!)


(oh f***. Only one spot left!)




(Come on!! Put us out of our misery already)


(* crowd starts chanting "Netherlands!! Netherlands!!" *)










THE NETHERLANDS!!!  :D :D :D


( * crowd goes ecstatic * )



Yes, we've made it to the final! First time in 9 years!
I don't think it was entirely coincidental that we were the last country to be revealed...  ::) Talk about building the tension!

And what an upset to the books: no Slovenia, no Montenegro, no Croatia and no Serbia! That means NONE of the Balkan states are through. :o (Bang goes the bloc vote theory!)



So, I got 7 out of 10 countries correct. Not bad, but I really didn't expect Belgium to make it. Estonia, I suppose, got through on expert juries votes mostly. Lithuania and Belgium must've gotten much more "general public" votes than I expected. I still don't see the appeal.

And the verdict is...


Moldova...


Lithuania... (What?!? Now there's a surprise!)


Belarus...


Ukraine...


Denmark...


Belgium...(What?!? Didn't see that one coming!)


Russia...


Ireland...


Estonia... (WTF? This is all going wrong!)


(oh f***. Only one spot left!)




(Come on!! Put us out of our misery already)


(* crowd starts chanting "Netherlands!! Netherlands!!" *)










THE NETHERLANDS!!!  :D :D :D


( * crowd goes ecstatic * )



Yes, we've made it to the final! First time in 9 years!
I don't think it was entirely coincidental that we were the last country to be revealed...  ::) Talk about building the tension!

And what an upset to the books: no Slovenia, no Montenegro, no Croatia and no Serbia! That means NONE of the Balkan states are through. :o (Bang goes the bloc vote theory!)



So, I got 7 out of 10 countries correct. Not bad, but I really didn't expect Belgium to make it. Estonia, I suppose, got through on expert juries votes mostly. Lithuania and Belgium must've gotten much more "general public" votes than I expected. I still don't see the appeal.
Which one had the giant?

So far the family favourite is the Irish entry.

Which one had the giant?


Ukraine, I think it was - but I haven't seen the peformances yesterday evening. I was home just in time to see the final act (Serbia) and the results of the voting.


So far the family favourite is the Irish entry.


I believe Ireland will do well this year, Top 10 most likely. Maybe even Top 5.

Ukraine, I think it was - but I haven't seen the peformances yesterday evening. I was home just in time to see the final act (Serbia) and the results of the voting.

I believe Ireland will do well this year, Top 10 most likely. Maybe even Top 5.
Next semi-final is on Thursday, for us the TV coverage will clash with American Idol.

And what an upset to the books: no Slovenia, no Montenegro, no Croatia and no Serbia! That means NONE of the Balkan states are through. :o (Bang goes the bloc vote theory!)


Not quite...the Scandinavians are 50% represented, with the other nations competing in the second semi, so I think they'll do okay for themselves...

(And at present, the red-hot favourite is Denmark, so that's that sorted!)

Apparently, Bonnie doesn't care if she wins...in which case, I wouldn't bother turning up!

Not quite...the Scandinavians are 50% represented, with the other nations competing in the second semi, so I think they'll do okay for themselves...


Well, you were certainly right about that: both Iceland and Norway are through as well.

In related news: the second semi-final was a disgrace! Why anyone would pick Rumania and Greece over San Marino and Switzerland is beyond me.
I was pleasently surprised to see Hungary go through - it is one of my dark horses (along with Moldova).


(And at present, the red-hot favourite is Denmark, so that's that sorted!)

Apparently, Bonnie doesn't care if she wins...in which case, I wouldn't bother turning up!


Anouk has already stated she doesn't expect to win, and it looks like she'll get it her way: we are appointed the #13 starting position in Saturday's Final. ::)

Well, you were certainly right about that: both Iceland and Norway are through as well.

In related news: the second semi-final was a disgrace! Why anyone would pick Rumania and Greece over San Marino and Switzerland is beyond me.
I was pleasently surprised to see Hungary go through - it is one of my dark horses (along with Moldova).

Anouk has already stated she doesn't expect to win, and it looks like she'll get it her way: we are appointed the #13 starting position in Saturday's Final. ::)
In semi final yesterday no song really stood out, I cna only remember the Greek ukulele player and the Romanian high pitched singer.

We are still sticking with Ireland, but would like Bonnie to win.

Almost time for the final...

I expect Denmark to win. Not sure about #2 and 3, but I have a feeling we (The Netherlands) will end 7th place.

Almost time for the final...

I expect Denmark to win. Not sure about #2 and 3, but I have a feeling we (The Netherlands) will end 7th place.
Denmark is the bookies favourite, my wife wants Ireland and I want "Tomorrow" by Gianluca Bezzina the Maltese entry to win. "Tomorrow" has a good beat to it, and the ukulele makes it sounds Bruno Mars-ish. Of course, Bonnie Tyler should win.

Almost time for the final...

I expect Denmark to win. Not sure about #2 and 3, but I have a feeling we (The Netherlands) will end 7th place.



Denmark is the bookies favourite, my wife wants Ireland and I want "Tomorrow" by Gianluca Bezzina the Maltese entry to win. "Tomorrow" has a good beat to it, and the ukulele makes it sounds Bruno Mars-ish. Of course, Bonnie Tyler should win.


I was right about Denmark to win, and close enough about The Netherlands (9th place instead of 7th, with only 12 points between the two). Some people will be disappointed by that, but let's not forget: this is our best performance since 1999!  :)

Another disappointing performance by the Big 5: with the exception of Italy, none made the Top 10. Heck, they weren't even close! Spain clearly sang out of tune, and paid a high price: 25th place. Bonnie's performance wasn't spotless either, but with 19th place she still did better than Germany (21st) and France (23rd), if that's any consolation.
But what really puzzles me is Ireland in last place. I don't get that. :-\\ :(

Which one had the giant?




I laughed when he didn't match his steps with the 'thud' noises they'd added!





So far the family favourite is the Irish entry.




I believe Ireland will do well this year, Top 10 most likely. Maybe even Top 5.



How wrong you were!  Bottom place with only 3 points!    No idea why, it was quite a nice song and typical Eurovision I thought  :-\\


When I heard the Denmark song I thought it would do well.

The Greek entry was hilarious, I thought at first they were dressed up like football refs, then I realised they were wearing traditional skirts/kilts.


The entry from The Netherlands was a lovely soulful song, different to most other offerings, but perhaps not 'catchy' enough to stick in the memory.

I laughed when he didn't match his steps with the 'thud' noises they'd added!


I noticed that too, but it didn't harm them in any way.


How wrong you were!  Bottom place with only 3 points!    No idea why, it was quite a nice song and typical Eurovision I thought  :-\\


I'm still puzzled. I've read complaints on the internet about people not being able to vote for Ireland, but I don't know how much of this is true.



When I heard the Denmark song I thought it would do well.

The Greek entry was hilarious, I thought at first they were dressed up like football refs, then I realised they were wearing traditional skirts/kilts.


One will always wonder...what if they had chosen to sing the entire song in Greek? Would they still have ended up in 6th place? I doubt it, but we'll never know.


The entry from The Netherlands was a lovely soulful song, different to most other offerings, but perhaps not 'catchy' enough to stick in the memory.


Exactly. It went very well with the judges, but it takes some time for the 'average' man to pick it up and appreciate it. My nephew mentioned it would do well on a soundtrack for a movie, and I have to agree.

And then there's always the question: what if we had been given the 23rd spot instead of the 13th spot to perform? Would that have helped us in any way? We'll never know.

Well, that is it for this year!

I was out of the room when the giant came on stage.

The Greeks were miming, the accordionist could still be heard playing when he was clapping his hands.

May be Ireland should be allied to the Balkan States?

If Scotland claim Independence in March 2016, will they have to enter their own song?

What did you think when Petra announced the winner before all the votes were in.  I know it was obvious that Denmark couldn't be beaten at that point, but it was still a bit odd.

I guess it was to try and catch up a bit of time so they could do the presentation etc as soon as all the votes were in.

What did you think when Petra announced the winner before all the votes were in.  I know it was obvious that Denmark couldn't be beaten at that point, but it was still a bit odd.
If you remember back in 2007 Terry Wogan announced the wrong winner of the UK Eurovision song. The confusion happened after a final "sing-off" between Scooch and Cyndi during Saturday's show. Sir Terry and co-host Fearne Cotton announced the winner together - but he said Cyndi and she said Scooch.

What did you think when Petra announced the winner before all the votes were in.  I know it was obvious that Denmark couldn't be beaten at that point, but it was still a bit odd.


It was a bit odd, I agree. I'm not sure if they'll make a habit out of this.


I guess it was to try and catch up a bit of time so they could do the presentation etc as soon as all the votes were in.


From what I understood, the green room was quite a long walk away from the actual stage. That could've been a reason.


If you remember back in 2007 Terry Wogan announced the wrong winner of the UK Eurovision song. The confusion happened after a final "sing-off" between Scooch and Cyndi during Saturday's show. Sir Terry and co-host Fearne Cotton announced the winner together - but he said Cyndi and she said Scooch.


And today, everyone wishes Sir Terry was right... ;D