Monday 2 May 2011

I really really *want* to like this....

Oh Glen Vella, the chap who sings this is such a lovely Malteser, really he is! Cute as a button, he has such enthusiasm for the contest which comes across in all the interviews, he really wants to do well for Malta (he came second in their national final in 2010), and gives 110% in every performance. It's just such a shame that the song isn't stronger. We are into the mid-semi-one-lull, have a look and listen to this:



Now, it's not *bad* and there are worse songs in the first semi-final, but oh my, it's dated and oh, oh my, it's a wee bit bland to my ears at least. Malta have such enthusiasm for the contest, and have come close to winning on a couple of occasions (few will ever forget the big Chiara vs Dana International stand-off in 1998!!) but I sadly don't think they'll come anywhere near the top of the tree this year:

Danpoints out of a hundred: 15
Is it getting out of the Semi Final?: No. They've failed to qualify with better songs.
Would be better sung by: That's all I'm saying!
What Would Terry Wogan Say?: "Is it time for a drink?"

Da Da Dreary....

So then, on to the Finnish song in this years Eurovision Contest of Song...

Oh dear, from the moment Paradise Oskar starts to sing I really wish he would finish. Last year Belgium did really rather well with a song by a male singer with just him and his guitar, and this is a similar style but sadly without any of the charm... Have a listen to this:



I think this could go one of two ways really, either it will do well like Belgium did last year, or, like me, televoters will kind of fall asleep. I'm sorry Paradise Oskar (real name Axel Ehnström), but I'm off refilling my glass before you're halfway through your charming tale of Peter trotting off around to the world to save our plane-et.

As we are now less that two weeks away, and the contestants are rehearsing in the arena in Dusseldorf, here's the first rehearsal of this song too, uploaded onto the interweb by the really rather lovely folk of allkindsofeverything.ie :



And so to my scores on the doors for Finland 2011:

Danpoints out of a hundred: 22
Is it getting out of the Semi Final?: No. Unless Europe takes leave of it's sanity, which let's face it has happened before! No, I'm staying with no.
Would be better sung by: Let's bring back Fredi and his Friends to "Pump Pump" it up a bit!!
What Would Terry Wogan Say?: Something about the name "Da Da Dum" putting him in mind of "Diggi Loo Diggi Ley" and those Swedish boys in little golden boots.