Eurovision kills careers

Anto Bean

Micky Joe, Chris Doren, Donna and Joe, Dustin the Turkey, Sinead Mulvey and Jedward have had their careers destroyed by going to Eurovision.

Frank Bullitt

For this, we should be thankful.

sok2005

To be fair, none of them were very rated before they did it anyway.

byte

What careers?

Xavi6

Ted and Dougal too

Anto Bean

Dustin is cool, It's a shame that he has been on the dole for 5 years.

Uriel.

Of that list, only Dustin really had a career... and he's a puppet, so that's saying a lot.

kylith

sok2005 wrote: »

To be fair, none of them were very rated before they did it anyway.

Except Dustin. Dustin's great.

fishy fishy

how long do you think jedward could jump around like pogo sticks - aren't they in their 30's now. Somehow it just isn't the same.

JD DABA

Anto Bean wrote: »

Micky Joe, Chris Doren, Donna and Joe, Dustin the Turkey, Sinead Mulvey and Jedward have had their careers destroyed by going to Eurovision.

Anything that gets rid of those two intolerable little w4nkers can't be all bad.

Duckworth_Luas

Joe's career is only getting started, he'll be Athlone's premier milkman in no time!

frank reynolds

JD DABA wrote: »

Anything that gets rid of those two intolerable little w4nkers can't be all bad.

who, Donna and Joe?

bacon n eggs

"My lovely horse, running through the fields"

Zombienosh

All big names in the bargain bin at golden discs I believe.

fryup

well they can always make a career in Turkey like Twink, Linda Martin, Johnny Logan and the rest of the no talent mob

buyer95

frank reynolds wrote: »

who, Donna and Joe?

This travesty(cringe)

frank reynolds

buyer95 wrote: »

This travesty(cringe)

Absolutely disgusting.

Seaneh

In fairness, besides Dustin, none of them had careers before they entered "You're a star" (the x factor for jedward) and none of them would have ever got past doing pantos without it.

I'd say, if anything, the likes The McCauls and Sinead Mulvey, have done far better for themselves because of Eurovision than they would have without it.

As for Jedward, they are just a gimmick and it was bound to die eventually.

--Kaiser--

ABBA won the Eurovision.
The reason why most don't have careers after the Eurovision is that it's (at best) a triumph of mediocrity

IvyTheTerrible

ABBA, Celine Dion, France Gall, Cliff Richard, Nana Mouskouri - these are people who's careers weren't ruined by Eurovision!

kneemos

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

ABBA, Celine Dion, France Gall, Cliff Richard, Nana Mouskouri - these are people who's careers weren't ruined by Eurovision!

Johnny Logan did well out of it.

FloatingVoter

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

ABBA, Celine Dion, France Gall, Cliff Richard, Nana Mouskouri - these are people who's careers weren't ruined by Eurovision!

ABBA - did well despite of Eurovision (possibly the exception to the rule).
Celine Dion, Cliff Richard, Nana Mouskouri- already famous beforehand (they were entered as ringers).
France Gall - never heard of him, her, it.

IvyTheTerrible

FloatingVoter wrote: »

ABBA - did well despite of Eurovision (possibly the exception to the rule).
Celine Dion, Cliff Richard, Nana Mouskouri- already famous beforehand (they were entered as ringers).
France Gall - never heard of him, her, it.

France Gall is famous in France.
Whether they were famous before Eurovision is irrelevant, the question was whether Eurovision kills careers. They were all still famous after.

kneemos

Linda Martin/Johnny Logan came from obscurity and is well known domestically at least.

hatrickpatrick

I've been saying this for years, not just about Eurovision but any televised music context. With rare exceptions, Eurovision, The Voice, X Factor, American Idol, etc etc etc grant a musician some very short term fame, at the expense of potential lifelong respect. Nobody ever thinks of them as incredible musicians in their own right, people remember them as "oh I've heard of her, yeah I think she won the Voice at some stage maybe?"
Leona Lewis is a prime example of this, she has an absolutely incredible voice and could have been an amazingly successful pop singer, but instead she is now associated with a gimmick and it seems to just make people lose interest.

I've been saying this for a long time, the best way to make it in the music business today is to go viral on Facebook or YouTube, and then once you're having millions and millions of hits because of people getting your stuff stuck in their head and retweeting it, wait for the record companies to come to you. Why? Because if you do that, you have the upper hand in negotiating a decent contract with them, they're the ones who desperately want you on their books. Entering a competition like Eurovision or whatever is turning this table around and going out and begging for recognition - and when you beg, you give the person you're negotiating with pretty much all of the leverage to dictate whatever they want. The number of stories I've heard about talented people winning competitions and then finding that the small print ties them to a horrific, blood sucking record deal is just unbelievable.

BuilderPlumber

Analysing some of them: We did not hear tell of Gary O'Shaughnessy, Mickey Joe Harte or Sinead Mulvey since. Chris Doran showed initial promise in the beginning and had 2 major hits after the Eurovision in late 2004 and a minor hit a few years after. However, he is currently in the news for a very different reason! Donna & Joe have come into the limelight again at the moment, but am unsure what that is.

Personally, I think the treatment by RTE of Jedward after last year was unfair. They were all over our screens in 2009, 2010, 2011 and up until May 2012 and not on since. This is more to do with RTE dropping them than to do with Jedward's popularity. In fairness, Jedward's 2011 entry was our best result since Brian Kennedy's in 2006.

As regards Eurovision killing careers: I wonder is this only in Ireland and only recently (I suspect it is). Where would Linda Martin, Johnny Logan or Dana be without it. It also helped songwriters like Brendan Graham, so definitely Eurovision was good for careers in the past.

BuilderPlumber

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

I've been saying this for years, not just about Eurovision but any televised music context. With rare exceptions, Eurovision, The Voice, X Factor, American Idol, etc etc etc grant a musician some very short term fame, at the expense of potential lifelong respect. Nobody ever thinks of them as incredible musicians in their own right, people remember them as "oh I've heard of her, yeah I think she won the Voice at some stage maybe?"
Leona Lewis is a prime example of this, she has an absolutely incredible voice and could have been an amazingly successful pop singer, but instead she is now associated with a gimmick and it seems to just make people lose interest.

I've been saying this for a long time, the best way to make it in the music business today is to go viral on Facebook or YouTube, and then once you're having millions and millions of hits because of people getting your stuff stuck in their head and retweeting it, wait for the record companies to come to you. Why? Because if you do that, you have the upper hand in negotiating a decent contract with them, they're the ones who desperately want you on their books. Entering a competition like Eurovision or whatever is turning this table around and going out and begging for recognition - and when you beg, you give the person you're negotiating with pretty much all of the leverage to dictate whatever they want. The number of stories I've heard about talented people winning competitions and then finding that the small print ties them to a horrific, blood sucking record deal is just unbelievable.

This is interesting. Looking at the annual contests besides Eurovision (the X Factors, You are Stars, Pop Idol, Popstars and so on), you often notice these trends: the winner is soon forgotten and often those who may have come 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th do better.

I think it is because the nature of them. All hype is on from start date to finish date and once the person wins, then it goes off our screens. There are no promo shows on TV in the summer which is a bad thing and by September, the new series of the contest comes back on and the hype is on the new artists.

I think it is poor followup promotion on TV and radio that kills their careers (not the Eurovision or other contests). The complete absence of chat shows and the like over the summer months has a lot to do with it.

jjbrien

kneemos wrote: »

Linda Martin/Johnny Logan came from obscurity and is well known domestically at least.

Its an awful shame it didnt ruin Lina Martin's career then we wouldnt have had to be inflicted with this

Prodigious

Lets not forget Dana. :pac:

TheLastMohican

Lulu, Sandy Shaw, Severine and Vicky Leandros, are not all washed up. But Dana, prancing around in her sensible two piece suit is giving old winners a bad name

Yamanoto

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

As regards Eurovision killing careers: I wonder is this only in Ireland and only recently (I suspect it is). Where would Linda Martin, Johnny Logan or Dana be without it. It also helped songwriters like Brendan Graham, so definitely Eurovision was good for careers in the past.

From a financial perspective, sure.

But anyone who values their artistic integrity must realise that a dalliance with Eurovision will most likely result in a life on the cabaret circuit or serenading passengers aboard Cunard lines.

Perhaps Continental Europe has a higher tolerance for cheese, so artists there aren't tainted by the whole sorry fiasco to the same extent as UK or Irish acts.

Duckworth_Luas

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Joe's career is only getting started, he'll be Athlone's premier milkman in no time!

A title once held by the late Pat Mustard, RIP

Canis Lupus

I think in the old days when you had the likes of ABBA etc it was more of a singing contest so careers didn't have to falter if you took part. Nowadays when you have the likes of titward and Dustin it's more of a last hurrah before you fade into singing on the back of a trailer in a small town in the middle of nowhere.

donegal_road

Dervish have weathered the storm despite coming last in the Eurovision. Trad music played well will always have an audience and Dervish were a big name before they entered Eurovision.

elefant

Nin Huguen and the Huguen Notes were on their way to certain fame after Norwegian eurovision. Cruel cruel fate.

RIP

Irish Guitarist

In Jedwards case they could only make a 'career' out of what they did for so long. They must be in their early twenties now so they're getting a bit old to act like hyperactive teenagers.

Latchy

Anto Bean wrote: »

Jedward have had their careers destroyed by going to Eurovision.

A career at being Shyte at everything won't get you far .

TiGeR KiNgS

Anto Bean wrote: »

Micky Joe, Chris Doren, Donna and Joe, Dustin the Turkey, Sinead Mulvey and Jedward have had their careers destroyed by going to Eurovision.

They 'sing' in the Eurovision because they have no careers.

Its not a chicken and egg scenario.

Eponymous

I hear Niamh Kavanagh's career in the AIB has gone from strength to strength.

ToddyDoody

Uriel. wrote: »

Of that list, only Dustin really had a career... and he's a puppet, so that's saying a lot.

As were Ed and Jonathan

mikeym

Thought Jedward are millionaires anyway.

lertsnim

Lordi are still going. It didn't kill them.

Capt'n Midnight

Prodigious wrote: »

Lets not forget Dana. :pac:

Who went on to be an MEP

Then it went a bit strange but in the end just she used the old Johnny Logan dress up as a drag queen to win another Eurovision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv83u7-mNWQ

1966

Did no one mention the international superstars that are Bucks Fizz??

YFlyer

No. Couldn't make my mind up.

Specialun

Wasnt micky joe caught playing away from home with young one's

BuilderPlumber

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I think in the old days when you had the likes of ABBA etc it was more of a singing contest so careers didn't have to falter if you took part. Nowadays when you have the likes of titward and Dustin it's more of a last hurrah before you fade into singing on the back of a trailer in a small town in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, that was true back in those days. You got classic acts like ABBA plus more memorable songs. Not saying nowadays is all bad, but there is less emphasis on the song and more on the act!

As said, some Irish acts deserved to do better at it and in their careers in general but others didn't. Dustin being the most notorious act we ever sent! The Eurovision can tend to be outrageous at times BUT not this outrageous! Besides, the Dublinese humour does not translate well in Europe!

That said, I find it a nasty trait how RTE drops support for acts when they don't live up to expectation at it. RTE are 100% to blame for allowing Dustin into it and KNEW FULL WELL he would win! The runner up that year had a much better actual song! Likewise, Jedward. RTE made these and then unmade them! Dustin has not been heard tell of since 2008 and Jedward not since May 2012!

Latchy

mikeym wrote: »

Thought Jedward are millionaires anyway.

A good agent will see you right for a bit ...then you get found out .

BuilderPlumber

TiGeR KiNgS wrote: »

They 'sing' in the Eurovision because they have no careers.

Its not a chicken and egg scenario.

I think it all went wrong for Ireland when they started 'making' Eurovision singers in a 'factory'. Perhaps, the history behind this is due to the fact that a total unknown kid (Dana) not even technically from this country (she's from Derry) won it in 1970 whereas all the top Republic of Ireland showband stars got to top 5, no 3 and no 2 before but never won it. Likewise, in 1980 an obscure showband/cabaret singer Johnny Logan won it. So, that trend continued to work out quite well and we won it again in the same way.

BUT then the factory set in: From the 1990s, the prototype was usually: male ballad singer in the Logan style! Thus, we had Gary O'Shaughnessy singing Without your love and Mickey Joe singing We got the world tonight. The latter was the first of the official year long factory called You're a Stat, an X-Factor style show designed to pick the Eurovision singer (You're a was a play on Eurovision of course). MJ was followed by Chris Doran, whose If my world stopped turning was even more like Johnny Logan and was cowritten by a Westlife member. They even had Chris dress up in white a la Logan! Surely, we had it in the bag? No. That was 2004.

But the next 6 years changed the trait: Donna and Joe also came out of the You're a Star but sang a decidedly uptempo song called Love. Surely, to mimic Ukraine's winning Ruslana? It did not get out of semifinals! 2006 saw 1 of only 2 good results in recent years with Brian Kennedy and Every song is a cry for love getting to 10th position. 2007 and Dervish's Spring about the Eastern European revolutions fell on deaf ears too (it was ancient history and Iran and others whose peope would be sympathetic are still even to this day dictator-lead and decidedly not in the Eurovision). 2008 gave us Dustin and his Irlandez Douze Ponts, a daft out of tune piece of noise or humour depending on your tastes! Again, it does not do well and does not come out of the semis - a fate more often than not Ireland had at this stage. In fairness, Lithuania had a song in 2005 called We are the Winners of Eurovision - that had similar sentiments. However, it was a better song and singers! And while it did not win, it did very well. Then, it was return to obscure act Black Daisy, a girl group this time and Etc., a lively song. Didn't work either! Then, it was time to try Niamh Kavanagh again and - although her song was one of the better ones on a par with the Kennedy one - it also got nowehere.

Then, we were already in the Jedwardian era. Since 2009, they had dominated all around them. 2011's Lipstick went all the way to 8th position, the best result since 2006. But like 2006, it was proven to be an isolated island of hope in a sea of dispair. 2012's Waterline, also by Jedward, did not do as well. So, this year, it was the turn of another Johnny Logan-like singer called Ryan Dolan. In this age of Love/Hate, there was a little bit of Nidge thrown into the act with tattood drummers and leather jackets. But, the song was above average but belonged more to the 1980s and could have won it then. Just like MJ, Chris or others.

Eventually, less and less people will want to represent us in the competition. Especially with the lack of support afterwards. Careers rise and fall not because the public lose interest - they rise and fall due to the media publicity. Jedward are out of the media and 1 year is a LONG time in pop music! As said as well, having your career peak in May in Ireland is not a good idea: 3 lean months of no publicity whatsoever on TV await. And since it is the visual as well as audio appeal that is now important in pop, radio is not enough and does not translate acts into successful stars. So, most Eurovision Irish acts remain one hit wonders.

Cienciano

Dustin is a legend. That is all

BuilderPlumber

Latchy wrote: »

A good agent will see you right for a bit ...then you get found out .

Jedward are millionaires so don't really care for now. Nobody lasts forever in this game not even the huge superstars of old were on top all the time. But, a good agent will keep you there as long as possible and revive you later as well. That said, RTE deliberately pulled the plug prematurely on Jedward and Dustin too.

Other acts just did not get the agents and again the barren summer months coupled with hype directed to next year's Eurovision quickly make acts from the previous May hasbeens before their time.