Eurovision kills careers

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.