Eurovision Song Contest 2024 (Mod warning, see OP updated 10/05 and post #3477 11/05)

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106301#Comment_122106301

Based on previous years Marty's voice will be so knackered by Saturday only dogs will be able to hear it… really needs to protect it better.

Speaking of which… haven't decided yet whether to watch tonight on BBC1 (Rylan and Scott Mills) or RTE tonight.

What are people going for?

squonk

BBC for me I think.

yerwanthere123

I always watch on RTÉ. Dunno why, but I always feel a weird sense of disloyalty when I watch on a foreign broadcaster, even if the commentary might be better. His ridiculously forced meltdowns aside when Ireland usually fail to qualify, I think Marty's alright.

greenpilot

Not a fan of the Irish entry, nor the ultra-woke brigade jumping on the bandwagon and using the whole gender/ pronoun silliness as an idealistic football.

However.

I've just watched her version of the Cranberries song "Zombie" on YouTube. It's beyond perfect. She is an outstanding artist and singer. Completely fresh, particularly coming from a country full of musicians and musicality.

Then read the comments below the video. Comments from viewers and, more Importantly, voters, from around Europe. They are extraordinarily positive and all point to a possibility that she may just well win the thing.

I'm sure the release of the video was planned and timed to go out yesterday. If it was, then her producers and creative directors have pulled off an act of pure genius. She'll win, not because of the song she entered, but because of the whole package.

Suffice to say, it's going down well.

ShaneU

I love the Dutch song, it's like a catchy 90's pop song. Although I will be supporting our Bambi for the win 💪

yerwanthere123

Watching Bambie's extended rehearsal blew me away, very excited to see it live tonight! Since she was selected back in January I was always adamant she'd qualify and finish around 19th or 20th in the final. However I'll have to revise that upwards now, I definitely think top ten is possible now.

Sometimes I even get winner vibes, but we have to remember juries count for 50% of the vote. There's no way she'll be anywhere near the top of their votes, far too polarising. Obviously I hope I'm completely wrong, because the live performance is phenomenal!

Brian017

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106394#Comment_122106394

Yeah, the jury vote will hold us back from being serious contenders. I was looking at an article and the bookies have us in the Top 5 in the Televote but they have us around 12th in the Jury vote. Still a Top 10 finish would be a fantastic result

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106394#Comment_122106394

A really key thing with Bambie is momentum and it seems to be happening at the exact time you would want it (and I don't think we've even seen the huge shift in momentum that is about to happen for Doomsday).

Croatia strikes me as something that might struggle to build momentum this week at the same rate. The song has been favourite on and off since early March and the staging hasn't changed since the NF. Difficult to build up a head of steam and have everyone talking about you when you've already been favourite for months.

archfi

I'll be getting my first hearing of the songs tonight (exc. Ireland and UK)

It'll be Marty for the semis then Norton for the final.

Best of luck to us.

Welsh Megaman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106508#Comment_122106508

It’ll be Marty WITH a semi (might as well post this now)…

RoryMac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106491#Comment_122106491

I'd agree the momentum seems to be building perfectly for Bambie, looks so much better on stage and a solid run through the semi final will help build again for the final.

I'd agree on Croatia too, I don't see much in it. Like the Dutch and Swiss songs, can't see the Dutch doing great but a fun song.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122105786#Comment_122105786

Same reason Ukraine wasn't banned this year. Russia was banned for launching a war of aggression against a neighbour.

Russia, like many of its allies here and in the middle east will say but the conflict didn't start on such and such a date, etc etc.

Libertine07

Croatia got a big reaction in the arena last night, I really think its winning (and rightly so in my view).

We won't win but if we can get higher than 8th it will be our best result in decades. I really hope that happens, I think Bambie (and the long suffering Irish fans) deserve it.

Danzy

It's performative. Ultimately Palestine is way down the list for them.

squonk

true and ideally both Israel and any grandstanding on the cause of Palestine should be banned. Tge difference though is that while Ukraine was attacked, they’re not intent on a mass genocude of the Russian people. Israel are going above and beyond what is necessary to defend themselves.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106324#Comment_122106324

In our house, and I'm going back decades now, it has always been BBC. Wogan, then Graham Norton. Didn't watch it last year.

Man Vs ManUre

I wonder if Taylor Swift will perform at this seeing as she is already in Europe with her Eras tour.

squonk

Louise Duffy hinting she might play Doomsday. FFS BBC have been playing Ollie’s song at every opportunity.

squonk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106639#Comment_122106639

Sweden don’t need Taylor. Aside from their 7 Eurovision winners they could roll out, they have a heap of well known international artists in their ranks as well. It won’t happen but an ABBA reunion would blow any Taylor appearance out of the water.

derb12

getting so excited today. I’ll be gutted if we don’t get through. I’d say Iceland are the only real no-hopers, maybe Azerbaijan too, but they have a good record of pulling in votes. I think I’ll watch RTE tonight but like others, it has to be GN for the final. I’ll rewatch on the RTE player on Sunday 😀!

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106581#Comment_122106581

On the other hand, Doomsday is much more of a performance for TV. Croatia is all smoke and pyros and special effects and aimed at the arena audience.

supereurope

I enjoy reading Anna's blog, so delighted she has Ireland has her third most-likely qualifer. Anna is from the UK, so a "neutral" blog from an Irish perspective.

https://lovelovepeacepeace.home.blog/2024/05/07/eurovision-2024-semi-1-barely-predictions/

freshpopcorn

We lost out BBC when the change over happened and don't have BBC anymore.

Would love to be able to fix it.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122107422#Comment_122107422

Worth noting btw that it is of little consequence whether Bambie wins the semi final tonight or not. Many semi final winners don't go on to win the Contest. The main thing to watch out for will be a strong showing and a sense Doomsday finished high up the ranking.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106324#Comment_122106324

I lived in the UK for 16 years from 2006, so for years, I only had the option of the BBC. That was just two years of Wogan at the grand final, which I won't go into here because looking back on Wogan's time as commentator would mean going down a rabbit hole. In the early years of the semis, the BBC had Paddy O'Connell as commentator, who I thought was really good. He was replaced in 2011 by Scott Mills and a female co-commentator who never seemed to last more than a year (Sarah Cox, Laura Whitmore and Ana Matronic from the Scissor Sisters were amongst some of the short-lived co-commentators.) Rylan Clark now does the commentary with Scott, but, seemingly unlike everyone else on Earth, I can't stand Rylan ("Next up is Paulina from Switzerland. She's got a purple dress on, ain't she mad? Lolz.") I've also found that since about 2021, Scott has become slightly weary of the contest and doesn't sound that bothered by it anymore.

The worst thing, however, about the semis on BBC is that they tend to opt-out of the broadcast whenever they can (like during the interval act), and I'd rather see the "official" feed. It doesn't help that in most cases the opt-outs are for terribly unfunny skits, though thankfully the BBC has cut back on these following the terrible reaction to their "Line of Eurovision" sketches in 2021, which were about as funny as a fire in a children's hospital.

So my plan is Marty for the semis, Graham for the final.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122107540#Comment_122107540

True, but it's reassuring that some fans outside of Ireland are seeing Bambie as a near-certainty to go through.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122106491#Comment_122106491

Unfortunately for Croatia, the NF performances were a mess, and yes, I groaned when I saw that they have pretty much carried that over to Malmö. "Just throw everything at it"-type staging never really succeeds at the contest, though I imagine it will "go big in the hall" (as Terry Wogan used to say) tonight. But you won't win Eurovision appealing only to the live audience in the arena.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122107551#Comment_122107551

Thanks, I was leaning towards Marty as Rylan can overdo the superfan angle imo. Probably Marty's comments will get more reaction on this thread so I'll be able to follow it better here.

I didn't realise the BBC opt out, so that decides it, a rare RTE > BBC win :)

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122107611#Comment_122107611

Haha, I know, rare. Unfortunately, Rylan is being groomed to take over the grand final when Graham goes, so I might find myself with Marty for all threes shows.

Obviously, the BBC didn't opt-out last year, but they do every other year, only in the semis thankfully.

Downlinz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122105786#Comment_122105786

The EBU wanted to continue with Russia as well despite their war, it was only members threatening to boycott if Russia participated that forced their hand.

Members were concerned at Israel's participation but nobody threatened to leave over it, so that was the difference.

It's disappointing but the double standards at play around Israel and Russia treatment are evident across western society in more than just Eurovision.