Two countries were regularly touted as the winners of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in the run-up to the final in Helsinki; Serbia (who did indeed win the thing) and Switzerland (who did indeed didn't). The man letting down Team S was one DJ Bobo, a dance act which even octogenarian Lys Assia, the Swiss winner of the very first Contest in 1956, touted as the man who could bring the Eurovision trophy back to its birthplace for the first time in 19 years. Not long after Lys' endorsement, Bobo was indeed given the go-go to develop a song for Helsinki. Although I have to be honest, beyond his involvement with the Contest, he has never crossed my pop radar so I could never work out what all the fuss was about.

There was palpable excitment on the night Bobo's song, Vampires Are Alive, was released on the web and it went straight to the not-quite-top of most of the fan polls and soon found itself at number three in the Swiss charts.

The bookies had this as a sure fire top-five finisher and fans across Europe were preparing themselves for a tussle at the top of the scoreboard with Bobo right in there among it.

Then the rehearsals started.

Hello, everyone. Last night, BBaB left you on a spinetingling cliffhanger as I prepared to head off to the 2010 MOBo Awards at Liverpool's Echo Arena. I arrived at the venue at the same time presenter Reggie Yates (pictured, right, with co-host Alesha Dixon) pulled up in his car to be screamed onto the red carpet from the fans watching above so had to hang on a few minutes for my freebie cocktail but it was a fabulous night and - again - great to see a ceremony of this stature held in my home city. I can't pretend I knew the names of every single act nominated but I'll be asking my niece at the weekend to fill in the blanks for me.

Rather unnervingly, all the links Reggie and Alesha did from the Arena floor were done right next to our table. I was a bit concerned I'd pop into shot as a TV camera adds about eight pounds and I look chunky enough without any extra being slapped on. But it was all great fun.

Anyway, I promised I would find FIVE links between the MOBOs and the Contest. Here's what I came up with. They're well good:

(1) I was told last night that one member of ECHO Arena staff working on the MOBOs was also involved with Birmingham's Contest hosting in 1998 at the National Indoor Arena.

(2) MOBOs co-host Alesha Dixon turned up on Your Country Needs You last year giving her opinions on the UK's potential enterers for Moscow.

(3) One of the clips shown last nigth featured "current hit parade favourite" (Alan Freeman, 1967) Eliza Doolittle. Her mum, Frances Rufelle, represented the UK at Eurovision in 1994.

(4) Billy Ocean won a Lifetime Acheivement Awards at last night's ceremony. His 1977 single Red Light Spells Danger was held off the number one slot by Eurovision champs ABBA.

(5) The MOBOs ceremony was on a stage. Eurovision is held on a stage.

There you go, five inextricable links between a celebration of the best urban and street music and the Eurovision Song Contest. And not a single one of them tenuous.

Ahem.

Hello BBaBers. Now, I know I don't need to remind you lot, but there is a seamless link between the perfect pop of the Eurovision Song Contest and the urban, street sounds that the Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBOs) have celebrated over the past 15 years. Yes, I know. Absolutely seamless.

That's why I am VERY excited by the fact that, through my day job, I am an invited guest at this year's ceremony in Liverpool's ECHO Arena (I walk in down the red carpet and everything, get me...) tonight. It all gets going around 7.30ish, I understand.

The show will be broadcast live on BBC Three in the UK and whilst there, I shall endeavour to find FIVE (yes, that's FIVE) links between the show, its participants and our favourite Contest. I'll be back with those tomorrow. If anyone wants to know where BBaB will be lurking in case the cameras sweep the room, my ticket says I'm on table 47.

Until then, I have some bling to polish. Wait until you see the 36 gold medallions I plan to wear. I'm so street.

DÃŒsseldorf was (not entirely unexpectedly) confirmed earlier this week as the host city for the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, beating bids from Berlin, Hamburg and Hannover. With hindsight, I can't imagine too many commentators leaning towards their mics in the Telenor Arena on May 29 and saying: "Well, looks like we'll be in DÃŒsseldorf next year..." as Lena sang Satellite under the closing credits in Oslo and Berlin remains the only major capital in Europe not to host the Contest so far.

The news hasn't been too warmly received by fans on internet forums although to be frank, no news of any description is ever warmly received on internet forums, whatever subject they're dedicated to. There is a definite sense of miffed-ness that the Contest is going somewhere that isn't really a 'party' city - but as I mentioned in a previous blog post, surely the Contest itself will be a catalyst for DÃŒsseldorf to become the temporary shindig capital of Deutschland for the two weeks it sets up camp there.

One more thing. From now until May, Boom Bang a Blog is on umlaut watch. If you spell 'DÌsseldorf' without ther dots over the 'u', I am reliably informed it means something else altogether which isn't too complimentary. BBaBers, I am asking you to keep me on my toes. if you spy one example of 'DÌsseldorf' without its vital spots, then I will hold my hand up, take the blame and donate £1 to charity and I will continue to donate £1 for each and every umlaut-less DÌsseldorf thereafter. You lot can choose the charity.

So, let's see what the accumulation of quids it is I owe to good causes come May 14 next year. I have a feeling June 2011 will be the month I discover the spaghetti hoops diet...