Results tagged “2008” from Boom Bang a Blog

Long-term readers of Boom Bang a Blog will remember Chris Knight, who filed some rather good reports and interviews from Belgrade in the run up to last year's Eurovision.

As well as liking song contests, Chris is also dead keen on the great outdoors and BBaB is happy to report that the group Mr Knight is a leading member of, Outdoor Lads, won the Best Float trophy in the parade at this year's Pride, held in Manchester over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Chris is in the safari suit colours in the middle of this photo. Well done to him and all the other Outdoor Lads. You can find out a bit more about the group, an outdoor pursuits group that's just for the boys, here.

Boom Bang a Blog was also at Pride this year. Tragically, I didn't have a float from which I could proudly wave a 12ftx12ft placard of John Siddle standing next to Alexander Rybak while dressed as Katie Boyle, although I did see the woman who plays Lilian in Shameless having a chat with Anthony Crank on the big stage - and danced to Bucks Fizz after too many shandies.

So, a fairly successful day all round, then.

Recognise this?

You will do if you've seen the new ads for the Renault Megane in the breaks for Corrie and The X-Factor.

It's Sebastien Tellier with Divine, this year's French entry. It only finished 19th in Belgrade, but it seems to have pricked a fair few more ears up than the winning ditty did.

...except in Georgia, as three kids in yellow and black striped outfits (with a collective age that is less than this current blogger's) have just taken the 2008 Junior Eurovision Song Contest title in Cyprus. The song is called Bzzz...

For some reason, the show was presented by a pair of Londoners, but despite all the dreadful, dreadful music - even by Eurovision standards - there was a very poignant moment when the girl reading out the Russian scores gave the 12 to Georgia with a genuinely cheery smile. Sometimes, dagnammit, those kids can teach us a thing or two. The Georgians didn't return the favour.

Georgia has pulled out of the 2009 Contest in Moscow due to the political events earlier this year.

Some cynics are already suggesting this pint-sized victory is a rather convenient, sugar-coated way of enticing them back...

Tomorrow is the sixth edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest - and just when you thought the adults had the sole stake on rehearsal week drama and strops, wait until you hear about the kids.

In what could be a worrying too-much-lemonade-and-ice-cream scenario, the entrant for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (and on of the favourites to win) was taken to hospital on Wednesday and could only manage two of his four alloted rehearsal slots.

You can have a shufty at his song in this blogbit, along with the remaining two songs in the 15-strong line-up, beginning with:

SONG THIRTEEN
Lithuania
Laiminga Diena performed by Egle Jurgaityte

Bless you for your loyalty in the run up to Fun-Sized Eurovision on Saturday. The first of today's four entries is from Serbia, this year's hosts of the other singing contest.

SONG 9
Serbia
Uvek Kad U Nebo Pogledam performed by Maja Mazic

There's more this way.

Boom Bang a Blog has been absolutely inundated with no requests to see more previews of the songs taking part in this year's Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Cyprus on Saturday.

So, we'll keep going with the song from the host country's friendliest neighbour.

SONG FIVE
Greece
Kapoia Nychta performed by Niki Yiannouchu

There's three more to experience if you click on the bit marked 'Continue Reading'. I know, I know... we're just too kind to you.

Saturday sees the sixth running of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, live from Lemesos, Cyprus.

There is minimal interest in this Minipops version of the main event in Western Europe, although the host nation, Belgium, The Netherlands and Malta are doing their bit in Cyprus to stem the tide of Eastern European bloc voting on behalf of the Eurovision old school. We don't fancy their chances.

Over the next four days, we'll preview the 15 acts clamouring (but not running with scissors) towards the prize. Of course, one day, there will be one act who winds up winning both Junior and Grown-Up Eurovisions. A bit like Roger Federer winning the Australian and French Open five years apart.

If you can bear it, have a click to preview the entries from Romania, Armenia, Belarus and Russia.

As you are no doubt aware, the Echo Arena in Liverpool hosts the MTV Europe Music Awards on Thursday, November 6 - but what does all that trendy music which young people listen to in their bedrooms have to do with the Song Contest?

We'd ask those two people in the photograph, but to be frank, we don't know who they are and we're not entirely sure they'd know anyway.

Aw, well done Poland. They've just scooped their first ever Eurovision title, 14 years after their impressive debut at the Song Contest (they took silver in 1994) by sort-of-moonwalking their way to the 2008 Eurovision Dance Contest trophy.

The United Kingdom finished ninth (not a double-digit position - let joy rain down upon us all) out of, umm, 14 competing nations, but let's not be churlish. Instead, we shall concentrate on the winners.

Right, there may not be much in the way of blanket promotion across the airwaves for the competition, but the 2008 Eurovision Dance Contest begins at 8pm BST tomorrow (Saturday) at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow.

We know who's taking part, but when exactly are they playing? And do we know what moves each couple will be showing off to a watching continent?

Of course we do. We're Boom Bang a Blog.

Isn't the alphabet marvellous? By listing the entries taking part in this year's Eurovision Dance Contest in that fashion it has enabled us to be all patriotic and save the UK until last. Huzzah.

Taking on the burdenous mantle this year is actress (note: 'actress'. Not 'professional dancer'. Oh yes, we know how to play by the rules...) Louisa Lytton, who is taking a break from chasing naughty teenagers down alleyways full of really big bins in The Bill to give a potential hometown victory in the Eurovision Dance Contest a shot. Well, look how well the Chinese athletes did in their own back yard at the Olympics.

These two look like they know a thing or two about style. It's the Ukraine, the 13th of 14 nations taking part in this year's Eurovision Dance Contest.

If you've read the entry for the Russian couple, you'll be aware that there are actually two couples hailing from Ukraine (goodness knows why, it's not as though Russia has a population of Monaco-esque proportions), which will probably make for some interesting votes on the night.

It's usually the case that former Pop Idol contestants go for a second nibble at fame's cherry via the Song Contest, not the Dance one. But Sweden's Danny Saucedo is relying on his toes and not his vocal chords in an attempt to scoop a trophy for his homeland.

He is joined by professional dancer Jeanette Carlsson (not Krankie, despite the Contest taking place in Scotland) in an attempt to light up the scoreboard for Sweden on Saturday night.

Now, although Dima Bilan's barefoot-performed ballad was by no means a worthy winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, the inclusion of Russia in the Dance Contest line-up means TV Moscow could wind up with the very first Song/Dance Contest double.

Imagine the excitement. It won't be long before Manchester United start entering both Contests as well.

And they're hoping to pull it off with the obligatory professional dancer and a former Olympic ice dancing champion.

Now, this dynamic duo has a lot of responsibility weighing down on their 20 talented toes.

If they score the most points in Glasgow on Saturday night it will be the first time Portugal has ever won a Eurovision Contest, dancing or otherwise.

No pressure then.

Polish pair Martin Mroczek and Edyta Herbus hope to "conquer the European hearts" at this year's Dance Contest, which has lost them the cardiac surgeon vote already.

Boom Bang a Blog is assured their performance on Saturday will not involve sitting in the corner of a Glaswegian pub with their thumbs aloft, as the above image suggests (Pher-yewee, that wouldn't have gone down well with the judges).

Shall we have a nosegay at their biogs? Oh, go on then...

Boom Bang a Bloggers, allow us to introduce Mister Danny Lynch.

Glasgow resident and fan of all things Eurovision, Danny has only gone and bagged himself a shiny new press pass for the goings on at the SECC, so he can report on-the-spot (especially for Boom Bang a Blog) about all the backstage gossip/rehearsals/snapped shoe straps.

Keep an eye out for his first report in the next few days.

It is four years since the Netherlands last showed up in a final of the Eurovision Song Contest, but with no pesky semi-final system to worry about here, the Dutch are loud and proud and straight through to the final in Glasgow.

Singer Thomas Berge takes on the amateur role in this partnership, having had experience in musicals such as Oliver and The Secret Garden and his popularity is such, a nosey Dutch camera crew followed his every move for a wee while to make a six episode fly-on-the-wall documentary all about him.

Finland was the last nation to pick its entrant for the 2007 Eurovision Dance Contest - and won the whole thing. This year, it is the Lithuanians who brought up the rear in the couple-picking stakes, so will this prove ominous?

Dancers Saulius Skambinas and Karina Krysko certainly hope so. Bless 'em. There wasn't a lot of meat on the bones of their biography, but we'll do our best with what we've got...

In a turnaround from recent Irish Eurovision entries, we have it on good authority that neither of these two dancing lovelies are feathered hand puppets.

Time was when the Eurovision relationship between Ireland and the UK was strictly one-way traffic. The call of: "And finally, Ireland... 12 points" could be heard regularly from the London-based jury, whereas the Dublin spokesperson would usually relish the announcement of "...and we give one point to the United Kingdom" with a rather smug grin.

But with the Eastern European love-in the Contest has now become, something rather marvellous has happened. The now-neglected former Eurovision powerhouses of Royaume Uni and Irlande have forged a voting relationship of Greek/Cypriot proportions.