Results tagged “Denmark” from Boom Bang a Blog

Chanée & N'evergreen. A Bardo for the 21st Century

Tonight's national finals have drawn to a close. In the end, I watched Norway choose its song as there's not much point watching Melodifestivalen until the night of the final, which is still five weeks away. Well, I don't wish to sound boastful, but Didrik Solli Tangen did win in Norway (as predicted) and Hera Bjork brought home the bacon in Iceland, which was another Boom Bang a Blog tip from this morning (see the post below to hear the songs).

The only one not called in spot-on fashion was Denmark. The web favourite Bryan Rice finished in second place, letting the poptastic antics of Chanée and Tomas N'evergreen fly the red-and-white flag in Olso with the song In a Moment Like This. Boom Bang a Blog has to confess to developing a real affection for this from just the first listen, it certainly has the *something* that Hera's Je Ne Sais Quoi is unlikely to ever have. I still think ole Did' will score the highest out of everything chosen tonight, though. What do you think?

Good morning Boom Bang a Bloggers. I've had my porridge with blueberries in and sweated buckets whilst attempting lunges and torso twists on the Wii Fit so here I am, relaxed and refreshed with news of the treats coming your way this evening - and how to see them over the web.

Yes, this very night, Iceland, Denmark and 2010 hosts Norway will choose the songs which will go forth to the Eurovision stage in late May under each nation's respective flag. Not only that, but the biggest national final of them all - Melodifestivalen - has the first of its five weekly qualifying rounds in Sweden tonight. In around six weeks, we should know the full line-up for Eurovision 2010. But before all that, here are Boom Bang a Blog's predictions.

I will never forget watching the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest. I was in my second year at Glasgow University, staying in a tenement flat not too far from the Botanic Gardens or the famous Byres Road (you really should try and do the pub crawl) which had rooms as big as ballrooms that were just as difficult to heat. Two days before the Contest was screened, Labour had swept to power after 18 years in the shadows and Tony Blair looked like the sort of bloke who could make Britannia cool again. With such a momentous seachange for Britain, it's understandable that the goings on between acts from 25 nations across the Irish Sea in Dublin's Point Theatre weren't going to register much on neither media radar nor national consciousness. But somehow, it did.

Topping off a week when, for Britain's non-Tory populous, things really could only get better - they only went and did. As though it was written fresh on the statute book in the burgeoning daylight of May 2, as though everyone had decreed it so to welcome in a new age, as though the rest of Europe suddenly realised we weren't so bad after all on this sceptred isle. On May 3, 1997, the United Kingdom won the Eurovision Song Contest.

And it's still the only one I've ever watched on my own.

The film celebrating 40 Eurovision Song Contests which opened the 1995 event. Think of it as reminder of most of your Bluffer's Guides so far...

I wasn't impressed when Ireland won Eurovision for the third successive year in 1994. I therefore refused point blank to support the Irish squad who got to the World Cup in the USA that year (despite it being the tournament Graham Taylor couldn't lead England into) and, being young, naive and foolish, refused to like anything remotely linked with Ireland for the next 12 months. As I say, I certainly was young, naive and foolish as I have an Irish surname for a start.

Anyway, I'm sure you can imagine my reaction when smiley host Mary Kennedy appeared on stage at The Point - the only time the same venue has been used in two successive years - and welcomed viewers to "What has almost become the annual Eurovision Song Contest from Ireland."

I booed. Loudly. But the slightly smug tone Mary used when introducing everyone back to Ireland (again) would soon backfire on her. This was the year when some canny countries realised it was time to play the Irish at their own game. And win.

If Bruce Forsyth was peeved at the Yugoslav jury denying his daughter and the UK a Eurovision victory in 1988, let's hope he wasn't watching when Switzerland hosted the return leg the following year. In 1989, Yugoslavia actually won the Eurovision Song Contest - and a narrow victory over the United Kingdom at that. What's more, the winning song was not the sort of stuff you'd imagine Tanita Tikaram covering for the B-side of Twist In My Sobriety.

However, considering Yugoslavia wouldn't exist in the same form for very much longer, it would be very mean of Britain to deny the Slavs their delight at winning the trophy and hosting the show for the very first time as the '90s dawned. And the imminent new decade would see massive changes in Europe, changes that would also be reflected on the Eurovision scoreboard.

But we can get to the '90s and the slightly serious stuff next time. Let's cling to the eighties while we still can...

As Eurovision is an annual affair, there is always a lull for fans around this time of year before the various competing nations go song-picking mad after Christmas. But if fans of the Contest are anything, they're resourceful and sociable, which is why Warrington-based Eurovisionista Peter Walsh (pictured, below) made the trip to Belfast last month for Consong '09 - and he's been kind enough to file this report for Boom Bang a Blog.

A long long time ago (1989 to be exact), in a hotel somewhere in the depths of the British countryside, a Eurovision fan club called Eurovision Network gave birth to an event that noone expected to last as long as it has. The Convention Song Contest, or Consong for short.

2009 was the 21st airing of the event.

When the fanclub folded a small group thought it would be a shame if Consong also died. Therefore, it continued, albeit in a smaller form, still hosted by David Elder (who has now presented all 21 events) and now ably assisted by Dale Langford.

It's basically a second chance contest for songs that took part in national finals that year but failed to make it to Eurovision.

Songs are chosen , usually in June/July, a city is chosen to film that year's 'postcards', while the show itself is then broadcast from someone's 'large living room' in late October/early November.

Robin Scott is the technical wizard who puts all of the event together for the screen, spending weeks locked away in a room and the final result is very professional.

Above you'll find a performance of the song Balalaika, ably belted out by Israeli singer Ilanit, who had already represented her country at Eurovision in 1973 and 1977. This would have been the song which bore the Israeli flag at the 29th Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg. However - and it was a habit those pesky organisers kept on making - the date for the 1984 Contest clashed with an important festival in Israel's calendar. Therefore, just as an awkward date saw the land of Milk and Honey miss the Contest following its two successive wins, another balls-up in the date stakes saw them sit out the event which followed its two successive silvers.

Balalika did go on to be one of the biggest selling singles of 1984 in Israel. What do you think? Would it have been a winner had it made it to Luxembourg City?

Opinion is divided over Eurovision 1978. Whereas parts of it look spectacular (the entire orchestra was on a revolving platform and there was an impressive laser show built into the set), many think it a rather drab affair with not much heart and soul put into the production. Maybe it's because so many BBC-style Contests had dominated the decade that a distinct change in style stands out like a sore thumb. Either way, Boom Bang a Blog has always rather liked it. There are a couple of things to watch out for in '78. Denmark return after a 12 year absence, the UK does abominably badly for the first time since 1966, the Norwegians fare even worse, a Swedish singer whose trousers were far too tight and the start of a remarkable run of success for a country which you won't find on any European map.

Winners 1978: Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta perform A Ba Ni Bi for Israel. It's the caption that's wrong, not us. Swear down.

However, this was also the year that the Contest's popularity took a severe dip.

Sad to say, but by 1978, the Contest had passed its mid-70s peak and viewers everywhere were starting to fall out love with this annual party of pop.

Winner 1964: Gigliola Cinquetti sings the rather beautiful Non Ho L'eta for Italy in a painstakingly restored clip by this man here. Good work, 1947dave.

This - as far as we are aware - is the only video excerpt which exists from the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest. It's a crying shame as, by this point, the Contest was not the snoozefest of overly dramatic ballads it was threatening to be at birth, but was just beginning to be populated with chart-friendly tunes almost guaranteed to be a hit with record buyers back home.

Despite winning in London and putting on what looks to be a visually cracking show for the home leg in Copenhagen's famous Tivoli Gardens, Eurovision's favour was rotting in the state of Denmark. Three years after this production, they would embark on a self-enforced 11-year absence from the competition.

It is suggested that changes at the top in Danish television saw executives who did not see TV as something to be wasted on something as frivolous as 'entertainment' and a long period of very, very serious broadcasting ensued. That attitude and the fact no complete recording exists of the 1964 Eurovision could well be linked. Its absence has also been connected with a fire at the TV station's archive in the 1970s. It seems like we'll never really know, although a full audio recording of the event survives.

But enough about what we can't show you from 1964. Come this way for the bits we can tell you...

There has never, ever, been a more controversial result to a Eurovision Song Contest than that which took place in 1963 - but it tends to be overlooked in the documentaries which get trotted out about the event. In fact, 'controversy' is a word which hangs around the staging of this particular Eurovision more than any other.

But let's consider the positives. The BBC did pull off a technically impressive production in its Shepherd's Bush HQ, then just three years old. Every act had a different stage set-up to perform their song from, be it a simple archway, a backdrop of clustered metal hoops, pools of light on a darkened set - or even superimposed visual effects.

And that's where the first finger of suspicion points. Each act looks completely different - but there was only a short space of time between each song to redress the stage. It has long been mooted - but never confirmed - that the BBC pre-recorded the performances before the broadcast. There is also a suspicious lack of microphones on show and an almost complete lack of audience response. Even Katie Boyle was based in a separate studio with the Contest's first ever electronic scoreboard - and a smaller share of the spectators.

However, that controversy is absolutely nothing compared to what happened with the final vote of the night.

Winners 1963: Grethe and Jorgen Ingmann perform Dansevise for Denmark - complete with BBC swirly spiral effects

Winner 1957: Corry Brokken performs Net Als Toen for the Netherlands

This is not an example of pioneering cinema from the late 1800s. This is footage of the second Eurovision Song Contest, staged in Frankfurt, Germany, in March 1957 and someone clearly put the grainiest quality film stock they could find in the machine which recorded this momentous event for posterity.

Eight out of 10 for Boom Bang a Blog on the prediction side of things there.

Although the envelopes were supposedly opened in random order, the two big favourites to win the entire event were very conveniently revealed as the ninth and tenth qualifiers out of 10 - but it was a great way to build the tension.

Here are the 10 songs which will fill the remaining slots in this year's Eurovision Song Contest final. Their places in the draw will be known in about an hour from now. It would be great for the UK if either Norway or Greece gets draw number one...

Croatia
Norway
Denmark
Azerbaijan
Greece
Lithuania
Moldova
Albania
Ukraine
Estonia

We called Serbia and Netherlands instead of Croatia and Lithuania. Good to see Estonia back in the Eurovision final for the first time since 2003, but Ireland has failed to qualify for the second successive year, which is a real shame as Irish telly made a big effort to find the right formula this year.

DENMARK
Brinck: Believe Again

Is Denmark on the brinck of another Eurovision final? We think so (oh, our sides, no, no... that's enough, stop now...)

We know what you're thinking. This Danish gentleman sounds remarkable like one Ronan Keating, stalwart of Boyzone and any pop songs which needs to be delivered in extremely earnest tones.

This may have something to do with the fact that Ronan Keating is one of the composers behind the Danish entry. It's caused a bit of a rumpus in his homeland - there were claims he should have been concentrating on helping Ireland's Eurovision fortunes, but in a neat balance, the Irish entry is co-composed by a Dane. It's all rather karmic.

Definitely one of the most contemporary pure pop songs among Moscow's title battlers, but as the video proves, Brinck does struggle somewhat with the money notes - but this could work its way into the final Top 10 rather easily.

Boom Bang a Blog's three things:

(a) Denmark's first Eurovision win was at the Contest staged in BBC Television Centre in 1963.
(b) They didn't win it again until 2000 - and even took most of the 1970s off entering.
(c) When Copenhagen staged the 2001 Contest in a football stadium, they had to build a roof over it in case it rained on the entrants.

THE UK wasn't the only country picking its Eurovision entry on Saturday night.

Over in Denmark, a young man called Niels Brinck won the Danish heat with this song, called Believe Again.

And in a surprising turn of events, this year's Danish entry is co-written by none other than Ronan Keating, former dignitary of the Boyzone parish and proud, green-blooded Irishman.

It can only be a matter of time before Dana gets on the blower to her MEP chums and has his passport revoked.

These two think they're well flash with their stretch limo outside Tivoli Gardens. These two are, in fact, Patrick Spiegelberg and Katja Svensson, the Danish hot-hoofers who will soon be heading off to Glasgow for this year's Eurovision Dance Contest.

And this is another pair (like the Azeris we met last week) who don't seem to be strictly conforming with the ethos of someone who's not especially good at dancing joining forces with someone who is, in the spirit of good fun across the Eurovision network.

Katja is a dancer and Patrick is, hmm... a choreographer.

Latvia: Pirates of the Sea - Wolves of the Sea

As rehearsals gather pace in Belgrade, the most positive reports from those in the auditorium are all about Russia and Ukraine (although Charlotte from Sweden is believed to be holding back on the lungpower until her big moment next Thursday).

But no matter what tunes tick the hardcore fans' boxes, once the Contest is unleashed on the airwaves there will always be one piece of loveable tosh which appeals to the voting public far more than slick Ani Lorak choreography or Dima shimmying up a few rungs.

This year - that tosh could come from Latvia.