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.

"Tell Mr Lloyd Webber he should get the boys to pull the girls' skirts off, but the girls are actually wearing smaller skirts beneath those ones. It is genius. And very credible."

You may have heard the news over the weekend that Lord Andrew of Lloyd Webber has been over in Moscow meeting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ahead of next year's Contest.

The meeting was to discuss how more credibility could be brought to next year's event (I mean, Boom Bang a Blog loves the Contest, but even we think Mr Putin must have far more important issues to be dealing with) but the upshot of it all is that kindly Vlad has assured Our Andy that his televote is indelibly earmarked with the Union Jack come the 2009 final.

The question is - what exactly did Andrew Lloyd Webber do (or say) during that meeting to secure such a vote from such an influential man?

Putin: The Musical opens worldwide in autumn 2010.

Now, isn't this marvellous? The North West of England (that's the bit Boom Bang a Blog lives in) is going to get its very own Eurovision disco.

We said it was marvellous.

For one night only, Bacchanalia in Chapel Walks, Manchester, plays host to Boom Bang a Bang (we've consulted our lawyers about the name) where lots of excitable Eurovision fans, deprived of the chance to shake their booty to Shady Lady, Hero, This Is My Life, Qele, Qele - and probably not the song from Portugal - at provincial nightspots before, during and after this year's Contest, will finally get their tushes on the dancefloor for a good old Eurobop.

Well, who'd have thunk that Shiri Maimon would be named as Europe's third best singer and Leona Lewis and Dima not even getting a look in?

Anyway, today's blog bit isn't about the MTV Awards, it's about James Bond instead.

Tonight, there's a good chance I'll be off to Liverpool One's smashing new cinema to see Quantum of Solace (although I still haven't seen Casino Royale, so I believe I'm at a disadvantage).

Which got me thinking about Bond themes. And then it got me thinking about that most rare of musical acts - the ones who have managed the Bond theme/Eurovision entry double.

As you may (or may not) know, Boom Bang a Blog HQ is not that far from Liverpool. The city is aquiver with anticipation today as it gears up to host the MTV European Music Awards at its spanking new ECHO Arena with stars like Beyonce, Bono, and perhaps even Val Doonican, turning up to be seen on the red carpet.

Only ticket holders are allowed near the venue itself (we don't have one), but it would be super fun to go along and boo this year's winner, Dima Bilan (named as Best Russian Act) for inflicting almost the dullest Eurovision victory-scooping song in history on we poor viewers as he strutted in to the ceremony.

Boom Bang a Blog couldn't let this momentous day pass without paying tribute to Barack Obama and his historic claim to the US presidency.

Barack was born in an era when black and white men couldn't always share the same bus, or even sidewalk, in his home country. So, with that in mind, we're going to go right back to the 1966 Eurovision to bring you a clip of the very first black artist to take part in the Song Contest. And despite the ever present permeance of daftness which hangs around Eurovision, let's not forget that, for mid-'60s Europe, this was a rather progressive step.

The lady's name was Milly Scott, she represented the Netherlands at that year's Luxembourg-held melodic showdown, and despite the heavy burden of Eurovision history lying on her shoulders, that didn't stop being rather good at indicating which particular Mexican gentleman she was referring to at any given point during Fernando en Philippo.

Note: We don't think these men are really from Mexico.

It took until 2001 for a black artist to actually *win* Eurovision, though. Poor Milly only came 15th.

But never mind all that. Sock it to 'em, Barack.

Happy Hallowe'en! Boom Bang a Blog was thinking about the scariest Eurovision entry there has ever been to give you the appropriate chills this October 31.

We've already done Jemini (we don't like to repeat ourselves), it would be far too cruel to unleash the horrors of Celine Dion's skirt from 1988 on you, so instead we plumped for this.

This is Vampires Are Alive, the Swiss entry in 2007. Hotly tipped to take the title last year, it ended up very close to the bottom of the scoreboard at the semi final stage so didn't even get a shot at the trophy on the Saturday night. Mind you, the Serbian lady who won, Marija Serifovic, looks like the sort of woman who'd be absolutely terrifying if you crossed her.

Anyway, here's DJ BoBo with Vampires Are Alive. You may need to send any children in the room behind the nearest sofa. His performance really is that bad.

Don't have nightmares.

Here's some slightly encouraging news. Following a recent Lord-related announcement, Irish bookmakers Paddy Power have given odds of 9/1 of the UK winning the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, as well as a 3/1 chance that the song Andrew Lloyd Webber pens for Blighty hits the top of the charts.

This is all a lot more positive than the bookies' odds posted in the run-up to Belgrade.