Recently by Jamie McLoughlin

Good morning BBaBers! The weekend nears, our next advemture in Eurovisionland doesn't, so what better time to introduce you to Boom Bang a Blog's newest series of ESC-related shennanigans which will both inform and educate?

Not quite on the same scale as A Bluffer's Guide to Eurovision, welcome to Semi-Despatched. From today, BBaB will be taking a look at those songs and performances which had to go through the Contest's semi-final phase, first introduced in 2004.

With so many countries now taking part each year, it's a sobering thought that over the past seven Contests, 107 songs have failed to make it to the Saturday night final. That's just under 10 per cent of all the songs ever entered into the Eurovision Song Contest since it began in 1956. Some of these fallers at the first hurdle include favourites to win the entire event, as well as some who were never expected to make it past this first sift.

Over the coming months, Boom Bang a Blog can't promise it can bring you every single song which failed to make it from the semi. We'll try and cover as many as we can, however - and we'll start today at the ideal spot. The beginning.

Seven years. That's how long it took me to make a comeback at the Eurovision Song Contest. Not on the stage you understand. I like to think I'm more aware of my vocal shortcomings than some of the people who have strutted their stuff on that voluminous set over the years, the type who have given their personality and outfit more attention than their harmonic range. I'm talking about being a member of the not-so-silent majority, that flag waving mass which you see carefully arranged in front of the scenery each year and whom the director cuts to if you're waving the national colours of the country which has just finished performing.

I had been part of that select group just once before, at the Skonto Hall in Riga in 2003. It was an amazing night - which saw Turkey score its first ever win and the UK its maiden wooden spoon, both accomplishments secured in style of some description. I knew I'd go back to Eurovision one day - I just didn't know when.

2003: I went to the Eurovision Song Contest. The UK comes last.

2010: I went to the Eurovision Song Contest. The UK comes last.

If anyone sees me heading for the arena in Germany next year, you have my permission to restrain me. With ropes if necessary.

PS: Full reports and pics on our adventures will follow on either Sunday or Monday.

We had a smashing time! And our flight changes in Munich tomorrow - we can geg in on the party.

How the final 10 through to tonight's big show feel about it. Bless 'em.

Good morning to you all from a still-dry, suprisingly sunny Oslo.

After seeing loads of this fine city yesterday (and to the person who said before we left, 'Oh, it's just like Birmingham' - you need your bumps feeling!) I can recommend it for a weekend break if you don't drink like a fish and enjoying a bit of culture-spotting. We went to the Folk Museum (a bit like the set for where the poor people live in Lark Rise to Candleford), got a ferry across the fjord, took a trip to the Sculpture Park (where I had a quik chat with a reporter from the Daily Express - Boom Bang a Blog might get a mention in there this morning) and had some general larks and antics along the way.

It's looking to be an interesting night Contest-wise. Sweden's non-qualification on Thursday made the front pages of the local tabloids yesterday and a teary Anna Bergendahl featured heavily in news reports flashed about on any TV we spotted throughout the day. Armenia seems to be the one to watch now it's being performed 21st - and Belgium could still suprise everyone and win the thing 24 years after Sandra Kim J'aime la Vie'd her way to victory. All Tom Dice needs to do now is start lying about his age...

Europe, you let these lads down last night. Tsk.

Good morning all!

Sadly, I can't link my camera to this 'puter, so apologies for a pic-free post. Our gang of four watched the second semi-final here in the hotel bar of the Scandic Sjølyst yesterday evening. We weren't very impressed with favourites Azerbaijan, thought Ireland was rather dull and were miffed that Lithuania didn't get any further.

Now that the 25 finalists for Eurovision 2010 are known, however, here is how they will line up at the Telenor Arena tomorrow evening. And just look who has a bit of a struggle on their hands to take the trophy now that all the numbers have been plucked from the pot...

Here's my 10 predictions. A tough call and I had to decide who to leave out. For semi-final one I had to decide who to include to make it up to 10. Lithuania just edged out Georgia in the end - but Bulgaria could still make it tonight as well. Boom Bang a Blog is so fickle...

Right, there may not be any more updates tonight as (fingers crossed) by the time you read this I'll be safely ensconced in Oslo with a sweet sherry and a prawn vol-au-vent awaiting tonight's festivities before going out to celebrate my chum's birthday afterwards.

Hopefully back with you at some point in the morning! Enjoy tonight!

Crikey! No sooner has the dry ice faded and all hope has been lost for the seven countries sent packing on Tuesday night, it's time for the next batch of Eurocelebs to take to the stage for the first rehearsal of the second semi-final (you still with me?!).

The rehearsal was just for 'us press people', but was still packed-out at the front of the arena. I took a few (dodgy) snaps and then gave up! I do, however, have some thoughts on all the songs that are on telly tonight...