It's All Greek To me - Part Deux

14 May 2006

It's late on Sunday afternoon now, and naturally, being the consumate professional journalist that I am, I can confirm that this year's Euroclub is indeed the best ever!   My third consecutive night there last night was as much fun as the first two - with Eurovision music being played all evening again (including Bem Bom for the first time - how excited was I?) and the free booze voucher system in full swing.  They really do serve BIG measures of spirits!

Leaveing the club last night to get our taxi back to the hotel I bumped into the Belgian singer, Kate Ryan, who was getting into the taxi in front of us.  Now, it may well have been the drink talking, but I was waving frantically at her, blowing kisses to her and shouting, "Kate Ryan - Je T'Adore Kate, woo hoo!"  She giggled and waved back at me as her taxi sped off...

Boy, it's REALLY hot here!  High twenties again today.  Sat out earlier in the car park that now houses a restautrant for the delegates and that sun was scorchio.

So we've now seen all of this Thursday's Semi-Finalists run through twice and I have to say that I cannot see ANYTHING stopping Sweden winning the whole thing.  Carola's last performance sent shivers down my spine it was THAT good!  Finland's Monsters of Rock, Lordi, also now seem set to qualify - these two certainly seem to be getting the best attendance at thier rehearsals and the best vibe from the other journalists.  Despite their appearance (www.lordi.com) they are such nice guys.  Nothing like their get-up might suggest.  There was a wee girl (maybe 7 or 8) in their conference the other day, and they made a huge fuss of her and brought her forward to have photos taken with them etc.  Pussycats really!   One journalist asked the female mummy in the band (Awaa) if she had any make-up tips she could pass on to the other female contestants! Fab!

The Icelandic girl, Silvia Night, is a media creation much like our Ali G, and she had the fans screaming with laughter all the way through her rehearsal the other evening.  Before she even appeared on stage we heard this microphone switch on from backstage and her voice come out loud and clear through the auditorium, "Oh God, I'm not going out there in this dress - I look like shit!"   She then picked fights with the cameramen and technicians, called them a bunch of "retards", and walked off in a huff (all for the cameras...)   At her press conference we were told before she came in that we were not to look her in they eyes when we asked her questions, as her two beefy bodyguards would remove anyone doing that from the auditorium.   Imagine the gaspes then when one female journalist from the UK asked Silvia why she had recently said in an interview that the Dutch girls were "a bunch of tarts and talentless c**ts"!!!!   Silvia was not amused and said journalist was carried kicking and screaming from the press room by the two bodyguards - all done as a set-up of course, but hysterically funny all the same.

Other good performances thus far include Slovenia (he's not gay!  Who knew?!), Belgium (Je t'adore, Kate Ryan!), Ireland (I know - I hate the song, but he's performing it REALLY well, so it'll probably qualify), Macedonia, Turkey was fab today, Ukraine is coming over strongly too - and - sorry about this guys, cos I know everyone hates it, but Lithuania! (many now think that will qualify over Iceland, was was very weak vocally).   Bosnia and Estonia are also very good.

Worst so far is, sadly, Monaco, which I love, but the poor girl can't sing for anything - another Jemini moment seems to beckon!  Andorra is desperately bad to, and puts me in mind of that classic "Steel Magnolias" line, "like two pigs wrestling under a blanket!".  Expect a duff showing for poor Portugal too - desperate!

OK, well, the Fab Carola is about to meet her adoring press - so I'm off to bag a front row seat!

First parties tonight - Belarus at 8, followed by Ukraine/Poland joint bash at 10.

Another night without paying for a drink - how tiresome!

Dx