It's all Greek to me - Part V (The Swedish Empire Strikes Back!)

19 May 2006

Phew!  Huge sighs of relief and screams from me as my Top 3 all went through last night!   I imagine there were screams of horror as Lithuania made the Final, but you DID hear it here first!   So 8 of my 10 predictions went through, with Armenia being one of my outsiders getting in over poor Kate Ryan from Belgium.  Poor cow was in tears afterwards in the press centre!   Not half as funny though as Silvia Night from Iceland who appeared live on Greek TV with her mascara all over her face from crying, screaming at the Greek press "you did this to me! you hate me, you are all Bast***s".  Nothing like a gracious loser..eh?
So, now we have just sat through the first run through of the Final, and yes, Nana Mouskouri DOES make a very special appearance!  Hoorah!
So, as I did yesterday, here is that very latest low down on what's hot and what's a pile of mousaka here in the Athens of the South...  In performance order, here we go:
Switzerland: Polished performance, but it's not going to do hugely well, I don't think.
Moldova:  Horrid, horrid, horrid - this will bomb big time
Israel: Ooh! - Very Gospel.  Do dull to do very much though.
Latvia: Continuing the worst ever start to any Eurovision, these blokes were all over the place today.  Cute gimmick, but it'll still fare badly.
Norway: Wow!  What a stunning performance!   This could easily finish Top 5 and is deffo worth an each way bet if you want a last minute flutter.
Spain: Lacklustre.  Lots of swinging about on office chairs and some very bizarre girl-on-girl action going on there!  Pass...
Malta:  Cheesy.  Very Cheesy.  If Europe didn't rate Kate Ryan, then this one is going nowhere either...
Germany:  Fantasticly simple performance of a great feel good song.  This one is going to be Top 3, I'm sure.
Denmark: She sings it well, but the demented pixie who prances around her is just too much!
Russia:  Well, you know the routine now - bizarre piano lady surprises all!  Still don't like this song at all, but many predict he'll do very well.
FYROM:  Yup, this one'll do well.  Like the dancers.
Romania:  Major disappointment!   This was a pre-Athens favourite of many.  No-one here rates his very dull and uninterested performance. Shame!
Bosnia:  A poor draw, after commercial break, has all but screwed their chances.  I still think it's a strong performance of a good song.
Lithuania:  Hooray!  The boys are in the Final.  Who knows where this will finish.  Don't care.  I LOVE IT!!!
UK: He's performing the song very very well, but I can't see it going too high.  Maybe Top 12?
Greece:  How to murder a song in 3 minutes.  Southern Europe will see raw passion, feeling and emotion.  Northern Europe will see a mad old bint having a tantrum!
She has dropped down to second favourite with the bookies today... (more on THAT shortly!)
Finland:  WOO HOO!  The Mosnters rock the Final.  Awsome.  This deserves to win, but I predict 4th place.
Ukraine:  This girl loves the Camera.  I'm sure the red-blooded men out there will have palpitations when she's on.  Great Performance!  Top 10.
France:  Absolutely tone deaf this afternoon!  All sort of bum notes being hit.  Jemini Part II.   Last place in the Final for sure.
Croatia:  Another one for the straight chaps!   Love this cute performance to bits tho.  Cold this do a Ruslana?  Maybe a bit weak for that, but very good.
Ireland:  Ah well, good for Brian.  Lovely bloke. Fantastic singer. Shite song!  May be Top 10.
Sweden:  YES YES YES!!!  After 2 months of bookies bets, Carola this morning took her rightful place as Favourite to Win!   God!   I SOOOOOOO want her to win this contest!  I'll be howling buckets if she does.  I was in some state last night when she went through.   I have said since Stockholm that this song would win Eurovision, and I am not about to change my opinion now.  Unquestionably the best performer here, and she'll blow the rest of them away (with her wind machine!).
Turkey:  Another fantastic performance.  Will do very well.
Armenia:  Bless them!  They did a Moldova and got into the Final with thier first ever entry.  Hooray!
So, time for me to put my money where my mouth is.  Preditction time..
5th  Greece
4th  Finland
3rd  Bosnia-Herzegovina
2nd  Germany
and
1st   Sweden
If, for some reason, Carola doesn't win it for Sweden, then I think one of these other 4 will do.
OK,  well one last "Press Room" incident to report...
We were all sitting in here earlier typing up reports etc, when all of a sudden there was a buzz of muttering flying around the 500 or so folk, I looked up at one of the giant Video walls which were installed in here for us to watch rehearsals while we type.  The screen was showing hard core porn!!!  There were gasps of amazement, and lots of giggles as the picture got bigger and bigger!!!  Eventually some technicians came running in and pulled the plug to a tumultuous round of appluse fromt he assembled members of the press!
Well, there you go!
I'm ready for tomorrow now, but we have another full rehearsal and evening of Eurocub to get through first.  Time to head back to the hotel to freshen up now.
Ciao!!!
David x

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