Eurovision

[bounty hunter]

The songs that do better now, most reflect European tastes (which is not the Anglo-American pop we hear here).
I think we need to raise our game if we wish to do well in the competition, but at the same time something needs to be done about the flagrantly biased voting.

[naxos]

Just run two Eurovisions.

One for the Eastern bloc with their plinky plonky wail-y tosh, and one for the more melodic Western/Nordic countries. If any country from one contest really fancy their chances they can play in the other one. That'll sort the serious songs - if there are any - out from the novelty acts, and it might even be fair again.

Without such a radical change there will never be a hope of discovering another Abba. In fact if the "permanent" members (and biggest net contributors to EBU) UK, France, Germany and Spain all pull out it'll wither anyway, just like Jeux Sans Frontieres.

For what it's worth, I bet £25 on Ukraine. What a mug.

[bounty hunter]

It's not tosh.  Eastern European popular music generally reflects much of European taste.  I think out of the Western European countries, UK are the only one that takes it seriously, but have managed on recent outings to produce a naff act.  This from a nation that has produced Led Zeppelin, Elton John, The Beatles, Rolling Stones etc.  Let's send out the Rolling Stones for 2009 - they'd probably do it for nothing, maybe.

I thought the Spanish entry was excellent, btw.