{"id":167,"date":"2009-05-06T08:33:04","date_gmt":"2009-05-06T07:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/?p=167"},"modified":"2009-05-06T09:00:10","modified_gmt":"2009-05-06T08:00:10","slug":"lets-hear-it-for-the-boy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2009\/05\/06\/lets-hear-it-for-the-boy\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s hear it for the Boy…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is the hot, hot favourite for the Contest this year \u2013 Alexander Ryback singing for Norway\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"norway\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I wonder if Alexander has a signed letter from his mother to be there\u2026 he looks very young!\u00a0 <\/span>My good friend (and euro scholar) Professor Brian Singleton informs me that the Maltese singer thinks that he looks like Harry Potter \u2013 the early years.\u00a0 <\/span>I guess there is a touch of Daniel Radcliffe to him, but still – a saucer of milk for Chiara!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"norway2\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m the kiss of death when it comes to backing a winner \u2013 but does it sound like a winner to you?\u00a0 <\/span>Get involved and let me know. \u00a0<\/span>The staging is all a bit chaotic for my liking – although the Cossack inspired choreography will curry favour from Eastern European viewers, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The odds have narrowed even further so the bookies must like what they see. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight, Matthew, I\u2019m Ronan Keating\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is Danish singer, Brinck\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019d have to agree with me that he sounds a wee bit like Ronan Keating.\u00a0 <\/span>He might even look slightly like him? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"denmark\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Well – and this is where it gets really interesting \u2013 the song is written by Ronan Keating!\u00a0 <\/span>We might ask ourselves why Ronan himself is not singing for Denmark, or indeed representing his home turf with this song.\u00a0\u00a0S<\/span>ome Irish eyes were raised at Ronan\u2019s involvement with the Danish delegation, but perhaps he didn\u2019t want to be the second turkey to represent Ireland in as many years\u2026 Dustin the Turkey didn\u2019t exactly wow Europe last time around.\u00a0 <\/span>I guess Denmark have found one way to get some easy votes out of the Irish jury and televoters \u2013 and it stands a good chance of making an impression in the first semi-final (Tuesday 12 May).\u00a0 <\/span>And with Ronan Keating in mind\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Will Irish eyes be smiling?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"ireland09\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last year it was the rather odd choice of television personality and, erm, puppet \u201cDustin the Turkey\u201d to fly the flag for Ireland.\u00a0 <\/span>He was always a controversial choice, and the viewers around Europe did not get the joke \u2013 mind you I struggled myself.\u00a0 <\/span>This year RT\u00c9 (the Irish broadcaster) have sought to make amends by not sending a literal turkey\u2026 but is the song, performed by Sinead Mulvey and Black Daisy, set for a good stuffing?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Very derivative of P!nk and other female artists. It\u2019s quite catchy, but I think it will struggle to get to the final.\u00a0 <\/span>Although I must be kind as Brian and myself have tickets for the final courtesy of the Irish Eurovision Fanclub.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ll have my flag ready for Sinead and the girls.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All the World\u2019s a stage\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"poland\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And finally today we have the Polish entry \u2013 a song which I quite like when I hear it on my iPod (other portable audio devices are available!).\u00a0 <\/span>However, at this early stage of rehearsals Lidia Kopania’s performance is pitchy and nervous. \u00a0<\/span>I think it\u2019s easy for us as television viewers to forget that performing on the Eurovision stage is a daunting prospect, and some artists will need rehearsal time to build their confidence.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m also reflecting on the size of the stage this year \u2013 it\u2019s massive.\u00a0 <\/span>It feels like this performance is being overwhelmed by the size of the space in which they have to perform.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ll be interested to see the later rehearsal footage to see how it progresses.\u00a0 <\/span>See what you think\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And I have the first curse of my media interviews!\u00a0 <\/span>No sooner had I said in a radio interview with Dune FM this afternoon that I thought there were fewer novelties and distractions for the viewer to absorb, the Polish rehearsal throws in pointless ballet dancers as a sideline to the main performer.\u00a0 <\/span>I find it distracting and irritating \u2013 and it seems at odds with the song.\u00a0 <\/span>If you look closely at the backing singers I\u2019m sure you can see them chuckle slightly when the dancers start \u2018throwing some shapes\u2019\u2026 isn\u2019t that what \u2018the kids\u2019 say these days.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ll check with Tanya Byron\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

See you for other well regarded songs from Azerbaijan, Greece, Ukraine and Estonia in the next post.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here is the hot, hot favourite for the Contest this year \u2013 Alexander Ryback singing for Norway\u2026 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I wonder if Alexander has a signed letter from his mother to be there\u2026 he looks very young!\u00a0 My good friend (and euro scholar) Professor Brian Singleton informs me that the Maltese singer thinks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nLet's hear it for the Boy... - Phil Jackson's Eurovision Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2009\/05\/06\/lets-hear-it-for-the-boy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Let's hear it for the Boy... - 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