Dimivision

After two splendid editions and the fact that the orchestra was put out with the garbage cans it was to be feared the ’99 edition would turn out to be a weak one – Johnny Logan would refer to the fact that a studio backing track would be used and only the vocals had to be live as ‘karaoke’ and he’s not far off the mark really, bar the fact that the artists are singing their own songs and not someone else’s. You’d think it would make it easier for the performers but we’d soon find out it doesn’t make a difference at all…Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1999: What the hell, Israel?”

Ah, 1998! I’ve watched this one over and over again, probably more than any other edition and it is without a shadow of a doubt my absolute favourite Contest ever. It becomes even more iconic when you realise this is the last one in which one of those key Eurovision elements makes an appearance – the one that can make or break a country’s participation as it can instantly reveal flaws in the composition that otherwise would be covered up by studio tricks but can also lift a song that sounded pretty average in studio version, due to poor production poor, to new hights. Whether you are pro or con, there is no denying the enormous impact the orchestra has had over the years and the decision to take it out if the equation is a pretty big one!Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1998: Bip bip bip, orchestra RIP”

After the dark ’96 edition and a slightly out-of-place winner things needed to be shaken up a little and who better to lighten things up than the, for obvious reasons, experts from the Irish television? Pop music was at a high, with the Spice Girls at the top of their game, and RTE made some clever references to the world out there – a world Eurovision sometimes has trouble relating to. And of course, after Eimear Quinn being the 26th female winner out of a possible 41, Girl Power took over the Point in 1997 – and we’d know it.Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1997: Girl Power!”

As host Morten Harket so cleverly puts it in his fantastic opening song, the only one to give Viktor Lazlo a run for her money, and it can be interpreted in Eurovision context as well as it is a difficult time for the Contest – never has the appeal been less interesting, never has the relevance been discussed more. Recent winners didn’t manage to conquer the European charts and the juries seem determined to stay on the same track. What is right and what is wrong? Somebody grab a flashlight and get us out of the darkness!Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1996: A dim lit path ahead”

Back to the Point it is for the third consecutive Contest held on the greenest of Europe’s islands, and the 1994 edition would soon prove to be enormous of influence on the following years. Not only did Riverdance announce a whole new era, the fresh sounds from the Eastern side of the continent inspired ànd confused the household nations. And it shows.Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1995: With the B for Boring”

What’s the point of hosting the Contest when you’ve got an interval act lined up that will make every song in the actual competition fade away in silent anonimity? Better to have given us the three minute version of Riverdance as one of the participating entries I reckon, would have worked miracles for the Contest.Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1994: When the winner wasn’t really the winner”

Time surely passes by quickly and suddenly you’re looking at a different kind of Europe where there are no borders! The borders within the EBU reach even further and with the evolution of the (let’s call it the) free world the number of members is on the rise. As we say goodbye to the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia we welcome a LOT of new countries who are just itching to showcase themselves in the biggest pan-European tv-show – and who will hopefully bring a new flavour to the Contest…Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1993: Welcome to the family!”

Or is it ‘why her’? Call it poetic liberty then. It’s the essence of the question that matters because with Linda Martin’s victory we only get the confirmation that the direction the Contest has taken is irreversible. Light bubblegum pop and corny ballads have put Eurovision in a corner of its own and despite some interesting attempts the juries (as always) manage to single out the songs that are irrelevant in the ’90s music scene. Nirvana, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Massive Attack all released some legendary albums the year before and yet everyone insists on fishing in the same Eurovision pond as all years before – it’s frustrating to witness. And yet it’s part of Eurovision’s charm I guess, what a love/hate relationship this is!Continue reading “Eurovision Review – 1992: Why she?”