Saturday 12 March 2016

Vorspiel & Melodifestivalen

As we are flat broke but still very keen on partying and socialising, I am introducing Matt to the grand Norwegian tradition of the vorspiel. A German word, but in my experience the Germans neither use the phrase nor the practice to any extent...

Anyway... Norwegians aren't known for being poor, but we were once upon a time. So I would say cheapness is in our DNA. And the vorspiel is basically a pre-party, where we get drunk at somebody's house before we go out, to save money...

What could be better? :)

Yes, I know! Having some Eurovision to keep us entertained while getting drunk. And lo and behold, Sweden's Melodifestivalen!

Matt here. Yep. This getting drunk on cheap wine before you go out is a winner, and doing it while shouting at the Swedes on TV scores bonus points with my Norwegian comrade.

The mighty Sweden, record winners of Eurovision and current holders, have dropped the ball in 2016.

They, and the weird international jury they have voting in their heats, have voted for a young tyke with a bewildering underwhelming song. 17 year old Frans looks happy to be let off his homework for the evening, and his almost catatonic song 'If I Were Sorry' never gets off the ground, let alone soars into the usual Eurovision madness.


It's far from Irelend's legendary Dustin the Turkey, but you get the feeling that Stockholm council have had a word with the organisers and made clear that they can't afford to stage Eurovision for a 3rd time in 5 or 6 years.

So, with the big Swedish beast sending a song destined for middling at best, our money is still on Russia, with a song that gets better and better and better the more I hear it. The only thing that could stop it might be real world politics...

Ida back: A BIG highlight of the evening was Victoria. Not her weird hybrid cross between country and disco song, but her absolutely fantastic look.

She looked like a modern disco wonderwoman with a white fro. LOOOOOVES IT

 
Suffice it to say, as with the Norwegian public's catastrophic ignorance of the Hungry Hearts (see previos post), Sweden instead chose an analogous ditty that trundles along for a while and then ends like it's suddenly embarrased to be onstage. The shame.

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