Because let’s face it I didn’t exactly enhance my reputation on Tuesday now did I?
Using actual maths, I’ve deduced that I’ll help my chances by trying to pick the seven non-qualifiers rather than the ten that are going through, because as there are only seven of them, there are fewer chances to get it wrong. Actual maths, there.
SAN MARINO is doomed. I love it. Everybody loves it. It’s a ballad with a beat and a key change. But it’s doomed.
(FYR) MACEDONIA is somewhat doomed as well. In spite of opinions elsewhere, most songs aren’t improved by adding LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE LE. And this is one that definitely isn’t.
SWITZERLAND is a bit doomed, but not dramatically so. Most people neither know nor care about Nanne Gronvall, and quite right too. Nevertheless … doomed.
ROMANIA is doomed because it really is a piece of fucking awful shit. (Note to self – use cuss words very sparingly and the comedy pay-off when you do is huge, probably).
LATVIA is doomed because, let’s face it, Latvia.
ARMENIA is doomed because you should never end your song by singing “we can stop it” repeatedly. It just gives people ideas.
One more. Who do you want it to be, kids?
FINLAND is somewhat unexpectedly doomed because there’s an awful lot of South/East Europe voting tonight and they’re going to take one look and say, “Ummm… what?”
I think that means Azerbaijan, Malta, Bulgaria, Iceland, Greece, Israel, Hungary, Norway, Albania and Georgia are going through. But don’t bet the farm on it. I’ve bet the farm on San Marino not qualifying. And it’s not a very big farm, let me tell you.
Incidentally, am I right in thinking that tonight has the fewest English-language entries – just 9 plus the Greek title – of any Eurovision event since free language was reintroduced in 1999?
