To the people of Liverpool, Thank you! Thank you for embracing Eurovision with all of it's absurdities and idiosyncracies for the previous few weeks, especially the last eight days. I know with my few past attendances I'd never seen anything like it previously, but even colleagues and friends who've been doing this for decades agreed, … Continue reading A LOVE LETTER TO LIVERPOOL
Well then, here goes nothing. With the unique situation Eurovision has found itself in this has been a Contest like no other, and tonight's grand final is one for the ages. The BBC has pulled all the stops to create this one of a kind joint hosting experience. It's immediately apparent in the opening performance … Continue reading PIF PAF 2023 EUROVISION GRAND FINAL GUIDE
And just like that, 37 has become 32. We lost five plucky hopefuls from last night and as tradition dictates, I failed to hit the full ten. In the end, there just wasn't enough in the Dutch entry to take the Netherlands through, but otherwise, a flawless set of picks. Still happy with 9/10 though. … Continue reading PIF PAF PREDICTIONS: SEMI FINAL TWO
Tonight the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest kicks off with the first semi final in Liverpool. I don't think I'll ever fully comprehend that's actually a thing that's happening. This is still Ukraine's party, just round Liverpool's gaff. It's a party both Ukrainians and Scousers can be proud of. So let me take you through what … Continue reading SEMI FINAL ONE: A PIF PAF PREVIEW
Right then guys, gals and non-binary pals...this is it. Months of national finals, weeks of pre-parties, seven days of rehearsals and here we are...tomorrow night we start keeping score. No more juries in the semi this year, on Tuesday night we will lose five nations based solely on the televote alone. So like any other … Continue reading PIF PAF PREDICITONS: SEMI FINAL ONE
Every year I look forward to the treat that is ESC Apocalypse's run down of why none of that year's chosen bunch stand a chance of victory, over at OnEurope. As I was giggling through this year's edition I thought to myself, actually I wouldn't mind if most of these ended up taking the win. … Continue reading EVERYONE’S A WINNER!
Well, this is it. We are now a day away from rehearsals getting underway in Liverpool for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Still can't quite believe that's a sentence I've written. Wonder when it will actually start to feel real? Anyway, before the fun and games begin it's time to reveal my tip top pick … Continue reading PIF PAF PREFERENCES 2023 (5-1)
Monday saw the start of my countdown of this year's pick of the bunch. It was an eclectic mix from Portugal, Czechia, the UK, Malta and France. As for the start of my top ten, I've always loved the incongruity of rock at Eurovision and this year we are very much spoiled for choice. As … Continue reading PIF PAF PREFERENCES 2023 (10-6)
It's become a tradition over the past few years for me to take time, in this last week before show rehearsals, to countdown my favourites from the Contest. Some years it's slim pickings and I can only muster a top ten, in better years I've stretched that to fifteen. Happy to report that this year's … Continue reading PIF PAF PREFERENCES 2023 (15-11)
Every year we see this phrase being wheeled out for its usual airing. Fans bemoan the quality of songs like we didn’t all live through the early 2000s. Oh yeah, some fans didn’t live through the early 2000s. Christ, I’m starting to realise how the LED version of Anastasia Prikhodko felt at the end of … Continue reading (it’s not) THE WORST EUROVISION EVER