Eurotastic

A few disclaimers before we move on with this post.

1. Non-European readers, you may as well stop reading now. This probably isn't going to mean anything to you.

2. This whole post came out of the fact that when I was doing Karaoke with my sis I pointed out that she didn't quite have 'Linda Martin' microphone technique.

3. I haven't had the slightest bit of interest in the Eurovision Song Contest in about 10 years. But when I was young I was hardcore (Little Bro, I'll pay you royalties) It sounds, too, like the contest has really lost something now that it no longer does the total partisan fixed voting thing. It's all phone-in now. Though I'm speaking from a position of weakness - I haven't seen it in about 10 years.

4. I am quite possibly addicted to Youtube. It is AMAZING what you can find on there.

5. As far as I know, Ireland still holds pole position for most Eurovision Song Contest wins. I will not be posting all our winning clips. Basically I'm just putting up clips that I really remember or that were so bad they were good. The ones I'm leaving out were just so bad they were bad (Eimear Somethingorother and Rock and Roll Kids, I'm looking at you!)

So first up, the original and the best.

This is Dana singing 'All Kinds of Everything'. Please note that this was 1970 in the days before cosmetic dentistry - you could park a car in the space between her front teeth. Also, I can't watch this without seeing Dawn French - she did a hilarious take-off that really captured the mood. Useless trivia - Dana went on to become a quite conservative but very good Member of the European Parliament.

Next up, we have a dangerously high cheese-factor. Practically cholesterol inducing. It's Johnny Logan singing 'Hold Me Now' in 1987. Notice he appears to be singing in front of a viking ship. This is a theme that will reoccur with Linda Martin a few years later.

More useless trivia - Johnny wrote her winning song.

But seriously you Scandinavians, get your act togther. Next time put the singers in front of an Ikea Lounge Suite or something less cliche.

So Johnny's win led to the Eurovision being held in Dublin the next year. All I can remember of that event is the stage. It seemed so space age and kick-ass. I also remember Zig and Zag doing a killer take-off of Michelle Rocha (co-presenter with Pat Kenny). Basically he did a whole Dempsey's Den with a bunch of film on his head mocking Michellle's cutting-edge hairstyle. I'm really dating myself here now.

But you have to remember what a big deal this was to Ireland at the time. This was way before the Celtic Tiger, second-most-affluent-nation-per-capita crap. This was when Dublin had thirty odd percent unemployment. I mean 'The Commitments' time. Who knew we could pull off such a tight, cutting edge show. Irish Pride, people.

Even more useless trivia. The winner of this year's show was a pre-fame, pre-Titanic Celine Dion singing 'Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi'. Try to drag your eyes away from the swans that were needlessly slaughtered to make her skirt and focus on the set.

P.S. Though French-Canadian, she was winning for Switzerland.

Now we have Linda Martin singing 'Why Me?'. She who brought about this whole camp tragedy of a post.

Note again the viking ship in the background and the superior mic-handling technique. Big Sis, you should pay extra attention.

Last up, 'Why Not Millstreet?'

Linda's win again gave us hosting pleasure / pain? It must have cost a packet.

Again this was in a time before the roar of the Celtic Kitten.　　For God's sake, as you will see in the last clip I post, this was a time when RTE still had the Brigid's Cross in its logo - unimaginable in the multicultural, interdenominational Ireland of today.

So again I have vivid memories of this competition. The presenter was Fionnuala Sweeney. I now get to see her over here on CNN Japan. The girl done good.

I remember her being interviewed on the day of the contest on the radio. The interviewer was asking her if she was nervous. She answered, 'Not at all - I've been drinking since morning!' At the time, I remember thinking, 'You rock!' Foreshadowing future alcohol dependency issues, some might say.

Final bit of usless trivia, the singer Niamh Kavanagh scrubbed up pretty well for a mere bank teller. The song is 'In Your eyes'.

I know I'm suffering from ex-pat-itis but they make Ireland look pretty damn beautiful.

I guess I couldn't let such a post go by without reminding readers that it was the subsequent 1994 Eurovision in Dublin that unleashed Riverdance on the World.

Okay. So it unleashed Micheal Flatley, too. But you know ying and yong, ping and pong - you have to take the good with the bad...