THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST (5)

Denmark's victory in Malmö last year meant that last night's Eurovision song contest was held in Copenhagen. Since two victories in a row is highly unusual, most of the talk here beforehand was about the cost. Danmark's Radio (which is license fee funded) decided to hold it in a derelict former shipyard, which greatly increased the entertainment possibilities, but also hugely inflated the costs. The current estimate is kr.250 million (around £30 million), though that is likely to rise as final bills come in. There's lots of talk about intangible branding and tourist benefits, but it is still a pretty expensive evening.

Regarding the songs themselves, I really wanted the Netherlands to win. An act that consisted simply of professional musicians playing a good song was a radical innovation; most of the other countries stuck with the - in my view - naff strategy of lots of supernumerary dancers and other assorted extras. Ukraine had a man in a wheel like a hamster in a cage; Greece had a trampolinist; Azerbaijan had a trapeze artist; Poland had a particularly dreadful big-bosomed blond girl pretending to make butter. All of them left me baffled and wondering "why?". The Prime Minister of Poland was probably thinking the same thing.  

Unfortunately, the Netherlands were outvoted by the bearded drag artist from Austria, who won with a power ballad. I am not sure the choice was wholly musical, there was probably a fair amount of statement making. But that's OK, it's not really a song contest, more of a show contest.

One thing did please me, I correctly predicted that France would come bottom. They did, with a mere two points.

Walter Blotscher