I am positive I wasn’t alone in being completely furious with the BBC within the autumn. It wasn’t a lot the truth that Glasgow wasn’t chosen because the Eurovision venue – my assumption was at all times that it might go to Manchester, as a result of the BBC’s default perspective appears to be that in the event that they do stuff in Manchester, that is the ‘outdoors of London’ field ticked. I wasn’t that far unsuitable, as a result of Liverpool and Manchester are successfully a part of the identical northwest of England city space, and the BBC thus in all probability stated to themselves “oh yeah, Liverpool is like Manchester however with the Beatles”. No, it was the best way it was achieved that I discovered so objectionable, with what seemed looking back like a sham ‘run-off’ between Liverpool and Glasgow. I think Liverpool had already been pencilled in by that time, and the intention was to present Glasgow an completely meaningless ‘runners-up’ title, whereas producing an additional TV programme to disclose the outcome. If the run-off hadn’t been a sham, it’s extremely exhausting to see how Glasgow would not have received in a good head-to-head with Liverpool. Having now been to the M&S Area a few instances, I can say for positive that it is not fairly in the identical class because the Hydro – not solely does it have a smaller capability, it additionally feels much less trendy and has a much less putting look and form. It perhaps does have extra spectacular exterior environment, however that is not particularly related for an inside occasion supposed primarily for a TV viewers.
The BBC have made positive that Scotland is completely erased so far as Eurovision is anxious. The previous participation of Wales within the Junior Eurovision Track Contest, and of each Scotland and Wales within the Eurovision Choir contest, is a reasonably sturdy sign that the EBU would not stand in the best way of Scottish illustration in the primary occasion and that the roadblock is political in nature and resides on the BBC. If the BBC are so hellbent on guaranteeing that Scotland can solely be represented by a United Kingdom entry, I might recommend there is a particular accountability on them to make sure that Scottish artists and songwriters get a good crack of the whip within the UK choice course of, and that merely hasn’t been the case for a lot of, many many years. So far as I can see, there was no Scottish involvement within the UK entry since 1988. When nationwide finals have been used to pick out the entry, Scotland has been very severely under-represented among the many finalists. That sample will not be occurring by probability – I am not saying it is essentially intentional, however there’s clearly some systemic challenge at play which the BBC simply have no real interest in placing proper. There lastly was a golden alternative to make some amends by merely permitting the target option to be made that the Hydro was a extra appropriate venue than the M&S Area, however as a substitute the BBC cynically used Glasgow as a stunt prop. I believe we’re entitled to attract the plain conclusion and to be offended about it.
As Colin Beattie may put it, Scotland continues to be “woven into” Eurovision historical past, as a result of there have been Scottish winners as each singer (Lulu in 1969) and songwriter (Invoice Martin in 1967), and Edinburgh hosted the competition in 1972. However that was all a really, very very long time in the past, and to ever get out of this Eurovision Antarctica, it is fairly clear that we’ll want political independence. Honest illustration isn’t going to be granted by the BBC.
However anyway, a Eurovision simply 200 miles from the place I stay continues to be a as soon as in a blue moon occasion, in order a lifelong fan I assumed I might higher at the very least attempt to purchase tickets, although I have been avoiding indoor occasions due to Covid (I stay with a weak particular person). The ticket gross sales famously changed into an absolute shambles, and though I used to be by some means profitable in getting a ticket for every semi-final, I discovered it a really disturbing course of, as a result of you already know that for those who make only one unsuitable transfer (like closing the browser tab by chance) you may have blown your probability. If I used to be Prime Minister for a day, I believe one of many issues I might do is go a legislation stating that ticketed occasions which can be prone to be closely over-subscribed ought to have a lottery system, simply to take the stress out of it and to make sure everybody has a good probability.
Listed here are some photographs from my three days in Liverpool. It was an fascinating journey, as a result of Liverpool is nearly the one massive UK metropolis I might by no means beforehand been to. I did a little bit of sightseeing and ferried ‘cross the Mersey. The 2 semi-finals have been very totally different experiences from one another – on Tuesday I had a seated ticket proper on the again on the river facet of the corridor, and on Thursday I had a standing ticket (you possibly can see my battered ‘flooring’ wristband in one of many photographs). I attempted to strategise a means of getting as near the entrance as attainable on Thursday, however I believe the cube could have been loaded barely, with some ticket-holders being extra equal than others. There have been a few Australian guys behind me within the queue who appeared to be taking the strategising much more significantly than I used to be, and once we received into the corridor, they stated “The place the f*** did these folks come from?! We’re f***ed!!!” However truly there have been solely about three folks between me and the stage, so I believe I did fairly effectively on the entire. I used to be shut sufficient that I may really feel the warmth from the pyrotechnics.
I need to simply word a head-scratching second from the warm-up act on Tuesday night time.
“Do you bear in mind 1978?”
(A Ba Ni Bi?)
“I stated: do you bear in mind 1978?”
(Nicely, not personally, however the winner in 1978 was undoubtedly A Ba Ni Bi.)
“I can not hear you: DO YOU REMEMBER 1978?”
(Certainly not The Unhealthy Outdated Days by Coco? It solely completed eleventh.)
After which he began taking part in Waterloo by Abba, which in fact received in 1974.
