Last Saturday, instead of wasting time at home sitting in front of the TV watching the Eurovision Song Contest, my tush was perched on a cushion in the cavernous Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern watching a slide show of Nan Goldin's photographs accompanied by live music from über-hipster Patrick Wolf, and performance artist John Kelly, who I'd never heard of before, but who I will definitely see again given the opportunity.
I'm a hopeless fan of Goldin's work, so it was, for me, a super treat to see her images - originally shown as a slideshow in clubs - projected onto a massive screen and set to a very moving and powerful soundtrack. It was even more of a treat when the lady herself appeared on stage to introduce the performances. OK, so she missed the mike completely, and we didn't hear half the things that she said, but that can't be held against her. Genius is allowed to get away with a lot, in life.
This will be the third or fourth year that I haven't had anything to do with the Eurovision. I can't really remember which was the last one I saw - whether it was Chiara or the two kids who were on again, off again, and reminded me of chipmunks, whose song I still burst into occasionally (If I could be bothered I'd check to see which one came first, but I shan't). Ever since this whole semi-finals thing started, and it became the Eastern European Song Contest, it's lost the element of fun and camp that it had back in the days when we'd all gather at friends' homes to wait in suspense for Malta to get those "douze points" that would give our tiny little isolated country what would finally get us the victory we so desperately yearned for. Alas it never happened. And with the way things are now, we can all safely resign to the fact that we never will.
It is now as good as official: Malta has as much chance of making it through the semi-finals as Gordon Brown has of being elected Prime Minister of this country the next time around. They can change the voting systems as many times as they can, they can try and separate neighbouring countries at semi-final stage, they can do anything they want, but it's all in vain. Even Terry Wogan, the TV personality who for years now, has been the BBC's official commentator - and is considered the man who taught us how to take it all with a pinch of salt - has had enough, and hinted that he may quit the contest.
Ever since Malta's elimination at the semi-final's stage, this paper's website was inundated by comments left by those who believe that it's all a joke and that Malta should pull out of the contest. I couldn't agree more. I have to say, I'd be much happier if the money spent on it was used on something more valid. I'm sure there are many local events that would benefit from the money, and we could still promote local talent, probably in a better way than we ever would with a Eurovision contestant, because, let's be honest here, what we've presented over the last few years has not exactly been what one could refer to as brilliant.
I'm a hopeless fan of Goldin's work, so it was, for me, a super treat to see her images - originally shown as a slideshow in clubs - projected onto a massive screen and set to a very moving and powerful soundtrack. It was even more of a treat when the lady herself appeared on stage to introduce the performances. OK, so she missed the mike completely, and we didn't hear half the things that she said, but that can't be held against her. Genius is allowed to get away with a lot, in life.
This will be the third or fourth year that I haven't had anything to do with the Eurovision. I can't really remember which was the last one I saw - whether it was Chiara or the two kids who were on again, off again, and reminded me of chipmunks, whose song I still burst into occasionally (If I could be bothered I'd check to see which one came first, but I shan't). Ever since this whole semi-finals thing started, and it became the Eastern European Song Contest, it's lost the element of fun and camp that it had back in the days when we'd all gather at friends' homes to wait in suspense for Malta to get those "douze points" that would give our tiny little isolated country what would finally get us the victory we so desperately yearned for. Alas it never happened. And with the way things are now, we can all safely resign to the fact that we never will.
It is now as good as official: Malta has as much chance of making it through the semi-finals as Gordon Brown has of being elected Prime Minister of this country the next time around. They can change the voting systems as many times as they can, they can try and separate neighbouring countries at semi-final stage, they can do anything they want, but it's all in vain. Even Terry Wogan, the TV personality who for years now, has been the BBC's official commentator - and is considered the man who taught us how to take it all with a pinch of salt - has had enough, and hinted that he may quit the contest.
Ever since Malta's elimination at the semi-final's stage, this paper's website was inundated by comments left by those who believe that it's all a joke and that Malta should pull out of the contest. I couldn't agree more. I have to say, I'd be much happier if the money spent on it was used on something more valid. I'm sure there are many local events that would benefit from the money, and we could still promote local talent, probably in a better way than we ever would with a Eurovision contestant, because, let's be honest here, what we've presented over the last few years has not exactly been what one could refer to as brilliant.