It might be a guilty pleasure for millions of people but the Eurovision Song Contest grates on every one of my nerves. The flaws are obvious. Generic, bland, tacky and gimmicky are some of the words that spring to mind. Also the political voting which takes place between countries makes a mockery of the contest and further drains the whole thing of credibility. For example, just after Britain had invaded Iraq to universal opposition, our entry receieved a grand total of nil points. But the thing that really annoys me is that the Eurovision Song Contest is a good idea gone wrong. It has so much potential to really showcase the very best of European music. I am listening to Danish singer-writer Agnes Obel as I write this blog and I am going to see First Aid Kit, a Swedish folk duo, in concert later this year, so the talent is definitely there. So far the only good thing to come out of the Eurovision Song Contest has been Abba and Terry Wogan's drawl humour. Either the contest undergoes a radical revamp by the powers that be or a country takes a risk and breaks this trend of superficial pop by consistantly entering non-mainstream musicians and bands of genuine quality. Until that happens the Eurovision Song Contest will remain a wasted opportunity. The ironic twist is that the entire affair is now so ridiculous that aspiring bands and singer-song writers with integrity and talent will not want to be associated with it and are likely to give it a wide bearth. Alas.
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