The UK entrant to Eurovision 2010, Josh Dubovie, is a nice lad and someone whose parents would be delighted that their daughter would bring home for afternoon tea. He could also whistle up a few show tunes to delight the grandparents.
As a Eurovision entrant though it was a disaster waiting to happen.
First, the decision was made for an x-factor contest singing the usual x-factor fayre. None of the contestants were known to the mass public before the contest.
Second, Pete Waterman of Stock Aitken Waterman fame was asked to supply the song – the top three contestants would battle it out singing this song.
This was completely the wrong strategy from the outset.
Let’s look at the top 3 songs of the contest and see if we can find common denominators that the UK resisted:
1. They were all modern
2. They were all by established artists who were million selling in their own regions
3. The songs could have been written for any pop festival not just Eurovision -
4. Although this was so they all stretched the Eurovision genre too to cover both bases
Unless and until the UK puts established professional performers singing modern songs that cover both bases then more disasters will occur.
It’s time to put in songs that we like and feel we can win – not songs foisted on us at the last minute by `old hands`.
We have automatic entry due to our contributions – let’s just put in modern songs that we think can win.
