Disappointing.

Who has taken the final spot in the conference? Who will be sat outside listening in at the door taking notes?

Congratulations to...

Commiserations to...

Further analysis to follow...

lol at Bosnia making it over Lebanon. As much as I usually want Bosnia to do well....

I'm through, but my 12 pts isn't .

NQ Votes
12 Lebanon
6 Belarus
4 Azerbaijan

#justiceforAnthonyTouma

QF#1 Results Summary

Through:

Belgium
Bosnia
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Monaco
Russia
Serbia
Shetland Islands
Switzerland

Eliminated:

11 ? - 57
12 Lebanon - 53 (Yugimuto1)
13 Estonia - 42 (nunaney)
14 Belarus - 28 (BethnalGreen)
15 Cyprus - 23 (thengp12)
16 Azerbaijan - 10 (Pooley)
17 Kosovo - 6 (King Kunta)

ROFL, I was expecting last place... In my defence with Belarus, I took pity on it as no one else wanted it and yet couldn't bring myself to listen to anything from there at the time so it took me two seconds to pick something (I blame 2 gin and tonics myself). I seriously can't stand Rybak and am glad I am out!

Glad that my song from the first QF qualified because there's no way I will make it out from the other QFs

NQs points

4: Estonia
3: Lebanon

Due to a general lack of time, I haven't been able to listen to anything until now. I'll give the 3 heats I'm in a quick listen but I won't be reviewing as I haven't seen any of QF1 & it'd only be scores anyway. I'll review at the semi stage

NQ votes:

12 - Cyprus
4 - Kosovo
1 - Lebanon

Well I wasn't last. I gave Kosovo a point as the rest was just dross after dross. When I saw Cyprus my 0 points flashed before my eyes. Cyprus should go into the bag no one likes pile along with the Former Yugoslavs and others. Or controversal as it may seem a Microstate of Greece.


Thanks Lisa!

#JusticeForAnthonyTouma

Lebanon got a 1 from me too

NQ Votes

06 - Belarus
03 - Lebanon

Latvia – A nice opening, I find their voices go well together and the songs fits together well and grows on you as it progresses to a pretty strong finish, there are parts that don’t completely work but on the whole it’s a strong opener.

San Marino – I’ve always preferred Annalisa doing the slow stuff as opposed to the up tempo songs, this is a good effort (as all her entries are) but I am not keen on the dubstep style chorus which let down an otherwise strong entry.

Turkey – Rather typical Turkish style in the verses, the chorus does take you down a slightly different path, but on the whole there is nothing that really stands out about the song and as a consequence it is a bit forgettable.

Romania – This was a pleasant surprise, I really liked this entry. It’s got a good tune running throughout and their voices hold up well, it also mixes ballad with the dance style that is popular in Romania.

Ukraine – This is one of those songs that for me just try to be too artsy and completely fail to make sure there is a song behind the art. I struggle to find any tune in these type of entries and vocally I am not that keen on it either.

Germany – I am going to ignore the subject matter for this which I found quite soppy I found, but despite that this was a really nice and heartfelt song, her voice was very nice and I am always a fan of piano ballad like this.

New Zealand – This is a solid entry, it has some very good points and the chorus is very catchy, I do feel that the song got a bit repetitive towards the end and I started to lose a bit of interest, but it is still a good song.

Iceland – I am one of the few that never liked her Eurovision entry, always found it horribly twee even before she murdered it live. The verses of this are quite nice, but the chorus is one of the most generic and plain choruses I have ever heard and drags the whole song down.

Montenegro – It really is amazing how in the Balkans this type of song can get over a million views, you have to love their wind machine as well. As for the song, it’s your very basic Balkan entry, not up to the level of Bosnia in the previous QF.

Svalbard – This is like a modern version of the German entry, this doesn’t have the soppy lyric which is a positive for it, I am not totally sold on this girls vocal and the structure of the song isn’t totally for me, but it is still a strong entry.

North Africa – The verses are nice and the Asian influences are something a bit different which makes it stick out, but I did find the chorus to be just too non-descript and on the plain side and her vocal doesn’t really stand out for me.

France – I quite liked their previous entry here, this is nice but it is a bit of a step down from that song. This just feels a bit more generic pop, whilst that one had a bit more fun about it. That being said the chorus is solid and the song on the whole was good.

Wales – It’s always nice to see something that is traditional and her voice here is very nice, this has a sweet and peaceful melody and makes a nice switch from more of the modern pop songs. I just feel that the song went on a little bit too long for my liking; I had drifted off a bit by the end.

Northern Ireland – I wanted to like this one more than I did, the verses are good, even if the bit which sounds like the song is stuck on repeat is a bit annoying. But my main issue with the song is the chorus which I found rather bland and not really fitting in with the rest of the song.

England – Sending an artist like Radiohead is sure to get a few raised eyebrows and I am sure those that vote down songs by major artists will be doing so here, interestingly I don’t think Radiohead will have that many voters amongst our voting crew and the song itself really doesn’t appeal to me at all.

Czech Republic – This one has a rather nice ethereal vibe to it whilst also still managing to sound like a classic Euro ballad, she has a very nice voice and the song is just a very nice simply made ballad which really appeals to me.

Jersey – This really is a rather hard one to judge with the whole issue of it being Adele, I am not going to down vote this, but it will be interesting to see if some others do. It’s a nice song, but I do think Adele lifts it to another level which another singer wouldn’t be able to do.

QF4

Azores - Very paint by numbers, but I do like the choruses.

Malta - No god-bothering, indie hipsters, you won't lull me into toe-tapping to those drums. *Waves crucifix, holy water and garlic* I don't like his tone either.

Andorra - Say No No No! It's a pity, but I just can't get into Barry's other music as much as I loved Say Yay!.

Netherlands - "Take me to the river" ... good I can drown myself while we're at it.

Croatia - Another visit the Balkans video advert. I'm so ready to get my carnival groove on.

Tasmania - Dear Delta, you are awesome. However I had hoped Heart Hypnotic and Wings was a sign that the ballads had been banished.

Finland - Fast track her to UMK 2017 now!! Electronica and Finnish vowel sounds = heaven. <3

Gotland - Well I hope it doesn't sink like a stone. It's got some good beats.

Georgia - Growly, dad-rock is not for me. At least the video is picturesque.

Lithuania - Very 80s hair brush anthem, in a good way. I like the LSD filter on the video too.

Kazakhstan - Business has picked up! I do love me some generic Asian beats.

Bulgaria - There's no denying she's talented, but that jazzy-theatre style leaves me cold.

Kaliningrad - Still not questioning my husbands orientation... It's good, but he's done better.

Spain - He sure does know how to do a catchy chorus. Although nothing will top El Mismo Sol.

Portugal - She's disgustingly pretty. There's a hint of Penelope Cruz, it's the eyes I think. Her voice sounds lush against the gentle piano melody.

Albania - Someone noticed the boohoo.com advert. Can't beat a summer banger.

Norway - A nice bit of alternative. She reminds me a little of Iiris, including being left in a state of WTF at the music video. I've binge-watched too much TWD. I'm waiting for the walkers to come out of the woods!

Points to non-qualifiers;
4 - Belarus
3 - Estonia

I'm totally surprised that Kosovo failed to qualify considering all those glowing reviews the past couple of days., but I won't let it briing me down!!!

I'm okay with the result even though it's somehow predictable. Bosnia finally made it out of the QFs in a very lon while. Really liking all the research theme.

NQ points
3 - Estonia
2 - Belarus

Estonia out??? That was an excellent find, marked it down a couple of points because I assumed it'd be a sure qualifier. But yay I'm through.

Quarter Final 3

Again, my 'grades' for these 'research projects' might change, but here goes...

1 Macedonia - I start off really liking this and it is a good find, but I do get a bit bored of it by the end. I think it is the old fashioned 80s side of rock that does for me? (Grade B)
2 Sweden - Not really liking this. It's quite annoying in places and those bits interrupt any positives There are some positives though, I just shouldn't have to try and weed them out. (Grade B-)
3 Iran - I do like this song and have known about it for a while as I put Mahan in a while ago. I never thought of it as a song that would do well so it will be interesting to see how well it does. I am all for women doing well in sport, but waffling on about the world is not fair in an empowering song about women in sport doesn't sit well with me. I should care about Ice Hockey more than the average Brit I guess as my Great Uncle won a bronze medal in the first Winter Olympics but well yes, meh! (Grade B)
4 Armenia - Armenia was my first 'bad' country way back and I put Sirusho in as I knew nothing about the Armenian music industry etc. My entry was destined to failure and probably deservedly so and yet I prefered it to this one. It does nothing for me and yes I will be annoyed if it does better than mine but it probably will. String are nice I guess. (Grade B-)
5 Aland Islands - I like this, it builds nicely and I can sing along to it! I quite fancy Samu haber too Nice man Wish it had a video though so I could drool a bit! lol (Grade A)
6 Greece - I can understand why the FM chose to go for a non 'Greek' entry as it can be daunting getting Greece when you don't know what you are looking for or where to look. I do like Marina too It's catchy but I fear for it's chances as she seems to have fallen out of favour with the DSFE faithful. (Grade B++)
7 Luxembourg - This does nothing for me. I quite like rock and indie, but this is nothing special really Average to middling results I'm guessing. (Grade C+)
8 Austria - I don't see what others do in this. Not for me. Bits of it are interesting but the whole sums up to repetitive RnB which isn't my thing. (Grade C+)
9 Scotland - Now this I like. Not her best song by far but has picked up my interest in this QF again anyhow. I like the rock aspects but it has an indie feel too with a good melody and chorus (Grade B+)
10 Slovenia - My interest in Maraaya has peaked I am afraid as all the songs sounds the same now. I want to skip this and in fact I just did. (Grade C+)
11 Israel - This didn't sound too promising at the start but it grew on me as it built up. Nice find for Israel. I don't think its chances are great, but I hope it gets through. (Grade B++)
12 Slovakia - This is great for Slovakia and should do really well. I like the build in it (Grade A-)
13 Faroe Islands - This lot have just passed me by thankfully until now. It's okay but they seem shoehorned into the competition. It's quite good melody speaking but repetitive in the chorus. (Grade B+)
14 Poland - I have known about this song for a while and it just doesn't grab me and makes me 'reach' for the skip button. There is just something that I don't hear in her songs that everyone else does apparently. Not for me but I guess 'not bad' - I just find her too harsh as a singer with no real subtlety. (Grade B)
15 Denmark - Nope not liking this at all. (Grade D)
16 Australia - Thankfully, this QF has picked up again. A bit dull for me but nice none the less (Grade B)
17 Moldova - It's nice enough but I fear that a lack of video will harm its chances, which would be a shame as compared to songs in this QF it deserves a place in the next round. I will keep my fingers crossed.(Grade B)

I'm not qualifying from QF3.

Don't take my opinions as an indicator? I can already tell that, especially with new and returning members, that I am going to be out of step with results this contest.

?!?!?!?!
That's amazing, tell me more

That's how I feel about QF4. I'm not gonna qualify from there.

http://www.sports-reference.com/olym...nderson-3.html

His father along with his business partner set up one of the first departmental stores in Calcutta India and left him a fortune when he died. I looked up the probate and it was about 8 million. His mother was my namesake and she ran the dress-making department in the store. Her sister was the milliner. She was interesting in her own right. She married someone she didn't love but never divorced yet shacked up with an army captain and followed him to Kabul, on foot! Uncle Bill married this lady who was about twenty years his senior and an eccentric actress. Sadly, after she died, a relative of hers stole a lot of their valuables over time and all his memorabilia got lost I would love to see that medal.

He died in 1983 and as there house was called Corbiere in Birkenhead, in 1983 my tiny, prim and posh granny walked into a betting shop and placed a bet on a horse called Corbiere in that year's Grand National and it went on to win

QF4 Review
Azores: This is actually quite nice. It's not monumental but it's a good way to kick off the QF.
Malta: Yep I like this. I'm really loving the instrumental too and his voice is pretty cool. How come there is so much folky/country influenced music from Malta!?
Andorra: Not as good as Say Yay ... but that would've been pretty tough! Love the video & it's not a bad song. I like the last chorus a lot.
Netherlands: Oooh I really love this. I'm in an indie male group kinda mood so this is going down a treat. Strong song.
Croatia: Oh dear ... I guess we were always going to hit a brick wall after a number of good songs.
Tasmania: Not in the same league as Wings. Delta is SO hot though, isn't she!?!?! How does she do it, blimey. It's not very instant but it's nice to listen to.
Finland: Not sure how I feel about this ... sounds like two very different songs put together. I like the chorus' but not the verses. Hmm - feels like a potential grower.
Gotland: Why do people keep sending all these weird songs for SWE? Gets better as it goes along but still not totally convinced by the end of it.
Georgia: Aw Rati 'Paper Town' is one of my favourite entered songs and it's tragic that it flopped. This isn't quite as nice to my ears, but it's still a good song and I am totally backing the Rati comeback.
Lithuania: This takes a step too far over the 'indie' wall for me to fully appreciate it. The instrumental is too loud or her volume needs to be turned up - one of the two.
Kazakhstan: A bit unexpected but I kinda like it. Not one of my favourites but I hope it can get through just so I can remember to listen to it again!
Bulgaria: I love a good ballad and once the chorus kicks in this really shines.
Kaliningrad: LMAO he's so camp. Yass Beyonce got a mention too. I like this because it makes me laugh. Sergey looks so good in a suit but then him as a geek is just too much to handle. Then he starts dancing and I could cry with laughter.
Spain: Ahh stumbled upon this when it got released and had it down as my Spanish entry. Really like it and imagine it is going to do very well!
Portugal: Unfortunately after a few up-tempo songs this has been thoroughly ****ed over by the running order. She is SO beautiful though. Unfortunately not loving the song - although it does get better slowly.
Albania: RIP Portugal because this BURYS it. Love the little clip on the boohoo advert and the whole song is pretty good too. Today marked the start of the Meteorological Summer and this is going to be a Summer of 2016 hit 100%.
Norway: Aw I remember this group. It's okay. A bit plain and uninspiring but it's good enough.

TOP FIVE
Netherlands
Georgia
Kaliningrad
Spain
Albania