As a viewer, Eurovision used to be about trying to listen to loads of songs, most of which I couldn’t understand and trying to decide which one sounded the best, even if meaning was absent.

The challenge was always to stay the course, but I often found myself nodding off as the music droned on. Not so last night, though I will confess to catching it just as the Austrian song was ending.

From there the show had me glued, and I’m wondering if that had anything to do with most of the songs being sung in English? Not in the sense of an overdose of nationalistic pride, more as in, I was able to understand them! 🙂

Anyhoo, I did like seeing Graham Norton being singled out by the presenters, and I caught a snippet of the songs I’d missed in the final round-up.

Commiserations to Molly – sleepy lyrics with a dance music rhythm. Not bad. I do wonder if that drummer performed at the Olympic opening ceremony though. 😉

Molly – Children of the Universe (United Kingdom): http://youtu.be/C6w7tmWvm6M

How the UK voted:

My favourite song of the night was from The Netherlands. It made me pay full attention to the screen and reminded me of another group I like, The Civil Wars. What would you call it? Modern Country/Folk music?

The Common Linnets – Calm After The Storm (The Netherlands): http://youtu.be/bWe8PRsW4T0

The UK vote had this track in 3rd place, they came second in the competition. The UK vote had the song from Malta in 2nd place. Another Folky-kinda sounding song.

Firelight – Coming Home (Malta): http://youtu.be/mXY0imG1SzQ

Of course the UK number 1 and overall winner was the song from Austria – the big ballad with hints of a James Bond theme tune. I can see the merit.

Conchita Wurst – Rise Like a Phoenix (Austria): http://youtu.be/SaolVEJEjV4

(Now we just need to find any James Bond baddies who went down in flames to build on my concept for the next new Bond film… ‘The Phoenix Rises’.)

So there we have it, the top three as voted by the UK audience, and maybe a hint toward what we should be aiming for next year… a country, folky, big ballad!

Ps. France… what was the tribal paint about? :-\