Eurosong 06: what’s another year?
Apparently, everything in the garden of glitz is rosy and we should now ‘move forward’ to Athens in May.
But I don’t feel able to do so until I’ve offered the following points for your readers’ consideration:
1. Brian Kennedy is a fine singer and I wish him success. That is not an issue.
2. Jimmy McCarthy and Don Mescall are fine songwriters who appear to have made an error of judgment.
3. The accompaniment for Jimmy McCarthy’s song was so loud as to make the lyrics difficult to hear (the acoustic guitar especially so).
4. The rules are the rules - until RTÉ decides they are not the rules (ie, closing dates and judging panels).
5. When RTÉ considers the Eurovision Song Contest is not important - then it isn’t (ie, when Ireland won it too often and when it cost too much to stage).
6. When RTÉ considers the Eurovision Song Contest important, then it is (when it becomes a moneyspinner through tele-voting).
7. This year the contest is important - amateurs, move aside.
8. Not-so-good songwriters were treated badly.
9. Good songwriters were also treated badly (See 2 and 4).
10. A nameless internal RTÉ panel got first go at treating songwriters badly (only those with arrogance and contempt need apply).
11. Every song is not a cry for love. Every song is a cry for a fair hearing.
12. Marty Whelan blatantly told viewers to “vote for Brian Kennedy” on the Late Late Show. A ‘dazzling’ performance (See 9).
13. The prize of a Renault car ensured there was a large number of voters (See 6).
14. Although the selection process was not transparent, John Waters saw through it.
15. We won’t win the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.
I can now move forward. After all, what’s another year?
Donal Power
10 Glenwood Dale
Carrigaline
Co Cork
* PS. I did not have an entry in the contest. Yippee!
