Disaster. What happened to Omar? He looked very uncomfortable up on stage on his own there, and half the time he seemed to be signalling to someone to turn up the music, as though he couldn’t hear it. All distracted, and looking all over the place, he barely moved an inch until the very end when he ran up to put his arm around the lady opera singer on the podium. He didn’t even qualify for Saturday’s final, so I guess that’s the last we’ll hear of him.

Hungary got through, fortunately, winning the first slot of the night, although Nox wasn’t nearly as good on stage as in the preview tapes. Kind of weak and sharp, but ultimately salvaged by the dancers.

It’s strange how different the songs can be without their videos. I still enjoyed the Icelandic entry, but it wasn’t nearly as good on stage as it had been on the tapes, which is perhaps why it didn’t get through. Neither did a lot of other worthies, like Lithuania or the Netherlands.

Fortunately Ireland is out in the cold, which is precisely where it deserves to be after entering that abysmal piece of rubbish.

So, how did we do with our predictions? Well, we gave Romania top marks, so it was good that they got through, and they are now my joint favourite to win, alongside Hungary. If Nox doesn’t get some singing practice in between now and Saturday night, Romania could well walk off with first place.

We also agreed on Switzerland, which got through, despite the drummer dropping his stick half way through the act and then almost falling right through the drum set as he bent forward to pick it up. Moldova, too, got through, just as we suspected, and very much deserved it for being so different. I can’t see it taking top spot, though.

It’s a shame countries like the UK automatically quality, as it means they don’t need to make an effort. As usual, our entry this year is a load of derivative, unimaginative drivel, yet because of the amount of money we put into the contest we have a guaranteed place. And of course we won’t win. And of course that means the usual quarters will complain that it’s because of the war in Iraq again.

If we actually had to fight for our place, perhaps we’d turn out better songs.

Just a thought.

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