All posts by Roy van der Merwe

Alexander Rybak, Member article

ALEXANDER RYBAK – THEN AND NOW

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Written by Eric Andersson

If you’re like me, you remember the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Moscow Russia, as one of the best shows ever. Moscow pulled out all the stops that year and created a truly amazing stage, using almost a third of the entire planet’s supply of LEDs. The competition was fierce, with amazing acts like sexy Sakis Rouvas of Greece singing This is Our Night, stunning Chiara of Malta singing What if We, Denmark’s incredibly dreamy Brinck singing Believe Again, and the absolutely fantastic Svetlana Loboda from the Ukraine giving us naughty Roman soldiers and her dance song, Be my Valentine! (Anti-crisis Girl). It was a Grand Final to remember!

But when the voting started, it was soon apparent that a very young, very adorable Alexander Rybak from Norway was going to sweep the points with his song Fairytale. Wait, Alexander who? What was going on? I’d barely heard of this guy, and I tend to keep my ears open when it comes to ESC contestants. But here he was scoring the highest number of points in Eurovision history.

Recently, I invited some friends over and we watched that show again, and I enjoyed it almost as much as I did the first time. Afterwards, when I’d sobered up, I decided to do a little research of the then 23-year-old history maker. Here is what I found:

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Alexander Rybak was born on May 13th 1986 in Minsk, Belarus, to parents, Natalia and Igor, both professionally trained musicians. He was taught the violin and piano at a very early age, but decided to focus his attention on the violin. At the age of ten, he enrolled at The Barrat Due Institute of Music where he not only studied the great classical masters, but also began playing jazz and popular pop hits.

In 2005, at the age of 19, Rybak joined the Norwegian talent-contest “Idol” and at 20, he competed in another talent-contest, Kjempesjansen, where he won playing a song of his own composition, Foolin. After that, he was cast in a production of Fiddler on the Roof, which earned him a Hedda, the highest award for Norwegian stage actors.

Later, he traveled around Norway playing for food and lodging. During this time, he wrote his now popular song, Fairytale. In 2009, he performed the song on stage at the 54th Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow where he earned a stunning 387 points, winning by a landslide.

Two weeks after the ESC, Rybak released his debut album Fairytales, which reached triple platinum in Norway, Gold in Sweden, and Double Platinum in Russia. A short time later, he went on tour in Norway, Sweden, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Poland, and the United States. Later that year, he performed at the Nobel Peace prize concert in Oslo.

According to his online biography, Rybak’s interest in acting has led to a character-role in the movie “Yohan- the child-wanderer” and the voice-dubbing part of the lead characters in the animated movies How to Train Your Dragon and The Moomins and the Comet Chase.

In June 2010, his second album, No Boundaries, was released, and in December of that year, he also released a Christmas-EP, God Jul. In June 2011, he released his 3rd album, Visa vid vindens ängar, a collection of poetic ballads all sung in Swedish by Alexander.

In 2011, Rybak got his bachelor’s degree with top grades as a violinist, and in November 2012, he released a Christmas-album “Christmas-tales” with new versions of his favorite Christmas songs as well as some of his own composition.

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Last month (September 2015), Rybak released his first book called Trolle og den Magiske Fela (Trolle and the Magic Fiddle), a partially autobiographical children’s adventure about being different, bullying, and accepting what is different in others. Born in Minsk, Rybak felt ostracized at times for practicing the violin most days after school. In his book, Trolle, who has no tail, feels lonely when he is teased and bullied by the other trolls. It is a tale of a friendship that overcomes everything – even the darkest magic of the forest.

Currently, Rybak and actor Dennis Storhøi are on tour promoting the book. Storhøi uses voice and facial expressions to create the appropriate mystical atmosphere when reading the book to audiences, while Rybak fiddles a magical tune.

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Member article

UNITED KINGDOM – A BIG EUROVISION PROBLEM

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Article by Christopher Cobb – United States of America

What is the UK problem? Well, look at its ESC results for, oh, almost
the last twenty years. At the same time, the UK has produced a
reliable stream of popular music. Here are just a few that come to
mind: Adele, Amy Winehouse (RIP), Arctic Monkeys, Atomic Kitten,
Bastille, Booty Luv, Calvin Harris, Coldplay, Culture Club / Boy
George, Dead or Alive, Duffy, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Elton John,
Fatboy Slim, Florence and the Machine, Frankie Goes to Hollywood,
Garbage, George Michael, Gorillaz, Groove Armada, Iron Maiden, James
Blunt, Jamiroquai, Kaiser Chiefs, Kate Bush, Kelly Osbourne, La Roux,
Leona Lewis, Little Boots, Morrissey, New Order, Oasis, Olly Murs,
Paul McCartney, Paul Oakenfold, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams, Sam
Smith, Spice Girls (individually or together), Susan Boyle, Taio Cruz,
The Pogues, The Prodigy, Tinie Tempah, UB40, and Utah Saints. Even
Rihanna (Barbados) or Kylie (Australia) could help!

That’s a pretty good variety: new comers to old timers; groups to
solos; producers to over-produced; safe to edgy; pretentious to
ironic; photogenic to good personalities; men to women to gender
non-conforming; and even a few that might be willing to give it a go
if asked. What is the problem?

Here are some ideas:

1. Are there too many big fish in a tiny pond. Is going to ESC viewed
by the UK music scene as too small-time? Is it like a big movie star
doing television? Other nations don’t seem to view ESC that way. It’s
not a sign of weakness to represent your country. Even worse, do the
other nations see this snobbery and punish the UK when it comes time
to vote?

2. The block has crumbled. The big five still offer some support to
each other. England and Ireland still exchange some votes. But, maybe
it’s time for the UK to enter as three or four separate nations. In
other contests (e.g. FIFA, IRU, ICC) the individual nations are given
their own berths in the competition. Why is Eurovision any different?

3. Could it be the “special relationship”? Lots of people resent the
US and its pushy ways. Is the UK punished because of its close ties to
the US? There is a lot of inbreeding between the US and UK music
scenes. Madonna doesn’t even know which accent to use anymore. Calvin
Harris owns Vegas. Does this make the UK an Extraeuropean interloper?

4. Has the UK selection process been dominated by a handful of greedy
producers who are looking to introduce the next big act? A newbie is
easier to manipulate. The producer of the act takes a bigger cut of
the earnings. So, the people deciding who goes to ESC don’t pick from
the sea of proven talent but instead hope to get rich quick with a new
discovery. Except, they aren’t very good at the discovery part and
occasionally have to send an act hoping to make a comeback.

I’m an anglophile by birth. It’s just part of being American. Most of
my European friends are from the UK. We cheer for them every year. We
even have a “nul point” drinking game (our UK friends don’t find that
amusing). I would love to see the UK do better. What needs to change
for this to happen?

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SUMMER NIGHT CITY – A TRIBUTE TO ABBA

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Written by: Andrew Scott and Dean Cheley

When explaining Eurovision to a novice, the first name that typically comes up is ABBA. How can it not – they are the quintessential Eurovision band, and continue to be an extremely important part of the ESC, despite having won over 40 years ago. Each time one of their songs is played, the room livens up, Like an Angel Passing Through My Room. That’s why Dean and I were Head Over Heels at the opportunity to see an ABBA tribute show (ABBA The Concert) at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago, not the least because we got Two for the Price of One. The band was amazing – and the members were almost identical to the real thing, almost like ABBA was As Good As New.

While they expectedly played many of the major hits, we were surprised at the many songs from the ‘vault’ some of which were even new to us. This meant they didn’t have time to do some of my favorites (S.O.S., Super Trouper and The Name of the Game), but it was great to Let the Music Speak and hear the true diversity of songs that ABBA performed throughout their career. It definitely brought out the Dancing Queen in all of us. If It Wasn’t For the Nights like these, where the music goes On and On and On, life would be unbearably boring. When All is Said and Done all I can say is People Need Love so Thank You for the Music and let the countdown to Eurovision begin – only ~200 days to go! Perhaps this year will produce the ‘ABBA’ for the next generation.

abbatribute

Member blog

WHAT’S IN A CONTEST?

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Written by Edward Till (UK)

I’ve been lucky enough to attend 6 Eurovision Song Contests now (Athens 06, Dusseldorf 11, Baku 12, Malmö 13, Copenhagen 14 & Vienna 15) and often get asked which was my favourite Contest. I realised that it was difficult to answer as each Contest had it’s own pros and cons.

So what does it take to produce a great Contest to actually attend, as opposed to watching on television. I’m sure those of you who have attended o contest will have their own criteria, but for me, it all comes down to the following factors:

    Eurovision Fever in the host city

This can influence your enjoyment of the contest immensely. When the city is wrapped up in Eurovision logos and your favourite Eurovision songs are playing in the shops, it really can make you feel welcomed in your host city.

Here I would have to say Malmö won hands down for me. Being a small city, you really felt the presence of Eurovision everywhere you went, from the Eurovision butterflies adorning the statues, the Eurovision hits played in the train stations, and even the Eurovision canal cruise.

Who lacked in this regard? I would have to say Vienna. The venues were so spread out and this large host city is so used to many more tourists, that you just didn’t see the Eurovision spirit until you arrived at the arena.

    The venue itself

When you have thousands of excited fans in a small area, you want the venue to be able to handle the crowds easily enough, is easy to get to and has a great vibe.

I think the best venue so far was probably Vienna. There were enough food and drinks stands to handle your orders quickly, the atmosphere was fantastic, it was easy to get in, easy enough to get to, and just very well organised.

The worst for me? Probably Baku. The venue itself was amazing, but it was a long walk to get to, there wasn’t enough food and drinks available (not even water on the first night), and the security did not make you feel at all welcome.

    That special something

Each year, there is something that makes that year particularly memorable. Maybe it’s the glorious weather, or the fact that it is your first Contest, or that your favourite won.

For me, the most memorable contest has to be Baku because of all the new and lasting friendships that was made that year. The organisers insisted on only issuing tickets on that day for each show, meaning we were forced to meet up as an OGAE crowd before every show to pick up our tickets for that day, and as such ended up travelling to the venue together too, socialising along the way.

So to sum it all up? Which was my favourite year? If I had to choose, it would be Malmö in 2013. The weather was perfect, it was well organised, the city embraced all the fans and a fantastic week of Eurovision was had by all. Although Baku was definitely a close second (despite the problems with the venue).

What was your favourite, and why?

Membership

INTRODUCING NEW MEMBER

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We are introducing James Hare.

My reason for joining OGAE is due to my partner Danny’s obsession with Eurovision. Every year over the last 17 years he has orchestrated many parties where we have celebrated Eurovision with friends.  He loves how cringe worthy some of the entries are and the comedy element. He will fanatically develop marking sheets and banners,the marking is the standard form, with the addition of scoring for special effects outfits, drums and good topless guys.

Next year is my partners 40 th birthday and I am aiming to take him as a surprise to Eurovision, if we manage to get tickets then he will be beside himself with excitement. His family will also be there to share the experience.

My favourite Eurovision song was Belgium’s entry in 2003 by Urban Tran who sang with no words.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=S6KGzTlpxT4

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LAST CHANCE TO EARN POINTS FOR 2016 TICKET LIST

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The points table will close on 31 October 2015.

There is one more chance for points but this is exclusively just for people who became members for 2016. We know some of you joined late and did not have all the chances for points like the older members (especially good luck messages). So here is your last chance – the closing date is 21 October 2015.
It is a much more difficult task but there are a lot of points at stake – two members can get 100 points each which will almost guarentee those two for ticket packages.
The two winners will be judges by a panel of three people
Andy Mikheev – Kazakhstan
Cole van Dais – South Africa
Gerry Avelino – United States
These three people are not taking tickets themselves so they will judge each entry purely on merit. They won’t even know who is who, as I will get the entries and give it to them just as entry from A or B or C, no names.
So unlike normal tasks, this task will requite a little more thought to make sure you stand a chance to be one of the two winners.
One of the most important aspects of EUROVISION is which countries will take part and fans are always sad when some countries decide not to take part. Recently we heard NO’s from Croatia, Bosnia and Portugal. But we also know Turkey, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Andorra and Monaco will not participate.
The task is, you have to pick one of these NON participating countries and write a letter to their HEAD OF TV ENTERTAINMENT and give reasons why you as a fan want this country to reconsider and take part.
I myself have done this several times and in the case of two, I have had some success in that these countries did take part and one even wrote to me saying my mail got them thinking. The first example is CZECH REPUBLIC 2015. I wrote a long letter to them once we knew Eurovision 2015 would be in Vienna. My reasons for them to take part is that in 1968 their most famous singer KAREL GOTT took part for Austria in Eurovision with a song composed by Udo Jurgens, the only previous Austrian winner and it would be wonderful to have them make a return in Vienna. Even in Vienna Marta and Vaclav spoke to me as they knew of the South African who is a huge Karel Gott fan. In my mail to Czech republic I attached also sales figures of Karel Gott covers in South Africa (12 of his songs have been covered in Afrikaans with sales to around 3 million). Of course they did write to me to say other factors played a role as well, but it was great that I reminded them about this special connection between Austria and the Czech republic.
The second example was AUSTRIA 2011 – and here I focused mainly on the fact that Eurovision 2011 was in DUSSELDORF in Germany and it would look awful if a fellow German speaking country is absent.
I know this is not going to be easy but a lot of points are at stake and so think carefully which country you will pick and what reasons you will use to get them to return.
I would like to send the best mails to these countries – maybe a last passionate plea would get maybe one to return. We have nothing to loose.

Answers to info@esccovers.com

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REPORT ON AN OWN OGAE AUSTRALIA – results from our members

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During the last month, OGAE ROW was conducting an own SURVEY about plans of the creation of OGAE Australia. We understand that the survey came rather late since decisions in OGAE International on the issue have been already taken, but we have to underline that this was policy of OGAE network to keep the information confidential and not to allow us informing our members about the process in it’s earliest stages.

First of all, we would like to thank all 70 Australian members of the club who have provided their responses to the survey – that is 82 % of the people receiving it. Unfortunately, 18% have chosen to keep silent and ignore the survey, which is very sad, as the club always awards activity, but also should discourage inactivity on such important issues.

Here is the outcome of the survey:
93% of those responding would like to stay members of OGAE ROW after possible OGAE Australia creation.

Of them:
a) 73% would likely choose OGAE ROW to as their only club and not join OGAE Australia;
b) 21% of people would like to join both OGAE ROW and OGAE Australia. Most people indicated they would like to choose this option to be involved in the local activities, and they hope new Australian club will be welcoming to everyone and will not block ROW Australian members from the access to the events. However at this point of time, there is no indication if new Australian club will indeed have a secondary membership category, or will close doors for everyone who is not their member;
c) 07% of people indicated they would like to stay in ROW as their primary club, but also join other (not Australia) club as secondary, some options named included Hungary and Iceland.

This is an overwhelming majority of people who would like to stay in ROW, and we’re very thankful for that. Here are some comments people chose to give on the issue:
– “OGAE ROW is so much more than just a ticket agency, it tries to keep the members active 24/7”.
– “I am 100% happy being part of OGAE ROW, I feel there are genuine Eurovision fans there, people are so supportive and I love the activities. OGAE ROW is more interesting as other countries around the world are included”.
– “In Vienna we were like one big family from every corner of the world”.
– “It is an eye opener to hear opinions on our shared passion from people on the other side of the globe”.
– “OGAE ROW has a personal touch with its members which is surprising given the size of the club”.
– “We felt at home in ROW from day one”.

94% of respondents said OGAE ROW has satisfied most (if not all) their needs, especially regarding ticket packages. Only 06% think that perhaps their needs may be satisfied somewhat better in own Australian club. Some of the answers on why Australian club may be able to serve needs of Australian members better and thus can be created are:

1 – the club will be in the same timezone as the members, so they can get information and replies to queries instantly.
Current OGAE ROW includes several Australian members, who serve also on positions of treasurer, member liaison, secretary, Facebook moderators etc, so the queries from Australian members are being handled instantly but their fellow Australian members who assist the President of the club.
2 – more ticket packages, no need to share it with members from 30 other countries.
Statistically in the past 3 years 60-80% of packages in ROW were claimed by Australia. ROW club has been able to get a larger share of packages first of all thanks to members in those 30 countries, who pay their membership but do not request tickets in the given year. One of the members stated: “Only in ROW will Australians get so many ticket packages as more than half the members of ROW belong to the club for other reasons than tickets”.
3 – own leadership, an entire board made of only Australians, culturally more transparent and/or democratic governance structure to the club.
As described above, currently we have Australian members who are part of the board, however, a core position of OGAE ROW is that the board should be made on a regional basis, thus reflecting needs of all members of the club. This is natural for the international organization.
4 – more publicity for the Australian activities, decisions tailored for the needs of Australian members not taking in account needs of others.
OGAE ROW provides equal access to Facebook and website to members from all countries who can post the information about their local events and organize them. A sense of OGAE ROW as the multinational club is always to balance the interests of members from different countries, and then unfortunately no preferences can be given to the particular nations.
5 – modern technology to inform Australian members about news like SMS, What’s App, organization of Australian events, support from the Australian broadcaster.
This and many other things can be implemented with activity from the Australian branch of ROW, this is not something that should be organized centrally by the club but within a particular branch. ROW as club absolutely encourages its members for bigger local activities under its banner.

On the other side, some Australian members raised their disagreement with the fact that Australian club has to be created in principle, for example:
– “I do not believe that Australia should have its own club as it is not part of Europe, and I would much prefer that smaller European countries were supported so that they could get clubs running in their own countries”;
– “I feel that ROW does a fantastic job and I struggle to see the benefit of OGAE Australia”;
– “Maybe OGAE Australia should be formed as an off-shoot of OGAE ROW rather than a separate entity”.

There have been thoughts that people should be able to become primary members only in their home countries, for example:
-“I believe that people shouldn’t have ROW as their primary membership if their nationality is being represented by another OGAE branch”.

Yet, considering a creation of OGAE Australia club is a given reality, we’ve also asked members if they would like to see us involved in the creation of the Australian club. The majority of 83 % has responded that they would like ROW to be involved in the Australian club creation. Here are some of the comments that people have given:
– “Yes, in its infancy – I believe that OGAE Australia could benefit from a well run club such as OGAE ROW”;
– “OGAE ROW helped other countries separated into their own club recently so it seems that since most Australian fans are currently part of ROW, they would be the logical party to help”;
– “I think OGAE ROW should play some role in the creation of the Australian club as many of the board members are Australian, and there would need to be a lot of thought put into the transition process for Australian members”;
– “I feel in the early stages ROW would be like the mother/father club giving guidance to OGAE Australia then later on after the dust has settled Australian OGAE would be on its’ own”;
– “I think OGAE ROW should be involved in setting up the Australian club initially to provide guidance”.

Most of people have underlined that there should be more public information given by OGAE International in the regards of process of formation of the club, and every step should be widely publicly announced and accessible by every interested side to ensure their equal access to the information.

Every comment of the members that has been shared to ROW has been carefully read by us, and some great ideas given will be implemented in the time to come. That is why it is so important to be active to have your voice heard and your ideas implemented.

We will be publishing the outcome of the survey also at OGAE International platforms and we sincerely hope that opinion of ROW members will also be taken in consideration in the process of creation of the new Australian club.

Membership

INTRODUCING NEW MEMBER

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We are introducing CHRISTOPHER COBB of the USA

Eurovision for me starts in 2003. On holiday in Mykonos, celebrating
our tenth anniversary, my husband and I had the good fortune to catch
the show in a bar. Two close friends from the UK were vacationing with
us and explained the whole affair. I was hooked.

The next few years are a blur. We started with small parties at our
home in Tampa. Each year the parties got bigger. By 2010, it was too
much. We took a break in 2011 and went to England to celebrate with
our two friends from 2003. They fell asleep during the show.

Later that year my husband and I moved to Long Beach, California,
where we currently live. That’s like moving from Düsseldorf to Baku,
except in reverse. Fortunately, we still live under palm trees. We
haven’t resumed the parties but watch the semis and grand final over
the internet each year.

For years we have joked about wanting to go when the contest is in a
city of interest to us. Stockholm qualifies! We’re going in 2016 and
hope to join the hardcore fans on the floor for all six nights. We
have friends from Austria ready to show us the ropes. Now we just need
to prove ourselves worthy of the tickets.

Member blog

VIENNA WAS MAGIC

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Written by David Thielen (USA)

 

The first Eurovision I attended in person was Malmö and it was beyond anything I could have imagined. All of it was incredible but of the acts, Zlata had me in tears her song and presentation was so beautiful. And then Cezar, where I left the semi-final thinking OMG what was that, and not liking it at all. And then over the next couple of days it grew on me to the point that it was my second favorite in the final.

And then came Copenhagen. There were a lot of songs I thought were brilliant. But none reached me like Zlata and Cezar. I figured part of that was the first time. And part was that while there were about 10 that I wanted to see win (including Moldova who came in last in their semi), none were as special. And so maybe it was the acts. I did have a wonderful time there and a lot of the music was everything I expected, but no beyond wonderful moments.

So for Vienna I expected once again for it to be like Copenhagen, wonderful but nothing that was beyond anything before. And then…

Monika’s entry from Poland – my god. One of the most uplifting beautiful songs/story I have ever seen. The song by itself is beautiful. The way it was staged was brilliant. One of the most emotional songs ever.

Il Volo’s entry from Italy – possibly the most amazing act at Eurovision ever. And what made it better is I went in thinking their entry was good, but not the best there. Then they came out as the last act, and pulled me in, more and more and more. And by the end they blew me away, far beyond any of my favorites up to that point.

And the list goes on. Russia, France, Sweden all had songs that most years would (or at least should – what were the voters thinking with France) have easily won. Serbia when they broke it open half way through had me jumping and shouting and basically going nuts. I’d say over 30 of the entries were world class.

So there will never be another entry like Zlata or Cezar. But there will also never be another entry like Monika or Il Volo. And that means next year in Sweden I can again expect what I found in both 2013 & 2015 – something absolutely magical.

 

Member blog

BIGGEST CRIMES OF THE LAST 6 EUROVISIONS

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Written by Shirley Thielen (USA)

 

I have come to appreciate Eurovision over the last 2 years, primarily because my husband doesn’t shut up about it and so I figured I’d better to watch and see what it’s all about. I’ve come to like it enough that I’ve gone back to watch much of the last 6 years’ shows.

 

Over that time there are a lot of incredible acts, not to mention quite a few that were awful. But I also saw 9 vote results so inexplicable that they defy explanation:

Nine – Every entry in 2011. Most years we have to choose between several entries that blow us away: Performers, songs, & staging that are amazing. But in 2011 the best was merely “adequate”.  We were left selecting from who rose a bit beyond ok.  How did every country have just “average” acts?

Eight – Ok, we get it that Russia in 2010 was having a giant joke at our expense when they sent Peter Nalich (warning – this video is very painful to watch). But then people actually voted for him? An act that should have been last in the semi and quickly put out of its misery advanced to the final where it again pulled in substantial votes. The only explanation that makes sense was everyone thought they had to vote for Russia regardless of what they did.

Seven – Serbia sent Moje 3 with a beautiful song, 3 amazing singers, and staging that is possibly the worst in the history of Eurovision. The voting results are understandable due to the painfully bad staging. But why?

Six – Cristina Scarlat delivered a beautifully staged power performance, with a sound both compelling and unique. And the result? Last place. Granted, the first semi in 2014 was the most competitive semi in the history of the contest. But she delivered a performance that well deserved to advance on to the final. To give something so good last place is inexplicable. (This also put Romania in a quandary; they had to find someone else to award their 12 points to.)

Five – Kate Ryan (enough said…)

Four – Israel sent brilliant, powerful acts in 2013 & 2014 and what was the result? Last. In the semi! What is going on here? It’s like Israel is completely forgotten. Granted they’re way off on an edge far away from most of Europe, but so is Iceland. And it’s not that they get fewer votes than expected, they get ignored. Especially in 2014 when Austria & Israel clearly outclassed everyone else in their semi performances.

Three – Pastora Soler reached out and drew us into one of the most powerful performances ever in the history of Eurovision. And for a performance that should have been a solid second, what did she get? 10th. Perfect song, an amazing voice, and staging that was perfect; absolutely perfect. The response to such a powerful performance shows that Europe gives Spain no respect.

Two – Cezar delivered a truly astonishing performance in 2103. He showed a vocal range that was incredible with a song and staging that was perfect for him, and brilliant for Eurovision. The question remained:  How would the tele voters react to his performance because it was so different? Well the tele vote loved it. But the jury, that group of musical “professionals” almost universally panned it. The jurors showed themselves incapable of appreciating something outside the norm, no matter how brilliant.

One – Il Volo owned the final. In a field with a number of exceptional acts (Sweden, Russia, & more), they ended the show with a number that outclassed everything. And the tele vote agreed. But once more the jurors trashed it; again showing themselves incapable of appreciating something outside the norm, no matter how brilliant.