YoungWillz

Musician and songwriter Mark Spiro being reported dead: Co-wrote Saltwater with Julian Lennon and Who's Leaving Who, a hit for Hazell Dean.

Big Six. As usual in the order from last to first. Last: Italy. By no means the worst song, but I have two issues. Do not put a singer who looks like a heroin addict streetwalker to front it. And they have gone all out with musical tropes designed to appeal to the Eastern European countries. Why not pick a song that represents your culture? 5th - Sweden. They seem like nice boys. But it is such a late 80s throwback it rankled a lot with me. Not quite enough. 4th - Spain. Probably too understated and definitely an early 80s throwback I could have seen myself jigging to at my school dance. However, it does have join-in-ability, and if you have your audience onside.... 3rd - UK. It's not good enough, simply not. Olly Alexander's journey to trying to become the next Jamiroquai fails again. Why this? Some of his early stuff was great. It's mediocre at best, and that will not get the votes. 2nd - France. This was close to being my top of this group. It's so French I almost cracked open a bottle of Beaujolais and sat down with cheese and crackers. It has meaning, it has soul, it has, oh I don't know, that je ne sais quoi!!! In another time and another place to different beats this could have been done by anyone from Piaf to Aznavour. 1st - Germany. It's of it's time. In the mould of Sheeran and Capaldi with a husk to the voice, you can feel this guy's anguish littering the stage, but it's by no means a dirge. All the best to you, young fellow, you deserve a high spot in the rankings. After all this, I'm struggling to pick one favourite above all for me personally. Any number of songs I really do like. I know that's a cop out, but I couldn't pick a certain top ten. Nothing made me cry, that I can tell you - bleed from the ears, certainly, but not cry.

Semi-Final 2 Well, this is a hell of a semi-final. In a good way, I'd say. Practically anything could proceed, not only because of the way the songs have been drawn, but because of the variance. There are three contenders for least liked imo. Georgia - It doesn't stand up to the competition here, a bit meh. Belgium really could have done with rearranging the song and bringing the orchestra in a bit earlier - meh again. But it is Norway I actively disliked. Some sort of fairytale with a load of screeching and a part where she says she has to drink her brother's blood? No thank you, never ever. (But it's Norway, you never know!). Estonia, Armenia and Greece have all gone the traditional route (Estonia less so), but only Greece has a chance - after a promising start it fell to bits tbh. Switzerland is certainly different, but the opposite problem - starts really badly and gets going. Probably a little too esoteric for the hoi polloi. I found Denmark and Israel a little to formulaic for my liking - good singers,. strong songs - but are they different enough to stand out? Latvia's entry is strong and stands out as one of the few slower numbers here - I'm not sure of it progressing though. Now for the topload. Malta, Albania (yes, bloody Albania), Czechia and Austria have all gone full out on the Europop bandwagon and they are all excellent, but edging it for me is Austria as my favourite of the semi. That came as quite a shock, but it has everything Eurovision could want. Couple of sleepers here. San Marino - it's a bit of a throwback musically, but it's fun and has novelty value. Netherlands - I was actively wondering what had gone on with the Dutch but it is cheesy as fuck with a huge twist at the end (it's not Brotherhood of Man by any means). It's a long way round to have you thinking I'm not liking this and then getting a gut punch at the end. Big Six to follow.

My annual review, stressing it's just personal preference, Part 1. Semi-Final 1 There is much to dislike. Serbia, Ireland and Slovenia have gone completely nuts and are easily bottom of my list. Ukraine have a dirge and a rap combined - Jesus. There's plenty of meh songs too. Australia, Iceland, Azerbaijan and Portugal - all a bit too pedestrian and predictable. Cyprus hauls itself up a little bit from that pack, the message is terrible and left me confused - is she saying a liar is a good thing, or is it making her better? Moldova I rather liked - bunch of dames who pull out and play violins out of nowhere, and best of the slower numbers. And now to the top. Certified bangers - Lithuania - absolutely fine, should pass through to the final no problem, although possibly hampered by being early on the draw. Finland have a banger and novelty and the staging will definitely help it. Well worth a listen/watch. Luxembourg go last in the semi, and that's no issue because it's a great tune. I'm normally no fan of dual language songs but this absolutely works - loved it. My personal fave turns out to be Poland - it's early on, but I really enjoyed it, it all makes sense. Tempo switches might hinder it a little. Total sleeper: Croatia. The lyrics are not, in general the best, especially at the start. But it has a great chorus and beat. And who cannot love a song where the singer meows at a cat and asks the cat to meow back? (Remember wolf and banana?). If this doesn't breeze through, I'll be astonished. I'll pop back when I've listened to the second semi.

Ah it's too late to pick Tom Henry as he is....https://www.21alivenews.com/2024/03/29/fort-wayne-mayor-tom-henry-passes-away-following-battle-with-cancer/

What are these arbitrary honours handed out? Not an official birthday, new year or resignation. You can imagine the conversation. "Oi, Your Majesty, I know you are ill and all...but I've decided to give my Tory colleagues and a huuuuuge donor to my party Knighthoods and Damehoods". "Ah Rishi, I'm just nipping out for some chemo..." "Ah wait, what if I sweeten the pot with Christopher Nolan and his missus?" "Ask Camilla, I really am busy, I'll sign anything when I get back." "Oi Camilla, how about this list then? Look, I've included the Nolans." "Oh I love I'm In The Mood For Dancing." signs off.

Christian Rodska, best known as Ron Stryker in Follyfoot (from my childhood) Telegraph obit: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/03/28/christian-rodska-actor-follyfoot-obituary/ Was going to pop him in the kids' tv thread, but he's done a ton of different stuff.

Ansari already being killed off on Twitter, but I don't believe it! (Richard Wilson voice).

Mass food poisoning incident at HMP Lewes. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy6z2dnvx33o They say. Could this simply be a "get to hospital and leg it" matter? Citizens, beware!

Just been reported - Sam Bankman-Fried gets 25 years. Link to follow. https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-bankman-fried-sentenced-prison-ftx-alameda-research-2024-3

Oh I agree Scotland has issues. But that article also says 87 per cent of Scottish water bodies have a good or high water quality and despite the higher rainfall that figure had increased from 82 percent previously. There's no incentive to lie to the regulators when both are publicly owned. What, dare I ask, is the equivalent percentage in England, knowing that the water companies have been lying about their pollution? Take that percentage for England and say, reduce it by half? Feargal "Undertones" Sharkey seems to think there isn't a river, lake or beach unaffected by sewage.

You English and your private water suppliers! Did I just hear Michael Gove slagging the water companies off? The water companies created under the Tories? The water companies who for years have been filling your rivers and beaches with your shite? You know what, Michael? That's what happens when you leave it to the free market. That's what happens when you go back to a Victorian system of management. Albeit the Victorians were much more philanthropic in their individual water systems. Has Gove been in a coma for 14 years? (We know he hasn't, but that's what it sounds like - or electioneering!).

Dunno. If you think Bruce Forsyth was funny, there's a widow knocking around, a beauty queen no less. I don't really know about celebrities and their families, mind, avid readers of celeb mags and the society pages may help.

I think I've clarified my non-interest already! Back in those days the Wolves, the Tottenham and the Forest were the teams alongside Liverpool. How times have changed (I understand there are some other teams doing rather better these days, from the little I hear of English footy).

I'm not a huge fan of football, but that Notts Forest team was incredible. Lloyd played under Shankly and Cloughie, jesus that's two hard gigs!

Well, I felt he could easily be missed from his stunning appearance in the UK charts. Many may wonder why his music career didn't take off.

Cross-posting news of Larry Lloyd's death from the Singles Chart thread, confirmed by Notts Forest: https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2024/march/28/larry-lloyd--/ @Death Impends another addition to the List of the Missed, picked last year: https://www.derbydeadpool.co.uk/deadpool2023/celebs_L.html#lloydl023

Various reports that European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest and UEFA Cup winner with Liverpool Larry Lloyd has died:

Former manager of the Stones Andrew Loog Oldham has posted this curious tweet: Sitting up, but quite clearly some sort of of hospitalisation.

If not a pick for the DDP this year, I do think he was previously picked. But I'm about to sit down for my dinner, someone else might do the quick search.

Joan Morecambe for the List of the Missed @Death Impends: https://www.derbydeadpool.co.uk/deadpool2022/celebs_M.html#morecaj022 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13244809/Eric-Morecambes-widow-Joan-died-aged-97.html

Joan Morecambe reportedly dead:

Dreamt that I saw a notification that Yoko Ono had died. Was going to rush to post it here until I saw that the notification was from a little known chess site, and further searches turned up nothing. Was getting more and more frustrated, then I woke up. Odd.

Lady Anne Phipps, youngest daughter of Oswald Phipps, 4th Marquess of Normanby, death notice: https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/marketplace/advert/phipps-notices_56419 Mentioned on Oswald's Wiki, so worth a mention. Only born 1965. Obviously sister of the current Marquess (b. 1954).