Sláinte!

Happy Paddy's Day to all our Irish chums!

It is, however, also return-to-work day, so none of "the black stuff" nor "the amber nectar" for us, more's the pity...

Ah, well - on this Tacky Music Monday, I have a perfect antidote to all that gloom. Ireland's finest "crazy chicken twins" Jedward!

Jedward - Lipstick

[Yes, I would. Both at the same time.]

Have a good week, dear reader - and:

“May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

Flying the Flags

We're only a few weeks away from the biggest event this country has seen in decades!

No, not the Coronation - the Eurovision Song Contest (being held in Liverpool)!!

For no particular reason other than I want to, here are just fifteen of my personal favourites from the world's largest, shinest and campest music festival (now in its 67th year)...

Conchita Wurst - Rise Like a Phoenix

Verka Serduchka - Dancing Lasha Tumbai

Gina G - Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up

Abba - Waterloo

Loreen - Euphoria

Scooch - Flying The Flag

Giorgos and Friends - Opa!

Dana International - Diva (Israel)

Jedward - Lipstick

Katrina & The Waves - Love Shine a Light

Netta - Toy

Bardo - One Step Further

Alexander Rybak - Fairytale

Subwoolfer - Give That Wolf A Banana

The Eurovision Song Contest final will be held on 13th May 2023.

I can't wait!

A fiesta in makeup!

We're ready to roar!

L’Oréal, the world’s biggest cosmetics maker, envisions a boom for beauty once the Covid-19 pandemic subsides similar to the roaring 1920s that followed the global influenza pandemic of 1918.

Jean-Paul Agon, the L’Oréal chief executive, on Friday predicted a “fiesta” in the beauty market.

“People will be happy to go out again, to socialise,” he said. “This will be like the Roaring 20s, there will be a fiesta in makeup and in fragrances. Putting on lipstick again will be a symbol of returning to life.”

Any excuse, really, for this party choon:

Jedward - Lipstick

But, wait! How about a new interpretation by the chap who was responsible for last year's would-be Eurovision winner (had the contest actually gone ahead) - and on my list of fave songs of 2020 - Daði Freyr?

Daði Freyr - Lipstick

Love it...

It's quite theatrical

We're off to Sweden later [not literally, more's the pity], for the 61st Eurovision Song Contest [I am busy this morning dressing Dolores Delargo Towers with flags and bunting as we speak...]!

With its peculiar slogan - rather reminiscent of a contraceptive commercial - "Come Together", the contest - which last year alone had 200 million viewers - is for the first time being shown in America:

"Eurovision is a cultural phenomenon we have admired from afar for years," cable TV channel Logo general manager Chris McCarthy said. "We are thrilled to bring the event to U.S. audiences and cheer alongside the rest of the world."

For the uninitiated (and, unlike Australia, where fans have been going wild for Eurovision for years, there will be plenty in the States where it is never usually shown), CNN has provided a handy guide that includes this rather understated description:

It's quite theatrical. Think the Oscars, Grammys, Tony Awards, "American Idol," "The X Factor" and "America's Got Talent" all rolled into one - and then triple that.

Hilarious! Yet true.

And now, the Gallery...























More of the same tonight, please!!

She's got her lipstick on; here I come, da da dum

I have been preparing for the grand Dolores Delargo Towers Eurovision Party since first thing this morning (well, it was early for me anyway!). I am knackered, but the place looks fab, and very brightly coloured indeed (flags everywhere!).

Time for a sit down, a glass of cider, a fag... and JEDWARD!!!

Jedward - Lipstick

More than you ever need to know about this song is on Wikipedia.

Sexy (And They Know It)

We went to a most fascinating lecture last night, all about the beautifully sexy Antinous, "favorite" of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and possessor of the best buttocks in antiquity - a true twink superhero, on his death he was created a God by his older lover and was idolised as such in iconic imagery across the Empire, and for millennia to come in art.

More on that later, no doubt. However, in an exceptionally tenuous link indeed, here's a perfect way to start your weekends off in a certain fashion...

Here are two interpretations of the party song of last year, first courtesy of the sexiest Olympic athlete of them all, diver Tom Daley (and friends):

Tom Daley and Team GB - Sexy And I Know It (LMFAO lip-sync)

And here are two (more) very sexy boys. I don't care what anyone says about them. Yes, they are mad, and irritating, and manic, and whatever - but my heavens, Jedward are Jexy And They Know It:

Jedward - Sexy And I Know It (LMFAO lip-sync)

The screens, nurse! The screens!

Blue, dab-a-dee

Blue tried their best...

But we wuz robbed again! Once more, the voting system of the Eurovision Song Contest was exposed as a succession of countries voting for their neighbours rather than for the genuinely decent songs.

Our "house scores" ended up with a top five of UK, Sweden, Ireland, Spain and Serbia. But what actually won? The anti-gay country of Azerbaijan. The song was crap, but got 12 votes from guess where? Russia and Turkey, and ten points from Croatia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. Bloc voting? Never!

Admittedly, our beloved Blue boys did very well in comparison to previous years, coming in eleventh with 100 points. At an early stage we were top of the list, which prompted BBC host Graham Norton to ask someone to take a picture! Others in our top five didn't do too badly either - the lovely Eric Saade came in third for Sweden, and the hyperactive twins Jedward came eighth for Ireland.



Our party was a blast, no matter what the scores! Among our guests were "plucky Leif Ericsson", several Gypsies, "La Saraghina", "Josephine Baker", an East German General and "Lozana the lusty Andalusian Woman"... The kitchen table was heaving with the food of all nations (we still have enough various cheeses to stock a shop!), and the booze flowed healthily enough to keep us going long after the disappointing vote 'till the wee small hours.

Once again, a brilliant evening - and despite everything I have no doubt we will be doing it all again this time next year!

Here are some highlights from the Gay World Cup, starting with our "Top Five".

UK:

Blue - I Can

Sweden:

Eric Saade - Popular

Ireland:

Jedward - Lipstick

Spain:

Lucía Pérez - Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao

Serbia:

Nina - Caroban

Now the actual winner, Azerbaijan:

Ell/Nikki - Running Scared

And a couple of fave moments:

Funniest moment? When the pretty lead singer of the Denmark entry mouthed "I love you. I want to fuck you." at the camera.

Danish singer mouths rude word at Eurovision 2011

Best surprise? Seeing Raffaella Carra presenting the scores from the Italian jury.

Roll on Eurovision 2012!

Eurovision Song Contest on the BBC

Ding-a-Dong!

So, as we hurtle towards the great Gay World Cup that is Eurovision, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Malta, Albania, Poland, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Croatia are out; Serbia, Lithuania, Greece, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Switzerland, Hungary, Finland, Russia and Iceland are in the final.

What I am looking at is a little different type of sensory satisfaction, however...


Alexsey Vorobyov - Russia


Jedward - Ireland


Eric Saade - Sweden

And, of course...


Blue - United Kingdom

Eurovision Song Contest on the BBC

Lipstick and mirrors and hairspray

"I find it a great antidote... lipstick and mirrors and hairspray."
- Joanna Lumley

Happy Paddy's Day to all our Irish chums!

To celebrate, here's the awesomely talented Jedward - ahem! - with the Emerald Isle's entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Jedward - Lipstick

Mummy I'm scared...