http://wiwibloggs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/eurovision-2017-logo-celebrate-diversity-kyiv.jpg

Greeting assorted pophoes and eurohoes (and the two or three of you who just turn up for the week or so that the shows are on, icu2). The real "most wonderful time of the year" is upon us once more and so it's time to partake in the annual tradition of the BuzzJack Eurovision Forum preview contest. In celebration of the powers that be FINALLY granting me mod powers, it was decided that I was the perfect choice to host for the first time since the infamous Molly/Sanna tie in 2014 (remember that? :lol:) Together we will follow the format of the semi finals where the ten songs out of 18 with the most points will join the automatic qualifiers of Ukraine, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom in the Grand Final. For your consideration, here are the songs:

Semi-Final One

01 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Sweden_zpsnezpmv8t.png Sweden:

02 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Georgia_zpsz2krdsa5.png Georgia:

03 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Australia_zps5o2nr036.png Australia:

04 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Albania_zpsdptvyrbq.png Albania:

05 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Belgium_zpsgqlbvvca.png Belgium:

06 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Montenegro_zps0neryit0.png Montenegro:

07 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Finland_zpsarga4ohv.png Finland:

08 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Azerbaijan_zpssqath9zp.png Azerbaijan:

09 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Portugal_zps7vkbxaog.png Portugal:

10 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Greece_zpsantwlpxn.png Greece:

11 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Poland_zpsjexo9jyj.png Poland:

12 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Moldova_zpskrmsiqs0.png Moldova:

13 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Iceland_zpsg8alb0bx.png Iceland:

14 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Czech%20Republic_zpstrlogfyw.png Czech Republic:

15 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Cyprus_zpswtpv5guj.png Cyprus:

16 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Armenia_zpsjiyrkjce.png Armenia:

17 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Slovenia_zpsdiaeju0y.png Slovenia:

18 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Latvia_zpslxnj1hdo.png Latvia:

Semi-Final Two

01 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Serbia_zpsatium691.png Serbia:

02 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Austria_zpscoqaobgf.png Austria:

03 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/F.Y.R.%20Macedonia_zpsyp4hiqjd.png Macedonia:

04 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Malta_zpsgggu5dck.png Malta:

05 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Romania_zpsltozjcj6.png Romania:

06 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/The%20Netherlands_zpswvdcz8wq.png The Netherlands:

07 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Hungary_zpsecmt8vsa.png Hungary:

08 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Denmark_zps6s4bn5ae.png Denmark:

09 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Ireland_zpswircvipr.png Ireland:

10 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/San%20Marino_zpsx3s6g8dc.png San Marino:

11 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Croatia_zpsdc9ptlqf.png Croatia:

12 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Norway_zpsgrplia4j.png Norway:

13 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Switzerland_zpspu8xjwlq.png Switzerland:

14 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Belarus_zps0zigzyi1.png Belarus:

15 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Bulgaria_zpsk1esazjf.png Bulgaria:

16 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Lithuania_zpsiib7l7s3.png Lithuania:

17 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Estonia_zps3ufzgkx8.png Estonia:

18 http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z369/RC741/Flag%20Icons/Israel_zpsyievgvoi.png Israel:

Send your votes to me, LexC, in the classic Eurovision style (12 points to your fave, 10 to your second fave, 8 to your third and so on down to 1 point) by 23:59 BST on Sunday 7th May. The results show will follow on the following Evening, the day before the first live show to kick off Eurovision week in style. In addition there will be two preview shows on the plug.dj BuzzJack Eurovision room on Monday May 1st (Semi One) and Wednesday May 3rd (Semi Two) at 20:00 BST on both nights. So if you're one of those strange people in this forum who still haven't heard some/most/all of the songs then these preview shows will be a nice and entertaining communal introduction for you.

BuzzJack, start voting...NOW!

Yes please do try and join us for the plug sessions if you can, they're always great fun! :D

Hmm might vote tonight as I've listened enough to have my faves, but I will deffo make the plug seshes, interested to see the consensus on a lot of these songs!

Semi one has more good songs in general but semi two has 4 highlights which overshadow the 12 pointer in semi one. But overall they are balanced

I definitely prefer semi 2 in terms of highlights and 'interesting' moments (Croatia, Romania), and it just so happens that it's the semi 2 plug session that I can be around for :D

Bumping this to let y'all know that we'll be pre-partying from 19:20 BST in the plug room if you're desperate for some Euro fun!

Ta for the sesh guys, see ya same time on Wednesday for Semi 2!

Semi 2 runthrough starting in about an hour! Come and join us at our own plug room!

ACTUALLY I AM STILL ON THE TRAIN SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LATER THAN THAT BUT I AM RUSHING BACK!

Well I'll be playing some Eurovish classics to tide us over so don't worry Lex!

I knew I could trust you to have the emergency supplies of Dinah Nah at the ready Adam!

OKAY I AM HERE, A FEW MORE MINUTES AND THE SHOW WILL BE STARTING!

where do I watch this?

 

Semi 2 runthrough starting in about an hour! Come and join us at our own plug room!

:P

 

Bumping and sending out reminders for this shortly as a few of you need to edit your votes and one member of the mod team hasn't even voted yet (and it's not even the one who's got a decent excuse!)

I told you I was waiting to see all the rehearsal clips!!

 

Also my order changes every 5 minutes - I don't know how or when it happened, but I think this year has ended up stronger than last year!

Done... And I didn't realise how rough Semi 2 was until I got voting. There's well over ten songs I'd gladly never wish to hear again!

Aw, I can't reach a computer to vote until tomorrow, lmk if the deadline is extended. Would love to be able to cast a vote in this!

Done... And I didn't realise how rough Semi 2 was until I got voting. There's well over ten songs I'd gladly never wish to hear again!

 

So rough in a bad way..? I think semi 2 is very strong and I've come to the conclusion that they aren't very balanced at all. My top five or six in semi 2 are all better than my favourite in semi 1 and I'd happily have thirteen qualifiers from semi 2 with only seven from semi 1.

So rough in a bad way..? I think semi 2 is very strong and I've come to the conclusion that they aren't very balanced at all. My top five or six in semi 2 are all better than my favourite in semi 1 and I'd happily have thirteen qualifiers from semi 2 with only seven from semi 1.

 

Barring a couple of songs, it's either extraordinary bland (Denmark, Switzerland) or excruciating (Croatia, Ireland). I know the former are popular on here, but these songs are so bad that they make Lithuania sound palatable. But, just my opinion...