National Final, Nordic Super Saturday: Norway

All-righty then, who's gonna win in Spektrum tonight? The speculations are of course running wild on the Internet, and even though it looks like we most likely would have to practice our Haba Haba dance routine for Düsseldorf, and thank God for that, we are not yet completely sure whether Stella has it in the bag.

Let's have final glance at tonight's line-up!

Helene Bøksle: Vardlokk
If someone told us a month ago that Helene is not going to be the big favorite to win, we would have laughed. But that was before Stella came along and before Åste&Rikke surprisingly blew us all away at Ørlandet, and now we're not so sure anymore. If Helene wants to stand a chance tonight she has to get rid of the nerves which almost ruined her performance in the semi-final. So no pressure there whatsoever...

Sie Gubba: Alt du vil ha
This song lacks about everything in order to be a contender in Eurovision and has about everything needed in order for the folks around Norway to actually go head and vote for it. Which is a rather scary combination in our opinion. Mind you, this has been topping the sales charts in Norway the last few weeks so don't count it out even if it had to become a Lucky Loser to make it to the big final. We pray that our worst nightmare will not come true and just for the record there's no way we will cheer for this number in Düsseldorf.

Babel Fish: Depend on Me
Another bunch of middle aged men we don't want to hang out with in Düsseldorf. Some things are just better left behind. Babel Fish is one of them, they kind of lost us in 97. And one should think that a band of experienced blokes like them should be able to do better than the shaky performance in Skien.

The Lucky Bullets: Fire Down Below
This number has really grown on us, we like it! Suppose it proves that some songs need a dip by the Second Chance final for the voters to realize its potential. Like Bjørn Johan Muri last year. It's not exactly suitable for Eurovision and we don't think The Lucky Bullets will win, but we love them for giving us a hell of a show and for looking swell and dandy. And for the chick with the saxophone, groovy!

The BlackSheeps
We didn't believe much in this number until we actually saw them on stage in the semi-final. Lead singer Agnethe has a stage presence and charisma which far more experienced artists only can dream of. Lots of teenagers will vote for them and we would be happy for them to get a decent placing.

Stella Mwangi: Haba Haba
We have already declared our love for Stella. Being a favorite is a dangerous position to be in, but we think Stella will win Norway's hearts over tonight. Go girl!

Åste&Rikke: Not That Easy (Ah-Åh Ah-Åh)
Poor Åste has been all over the news lately as she has spent time hanging around the toilet bowl puking instead of rehearsing in Spektrum with her partner Rikke. Will she be able to get back in shape on time? At least the duo has gotten a lot of press and they might even get some sympathy votes tonight, however strange that might sound. But there's in fact something about these girls that really gets to you. They seem so downright nice, sincere and bubbly and it makes you really wish for them to do well even if you don't care much for their song.

Hanne Sørvaag: You're like a Melody
This one is tricky for us, since we are fans of Hanne and like her style and attitude. But what about the song Hanne, the song? It's just not good enough in our opinion and to be quite frank we don't think she sings well enough to be taken as a serious contender for the victory. Looking smashing on stage in a pink Leila Hafzi frock and a glittery guitar scores a lot of extra points though.


We look forward to enjoying the show tonight and will of course give you some updates along the way. Happy voting fellow Norwegians, let the best Haba Haba girl in town win!

Hujaza kibaba for Stella!

Ok, after trashing all those Norwegians in the semi finals, we really have to give in a little. Because we are truly, madly, deeply in love with this woman:



Dear Stella Mwangi. We are can't even begin to describe how happy we are you showed up.You are one funky chicken, and if we didn't enjoy Senegalese music enough already, we now officialy love it. And won't you take a look at the outfit from the semi final, people? That catsuit slash shorts slash skirt thingy is probably the coolest thing that has ever been to Skien. We mean, who says your legs actually have to go through the skirt? Not Stella, that's for sure. She just leaves it behind. Also, it is very good for showing off Stella's admirable killer bod, to be admired by GEE forever as we hit our spinning classes.

We are now actually looking forward to the final this Saturday. And can you please promise us the Norwegian Kenyan will win over WannabefairyHelene? Because we are not sure yet, and it would really break our heart to see Stella go. Can you please remember that when you hit your cell?

Haba Haba Hujaza Kibaba!

(You can practice the dance, btw. Click here for intructions).

Retro Sunday: Norway 1984

After quite a tiresome period of semi finals in Norway, we really have to bring you this:



We mean, we were getting completely delusional over here, thinking Norway can't do anything right. We just seem to be splurging on cheer leaders, opera wannabes, grown boybands, old farmers and acnecious teenage boys in desperate need of haircuts thinking they're Justin Bieber these days. Sorry to be blunt, but man, that hurts.

But dear friends. Just in case you watched some of the semi finals: We promise, promise, promise there have been times when we weren't this boring. There was a 1984 of the glorious Dollie De Luxe. A 1984 of dressing up in hillarious clothing, tied up hair in weird places and killer sandals while being watched by four dark somethings up on a podium. That year when everyone started walking back and forth with large steps swinging their arms resolutely from side to side without looking at all like soldiers, just like happy, crazy chicks. We Norwegians actually did that too, and we're oh, so proud of it. Aren't you?

Guess Orwell was all wrong about 1984, because those were the days, we tell you. We wanted our lives and hopes to last forever, and we were just happy joy joy people. Ok, so we didn't win that year. But we did good. Much better than now. We believed in ourselves. And everyone's still in love with Benedicte Adrian. 1984 FTW!

PS We are seriously suggesting NRK introduces affirmative action into the semi finals next yer. Because way too many boring men make it to the final it seems. And it's the women who do the trick, there as other places in society. At least we're really happy Stella Mwangi is in the final. She's our hope when it comes to evoking the glory of the 80s. Haba haba!

MGP, lucky losers semi final: Live blog

19.45: Update before the final starts. The audience is, surprise surprise, ready. Anne's dress does not seem to fit.
19.46: A little chance to win a million before the MGP starts on NRK. In case you're wondering, this final is for the lucky losers from the other semi finals. We're not that optimistic about the quality, but yay to seeing Gata's parlament again.
19.55: And we're in. Not overly excited about this.
19:56: Look, there's the trailer. It's not stolen after all!
19:57: Dear Anne with an e, what happened? Your hair disappeared and your bod is popping out of your dress any minute now. Oh, we wish you at least knew how to be funny and charming.
19:59: Oh so THAT's how Sarpsborg looks like. And here we were really hoping that song was one of the entries.
20:03: Do we really need to hear Pernille & Marius again? FML.
20:04: Here's a couple of teenagers showing up wanting us to use them. Nothing new there. But guess they're charming enough. Unlike most other participants this year. Can someone tell them about MGP Junior, maybe?
20:07: Who told these guys eyes are not allowed on MGP, but should be covered under a lot of hair? Not a good hint.
20:08: Lads and gents, you can pee now. It's time for Pernille & Marius.
20:09: Really liking Marius' shirt. Oh yes. Trying to focus on that.
20:11: Enter cheerleading, exit GEE sympathy.
20:13: And we're officially totally embarassed by NRK's way of trying to get poor teenagers to vote as much as possible. They should never ever pay their TV license money when they grow up.
20:15: Oh, look, there's a band your grandpa might have gathered from the recycling container. It's Sie Gubba.
20:20: Remind us again, who is that blonde chick blabbering away between songs and how did she get that job?
20:21: Dear Mimi Blix: We're sure your hands are so much prettier than those latex gloves. You can't even use your iPhone with those, let alone perform a decent MGP song. And you know, many people are actually allergic to latex, including GEE.
20:23: Why DID all MGP artists decide on bringing back 2Unlimited? They are best left alone, we can ensure you.
20:24: Sie Gubba ensures us they never would have done the same as Mimi Blix when they were 19. Thank you, we are really relieved. Although this might have been more in fashion then.
20:26: Now we have teenagers and a recycled band in the semi-final of the semi-final. Ok, then.
20:28: Finally some decent guys. Here's Gatas Parlament. Good stuff, and we're not sure whether we'd like to ride that elephant or them.
20:29: Please, people, if you are to spend your cell phone bill on this competition, now's the time.
20:32: Enter brylcreme. We do like brylcreme, we have to say. But we're afraid these lucky bullets seem a little bit misplaced after all. But man, that sailor woman sure knows how to play a saxophone.
20:38: The Lucky Bullets won the duel. Oh, well. As long as the sailor woman's in.
20:40: Getting ready to be cougars again. Here's Endre.
20:44: Guess a little metal is needed in every MGP-final. And for that Susperia is not a bad option. This is at least decent music.
20:49: Susperia is the last participant for the semi-final of the semi-final. Jeez, we have to listen to four of the artists one more time. We're on a brake until 21:30. See you then, peepz.
21:30: We're back for the semi-final of the semi-final of the lucky losers of the other semi-finals. There's Use Me, Sie Gubba, Lucky Bullets and Susperia to be played again. Jeez, what's up with male supremacy? Do we need to introduce affirmative action?
21:31: Since Anne's dress didn't pop yet, we might as well admit we did like that shoulder thing.
21:35: Teenagers vs recycling guys. Definetly going for younger rather than older. The former at least know their rhymes.
21:37: Is that guy in the leather jacket actually handsome? Or are we just starting to starv?
21:39: "Soon we will hear a new song", Anne says. Wow, impressive sharing of information.
21:40: We're really, really sorry to inform you that we think Sie Gubba will show up in Spektrum.
21:43: Hint to hair dresser of Sie Gubba's lead singer: A little bit shorter in the neck next time.
21:46: Still wondering where the saxophonist of The Lucky Bullets got her shorts. And if we can borrow them for Düsseldorf. Since she won't be going.
21:50: This "spontaneous" singing of Voi Voi is truly embarassing. Please stop.
21:57: Wow, naked male butts on TV. Not that interesting really. More like a way too obvious proposal to the gay crowd.
22:02: Wow, when did Maria Haukaas-Mittet turn into a crazy bride from the 80s? That dress is not flattering.
22:05: Although they are good singers, this intermission entry feels a bit like when Whitch Whitch flopped on West End.
22:10: Oh no, we have to hear Sie Gubba ONE MORE time. FML FML FML.
22:12: Wow, we actually have The Lucky Bullets in the final. That's cool, peepz. See you in Spektrum. And at the after party, for sure.

Lucky Losers' Night

The lucky losers from the previous three semi-finals in Norway will battle it out in Sarpsborg tonight over the last two tickets for the big final in Oslo Spektrum next Saturday. Tonight's show is being neatly organized with duels and a tournament kick out system, but we are not exactly bouncing off the walls and have a hard time seeing how this can become more exciting than watching paint dry. The novelty of the numbers sort of wears off and even though it's likely that one of the lucky losers might score a decent placing in the final, it's very unlikely we have a winner in this bunch.

It's funny how all the Norwegian tabloids keep obsessing about Mimi Blix, when it's pretty obvious that she has one of the weakest entries to have made it this far, and chances are that the group Sie Gubba, which after all has been topping the sales charts in Norway after their performance at Ørlandet, will be one of the acts to qualify. Dagbladet's breaking news could inform us that the above mentioned Mimi woke up with a headache yesterday. Most interesting. Suppose that only proves to show that a picture of a pretty young face generates far more clicks than a few middle aged lads.

We will be rooting for the bad boys tonight, however the duel set up is working against us, so we will be happy if either Gatas Parlament or Susperia scores one of the remaining tickets. The duels on the opposite side of the chart we frankly couldn't care less about.

GEE to the rescue!

Norway is rapidly approaching a national crisis as someone actually stole the MGP stage a couple of minutes ago. GEE will of course help, but first we have to say: Wow, that is one huge effort stealing an entire stage. Kudos to you, robbers. Second we would like to scream: Shame on you, bad boy! And then last, but not least: We know the police won't have time for solving this, because they don't have time for anything but complaining about the lack of time and money in this country. That's why it's so fortunate that you are in posession of two crime solving GEE chicks on speed dial in this neighbourhood of Europe.

As for now we have figured out a couple of solutions for you:

1. Namsos stole it. They are after all the one and only Rock City in this country. And stealing a stage to be able to host the last MGP semifinal is a very rocknrollish way of doing things. Kudos if that's the solution, we'd say, and we already booked Widerøe and Namdalsavisa for you, Per.
2. Armenia stole it. We did after all tell them we'd like them to do our country finals as well, since they are actually capable of making good Eurovision songs. And you know how badly half jokes translate.
3. Alexander Stenerud took it home. He suddenly remembered he is the only one in this country who totally owns the MGP stage. So why would anyone else drag it around?

Oh, well, those are the theories we are working on for now. But there could be more to this, and please give any clues you might have to the GEE hotline.

And stay tuned for the next episode of GEE and the mystery of the disappearing stage.

Third time's a charm? MGP semi-final in Skien tonight!

Oh well, we finally managed to dig us back up from that hole we fell into after last Saturday's travesty in Florø. And it's picking up. We could actually listen to most of the songs in tonight's line-up, without getting the urge of throwing the MacBook out the window even once, which is not bad at all.

Susperia is this year's rock alibi, and it makes sense for Norway to send an act like this to the international ESC final. Much more than salsa/latino rhythms or balkan beats which just appears as a phony way of getting votes from countries which would not normally vote for Norway. That's just embarrassing and it ain't working either. But Nothing Remains is the kinda song that folks would vote for regardless of nationality. It's a strong melody with powerful vocals and it feels real. We didn't care much for Turkey's polished family rock last year, nor the Finnish orks or the Norwegian glam rockers from a few years back for that sake, but this is something else. As GEE rock chicks we can definitely see ourselves having a beer with these blokes in a dodgy basement kneipe in Düsseldorf in a few months. Hell yeah!

Next up is Nora Noor and she is one cool, funky soul sister, that's for sure. Teamed up with one of our favorite song writers, Simone Larsen, it's off to an extremely positive start before we've even heard the first cord. Gone With The Wind has a rather cheesy title we must say, but Nora seems to pull it off, this is groove, feel and flow to the rim. We are much in favor of her soulful, sexy, credible performance over let's say Åste&Rikke from the first semi-final who operate in the same musical landscape. Looking forward to watching the live performance and we hope Nora doesn't go all overboard with the vocal improvisations. Sometimes less is more, baby.

There's been much talk about the group Girl Happy this week. Supposedly they are the Alexander Stenerud replacements this year. And if that's a fact we might as well coin them as the poor man's Alexander Stenerud straight away. We're sorry guys, thanks for trying, but there's no way you can live up to our MGP God.

We wish we could have said something clever and funny about the next soul chick coming up, but unfortunately we fell asleep about three seconds into Grethe Svendsen's Like Dreamers Do.

The BlackSheeps should wake us up quite quickly, and this is one of the acts we had highest hopes to right from the moment the participants were announced. However, we must admit we're disappointed. How much can one expect from a bunch of youngsters half our age, we guess we ought to cut them some slack, they have the future ahead of them. We would be happy to welcome them back at a later stage, with a stronger song than this year's Dance Tonight which is nowhere near the same league as the smashing JMGP Nordic winner "Oro Jaska Beana".

Stella Mwangi got us back on our feet alright, and got our groove back in a flash. Just having a corny song title such as Haba Haba is basically sufficient to keep us on our toes and wonder WTF this is all about. We can't stop thinking about France from 1990 and Guadeloupean Joëlle and her Caribbean oil barrel drums. Of course she had the svengali and French legend Serge Gainsbourg behind her, so it would be a shame to compare the two. But this is a happy go lucky song in the "Guilty Pleasure" department, and it can't be ignored. The Hakuna Matata vibes are about as subtle as a kick in the teeth and that's just too much to our taste.

The award to best dressed act, it there had been such a thing, would probably go to The Lucky Bullets. We love their sharply dressed Don Draper look, which is more than enough to set Fire Below. They're keeping it real musically also, no compromises, just honest straight forward rockabilly. We think that's cool, but in MGP, no thank you, we're afraid.



Finally some decent competition for Helene Bøksle. During the couple of last years the MGP winner came out of the semi-final in Skien. We're guessing that would probably happen this year as well. Third time's the charm and so on and so forth...

Second MGP semi-final coming up

All right, then. Another Norwegian semi-final coming up and time for us to get judgmental. Today we've been such organized bitches and listened to all the song in the right order. Not so much good stuff going on, but a little. Here are the votes of the GEE jury:

Pernille og Marius: I'll Be Yours
Let's just be perfectly clear: If you are, say, a Eurovision artist and want to be loved by GEE bloggers, there's a couple of factors that automatically will disqualify. Probably the safest route to that little space of horror and forgotten wannabes would be the use of sentences like "every time you're around" and "when I'm with you, I feel the rush" and "I wanna be your love" and "From head to my toes, I wanna be yours". In fact we’d even send people who can make themselves utter "I'll be yours forever more" out of the country, the planet and this solar system in general. The song has got plenty of annoying drum machines and other stuff for us to trash, but we just can’t get past the lyrics. Sorry, peepz.

Babel Fish: Depend on me
Babel Fish is back. But the only translation we get is that of adapting Boyzone to a new century. Now that’s something we do not need. Still quite charming old lads, this, and we actually enjoyed the song for the first quarter of a second. Not bad for such a dire tune. It’s not off the beaten track, it’s right in the middle, and that’s not where we enjoy spending our time. On that you can depend. Traduttore, traditore.

Marika: Hungry for you
You know trends tend to arrive late in our country. But finally some gypsy chick came calling even here. And yay to that. Because we absolutely love Marika’s Hungry for you. Could be due to the fact that she continued a striking combination of the Opa! and Milan Stankovic into 2011, but at least she does it in her own way. We can’t wait for this to enter the stage of Florø. Because we’re sure she can dance and at least her utterance “If you wanna be with me, you’ve got to drink with me” is the ultimate bull's eye. We can even forgive the woman for the 2 Unlimited ending. We’re hungry for more.

Isabella: Sand
Oh no, someone remembered 4 Non Blondes and turned them into one blonde. Not working, people. After all, there was a reason for the NON blondes. This is one of those songs that try a little bit of everything along the way. Midway you find yourself asking “Is this still the same song? Is it good? What is it like, exactly? Isn’t it way too long? What the hell is going on? Did I miss something?” Well, don’t worry, our friend. We can tell you this one is better off missed. Time to pee. But one thing is for sure: Isabella will write your name down in sand. Good night and good luck with that, hon.

Endre: Oh, oh puppy love
Oh no, puppy love. We’d hate this song just for the title. Problem is we don’t. How is that even possible? Don’t even think it’s due to those teasing eyes of Endre, because we haven’t had time to study them. Maybe we just think he deserves to be in love. And we do digg those rhytms. This is simple, straightforward entertainment, thus easy to like. Even though we know we shouldn’t.

Hanne Sørvaag: You’re like a melody
Hanne Sørvaag is one of our fav Norwegian Eurovision sweethearts. That’s why we hate ourselves a little bit for hating this. Well maybe not hating, it’s way too futile and anonymous for that. This is not like our favorite song at all. It’s like any other melody. And for that she deserves to be punished. Even though she can sing.

Mimi Blix: Allergic
Oh, honey. You really are one beautiful chick with a funny name. And we can’t even believe the news telling us you never had a boyfriend. That’s why we’d love to party with you in Germany. But the song, baby, the song. Here’s a piece of advice for you: Quit music. Stick to your drumsticks. And keep posing. But no sound, please. No sound.



So, what is our overall opinion, exactly? Have to say, this is not the best of semi-finals. And our hopes are not that high for the MGP-final in general after listening our way through two semi-finals. But dearest Marika, we do thank you. You will make tonight's hour of television worthwile. And we will keep our SMS skills ready. See you in Spectrum, hon!

First MGP Semi-Final: The Aftermath

One down, three to go (including Sistesjansen), and so far we don't feel particularly shaken, nor stirred. Here's a few observations on what went down at Ørlandet last night!

Best Copycat
Carina Dahl surprised us with a rather strong live performance, she actually can sing. Well done! Afterwards she entertained us with cheeky comments. Shows this girl has potential, but she should consider coming up with something of her own style for next time around. Lose the Cheryl Cole act and try something else than copying Kesha's talk/singing which she in her turn stole from Uffie.

Cutest Doll
How old is Sichelle anyways? She says she's 22, but we're thinking more like 12. Perfect for JESC. She claims to be inspired by Aqua so we suppose that's why she decided to go for the Barbie Doll look. She really is adorable, but perhaps she should consider coming back in say ten years time?

Prettiest nerve-wreck
Is it just us, or did Helene Bøksle look extremely nervous last night? She did look stunning on stage, we loved her classy frock and the laser beams behind her, not to mention the kettledrums! She's one of the most experienced artists in the bunch, but perhaps the high expectations upfront brought her down. Shaky on the highest notes and moments of looking like a shit scared deer caught in the headlights. Better get your act straight before the big final Helene!

Biggest surprise
Could it really be that the voting public actually prefer talented, no nonsense, hardworking artists over fabricated, artificial wannabes? Yup, looks like it since Åste&Rikke apparently received by far most votes yesterday scoring a ticket to the final. We're still a bit "Meh" towards the song, but it was touching to watch how genuinely happy these two became when their names were called up last.

Most boring zombie
Wake up Anne Rimmen, you're on live TV!

Greatest disappointment
So how come this act did not proceed to the final? KoK featuring Alexander Rybak FTW!

Tonight's the night: First semi-final in Norway!

It's with somewhat mixed emotions we're now about to embark on the national final season. Don't get us wrong, this is something we have longed for since Lena hearted all the folks that voted for her on that glorious evening back in May. But the road leading to the 42 entries that will be presented in Düsseldorf seems to be paved with a neverending story of hopeful wannabes and godawful hasbeens. In order to preserve our sanity we have come to the realization that it's simply not possible to follow all the semi-finals, internet selections, pre-qualifying heats and what have you. It sort of makes sense to focus on the finals where at least the line-ups have been reduced to a manageable size and quantity.

We will however pay special attention to the semi-finals in Norway, and don't be surprised if we can't help ourselves sticking our opinionated noses into the odd semi-final heat in Melodifestivalen or Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins either.

Ok, nuff said on our part. Let's move on to our review of the first MGP semi-final heat ready to perform at Ørlandet tonight.

Big Brother babe and biker girl Carina Dahl kicks off the show with her upbeat number Guns & Boys and we really wish she wouldn't. The combination of trashy and talentless is not winning our hearts over and something is telling us (or should we rather say screaming at us) that she won't pull this off live. She might be able to save herself from total humiliation if she presents the song with tons of humor and an over the top extravagant show, there are at least enough metaphors in the lyrics which can result in some interesting choreography.

Next up is Use Me. We thought for a minute we were stuck in the mid 90s when listening to Daisy which is kinda ironic since these guys were all still in diapers back then. Nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia, but we're sort of done with Buffalo shoes, bare bellies, twirly hairdo's and skirt over trousers combos, so we would prefer this reminder to stay in the semi.

And then there's Helene Bøksle. Makes us wonder why we even bother to go through with four semi-finals and a final in Norway this year since it's so obvious that she's the one to represent us in ESC 2011. A well connected bird whispered this into our ears during the Eurovision weeks in Oslo in May, and so far it seems like everything is leading up to the inevitable. Helene's song Vardlokk is not that bad. We like the darkness in it and that it is not some cheerful milkmaid yodeling. And we are after all suckers for the ethnic sound. It's sounds very much like Alvedansen, maybe too much, and that's not a good thing. So it should be interesting to see if this number can stand on it's own feet and if Helene manages to impersonate the strong and misterous huldra instead of the mild and innocent milkmaid. 

Sie Gubba represent the average joe, and believe us there's a lot of those around our beautiful godforsaken rural country. That's why we won't be surprised if Alt du vil ha is one of the entries that will score a ticket to the final. The song is crappy allright, but sadly people tend to like this kind of crap.

Gatas Parlament contrast Sie Gubba nicely with their urban rap number Jobbe litt mindre og tjene litt mer. They have already managed to create a great deal of controversy with their politically charged lyrics loaded with foul language (is it against the rules?). We like their attitude and appreciate the fact that they have obviously strained themselves to adjust to the Eurovsion format incorporating ethnic gypsy beats and a sing along chorus.

Sichelle seems to be a sweetheart and we applaud her for choosing to sing in Norwegian. And thank God the lyrics are in Norwegian cause Trenger mer sounds like it's written by a 10 year old. Perhaps this entry would have been a smash hit in JESC, but in ESC for grownups this is just embarrassing.

We really want to like the ladies Åste&Rikke. We know Åste from an Idol season a few years back and boy she sure can sing! But the song Not that easy (Ah-Åh- Ah-Åh) just isn't strong enough we think. What's up with the Ah-Åh- Ah-Åh's anyways, it will certainly win the prize for the lamest song title for what it's worth. No matter how talented and hardworking these girls might be, it just won't cut it.

We'll put our money on Helene tonight. Everything else would just be a waste of money, really.

Last MGP finalists revealed

Finally NRK has given us the last names to compete for a place in the Norwegian national final, Melodi Grand Prix. Here they are all together:

For the Florø semi final:
Pernille & Marius: "I’ll be Yours"
Hanne Sørvaag: "You’re like a Melody"
Isabella: "Sand"
Endre: "Oh, Oh (Puppy Love)"
Marika: "Hungry for You (Gipsydance)"
Mimi Blix: "Allergic"
Babel Fish: "You Can Depend on Me"

For the Skien semi final:
Grethe Svensen: "Like Dreamers Do"
Girl Happy: "SOS"
The BlackSheeps: "Dance Tonight"
Noora Noor: "Gone With the Wind"
Susperia: "Nothing Remains"
Stella Mwangi: "Haba Haba"
The Lucky Bullets: "Fire Below"

For the Ørlandet semi final: 
Carina Dahl: «Guns & Boys»
Use Me: «Daisy»
Sichelle: «Trenger mer»
Sie Gubba: «Alt du vil ha»
Åste & Rikke: «Not That Easy»
Helene Bøksle: «Vardlokk»
Gatas Parlament: «Jobbe litt mindre»

Hmm, ok. What can we say about this? We are certainly really happy about Hanne Sørvaag, who is a doll, and who we like better when she sings her own songs instead of handing them over to teenagers and their likings. And like we told you, we are happy about Gatas Parlament and The BlackSheeps. Moreover Noora Noor is pretty cool, and we're excited about what Endre's puppy love implies.

Towards Helene Bøksle we are indifferent, since we guess we have to deal with her no matter what. But what's up with this Babel Fish, classifying their participation as a mid life crisis, yet saying they have made the best song ever? We only remember them as something annoying from the 90s, but hey, revivals have proven to work before. So guess we are more skeptical towards Mimi Blix, characterized by her local news paper as the Tyra Banks of Norway. Well, sorry, a good pose and an African father doesn't automatically give you that, but whatever. Tyra is not exactly a Eurovision lady anyway.

And why so many unknown names Mr. Sundnes? Kinda makes us wonder if the line-up is custom made for a certain lady... On the other hand, we don't mind getting new names out there, after all Alexander Rybak wasn't all that big either when he first entered the MGP stage.

Anyways, this is a lot to take in. We'll have to give you more comments later.

First MGP finalists presented

Just now NRK presented all the finalists for the first and some for the second semi final in Melodi Grand Prix, Norway. Here they are:
  
#1 Ørland: 
Carina Dahl: «Guns & Boys»
Use Me: «Daisy»
Sichelle: «Trenger mer»
Sie Gubba: «Alt du vil ha»
Åste & Rikke: «Not That Easy»
Helene Bøksle: «Vardlokk»
Gatas Parlament: «Jobbe litt mindre»

#2 Florø
Mimi Blix: "Allergic"
Babel Fish: "You Can Depend on Me"

There is a lot to be said. Stay tuned for our comments later.

More MGP leaks...

According to Norwegian gossip magazine Se&Hør, this will be the line-up for the first MGP pre-selection round at Ørlandet, 15th of January:

1. Helene Bøksle - Oh really, didn't see that one coming! 
2. Hanne Sørvaag - Gal behind this year's "My Heart is Yours" disaster
3. Gatas Parlament - Yup
4. Carina Dahl - Big Brother bimbo
5. Sie Gubba - Holy crap, this can't be happening....
6. Sichelle - RnB chick, last seen in MGP 2009
7. The Blacksheeps  - Yay, the winners of Nordic MGP Junior in 2008!
8. Nora Noor - Soul chick

"Hurray, we're finally old enough to participate in MGP for grown-ups!"



We will of course come back with reviews as soon as it all becomes official and the songs have been released. All though it almost seems pointless as long as someone seemingly has decided that Helene Bøksle will win anyways... We fear that her contribution will be dire and dull, similar to Christine Guldbrandsen's "Alvedansen" which we didn't like at all. But, there's still plenty of opportunities to prove our predictions wrong, and if she wins with a good song, we will support her with great enthusiasm!

Where is Wikileaks when you really need them?

Here we go again! The speculations on who's gonna participate in next year's MGP are soon about to turn into a frenzy as the tabloids starts leaking names of artists and songwriters. This is supposed to be super secret until December, but some have obviously a hard time keeping their big mouths shut. And who has bigger mouths than the rap group Gatas Parlament? Even though they do not willingly announce the big news themselves, we recon they're in the running alright. What else to expect from a couple of left wing, anarchist, free speech activists? You just gotta love it! Perhaps Aslak Borgersrud from Gatas Parlament was persuaded by MGP fan favorite Jenny Jenssen since they are now new BFF's after participating in Maestro together? The world has officially gone crazy.

"F**k, we got totally wasted last night, hope I didn't say anything really stupid and bourgeois"



And of course Helene Bøksle is yet again mentioned, but this is yesterday news as GEE reported this back in June. We'll keep you posted on more leaks which are bound to happen as soon as another artist or songwriter gets drunk together with one of VG's journalists.

Guess who's back, back, back?

We were all sad to see our Eurovision Diva Maria Haukaas Mittet go after an excruciatingly exciting dance duel with the super hunky Åsleik "Knerten" Engmark on Strictly Come Dancing last Saturday.

But, now she's back!

One of the other contestants had to withdraw due to an injury, and it turns out you don't have to ask twice for Maria to get back into the limelight! What a shocker. And hurrah!

But, hang on a minute, will this mean that darling Maria won't have time to participate in MGP 2011 after all? Oh, no! Or yeah, whatever...

Should we just ask the sister?

"I'll just hide behind my sunglasses while you do the talk, Marte"



"OK", NRK thought to themselves one day. "What can we do now that our fab presenter for MGP is all knocked up? Someone should cover our favorite hobbit, so we really do need some replacement quick as MacGyver. Well, we don't have time to ponder. Let's ask the sister with the pretty face, Anne Rimmen.

Sports and musical entertainment - pretty much the same, isn't it?"

Or...isn't it?

Eurovision Diva gone Dancing Diva?

To prove our point on what we said about Maria Haukaas Storeng in our previous post. According to vg.no the Diva is now ready for yet another challenge in the limelight as a participant in the next season of Dancing with the Stars here in Norway. Now it's starting to sound like we don't like her, but we do honestly, she's great, and we think she could do very well as a dancing diva. But, yeah, sometimes less is more Maria! Previous seasons have showed that swinging your feathers on the dance floor can be a smart career move, so we wish her the best of luck, however we have reached a point where seeing her pretty face on screen just makes us wanna switch off the telly…

Summertime...

We apologize for not posting very frequently lately, but even ESC-bloggers have to take some time off now and then to recharge the batteries and enjoy the Nordic summer nights. Now it's back to work and busy days in the office battling a jam packed inbox. So much for recharging the batteries... Oh, well, as a way of fighting post vacation blues we can recommend putting some of your favorite Eurovision tracks on your playlist and turning up the volume to the despair of your colleagues. Cheerful Schlagers from the 80s works best.

Summertime isn't exactly peak season when it comes to Eurovision Extravaganza, but it is actually possible to catch a glimpse of some of your ESC-favorites both live and on the telly as many artists go on tour and appear on various summer shows and events. Say, if you happen to be near Mysen south of Oslo on the 28th of August, you can see Norwegian MGP-stars like Heine Totland (MGP-semifinalist 2010), Venke Knutson (MGP-finalist 2010), Åge Steen "Glam" Nilsen (ESC 10th place 2005 with Wig Wam), and ESC-diva Maria Haukaas Storeng (MGP-finalist 2010 and ESC 5th place 2008) as well as Ovi (who sat Telenor Arena on fire this year and landed a well deserved 3rd place for Romania) perform at Momarkedet. If you're not in Mysen, like most of us, you can catch the show on Norwegian TV2. We will most likely not tune in, since we’ve seen Maria perform like a gazillion times over the past few months. She is everywhere all the time, and we're starting to grow a bit tired of her shiny happy face. That girl really knows how to make the most of it for what it’s worth… Good for her!

There's no such thing as over exposure. Or is it?




We are starting to look forward to a new ESC-season and in September it will be revealed where next year’s shenanigans will be at. We know it’s somewhere in Germany that’s for sure. And rumor has it that the comeback kid Austria will be among the first to select their entry for next year. Hurray!

How hard can it get? Part 1 in which we woo our fav punk

In Norway it’s time to look forward as broadcaster NRK is advertising for applicants for MGP 2011. Rumor has it that Per Sundnes plans to put Helene Bøksle on the ESC stage for Norway next year. Miss Bøksle is lovely and all that, but not exactly our cup of tea. So we decided to ask ourselves the following: “In a country with so many great artists, why can’t we show Europe some decent music? What makes our best artists and songwriters stay away from such a great audience? And how hard can it get next year?” Follow us this summer as we challenge our favorite song writers to join and let them carry on the challenge to their favorites.

Let’s forget about the phantom of the opera. This year Norway needs to punk things up a little with someone already knowing their way around Germany. Null$katte$nylterne and their fab lead singer Torkil Torsvik might actually consider the job.

He’s one of the coolest Norwegians we know with a rough, dirty, but still very honest punk rocker style. He is Torkil Torsvik, aka Torkil the Reptile, and how can we not crave for him to rip off his shirt at the Eurovision stage in Germany next year? Wouldn’t that be fun, Reptile? “Well, I’ve never really considered participation”, he admits. “As a rocker, I’ve kinda thought of MGP as a phenomenon pretty far away from what I am doing. But since you ask me so directly, I might actually consider it. Some metal from Keep of Kalessin didn’t hurt this year, so maybe a little Trønder punk would shake things up a little next year?”

Trønder punk in their own dialect
Torkil and his band Nullskattesnylterne, translating to something as untranslatable as zerotaxcheaters, represent what we in Norway like to call Trønder rock. Trøndelag is the name of the counties in the middle of the country, around the cities Trondheim and, not the least, Namsos – the official rock capital of Norway and home city of Torkil and his buddies (although for connoisseurs, Torkil grew up in Kolvereid, a recruitment base for Namsos). A lot of good rock music has originated from this town, with Nullskattesnylterne being among the best. And of course they all sing in their own fab dialect, so no English and a lot of great guitar riffs for MGP there. We couldn’t think of a better contender for Helene Bøksle, whom we know Per Sundnes wants for next year. No nonsense Trønder punk over family friendly folklore pop anytime.

Sing-a-long and choir chicks unleashed
But what does Torkil think is a good song? “It's the one tune people can't listen to without moving their body and perhaps also sing along”, he describes. “Our band loves sing-a-long and party atmosphere. But a song is also good if it can hit a certain mood in people, and then both text and melody is important. I also guess if you are to make a typical Eurovision-song, then the sense of recognition is important. And it should fit the concept of a gigantic stage, pyro effects and 3 choir chicks unleashed”, he upholds.

Well, so far we're even more certain this man could make a great song for us. When we contacted Torkil, we kinda didn't expect him to digg Eurovision, but he ensures us he gets the good entertainment of it all. “I did love Jan Teigen in the 80s. It was heating up a little with Glasnost, but it was cold war, goddamnit. Romeo by Ketil Stokkan was also lovely”, Torkil says. The problem is more the fact that he doesn't like to compete in music, which he thinks is a general opinion among musicians. Along with the fear of being labeled as a Eurovision artist, similar to how Idol participants gets their Idol prefix, he predicts this to be the reason established artists stay away from MGP.

 "Hey, Per, we'd show Europe the real pyro"



No more playback, please
Nonetheless, Torkil thinks it could be good PR for a band to participate as long as it is carefully planned. Although if he were to adjust the competition, he would lose the chairs in the arena, make the stage smaller and more intimate plus get rid of choir chicks and playback music. “Today this is a competition in studio production and costumes more than being able to actually play a decent song. That's more about hitting the right trends in Europe”, he nags.

Torkil's main concern along with only being able to play one single song is having to perform with playback. If he were to contribute a song for MGP, he would prefer for him and Nullskattesnylterne to perform it. “But not with costumes and choreography. We would play live, but suspect it's not allowed? That would be a reason for not participating. And I would only play our own song with my band. I'm a vocalist in Nullskattesnylterne, not a solo artist”, he maintains. Well, no problem for GEE, that, as we also love the rest of this tight band with their great guitars and drums. And we are very sure the MGP and Eurovision crowds would love these hunky men's tendency of ripping of their shirts and lighting up their pyros, so not much more choreography needed there. This is the whole package on a silver platter, maybe even for Mr. Sundnes?

So, when Nullskattesnylterne win MGP 2011, what would be their preferred destination for Eurovision in Germany? "Nürnberg", Torkil replies instantly. "It's a great city, and we have many fans there after touring a lot in that area. The historical context also adds to the greatness", he finishes. And GEE can't wait to see him there.

Our hard verdict:
Sing-a-long and party mood, pyromaniacs and ripping off your shirt. This certainly evokes dreams in GEE's hearts. As for playback, NRK won’t give us a decent answer, but most playbacks are due to the rule of only six people on stage, we think. And Nullskattesnylterne will follow that rule. Dear Torkil with friends. We want you in MGP. And we would be so happy to escort you to Germany. There's really nothing else to say except when can we expect your song to be finished?

Up next: Lars Vaular
It's time for Torkil to pass on the challenge to someone he would like to see in MGP. What's his hard choice? "I would like to challenge Lars Vaular to give it a try", he says. "Norwegian lyrics are far too few in MGP, and in Norwegian music in general. Besides Lars Vaular has a cool attitude that could be a hit in Europe." Well, we couldn't disagree on that one, so let's see if we can find him in the summer heat.

In the meantime, follow them on TV and get up and dance to the Norwegian kind of punk, aka Null$katte$nylterne:

No UK entry from A1

The Norwegian ESC delegation is being beaten around in national press these days for bad media strategy and for mixing up business with pleasure. We asked the most professional musicians we know how it's like being an artist in our country.
  

 
A1 happily accepted their new band member 

Many people were surprised when they heard the big stars of A1 were moving to Norway. Well, we do know there is a certain woman inspiring a certain man, but what is the point of moving your careers out of the UK pop heaven and into our small territory of farmers and pop hobbits?

The slow burner nation
The hunky men of A1 ensure us moving to Norway was due to working with many Scandinavian producers, not just the lovely ladies we present them with. The Brits are not that happy with their decision, though. “We get a lot of fan mail from people in the UK every day asking us when we’re coming back. Many are angry and want us to come back home”, Ben Adams says. We do get that. In Norway we feel extremely lucky to have such huge stars walking among us. What perks do they get out of it?

“Norway is much more of a slow burner. While everything has to happen real fast when launching a record in UK, here you can take your time and do stuff before the new music is launched”, Mark Daniel Read tells us. Also Christian Ingebrigtsen thinks it's good for A1 to work from his home country. “Norway is such a strong territory and living here has really boosted our confidence. We have actually received more fan mail after moving here. People are so keen on hearing what's happening”, he says. “Yeah, we've gotten a lot of new fans, like all these children and their parents”, Ben adds, pointing towards the 1500 choir kids that were off to sing with them in the concert house in Oslo Sunday. Those were some pretty lucky kids, we'd say.

 Ben Adams sang us his toilet song before starting the interview 


Hitting the Norwegian Eurovision stage and loving it
One of the things that have been going on, is A1 participating in the Norwegian MGP – the national finals for Eurovision. Wow, we thought when we heard. How did Norway manage that?

“We were invited by the committee to write a couple of songs, so we submitted a few”, Mark tells us. Lucky committee, we think to ourselves, as there are three great song writers sitting in front of us. But A1 feel like they were the lucky ones, as they have gained a lot from participating. “Actually, we didn't plan on participating ourselves”, Mark continues. “But now we are happy we did. It has been a great experience that has presented us with the opportunity to reach new fan bases traveling around the country. Even if we are an established band, we find it beneficial to participate”, he stresses.

In Good Evening Europe we can't help but wondering what happened when young car mechanic/opera student Didrik Solli-Tangen beat glorious A1 in the grand final. But to A1 it was perfect to be the runner up. “Yeah, of course we would have loved to represent Norway in ESC, but we had so many plans already, winning would have messed up our schedule and made it hard to change everything around”, Christian says.

Would never participate for UK
But why not participate for UK? They seem to struggle to find someone who can perform a decent song over there. “No way, we would never participate in the UK”, Ben almost shouts. The boys seem to agree that while the UK finals for ESC are very cynical and low key, Norway has a much more healthy focus on the actual song contest with good contestants and high standards.

A1 don't even think their participation in MGP is well known over there on their British home turf, since they didn't do any press on it there, but of course the UK Eurovision fans know. Mark, Ben and Christian are moved by all the comments saying they should have won and esctoday.com awarding them with the “Best mid tempo song” prize.

Still, A1 don't think they will participate in the contest again as performers, but maybe they'll submit a few songs again. “Yeah, Eurovision is great for exposing your music”, Mark says. If you are an artist, get in line for performing A1's material, we'd say.

No need for private parties
In Good Evening Europe we thought A1's manager, Christian Dyresen, was really brave when telling our largest tabloid, VG, he believes there are too tight connections between the winners of MGP and our main emperor of MGP, Per Sundnes. Didrik has been attending Sundnes' private dinner parties, he got a vintage car from Per's husband and to some it seems Didrik was the internal favorite long before the final. What do A1 think about the importance of knowing the right people?

“It’s difficult to get away from the fact that everything in this world is based on human relations”, Christian Ingebrigtsen says. “Most people get jobs through people they know, for instance. But we think it’s important to not focus too much on this. It’s the people at home who does the voting, and we just approached the finals from the outside”.

No need for Didrik to be all dogfaced, though. His buddies in A1 think he is a great artist and believe he could do really well. A1 will in fact host their own private ESC party next Saturday together with one of the other MGP finalists this year, Bjørn Johan Muri. And they will all be cheering for Norway, not UK. “Nope. How could we be proud of UK when they present such crappy songs?” Ben says. His glamorous girlfriend Sara Skjoldnes adds she has done a lot of dancing and singing with Didrik while growing up in the same town. She gives him the best of recommendations stating he’s a very nice fellow. Well done charming the stars, Didrik!

A1 will launch their new record in October. In the meantime we can enjoy listening to their MGP contribution: