[LMBTO] Eurovision 2018 Weeks 1 & 2 - Tumbleweed Time?

It's mid-September and on the surface, it appears that not much is happening in Eurovision land - not even this tumbleweed is moving!  This time last year?  We at least had Depi Evratesil starting in Armenia, which kept us Eurovision fans amused through the darkening autumnal nights - it doesn't look as though that selection process is happening again, which is a damn shame as I loved it!  Just to remind you what we are all missing - my favourite performance of the series:



I think that, in hindsight, the performance skills and on-stage presence of Marta might have given Armenia a better placing in Kyiv, seeing that Artsvik wasn't given a power ballad to blast out there.

But what has been happening over the last couple of weeks?  Maybe more than I had realised...


Who will be there (probably)...
There were 31 nations who had already confirmed their place in Lisbon on 'Eurovision New Year' - add to that six more 'definites':


and a probable, as long as the EBU accept their broadcaster - Israel.

As expected Slovakia has said NO, which is a shame:
I know that I speak for a lot of fans when I say that it would be great see Kristína sing again.  Add to them Bosnia & Herzegovina - the cost of being at Eurovision and their public broadcaster having hardly any funds has led to probably one of the most obvious withdrawals of the year:

BHRT will not participate in Eurovision 2018. #ESC2018#BiHpic.twitter.com/GObp7RhCQR

— BH EUROSONG (@bheurosong) September 18, 2017

Of course, these are all the countries that have announced their participation publically - there is a 'cooling off' period where any nation who has tendered their submission can withdraw without financial penalty.  There are five nations missing from above that were in Kyiv - spotted them yet?


All likely participants bar perhaps the microstate within Italy but we'll have to wait and see if they all confirm publically over the next few weeks.  I would be surprised if anyone else appears this year - Morocco haven't said anything one way or the other but it is incredibly remote that they would suddenly appear with no EBU fanfare after 38 years!  Talking of 38, that's how many 'definites' we have after two weeks of the Eurovision season...


Cyprus have a songwriter and it ain't G:son...
This seems to be the only picture available of the Cypriot songwriter-in-waiting, Alex P (or Alex Papaconstantinou, as his mum would know him) - maybe he needs to widen his portfolio!  Having world class songwriters and producers has at least helped Cyprus reach the Final and have okay results over the past couple of years - this guy has excellent pop music credentials and a history of Eurovision hits:



Being part of the team that got a bronze medal in 2009 is not to be sniffed at, nor was co-writing what should have been Poland's winning Eurovision song in 2016 ("Cool Me Down") and also working with Helena Paparizou. You have to say one thing for the Cypriot Eurovision team, they definitely don't skimp when it comes to talent on the production side of things - now all they need is a artist of the same calibre.  If you know anyone from Cyprus or of Cypriot origin, get them to send their application via an email to cypruseurovision2018@cybc.com.cy - they might get through the audition process and end up in the proposed NF.  I know of a couple of singers myself...


Sweden have one artist, Malta have thirty...
Thank you for escYOUnited for producing the clearest list of the 30 'runners and riders' for MESC 2018 and the only major news website that recognised that Richard and Joe Micallef are actually two individual people!  Lots of returners there - Brooke and Christabelle probably being the stand outs for me, although Malta's own 'Liberace' is back yet again to potentially give Eurovision a bouffant and a piano:



In a break in tradition, we will lose 14 for the NF, not four as tended to happen in the past with the MESC process between SF and Final - as we have no idea what these will sound like, I'll leave it there but we should be seeing one of these artists with potentially one of these song titles being announced in Lisbon.  I like the sound of "Casablanca Love"...


A snippet of the first song for Eurovision consideration...



He's never blooming happy, is he?  Eurovision ever-hopeful Sasha has been spotted yet again by Roy Delaney from Eurovision Apocalypse putting himself forward for Moldova's selection process.  Is he hoping that because "Hey Mamma!" was so 'up', so fun, so entertaining, that this nation will flip aboutface and go for a tune that could only be staged with him alone, mid stage, bawling and contorting himself in agony, singing such a downbeat tune?  Not really got his finger on the pulse of how to succeed in this Contest, has he?  It will be interesting to see if he makes it to any live rounds this year...


Madonna is in Portugal...

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on Sep 7, 2017 at 6:04pm PDT

Have we got our Final interval act in Lisbon already sorted?  Madonna has reportedly bought herself a 'small gaff' for something rumoured to be worth £5m+ outside of the capital due to one of her sons being signed up at Benfica's Academy - she has also shown on her social media feeds that she is embracing the distinctive musical Portuguese genre of Fado.  Madge literally taking on 'destiny' in May?  If she's there already, RTP won't have to fly someone in...


And Eesti Laul grabs my attention...

Can you tell that this nation will now always have a piece of my Eurovision heart?  Attending Eesti Laul this year with all the wonderful experiences that followed has meant that whenever I see any sort of news coming out of Estonia, I am all ears and eyes!  Ten years old in 2018, Eesti Laul is after songs to fill the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn on March 3rd next year - the producer, Mart Normet, wants the tenth show to be special:

I cannot imagine that Koit and Laura will be involved (apart from maybe reprising "Verona" in some way) but having watched this selection process closely over the past few years, the same names and faces do tend to crop up with almost as much regularity as those in Malta do.  I have to admit that I won't be upset if these ladies reappear:

But regular readers would have known that anyway!  It is noted that there is no mention of a SuperFinal this year - a combined jury/televote only.  If that is the case, is it a reaction to the lady above being the leader before that stage last year, only to be beaten by the clear public favourites?  My plan for 2018 was to just attend Eurovision itself but I am so, SO tempted to return to Estonia to watch yet another instalment of this fascinating and enthralling spectacle - there are still tickets available...

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Okay, so maybe there was more going on in weeks 1 & 2 of the Eurovision 2018 season than I thought at first glance!

Not a bad start on the face of it - what's next?