Today, as I was preparing breakfast, I took out the old compilation tape of the 2003 Eurovision from Riga. I think I bought it in Estonia, since we were going hiking with a friend who only had a cassette player - not a CD - in his car.
Anyhow.
It has been nine years from Riga, which means that the contest has gone through most of its ageing process already. Most of the songs have survived quite well, to be honest. Even the songs that used to annoy me for being too simple feels OK (Cyprus, for instance).
Even the big nul-pointer sounds quite good. On the day of the final I predicted that Ireland, Malta or the UK would be the nul-pointer of the year, but my jaw dropped when it actually happened.
The UK had always been unbeatable and whatever they sent in, they seemed to earn a bucket full of points, even when it didn't deserve much.
To start with, "Cry Baby" didn't even sound like a disaster entry. It had a clear hook, a useful handle, and it felt somehow more inspired than many other UK entries. Definitely a step up compared to Lindsay Dracass.
Even the preview felt OK. A bit anemic, but OK.
Jemini - Cry Baby (United Kingdom 2003 preview)
The real disaster started on location in Riga. Sending in an inexprienced act isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself - an artist in the making can use the experience to grow and make progress during the week - but Jemini seemed to have none of the qualities needed.
The final kiss of death came with the final performance: so out of tune it could make ears bleed, so over-excited it almost became awkward to watch. (The BBC delegation only made things worse by suggesting that the poor result was due to politics, as anyone with ears and eyes easily understood the real reasons.)
Still - the UK had always collected points in the past, also with dismal entries. But this time everyone made thumbs down. Nul points. The last nul pointer to date in a Eurovision final.
An important event, proving that nobody is safe in the new world of Eurovision. Everyone has to make an effort. A good point, indeed.
(And yet, Israel would have deserved last place even more in 2003. But that's a different story.)
Jemini - Cry Baby (United Kingdom 2003)
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