Double Eurovision?

Mock all you like, this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is rapidly becoming one of the biggest stories in town. Where to start? There’s accusations of bloc voting (and that the Pope’s Catholic), claims that eastern Europe is ruining the contest because all of Russia’s neighbours want to keep it sweet, bitter exchanges between spurned artists and calls for Western Europe to set up its own competition. I’m suggesting EuroWestVision as a name. BBC legend Terry Wogan is so unimpressed he says he’s thinking about giving it all up. Is there a danger of everyone taking this a wee bit too seriously?

Le Pop: Is English the only language for rock and roll?

Much discussion in the office this morning about whether anyone could think of a single good pop record sung in a language other than English. Many a snide comment about the Eurovision song contest but few people put their hands up. For years the French have been fretting over their most popular bands abandoning their native language but is the reality that English is the only language for Rock and Roll?