Eurovision
I was never a huge fan of TV talent competitions. Maybe I know too much about what goes on behind the scenes — unfavorable contracts, song ownership grabs — or maybe it just feels like ‘how did we get here from there’? Would Dylan or Carole King have gotten a Golden Ticket? I doubt it. Not enough melisma.
To many, the shows are entertaining — but let’s face it…they’re really about the ratings, numbers, advertising and…the judges. With few exceptions (Kelly, Carrie) they rarely turn out to be a dream come true for the contestant.
Still, scrolling through my New York Times Morning report this weekend I couldn’t help but notice the Eurovision Song Contest results. Eurovision is like the Songwriting Olympics — acts from participating countries submit an original song to be performed live and the competing countries vote for the other countries' songs. A notable past winner is Celine Dion (1988) when she looked like this:
What a difference hair makes!
Celine would become one of the world's top selling artists of all time. So again, there are exceptions.
This year’s trophy went to Italian Rock/Glam band Måneskin for their song "Zitti E Buoni.” (Sounds like a yummy pasta dish but it actually translates to “shut up and “behave.”) There was some controversy afterwards however, when lead vocalist Damiano David was seen in green room video footage “hunched over a table in a sniffing motion.” What’s a competition without a little drama? (Can you say Medina Spirit, Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding?) David said drugs were absolutely not involved — that he was bending down because someone broke a glass. He (voluntarily) tested negative the next day and shattered glass was indeed found on the floor of the green room.
You can’t judge a band by their cover. Or glitter. Or makeup. Or satin jumpsuits. Besides they probably got more publicity because of the sniffing. It occurred to me that perhaps they planned it. Juss sayin’. Am I cynical? Definitely. But I’ve earned it.
Anyway I wanted to know what the winning song sounded like so I pressed play. Being it was in Italian I didn’t understand the words but I dug the infectious bass line (aka an “osinato” — a continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm) especially because it transported me back to the Right Track Inn on Long Island where my besties and I used to slip in the door courtesy of fakes ID, slurp 7&7s and listen to cover bands play their most earnest version of “Free Bird.”
Where did all the rock bands go? I know we’ve had a tough year and nobody’s been out on stages but still.
In anticipation of a pop-songwriting workshop I’m teaching in the fall I thought it would be a good idea to pay more attention to what is charting, trending, etc. So I downloaded a Pop 40 playlist on a streaming service (that shall not be mentioned). Not one rock song. Mainly hip hop. A couple of pop ditties. I particularly loved “Beautiful Mistakes” by Maroon 5 - ft. Megan Thee Stallion which brought to mind last summer’s Cardi B/Megan smash “WAP” (Wet Ass you-know-what) — a track that (IMO) Starboi3 and Doja Cat responded to with the last track on that playlist: “Dick.” 😳😳😳
No “Free Bird”s, “No Cashmere”s, No “Dream On.” Nothing even close.
Why do I care? Well, I’ve made my living writing pop songs which has more than satisfied my sweet tooth in music but my roots are back at the Right Track Inn. Give me Stones, Heart, Boston, on the Freeway any day.
Maneskin has been bubbling under for years. They all (David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchio) went to the same High School. They busked on the streets of Rome. They won contests, placed in festivals, recorded extensively and released studio albums. I respect the hard work, their story, their authenticity; and their win gave me good feels despite my cynical feels about talent show culture.
Damian David said, “We just want to say to the whole Europe, to the whole world, rock ‘n’ roll never dies!” Well, at least Måneskin is doing their part to make sure that doesn’t happen. Good Luck! 😜
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