The first impression
 

Hello. My first post on here.
(and I had to bombard you with a minor essay first thing I do eh)

I find introductions to be pretty dreadful, there's always that fear of being booed off stage or being totally ignored. I'm too amateurish a guitar player to have experienced many scenes like that though. The few times I've been on one I've made it through with a relatively uninterested audience...

What's even worse than those (lack of) welcomings though is that first impression. One never quite manages to make that accurate reflection of oneself does one. I could tell ya'll that I prefer metal n rock, but I wouldn't want my open-minded view and interest of other genres to be neglected. To take it one step further I could explain that Ozzy Osbourne, Rammstein and Backyard Babies are some fav artist/bands of mine, but I wouldn't want it to seem like I don't enjoy Marilyn Manson, Depeche Mode, Die Ärzte, Tom Petty, Kaizers Orchestra or Bo Kaspers Orkester any less, just to mention a few of very many. A little extra notification could be that I think it's fun and interesting to listen to non-english music (lyrically), which is one reason why I've followed the Eurovision Song Contest for years. I'm mostly into German music but again, that doesn't narrow my forum of international music (-> mentally, no promoting here) I'd gladly share with you.

... Another dreadful thing with introductions if they go on for a bit too long is that it's a fine line between being interesting and appear as a smug besserwisser. So I'll stop it here and hope the damage hasn't been done already.

:)

Eurovision? Say again. I quite liked you up until you mentioned the Eurovision. Now I'm not so sure.

Be nice to the newcomer, Charlie. Now you see why we can't let you off your leash.

That's my geekiest flaw, and it sparkles as the cheesy glitter on every costume the artists wear to get some corrupt votes.

To be fair, Eurovision has had some pretty fantastic performances. Including SAX MAN

^^ Haha. Awesome. I take it all back. Eurovision is the best. ;)

Now if only the UK could win. Shame the rest of Europe hates us.

^I'd say it's a shame to call it fantastic. The sax is the only catchy thing in that song, and it went along the mainstream radio 'cause of it. It's not a secret or surprise that being in ESC damages ones image, and yes the votings are like watching an ice hockey match Red Wings - Blackhawks and bet money on which team the folks from Chicago is gonna cheer on. But I like it 'cause of all the nations coming together and sings something in other languages than English, even though most are turning into English lyrics so that they'll reach out to a broader audience. Having ESC on your CV I'm not quite sure why they'd wanna do that. Hands down for Celine Dion though, who managed to go from ESC donna to the Titanic song-singer.

Celine Dion won the Eurovision? I wasn't aware. Was that her breakthrough?

Yea, 1988.

Why was she representing Switzerland? I'm confused.

Ahh:

Asked about singing for Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest, Celine said:

"First of all they came to me and asked me to represent a country that's not even mine. 'Would you represent us at the Eurovision Song Contest? No pressure!' I was very young but the song was amazing. I didn't look at it that I was representing everyone, just doing my best. I went and I sang my heart out the best I could and everything went so wonderfully well. I'm really grateful and it helped my career"
-Celine Dion