Next year's gimmick...

[onrequest]

So this year it's obviously been the 'masked rockers' that have won it. What about next year though? A lot of people are saying "Enough gimmicks! It's supposed to be a song contest", and I think we could trade off that.

I think that accapella song from this year was a good idea.

Now don't get me wrong, the song was terrible, the opening was ropey and the stage performance was dire.

But imagine next year the UK entering four glamourous girls, singing a beautifully written, amazing love song, with tight, perfect harmonies and no backing, no gimmicks and no messing around.

Just four amazing voices, singing a beautiful song, with lots of layered vocals and adlibby bits. Would such a 'back to basics' approach perhaps work in our favour?

[KittyLips]

Gee, let's hope Ireland decide on acapella first and resurrect Bellefire especially for the contest...

Acapella is a gimmick too. And as Latvia proved, it's a shit one.

[Molly]

I don't think a gimmick is necessarily essential, as long as the songs are good, but it seems that the good songs tie in with gimmicks. 'Every Way That I Can' had the twisty dancers, but was also great. 'Wild Dancers' was gimmicked up to high heaven, but was also a very enjoyable track. 'My Number One' wasn't that gimmicky if I remember rightly - I was horrendously drunk for the entire thing last year. Lordi, obviously the costumes are a gimmick, but Hard Rock Hallelujah is a catchy song and very different from the rest of the crop.
The gimmickless songs this year generally sucked. Ireland was one of the worst songs I've heard in my life. I thought the French one was quite pretty, but it was poorly sung.
A really good song without a gimmick could certainly win. My vote - next year we get Maria Lawson to sing a massive power ballad and put the theory to the test.

[NumanumAnzej]

It'll either be masks, or heavy metal. I hope to god it's not the latter.

[schlagerlout]

There's sure to be loads of novelty comedy entries next year. Brace yourselves now. With Finland winning and those Lithuanian clowns doing so well, I think it's a given. Still, at least it won't be another year of pish East-meets-West Beyoncé ethno pop.

[KittyLips]

If that is the case it means a proper entry might win in the same way that Elena Paparizou won when the contest was going drums and leather crazy...

[schlagerlout]

Yes, I forgot about The Chiara Effect(TM)

[dannywales]

Hmm, I'm not sure what next year will bring, although I agree that it will be full of novelty acts, sadly.

To be honest I don't think Maria would be a good choice for the UK, we all know how racist Eurovision voters and a lot of eastern Europe are.

[Adrian]

This year had a lot of legs and backing dancers. We all remember last year, the Paparizou had legs and backing dancers.

Next year I predict wings and fireworks.

YAY!

A