"Out of time, out of place..."One of the biggest urban myths associated with Eurovision is the importance of the draw in determining a song's chances, and in particular the kiss of death that being drawn 2nd is meant to deliver. Sure, the #2 spot is notorious for never having produced a winner and littering the bottom of the scoreboard with one hopeless entry after another, but it's rarely if ever the draw in isolation that seals an entry's fate. The 2008 semis were enough to show that a song can still start from the slot and impress the viewers or jury enough to get through. Whether it's drawn 2nd or 22nd, the song itself and the performance it receives will largely decide it. That's certainly the case with this year's Slovenian entry, Love Symphony, drawn 10th. But then it's also true that it couldn't have received a more appropriate draw.
If the future of Quartissimo and token vocalist Martina Majerle lies in the hands of their song alone, they probably won't be all that chuffed to have landed smack bang in the middle of the semi with nine songs propping up both sides of Love Symphony. Few entries in the past have had INTERVAL ACT writ all over them quite as large as the Slovenian entry, which starts, continues and stops in the best traditions of true muzak. Not even the bridge, pinched wholesale from Leonard Bernstein, makes you sit up and take notice. In fact the only thing worth investing any of your energy in with Love Symphony is a couple of the string lads, who stand up to a second viewing much better than their song does. Not that it's a song really: it's Hooked On Classics, only more tacky.
Given a plum draw à la Cvet Z Juga in 2007, composer Andrej Babić might find the audience still gullible enough to fall for something like Love Symphony. As it stands, he may improve on his best placing (13th from four attempts), but only in this semi. Next.
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