http://www.myspass.de/myspass/shows/tvshows/bundesvision-songcontest/Bundesvision-Song-Contest-2012-Teil-3--/10228/
I'd never heard of this before which puts my Eurovision nerdery to shame. So, how did I find a German-language regional mini Eurovision?
In many ways it seemed like a national final for Eurovision. I'm surprised it's not staged later to fit in with the selection for that, but I guess that would take away from the German element of it. If it seems like Germany's Eurovision entries are all a bit Snow Patrol or Lily Allen/Kate Nash for your liking, and miss a good german-language entry (Austria did not provide this year), this is your show.
Opening to the Eurovision theme, and followed by Stefan Raab's 2000 entry, it's not surprise to find that this is the project of Stefan Raab. Oh Stefan, you'll never leave us! Will you? WILL YOU?
The songs themselves seemed very much like Eurovision entries, but without the more confining rules that make Eurovision entries somewhat formulaic (6 stage members, 3 minutes long, etc.) As I said, it has a national final vibe, which is probably why it seems a lot less showy than the Eurovision, which has masses of money thrown in. Or it's like 90s Eurovision, where songs seemed more song-like, and there weren't ridiculous stage props and costume changes all over the place.
The voting I find hilarious. Each of the 16 regions of Germany votes in the same way as eurovision with one crucial difference: they can give themselves the 12 points. Which basically means the loser gets to know that they really suck and no one likes them if they end with less than 12 points -- your own region didn't even like you!
Like Eurovision, there was the usual advantage of performing last, with the winner performing last and second place performing second last. I preferred the second place, Laing, but 'electronica lady sound' is probably more my thing than German Eminem singing for his homies in the Rhine Valley*
Second Place: Laing, 'Morgens immer müde', Saxony
Winner: Xavas, 'Schau nicht mehr zurück' Baden Wurttemberg
*Baden Wurttemberg might well be a real hard place of guns, hos and a hard street life. I don't know, never been there.
Other notables: Saarland's Die Orsons and Cro. 'Horst and Monika' -- Thanks to the video, this song probably the one that makes sense without a knowledge of German.
Vierkanttretlager, 'Fotoalbum' -- I dunno, I just like this one.
Worst songs: Johanna Zeul from Saxony-Anhalt and Cris Cosmo from Hesse. Johanna was just poor (I can't find decent live performances, but the full show is linked at the top) while Cris Cosmo clearly thinks he's in a more exciting band.
