It's only five days until Chig and chums toddle off to Stockholm for a long weekend, starting with St. Patrick's night on Friday in a Stockholm Irish pub (possibly) with Irish and Swedish friends (definitely). Then there's the small matter of the Melodifestivalen final on Saturday in Globen. That's the venue that looks like a huge golf ball, where I went to for my first overseas Eurovision week, in 2000.

Last night we watched Carola ease into the automatic places for the final, with the return of her wind machine from 1991 and some flag-waving dancers building up her song (which is certainly not the best of this year's 32) into a potential winner. The other automatic qualifier, Björn Kjellman, took us all by surprise. I rated it as my 7th or 8th of last night's eight songs, and a bit boring. I texted my surprise to my Swedish friend who was in the hall and he texted back, 'We like it', so what do I know? The Swedish nation has spoken.

Tonight, the second chance 'Andra Chansen' heat has taken place, where the eight songs which have come 3rd and 4th in each of the four heats - are you following this? - have the videos of their performances shown again on TV, and two of them are given a second chance and put into the final. You can't write off the songs that get through in this way - Alcazar did it last year and ended up third in the final.

The two who got through tonight were Rednex - yes, them - and Magnus Bäcklund from the first heat three weeks ago. I'm rather surprised that Roger Pontare (from last night) didn't make it again, and very disappointed that Elysion's operatic 'Golden Star' didn't either, as (a) their stage show was great and (b) the lead male singer was a bit of a hunk. I would have liked to see both of them in the flesh.

Tonight, SVT has released the running order for Saturday's final, so here it is:

1. Sing For Me - Andreas Johnson
The song which Sweden should pick if they want to WIN Eurovision in Athens. It definitely could, especially after receiving additional exposure in the Thursday qualifier. It pushes all the right buttons; epic, immediately catchy and uplifting, sung by the charismatic singer who had a #4 hit in the UK with the brilliant 'Glorious' in 2000 and now looks a bit Brian Molko. Which is good. The song is a bit Beatles-ish and a lot brilliant.

2. Älskar du livet - Björn Kjellman
Like I said, a bit dull really.

3. Jag ljuger så bra - Linda Bengtzing
A retread of the brilliant 'Alla Flickör' which took her to the final last year, but we'll forgive her.

4. Night Of Passion - The Poodles
Soft rock in the Bon Jovi mode, but I'm not sure they're taking the piss.

5. Lev livet - Magnus Carlsson
The song's a favourite of mine, and so is he. The former Alcazar member attempts to join his old bandmate Andreas, who is already going to Athens as part of the Swiss syrup-fest known as Six4One. Magnus C's song is catchy as the pox and he is immensely shaggable.

6. Mama Take Me Home - Rednex
Not as lively as we expected (feared) from the Cotton Eye Joe bunch, but it's a grower. Frankly though, we have cowboy hats already in Athens from Denmark and Germany. We don't need any more from this lot.

7. Evighet - Carola
Powerpop with jingly bells, a catchy chorus, a wind machine and a long note that makes people queens scream with joy! It means 'Eternity' when translated, but its ENglish version will be called 'Invincible' if she goes to Greece.

8. The Name of Love - Magnus Bäcklund
Good, but not amongst the best in this final. He's the bloke from Fame, who represented Sweden in Riga.

9. Idag och Imorgon - Kikki Danielsson
Glorious schlagerpop, with a ridiculosuly catchy chorus, from the (ahem!) slightly larger, slightly older woman who looks a bit surprised to be there. Well, it is 21 years since she represented Sweden with the amusingly titled (for English speakers) 'Bra Vibrationer'.

10. Temple of Love - BWO (Bodies Without Organs)
Second favourite after Carola from the pretty boy (Martin Rolinski) and the one who used to be in Army Of Lovers (Alexander Bard). Good, but not as good as their entry last year, 'Gone'.

I'll be delighted to see Kikki or Magnus C win on Saturday. I'll be pleased, but with reservations, if the homophobic Christian Carola wins (as the whole of the Swedish press fully expects her to do) and happy enough about Bodies Without Organs doing it. But Sweden MUST pick Andreas Johnson if they want to win in Athens, or we'll probably be in Sarajevo next year. (This year's Bosnia-Herzegovina entry has 'winner' written all over it already.) I'm not sure if I want to go there.

Sverige, here we come!


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