This afternoon saw the much anticipated arrival of the automatic qualifiers on stage in Baku for their first rehearsals. Let’s dive straight in.

There’s a very simple presentation for Germany’s Roman Lob who is accompanied by a full band on stage. There’s no doubting he’s a good-looking chap, vocally he was on very fine form, and after the madness of what we had seen this morning, ‘Standing Still’ came across as refreshingly normal. The draw is helping Lob, and this Danish-sounding song is ideal jury fodder too – a full band is on stage to cement that. I’m still not sure quite how much love televoters will give this, but this was a very strong rehearsal.

This is more than can be said for what France revealed, which was essentially homoerotic cabaret. The main show isn’t Anggun, or her two backing singers, but the three musclebound gymnasts who put themselves through their paces in an attempt to confuse the viewer. One of them performs a somersault over Anggun which puts my heart in my mouth every time.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 19 Rehearsals – part 2

To misquote Shakespeare: “Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble.” Quite the spell was cast over the press centre today. Slovenia featured a ghost haunting Eva Boto, Croatia created their equivalent of the Turin Shroud, Sweden’s presentation made Loreen seem rather witch-like; Georgia Anri Jokhadze started off looking like Lucifer, whilst Turkey’s backing dancers were swirling their capes.

That was just the morning, when five further songs in semi two had their second rehearsal. If that didn’t wake up the walking dead in the press centre recovering from last night’s parties, this afternoon promised the six automatic qualifiers on stage in Baku for the first time. The Crystal Hall was a cauldron of excitement.

The ‘big six’ merit a separate article once they are done. Look out for video footage of them and all today’s rehearsals here. For now let’s focus on those morning run-throughs.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 19 Rehearsals – part 1

You can watch today’s rehearsals here. It featured the last five songs from semi 1 and the first eight songs from semi 2. These second practices are for each act to try and perfect their staging and direction – the next time they get the chance will already be the first full dress rehearsal. You could see from the press feed different shots being tried out with each run-through.

I approached the day feeling a little tired. Let me tell you those Russian Babushki were perkier than I was when first to practice this morning – I want to know their secret. However, even though fatigue set in towards the end, it had a saving grace, more on which below.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 18 Rehearsals

What’s going up or down? Every newspaper loves those handy guides to fashion trends or celebrity star power, because it’s an easy shorthand that readers enjoy.

With second rehearsals (watch them here) starting today – featuring the first 13 songs in the first semi – Eurovision blogs can do their equivalent. X is up! Y is down! Z is still zzzzzzzz. You can expect a lot more of this over the next week. It’s quite the rollercoaster.

My best advice to punters is to take things incrementally; try not to over-react to one good or bad rehearsal. Easier said than done, I know, but easing yourself into positions rather than charging in on something that will probably change over time is usually the most sensible option.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 17 Rehearsals

Straight to the question of the day: how was Loreen? I can report that she’s still doing tai-chi, even when it snows. What we saw today was similar to the Melodifestivalen production. Once ‘Euphoria’ starts, there are no long shots, Loreen is at the centre of the action at all times and there’s only the occasional glimpse of three backing singers in the background.

There were a few other minor changes, in what was very much a game of spot the difference. Some purple lighting makes ‘Euphoria’ look less dark than it did in Stockholm. The stage is bigger, which means that we catch the backing dancer creeping towards her a bit earlier, looking for all the world like a Jimmy Jump-style gatecrasher.

Overall, there’s little reason to change your opinion of Loreen’s chances from what you reckoned after the Swedish final. Those who believed they saw the Eurovision winner back then can take comfort from the fact that Sweden haven’t tinkered with it significantly.

What else wasn’t new? You can see for yourself here. My thoughts are below.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 16 Rehearsals

As planned, there was one less rehearsal today with run-throughs for the first eight songs in the second semi – video footage of which can be found at songfestivalweblog.nl once more. I wish I could say that the day felt shorter as a result, but it didn’t.

I was flagging by 5pm, at which point Ukraine came to rehearse. Could the nation that took us all by surprise last year when putting sand artist Kseniya Simonova on stage alongside their singer, do it again?

Perhaps Gaitana would appear with other former luminaries of Ukraine’s Got Talent. I was hoping that Timophey Vinkovsky could provide backing on the crystal glasses whilst Just Two Men put in some rope work. Instead we got a body popper who wouldn’t have made it past the audition stage. Pfffft.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 15 Rehearsals

Babushki! Jedward! Catering at last for the press centre! Today promised much for Eurovision hacks. If truth be told, I got pretty much what I was expecting: lamb kofte, rice and the salty white drink in a carton you think is going to be yoghurt that they seem to like in these parts. Apparently it’s made by leaving milk to curdle just a little bit to generate the different taste.

A similar thing happens to fanboys and bloggers at the venue. Left to curdle in the Eurovision bubble, we generate our own hype. Today was all about that, especially regarding the entries from Russia and Ireland. Otherwise, Cyprus and Denmark were other acts high enough up in bookmakers’ lists to merit plenty of interest.

Here’s my take on the day’s events which featured the second half of songs in the first semi. A handy page with all the video footage can be found at this Dutch site.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 14 Rehearsals

“Calm down dear, it’s only a first rehearsal.”

This was my mantra today. At this stage of proceedings last year, Russia looked a Top 5 contender and Georgia a non-qualifier. Had the ghost of Eurovision future told me that Eldrine would comfortably place above Vorobyov in the final, I would have shooed him away with a mocking laugh.

Today’s nine rehearsals, comprising those entries making up the first half of the first semi-final, contained three countries I had included among my previews of the leading contenders: Iceland, Romania and Greece. It is here that we will turn first.

Continue reading Eurovision 2012: May 13 Rehearsals