And we’re off! Or Here We Go as they say in Latvian. We just managed to catch the final run through of PeR still dazzling in their glittery pantsuits. This is the first time I’d seen the slo-mo strut down the catwalk and once they get there the singer launches himself into the crowd for a bit of surfing. At the moment it’s into the safe hands of the crew, who I hope will be standing by in the night. There’s no telling where the wandering hands of a fanboy might end up, though I’d wager they’d be after his sequins ahead of his doo-dahs any day.
San Marino is nice, but not the classy number I’d hoped for. Valentina is emoting so much she’s forgetting to play to the camera and I think this may be to her detriment. Her low-alcohol Buck’s Fizz moment with the ripping off of her shawl sees her almost snagging it and momentarily sending her off the beat. It’s a bit disappointing to be honest. Maybe another year in the semis.
Macedonia is up now and I really want to love it. But I don’t, or at least not the way it’s being done. It still feels disjointed, so much so that by song three, and after San Marino, it feels like we’re 5 different songs in. He’s singing in Macedonian: there’s a bit of a minor controversy about them wanting to sing in English but I’ve been informed they’ve been ticked off with the risk of a fine if they do, having originally applied to sing in the national language. Emma is engaging, a vision in a heck of a lot of reddish tangerine, but I’m not sure even she can save this. On the last run through she’s either doing a big vibrato effect shaking her microphone or she’s absolutely bricking it. Oh dear…
Monty x