Romania – what’s that smell?

By
Phil Colclough
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WRS at his second rehearsal in Turin
WRS at his second rehearsal in Turin

As we have come to expect – things are running late. They don’t seem to shorten breaks to catch up though, must be a union thing… or an Italian thing… or just a thing!

Anyhow, it’s the music and entertainment you have come for, not the EU’s working time directive and so, in that vein, WRS turned up on stage. Now, if Estonia can be described as losing its flavour with a pared back performance the WRS fills your nostrils with Paella, San Miguel and the unmistakable aroma of sun-kissed fat foreigners in the mid day sun.

No, smart arse, not Bucharest on a Friday, but more like Barcelona… or Bognor. He even has the Zapata moustache as well to keep the foreign illusion. I do get the vibe, though, of a wandering minstrel singing at you in a Spanish Tapas bar that stays just that bit too long and leers at your significant other rather than a young dancer type man. He’s energetic, yes, but for someone that is a dancer, he seems very stiff and wooden. I suspect though he is concentrating more on singing the song rather than his movements and chapeau to him.

I also have to refer to what he looks like. Well, he’s got a very, very shiny pair of trousers on that have clearly been made from, or inspired from, bin collection day in Turin. Imagine black shiny dustbin bag material and you won’t go far wrong. He’s topped that look off with a red ruffled shirt. It really does scream “Spain” at you.

The chorus is the strongest part of this song because it has the hook and the “Hola me bebebe” line which is something to hang the song on but, for me, it runs its race quickly and even with him having his shirt ripped off at the final chorus and some weapons grade mincing towards the end, I am seeing this as 8-9-10-11-12 at best because this semi is strong.