My problems with this are two-fold.
First, the song is essentially Sheldon bleating for three minutes that he is different and that he hides behind a mask. Genuine emotions from a genuine guy. It just translates to what amounts to him bellowing, at me personally, that he’s had a bad upbringing and that he’s different. The song definitely resonates with a section of people, of course it does, but for the majority that are going to be watching on Thursday night, I just think they need entertaining.
And they will have been royally entertained in most of the previous seven songs. Remember this is going to come straight after Achille Lauro has gyrated all over the stage with his guitarist and a rodeo bull. No one is going to be listening to the postcard, or the commentator telling them about Sheldon or, if we are honest, even the first 30-45 seconds of this song.
That is where Sheldon needs to connect with the audience, and all there is are some back-lit shots of Sheldon with his mask on, commanding people to hear how different he is. It’s staged relatively simply with him in a white suit and feather bottoms. The denouement of this song is Sheldon walking up the stairs and taking his mask off. To the average televoter, though, all they are going to hear or remember is “I’m not the same” repeated over and repeatedly until they get thoroughly sick and tired of it and their mind wanders to the next song.
It might not be the story Sheldon was looking for, but its the one he is going to get.
This young lad from #Australia has got one hell of a voice. I’m concerned he’ll trip over his frock as he goes up those big steps with obscured vision, though. I’m liking this lots, despite the horrible done-up white shirt serious muso cliche. I hope he does well. #Eurovision
— EurovisionApocalypse (@ESCApocalypse) May 6, 2022
AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺
Simple staircase staging that overall works.
Static for the majority until the last 30 secs.
Vocal…F***ING INCREDIBLE! More strength and control than Aus Decides. #Eurovision
— Pif Paf Blog (@ESCPifPaf) May 6, 2022
AUSTRALIA
Three very strong vocal run-throughs from Sheldon Riley, who retains the stage concept from Australia Decides but quite literally elevates it with some portable staircases.Could spending 2/3 of the performance in a mask have a distancing effect on viewers though?
— Eurovision Insight (@ESCinsight) May 6, 2022