oneurope.co.uk

Category: Live 2019

All the latest live from tel Aviv as the OnEurope crew watch rehearsals, sneak into parties and generally lig it through the city.

  • North Macedonia in “This is very good” shocker

    North Macedonia in “This is very good” shocker

    Tamara sold the shit out of this song. Her performance was ballsy and edgy and the staging simple (except for the mirrors). The message I got through the screen was Tamara saying: “Why wouldn’t you vote for me?” … and I had no answer.

    This proved without a shadow that if you have a strong song, you don’t need to have everything on stage. It tells its own story

    This will mop up votes all over the place in this part of the contest, and get Macedonia (North) through to the final.

    Once there, I hope it doesn’t end up next to Sergey and his mirrors, otherwise it could set off a copycat moment in the minds of televoters.

    Qualifying: YES

    An intense performance. Tamara has replicas of herself in the background facing away from the audience. Nothing much more than her singing into the mic. This will live or die on whether or not the audience picks up on the emotion of the song.Tellystats

  • Netherlands, The – Is this missing context?

    Netherlands, The – Is this missing context?

    The Dutch decided to put a light box on the front of the piano and darken the staging, bringing Duncan into sharper focus at the start of the song. The overall effect was really good.

    He even connected with the camera on several occasions, which definitely helped the performance rise above the level it was at when first performed … which, after all, is what rehearsals are all about.

    My worry with this song still remains as it always was.  Duncan was in his own little world, and it was almost as though those connections had been forced upon him. He’d be much happier saying to the delegation: “Just let me sing it my way”. Great if you are a performer, not so much in a televised song contest.

    The song itself, of course, is clearly strong enough but I, and several others, get the overall impression that it’s lacking that something, but we don’t know what.

    Put this and Sergey in a head to head and Sergey still wins.

    Qualifying : YES

    Pannecoucke still experimenting with various light. To me it’s like he’s missing the bigger picture. There are quick easy fixes to this concept. Still lacking sufficient emotional resonance.ESCTips

     

  • Semi-final 1 – how we ranked and rated the songs

    Semi-final 1 – how we ranked and rated the songs

    Long term readers will be aware that in days of yore, OnEuropean hacks chose to gather in brightly-lit all-you-can-eat buffet bars and ponder what they’d seen over a week of rehearsals. It was known as the serviette of doom*.

    This year, the serviette has gone high-tech and you get the whole table (see what we did there?) of doom.

    Here’s how OnEurope rated the first Eurovision 2019 semi-final

    Click the verdict to read the review

    SongPerformer(s)JuryTelevoteTotalPsn
    DripMeandi86143Q
    Show yaPetunija4267
    ChemistryGermanas Skoris75235
    Make me humanMonique1012222Q
    Vilnius callingRokas Povilius57126
    If I leaveMonika Marija1210221Q
    Why why whyAndy Vaic3478
    FullyThe Backs68144Q

    Later today, we’ll bring you a summary of the second semi-final.

    * it was called thus, because our endorsement invariable condemned a song to nul points hell.

     

  • Norway – Three don’t become one

    Norway – Three don’t become one

    My first thought on this run-through was: “Why does the lead singer (Tom) look like he’s dressed for a uniform fetish party?” He seemed to have shined his dress uniform and the brass buttons really stuck out.

    The presentation and production was a bit like the song: a sandwich. There was the obligatory backdrop reference to the Northern Lights in both the first and last parts, with Sami joiking in the middle.

    I can imagine any irreverent broadcaster making the Swedish Chef joke again, because to British ears it really did sound like it.

    Also, the trio had no discernible on-screen chemistry, looking like three soloists that just happened to find themselves sharing a stage. They very rarely, if at all, looked at each other.

    My suspicion was that this relied more heavily on a concept rather than the song itself, because as a piece of music it’s fair to middling at best.

    It’s qualifying, just, mainly because Norway has chums voting in this semi.

    The National Final was their best performance but this is still a decent entry. Smoky floor effect and pyro during the joik solo. Still a fairly certain qualifier for me.Tellystats

  • Albania – No eagle eyed

    Albania – No eagle eyed

    Jonida made up for a lack of eagle with world-class emotional vocals.

    She was still in the same black and gold dress, but the backing singers are also now in black … and they’re no longer on the ‘rainbow bridge’. They joined her on stage and it helped the performance.

    There was also a classy overhead shot about two and a bit minutes in.

    Someone listened. The eagele – which did look pathetic – has left the building and in my estimation, Albania rocketed up towards qualification on vocal ability (rather than by default).

    I was a fan of the song but the rehearsal performance just doesn’t transfer that intensity. It’s just a woman singing into a mic and not much else. Feels pretty impenetrable outside of Albania.Tellystats

    Qualifying : Yes

  • Russia – Now *that’s* how you stage a song

    Russia – Now *that’s* how you stage a song

    OK, let’s break it down: Sergey and Kirkorov have produced a package that could well be irresistible.

    Compared directly with any of the three that went before, it made them look like amateur hour at the local karaoke bar.

    From the moment Sergey stepped on stage to the end of the song, I was engaged. The mirror/screens behind show multiple Sergeys (dream or nightmare, your choice) and he interacted with them in such a way that it didn’t look silly or overblown.

    He did, though, need to be tighter on one of his cues when the plethora of Sergeys appeared, but that can be rectified easily enough.

    The backing singers (not in shot) complimented Sergey’s vocal and I don’t think any of them were carrying him.

    This has top 5 written all the way through, and even has a chance of being top 1.

    No notable changes. It really is lacking pace and drama. Hasn’t evolved as much as one would hope.ESCTips

    Qualifying: YES YES YES

  • Lithuania had the runs

    Lithuania had the runs

    (Do you see what I did there? – do you!)

    Jurijus was missing something. Various answers from our table ranged from a guitar to a better song. Both completely valid.

    The performance needed something to connect to the audience. Jurijus (on his own) was not strong enough to carry this through to qualification, for two reasons.

    Firstly, as mentioned, he doesn’t connect. Secondly, the staging stayed very neutral. Nothing on the background gave a hint of anything about the song, and there was no emoting going on.

    The problem comes with the fact that ‘Run with the lions’ lacks a built-in highlight moment, so there’s no chance for anyone to do anything – lighting or staging wise.

    It was three minutes of “meh” …. alright, but alright doesn’t get anyone voting.

    Looking like Louis Thomlinson’s less-successful cousin. Jurijus staging is another without any real effort behind it. Screen flashes yellow, he eventually picks up the mic but it doesn’t elevate this very generic entry.Tellystats

    Qualifying: NO

  • Malta – A change … not for the better

    Malta – A change … not for the better

    We thought, at first, they had simply changed the start of the song – where we looked into the window of Michela’s house. Sadly, this was a ruse from the production team. The delegation thought that bit looked ok, but everything else needed to change.

    There was less colour on Michela and whist the background still changed with stunning regularity, it really didn’t help this song do anything of note. It all smacked of “bored teenager” … which in turn could mean “bored televoter”.

    Destiny was still doing all the heavy lifting on the vocal, and won’t get any of the credit – which should keep her reputation intact, although she should be out front. I wondered if this might have been staged a damn sight better with her influence.

    Qualifying: NO

    Lots of projections, CGI and dancers. Michaela plants her feet and doesn’t move throughout the entire song despite all the things going on around her. Vocals sometimes a little flat. Press centre seemed to like it but I wasn’t too impressed.Tellystats

  • Croatia – Roko gets his Eurovision wings

    Croatia – Roko gets his Eurovision wings

    Croatia. Or as they were christened the last time – when Jacques Houdek sang – “Fucking Croatia”.

    In news that suited my eyes, for the first twelve minutes of this rehearsal we saw nothing, as the screens were not turned on. When they burst into life, oh boy, this got no better from my weary vantage point.

    The camera started upside down and swirled round Roko as he was on the floor, and then the background started going through the strata of the crust of the earth … until his assent to heaven finally completed.

    The mincing angels added nothing, in my opinion, apart from being on hand to complete this dog’s breakfast by giving Roko his wings.

    As we said before, as a piece of story telling it’s very good, and Roko seemed to believe the narrative, which is a plus. But, let’s face it, it looked hideous and contrived, and could be described as a living cliche.

    Roko is a very good singer. Song stinks worse than the broken toilet in the Press Centre yesterday though.Tellystats

    Is it qualifying? – MAYBE

  • Germany – Keep it together

    Germany – Keep it together

    A long day in the Eurovision house ended with Germany and the unrelated S!sters.

    Some elements of the German national final stayed – though it misses that turntable. The S!sters start out on the sides of the stage and walk towards each other with their faces projected on the backdrop. Otherwise, the staging lacked movement and the performance came across as flat.

    The Germans weren’t helped by some of the worst camera work today, meaning there’s a lot to change before Sunday’s second run-through.

    The background pictures changed towards the end to show empowering images of ‘sisters’ (although it now turns out they’re stock photos of lesbian couples) and we ended on a peace sign.

    As Mr Phil said in his review, nailed-on last.

    They start sat on opposite sides of the stage, one a bit rocky, one a bit normal, then walk towards each other before singing into each other’s faces. Oh, and some pictures of ‘sisters’ appear on the screen. And that’s it! Doomed!EUROVISION APOCALYPSE