Rolling blog of semi two first rehearsal

Live Blog

Gosh it’s almost a full house this afternoon for this run through. Nearly had to rolling blog standing up dear reader!

Straight into this semi without any reminder of last year and we have a dancing troupe bedecked in silver and leather in artistic cavorting with white lit boxes onstage and doing somersaults down the two catwalks. I’m almost bringing back up my lunch it’s so energetic and frantic…..

The presenters come on and give a big shout out to Australia and announcing the fact that they will feature this year for the first time! Camera cuts to some Aussies in the crowd with a BBQ! Funny!

OK Europe are we ready to start the second semi final? Go on then! Seeing as you asked so nicely…..

Malta’s flag is a made with a lantern. Firelight in fine voice, this is so warm and comforting and everyone is clapping along. Nice reaction in the hall.

Blue ribbon on a metal Star of David for the flag on snow for Israel. This is strutting of the highest order and improved again. Pulsating and slick. This must qualify! She even struts off the stage. Fab-u-lous!!

Picture frame flag for Norway in a boatyard, I think! Carl is in great voice and very nicely dressed in black! The piano break is stunning and I like the violinists too, strong start and middle but it fell flat at the end I thought. Norway employing the Swedish “on the cheap” glow sticks asking the audience to light their torches.

Georgia’s flag is made from glasses of red wine!! I’ve found my flag of the year everyone! I reckon I could drink two of them!! The wind machine must be of Carola proportions as it’s keeping his parachute erect from a hundred meteres. Still a quirky messy old mess. Qualifying? After last night anything is possible.

Donation and Cleo in a recording studio for the flag. I’ve never seen a song so well convey the essence of a song from its video. Fairly big reaction in the hall but it might be just for the tits. I hope Europe gets this in three minutes.

Into the break and the presenter quips about the Polish girls. Now a medal for clapping at the contest. Austria 1978 had 157 apparently.

Another nod to the hardcore fans and a thank you for all us men ‘coming out’, oh dear!!

Conchita at the dressmakers for the flag.
Flawless vocal again, the reveal of her face is on the line “who can this person be”, inspired. Goosebumps aplenty here with us and she went big in the hall.

Umbrellas in a courtyard for Lithuania’s flag. This seems flat as a fart after Conchita you know, wobbly vocal here but she gets going for the chorus. The beat is pumping but the verses are terrible in the hall. I think she’s going the same way as Estonia.

Finnish coloured ice bricks for the flag. Ooh the boys bring the arena to life after the flatness of Lithuania. Come on Europe spread a big dollop of softengine on your baps this is delicious. Rousing and anthemic. I’ve never had a goosebumps to something so rocky! We’ve found something perfect here!

Something flowery or lacy for the flag of Ireland, I missed it was recovering from the awesomeness of Finland. This is pumping in the arena you know, they’ve used every prop except pyros and it’s still busy on the close shots but working for me now, especially on the long shots

Ice hockey pucks for the Belorussian flag. Slightly improved today though the charm has faded from this for me. More of the blue backdrop which is better and I saw more of the cheeky footwork. Mmmm borderline..

The Macedonian flag is some coloured dust on a metal sheet with Tijana fiddling. She’s strong today and in great voice. This is cool and slick though the camera should pick up more of her boob shake. She’s a chance you know…

Oh a lovely domino topple for the Swiss flag and Sebalter received a fairly big reaction in the hall. Such a variety of styles in this section of the semi. It’s done as well as could be expected and it’s in the mix. Heart ruling head much Rosé!

Another break and apparently Johnny Logan wins the medal for Eurovision licking. I get the impression they were losing inspiration at this point in the planning.

The frisky Greeks on a beach with shells for the flag. They really get the crowd going, there’s shrieks when the trampoline starts from the nearby Danish kids… and Monty. This ticks all my boxes and I’m thinking I might be having a Greek salad or two come next May.

Missed the flag for Slovenia, sorry I was having a freaky kid moment. I think Europe will be pretty much be the same and still reeling from the energy and brightness of Greece to care about this. It’s too blue at the start in the staging and only comes to life two minutes in with the gold backdrop. It’s nice and done well but I fear doomed.

Ooh we’ve gone on what seems a tech break now as the warm up man is onstage keeping us excited whilst I can see Paula Selling on the screen being rewound and paused and rewound again. Maybe the video overlay version of her is having trouble getting into her frock!!

By a lake for the Romanian flag and Ovi looks a little easier with his ring today and the cringe worthy over shoulder hook up is captured from farther away. This fell a bit flat in the arena but might have been the tech break taking the edge off the excitement.

So we are going to the voting now. The standouts from the recap are Norway, Poland, Austria, Finland, Macedonia and Romania.

The standouts in the hall were Poland and Greece.

OK Australia’s time in the euro spotlight. Clever video of them asking to take part and bringing the containment to Europe by helicopter. A skit on stage with all things Aussie a la Swedish Smorgasbord from last year though mercifully not as long. Jessica on stage now at the gig of her life in a shimmery frock singing in front of European flags that morph into pulsating Aussie one before a golden shower cascades. Ooer! An astronaut drops from the ceiling with a flag and we link up to Sydney at precisely 6.32am….

Final recap..
I would say Georgia, Lithuania and Slovenia are in trouble. The other two non qualifiers I’ll need to think about…. But I only got 7/10 last night so maybe I should just drop a pin?!

Finally a nice segment where the best 26 dancers who heeded their call to send in clips are allowed to frolic and cavort on stage. Quite a few young men among them. Oh god I’m at it now aren’t i? Finishing centre stage is an elderly lady in a glitzy top, good for her!!

So the votes are in and we are off back to the press centre for coffee…

Thanks for reading!!!

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