oneurope.co.uk

Tag: Rehearsals

  • Israel: Nice performance, shame about the song

    Israel: Nice performance, shame about the song

    Eurovision is seen by some (in particular the UK popular press) as a bit of camp nonsense. It’s an image organisers embrace on one hand, whilst at the same time working to change perceptions and present it as a global platform for upcoming talent.

    Oddly enough, despite being defiantly out and proud, Michael Ben David break no barriers with ‘I.M.’ It’s every type of TV catwalk cliche of being gay and fabulous and standing up for who you are not what the world might want you to be. And because there have been so many songs and shows taking such a stance, his performance offers nothing new.

    Camp as all hell

    But removing my over-thinking cap, and I was treated to a huge bundle of polished, posed fun. It’s camp as all hell with a steady, powerful vocal. There was excellent use of on-stage graphics and the camera shots were beautifully aligned. Michael Ben has the most stunningly great voice and looked to be enjoying himself up there – he was, to coin a phrase, owning it. There was even a nod to the time-honoured Israeli Eurovision formation side-step.

    For all this, the problem here sits with the song. As a set piece in a Ru Paul show, it works. As a song competing to win votes from across the Eurovision network, it’s set to flounder. Given this is a song contest, it might have been wise to pack something more memorable (and song-like) than ‘I.M.’.

    Great performance. Terrible song.

  • Finland – Semi Final 2 might wake me up

    Finland – Semi Final 2 might wake me up

    Well after the downbeat ending to the first semi-final, we now move, almost seamlessly, to the second.

    The Rasmus is surely the tonic I need at 10:20 on a Thursday Morning! Or so I thought. Lauri sings the first half of the song in an open sou’wester, as though there is a storm coming – whilst, at the beginning, holding a yellow balloon, which he lets go of at a point in the song for reasons unclear to me.

    The balloon motif continues as he walks around them singing the song, before casting off his raincoat to reveal the obligatory rock start tattooed torso and arms. The rest of the band cavort around him pretending to play their instruments.

    Going through the motions

    This performance seems tired and dated in a different way to that of Bulgaria several contest days ago. This is a band, not a “project”, who should know what they are doing, but they are seemingly going through the motions with a song that is not their best, written to mix a Contest with a genuine rock band.

    What you end up with has played out on my screen. The vocals were fine in the first run-through, but in the second the backing mix came across too loudly for me, and like so many songs this year, I think it is one chorus too long. I saw a band past its best trying for one last shout, or at least that’s what it felt like at OnEurope Towers.

  • Armenia: Up there with the best

    Armenia: Up there with the best

    Having seen lots of shots of Rosa Linn’s badly wallpapered bedroom, I was looking forward to seeing it in action today.

    The performance starts small with Rosa on her bed, playing her guitar before setting it down to tear notes from the walls revealing symbols, notes and phrases.

    There were a number of poor camera angels here – but that’s why we get rehearsals. I liked the fade-to-black moments that gave the performance natural breaks and beats.

    Studio perfect

    Vocally, she was the best I’ve heard. studio-perfect and then some. There are but a handful of performers this year with her level of control and texture. It turned an already lovely song into a treat for the ears.

    Towards the end, Rosa Linn breaks out from her room and it’s initially spectacular, but I wanted one more thing. If she could have stepped down onto the stage to snap at the last second away from her room, maybe it would have taken a spectacular moment to a more fitting conclusion.

    It’s still up there with the best of 2022. Armenia found its Eurovision vibe.

  • Norway – this is entertainment!

    Norway – this is entertainment!

    Now this is all sorts of genius. Possibly not in the way the Contest Gods intended 66 years ago, but genius none the less.

    Subwoolfer’s performance is the kind of thing that the ‘on tape backing singer’ option was made for, because if they had to provide all the supporting vocals live, then this song either would not have been written … or would sound rubbish. Whereas at the moment, it can be divided into two very distinct parts.

    Out front

    Firstly the staging. Totally on point (ugh) with everyone playing their parts wonderfully.  Keith and Jim and DJ Astronaut – who has nicked the DJ plinth from Slovenia and repurposed it – are the main leads, doing most of the out front bits, but not forgetting the three gimp-suited dancers playing the supporting cast – with the choreographed equivalent of knowing winks to camera. The stage is all in banana yellow too, well it would have to be wouldn’t it? Instead of showing the lyrics on the background screens, there  are actual graphics – which is also a bonus. If a performance could break the fourth wall and wink directly at you, then this is it.

    Good song?

    But buried away is a song as well. Is it good? Nope, but then again it doesn’t have to be.  What a song needs to get televoter points is to illicit a response from the audience. This will have come straight after Greece which, if performed as well as yesterday, is a contender for second place. Subwoolfer will get panned by the middle-aged, white jurors but, then again, the whole performance isn’t aimed at them. It’s aimed at you, my dear reader.

    Interestingly they left the mics up for a little bit, one of them doesn’t half sound like Ben Adams from A1……