Tel Aviv 2019 - final!

YAY ... !!!!

It's on ... ! I'm watching with a nine year old so I have to explain things just as much as blog about them ... :-D

Cool opening! And what a great way to show off the country flags!

The 9 year old LOVES Iceland's outfits ... !! :-D

She is also half Serbian so she's really excited to see the Serbian contestant. She has never watched Eurovision before because she's just said she thought it was boring ... but then tonight she suddenly realized it's about singing and dancing. She thought we were going to watch a long speech or something. :-D She was going to go to bed but when she realized we were going to watch lots of people singing and dancing she absolutely refused to go. :-D I hope she manages to stay awake till Iceland's performance :-D

The hosts welcome us all and explain about voting.

Malta - Chameleon. One of my favorites this year. And the Maltese would be so crazy happy to win one day ... ! But it won't be this day. It's such a cool song though. Her voice is a litle weak tonight. But I really like this. Will consider voting.

Albania - Ktheju tokës. The 9 year old thinks this seems very Albanian, but admits she doesn't know what Albanian is. Her father thinks it looks more Egyptian. A much better singer than Michela, alas. A striking ballad while we're listening, but pretty forgettable.

The Czech Republic - Friend of a Friend. This song is catchy, I can't deny it. Probably the best Czech entry ever. Kind of 80s retro. The 9 year old hates it. She can't stand the singer's voice. :-) She says that they definitely won't win. I think she's probably right. :-) But I can see what people see in this.

Germany - Sister. This song has quite a beautiful melody, I quite like it. But it's not good to be part of the Big Five. You only get heard one time and that's not a good thing ... as a general rule. This year I like the German song but I don't think they have a chance.

Russia - Scream. Another song I quite like ... and of course something of a favorite ... but I was disappointed by the presentation. The video is so cool and the presentation is just ... on another level. But it's still a potential winner. Just because it's Russia, and Sergey. But I am disappointed.

Host in the green room, with Jean Paul Gaultier.

Denmark - Love Is Forever. My favorite!! Fingers crossed. This song is so adorable, I can't get over it. And it's catchy. When you've heard half of it, you can sing along to the rest. But it's probably too old-fashioned to really get anywhere. I'm just happy to see it in the final. And that they brought along their giant chair. :-)

San Marino - Say Na Na Na. This song is so hilarious. Disco style! I like it. And the arena likes it too. He is so good on stage. A good argument for sending older people with experience. Good luck to San Marino, this is so cool.

North Macedonia - Proud. I like this entry too. Tamara is such a good singer. The 9 years old thinks it's boring. I like it. But I'd be very surprised to see them go all the way ...

Green room, chatting to Malta, Germany, Czech Republic.

Sweden - Too Late For Love. I wish this was much worse than it is. I so want us to beat them. But alas. What weird pants he's wearing. It's a quality entry though. They're such pros at this. Damnit.

Slovenia - Sebi. I was so surprised that this got through. But it's pretty. Everybody here is loving the presentation. It is pretty but it gets a little repetitive ...

Cyprus - Replay. I was super disappointed with the performance on Tuesday. It seems marginally better tonight. But not a lot. The 9 year old likes her outfit. :-D I'm not impressed tonight either, sorry not sorry.

The Netherlands - Arcade. The big favorite. He was great on stage on Thursday. Same tonight. Won't be surprised to see this win. Also won't be surprised to see something else win either. The field is so even this year, I have no idea what I'm doing.

Greece - Better Love. This presentation looks so weird. The 9 year old shouted when she saw it, COOL!! :-D The presentation is so weird ... ! My designer friend thinks the weirdness distracts from the song. His wife loves it. She says it's this kind of shit you only ever see in Eurovision. Can't argue with that. The 9 year old loves it, she thinks it's amazing. It's so cool and beautiful!!!

Host in the green room, enticing us with all the cool people we will see later in the show. Stay on this channel!!

Israel - Home. I like this song. Didn't like it the first time I heard it, but it's really grown on me. But it doesn't have the chance to grow on people, that's the trouble with it. I like his voice. The 9 year old doesn't like him. She's impatient to see Norway - she thought we were on now, so she was disappointed to see this guy in a suit. Who is deeply moved by the honor of representing his country, wow.

Norway - Spirit in the Sky. My Serbian friend is laughing at the postcard, he says look at the Norwegians, even in Israel they manage to find a mountain to climb up on. :-D His daughter, the 9 year old, LOVES it. It's the best song so far! It actually is really good. A modern song but with an indubitably Norwegian flavor. I'm very happy with this. Yay for us! :-)

United Kingdom - Bigger Than Us. Yawn. It would be hilarious if they managed to beat Sweden with this, but that'll never happen. Boring song, boring presentation. Not bad as such but not at all exciting.

Green room with Russia, San Marino, North Macedonia. Sheesh, they are really obsessed with their app.

Iceland - Hatrið mun sigra. Weirdness! One hundred percent not my cup of tea, but it's so cool that an entry like this is in the contest. And in the final! Not the winner. But great that they're here.

Estonia - Storm. We are officially bored. I guess this is kind of catchy, but ... it just doesn't do it for me. And it's not because he's Swedish. But it's a little bit because they are rhyming this with this. And also because he's singing depressing lyrics and constantly grinning. Estonia nil points.

Belarus - Like It. Early Britney. I hate her outfit. And the entire presentation is not my cup of tea. But the performance is good. For a 16-year-old she's very professional. The song is pretty catchy. Not the winner, but respectable.

Azerbaijan - Truth. I like this song. The presentation is weird. I wonder if the rules say anything about how many robots you can have on stage. Chingiz is a pro though, the performance is good, even if the whole thing looks weird. But one of the better songs this year.

France - Roi. Now France I really believe in this year. This song has also really grown on me. But it's a shame it went straight to the final. This looks amazing though. I love it. LOVE IT.

Italy - Soldi. I don't really like this ... I understand that it's catchy, and that people like it, but personally I'm just not feeling it. His performance is just so expressionless and emotionless. It's better now than in the video, but ... no. I'm not feeling it.

Serbia - Kruna. The 9 year old is excited, she is half Serbian. Of course she understands the lyrics, I don't ... except the few lines that are in English. I like it that they usually sing in Serbian though. And it's a beautiful song, and I like it ... it's just that I can't help comparing it to Molitva. And nothing compares to Molitva. Sorry Serbia.

Switzerland - She Got Me. This song is SO catchy in such a bad way. The whole thing is just riddled with grammatical errors. I can't condone this. But I understand why people like it. I just can't get behind it. Also I'm not a fan of this presention. Too much red.

Australia - Zero Gravity. This entry ... ! This is just indescribable. I love it. My hosts are saying that only Kate Bush is Kate Bush. I can't argue with that. But this just looks so ... Eurovision. :-D

Spain - La venda. Spain closes the show. Party time! My Serbian friend says that this sounds like Spain doesn't want to host Eurovision next year. :-D But it's an excellent end to the show. The arena is going wild. Perfect!

Host in the green room, and everyone is super happy. Now to the voting. We can vote ... now!

First runthrough of all the songs.

I voted! Once each for Malta and San Marino, five votes for Denmark, three for Australia and ten for France. My civic duty is done. The 9 year old is absolutely convinced that Norway will win. Our entry was so cool that her head exploded. It's totally true.

Interval entertainment - Conchita and Måns! Will they be singing each other's songs? No, he's singing Fuego. Hah, this is a cool idea. What will Eleni sing??

Dancing Lasha Tumbai!! Ahahahahaha!! What will Verka sing ... !

Of course! Toy!! :-D

Wow, blast from the past ... ! Hallelujah!! They will all sing Hallelujah. OMG. My heart is melting. Where else but Eurovision ... !

Second runthrough.

Chitchat with the hosts. And Madonna!! I agree that she is super cool, or at least she used to be, but I'm not excited about these American artists in the show. What's the point, Americans have nothing to do with this show. Bah, humbug. But this is an inspiring speech. Now sing ... !

Nope, locals first. Good.

Then a chat with some American I never heard of. And the mentalist again.

Netta ... !!

Good thing that they sent Toy to Lisbon, because I don't think they would have won with this. But now we've got Serbians dancing for the first time tonight. :-D

Third runthrough.

There's still time to vote. But I used up all my votes already.

Chitchat in the green room with the Netherlands and Switzerland.

And now Madonna finally. Not her best performance ... :-D

The voting ends ... now!

Gal Gadot steps by to tell us why three minutes are all we need. And Jon Ola Sand needs much less than that to tell us that we have a result.

Oh, the excitement ... !!

OMG hahahah, it's so predictable. 12 points to Russia from Azerbaijan, 12 points to Italy from San Marino ... :-D

But we did not give our 12 points to Sweden! Go us!

What is the Romanian woman wearing ... !

Chitchat in the green room with Macedonia and Sweden.

Hahaha, Russia and Azerbaijan just swapped twelves :-D

Izhar Cohen leading the Israeli jury!

Chitchat in the green room with Sweden.

OMG I am nervous. Sweden in the lead now, Macedonia 2 points behind. I would a thousand times rather see Macedonia win than Sweden! But now the popular vote which will change everything ...

Ahahahaha, the UK's coming last! LOL! But poor Germany, what a burn!

OMG a gadzillion points to us! Ahahahaha!!

I love this new setup! SO exciting ... !!

The Netherlands is the winner!! They crushed Sweden!! Hahahaha! And if my ears didn't deceive me, we got more points from the popular vote than anyone else. That's something to be proud of!

Congratulations to the Dutch! The last time they won I hadn't even been born yet. o_O Amsterdam 2020!

Tel Aviv 2019 - second semi-final

It's happening ... ! Tonight we can vote as well. Exciting ... !! :-D

A recap of Tuesday. The hosts arrive ... what weird outfits the ladies have on ... and of course they can hardly wait to plug Madonna. Not sure I like that. She's cool and all, but where's the charm in an American at Eurovision?

Info on how to vote - because tonight we can vote!

Armenia - Walking Out. Armenia must be anxious tonight, after not making it through last year. This year, I don't know ... not too great of a slot. But opening the show can be a plus. The song is so-so. It's fine but nothing special. Pretty catchy while you're listening to it, but not their most memorable effort. Quite well performed but not at all sure this will be enough ...

Ireland - 22. I like Ireland's entry this year. I actually like it a lot. I like the song and I like the singer's voice. But a lot will depend on the presentation. And ... OK. Um. I guess this is fun but ... I'm not at all sure the voting audience will like this. The song is catchy but her performance is a little less than stellar and the whole presentation ... wow. Very American and not Irish at all, which of course is good in this connection, but still ... Not at all sure.

Moldova - Stay. A sand artist! Wow. When was the last time we saw that? I think it was Ukraine who had that. It's cool, but it's distracting me from the song. Which I guess isn't a major problem. A perfectly fine ballad but nothing very special. Wow, her mouth is huge. Her voice is good too, and the song is pretty, but it's just not very memorable.

Switzerland - She Got Me. This song is just riddled with grammatical errors, it's a real struggle for me to look past that. I've been wondering how they will present it on stage. With a lot of red, apparently. A LOT of red. The dancers almost disappear against the backdrop. He's not a great singer live, he seems out of breath. But very confident. Over-confident maybe. I kind of understand what people see in this, but I don't really see it myself ... 

Latvia - That Night. This is one of those super low key songs that sometimes turn out to be a dark horse. Don't think that will happen for Latvia tonight, but still. It's a pretty song and unlike Switzerland's, it's actually sounding better on stage than in the video. That's an achievement. Lovely presentation, and the singer's voice is charming. But gets a little repetitive. Pretty though.

Romania - On A Sunday. Romania's one of my favorite countries in the contest, they have sent SO many cool songs. This year they've had a lot of drama ... and the song is pretty dramatic too. Not one of my Romanian favorites but it is really growing on me. I like it more every time I hear it. Good presentation, and a good performance from Ester. They may stand a decent chance of getting through to Saturday.

Plugging the app. In the green room - with Conchita! :-D And with Luca from Switzerland, talking about all his achievements. Rolling my eyes.

Denmark - Love Is Forever. I love this song! Quite possibly my favorite song this year. It's so charming. And it's so catchy ... !! After hearing the first half of it you can sing along to the second half. Her voice is perfectly suited to the song. And here's the giant chair ... ! :-D This gets my vote, no question. But I'm not at all sure they'll get through though, because this may appeal more to the older segment of the audience, and they vote much less. But it's so adorable. Yay Denmark!

Sweden - Too Late For Love. Damnit, Sweden. I wish I could say this song sucked. I so want us to beat them. But this is actually really good and we probably won't. Damnit. He's a good singer and he's giving a good performance tonight. Swedes are dumb but they have this down to a fine art. My only hope is that the audience will think this is too American. But a lot of people will probably like it a lot. Despite his shiny pants. A shoe-in for the final. Damnit.

Austria - Limits. Blue hair, sheesh. A long succession of dumbass social justice warriors have ruined blue hair for me forever. But they have done something to this between the postcard and now, it's much darker. Good. But still. The presentation is very simple and that can be a plus, but the song itself is just ... meh. She gives a very heartfelt performance but I'm not sure it can save this song. It's anything but memorable. Good luck, they will need it. Pretty but forgettable.

Croatia - The Dream. Will he be wearing the angel wings, I wonder. Huh. No, but yes. Just CGI ones. But the backing dancers, OMG ... they have golden wings. Jebus. :-D And now they put wings on him too. The song is actually quite striking but this is too much. Why THREE pairs of golden wings?? :-D

Malta - Chameleon. Another of my favorites. This song is so cool. I also really like chameleons. :-D I'm not convinced about the presentation though, it may be too distracting ... If they don't make it through it will be because of the presentation. Also a little bit because of the performance, sorry. But the song is so cool, I love it. Yay for Malta! :-D

Lithuania - Run with the Lions. The singer alone on stage, that is statistically speaking a good idea for a presentation, but usually the song needs to be a little stronger than this one. It's pretty to listen to, but you forget it immediately once it's done. A typical ESC song in that respect. It's fine but nothing special.

Plugging the app again. Host in green room with Ireland and Sweden. Damnit, Sweden. Some more exciting news about Saturday.

Russia - Scream. Ooh, Russia ... ! I'm so excited to see how they will present this. Looks like ... we are traveling through space. And Sergey comes face to face with ... himself. Lots of himselves. Now it's raining. They are really taking it as a given that people want to see Sergey. Ooh, here comes the best part of the song. I like this. But his song in 2016 was significantly better. Definitely a shoe-in for the final, but other than that ... we'll see.

Albania - Ktheju tokës. I really like that this is in Albanian. I quite like the song too. The melody is quite beautiful. But not super memorable. What a dress she's wearing ... ! And quite a dramatic performance. Could go either way for this one.

Norway - Spirit in the Sky. My country! We have a pretty good song this year. We've sent a lot worse. :-D But the part with the joik may be too weird for a lot of the audience. Wow, they're getting the arena going. I like this. We can be proud of our entry this year. The presentation is pretty good too. Now the joik ... wow. Yes, it's kind of weird, but I think a lot of people will see this as a lot more authentic than, to choose a completely random example, the Swedish entry. Pretty sure we're getting through to Saturday.

The Netherlands - Arcade. The big favorite. Used to be at 25% at the bookmakers', now it's at 40%. It's a good song, sure, but 40%. That's pretty weird. I don't think there's any song at all that stands out this year. But this is a beautiful song ... and it's sounding very good tonight. A good performance and a very simple presentation, which gives a good impression, it shows confidence. Well, if the Dutch can't be confident this year ... :-D

North Macedonia - Proud. I really like the message in this song. It's certain to be well performed ... but the presentation is a little distracting. We really only need one Tamara. Now here's some of those photos from the video ... Yes, an excellent performance, as expected. Good luck to North Macedonia. :-)

Azerbaijan - Truth. This is one of the best songs tonight. And wow, they have robots. And a weird outfit. Chingiz' heart is outlined ... and there's a huge golden heart above him. A literal heart, but a heart symbol. Kind of weird. Actually quite a lot of weird elements in this presentation. But the song itself is strong. A good last song. Hard to believe we won't be seeing this again on Saturday.

The hosts telling us about voting. Our civic duty. And it begins ... now!

First runthrough of all the songs.

OK, I voted. Five votes for Denmark and three for Malta. My duty is done.

Host in green room, and introducing the interval act. Shalva Band. The Israeli Dissimilis, I guess. Interesting. Oh, this is beautiful. Big cheers, of course.

Back to host in green room. People are voting. Vote more!!

A mentalist. Oh, he knows who's going to win, but it wouldn't be fair to say it now. Yeah, right. He can do some tricks, anyway. Like a whore does for money. Haha, this was actually kind of fun. Especially since of course none of the performers he picked at random had any idea at all of what they ought to write ...

Second runthrough.

Last chance to vote ... Voting ends ... now!

Måns Zelmerlöw is in the house. He will be performing on Saturday too.

Host in the green room. Talking to the Netherlands.

More of that cool video collage from Tuesday. SO MANY COOL SONGS ... !!! Awesomesauce.

Happy people in the green room. They must be so nervous ... ! Again with Madonna. Sheesh.

Plugging Eurovision Choir.

Presenting the last three of the Big Five. Germany's lying, they're not sisters. But the song is pretty good. It grows on you ... so too bad that it won't have a chance to, since they're going straight to the final. Italy's song is pretty catchy I guess ... but I just can't get with his emotionless performance. Maybe it will be better on stage. Good that it's in Italian though, as a matter of principle. The UK, the eternal second ... but not anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up with 0 points again. They are capable of SO MUCH BETTER. It's almost sad.

Another video collage, this time douze points-themed. Fun. 

OK, my guesses. Who will get to the final. Let me think.

The Netherlands
Russia
Sweden
Azerbaijan
Norway
Malta

Fingers crossed for Denmark ... !

And the ten finalists are ...

North Macedonia! Yay!
The Netherlands, of course
Albania
Sweden. Damnit.
Russia, of course
Azerbaijan
Denmark!!! YAY!!!!
Norway! :-D
Switzerland. Undeserved IMO but not surprising.
Malta! Yes!

Whew! Good choices, Europe.

A runthrough of the last ten finalists.

Great show, can't wait for Saturday!!

Tel Aviv 2019 - first semi-final

It's on ... !!!

The excitement ... ! :-) And that music ... 

Opening with a presentation of Netta growing up and her love for the contest, cute. The arena ... and Netta herself performing first of all. Makes me wonder what they are saving for Saturday. Wow, she looks even weirder than she did in Lisboa. :-D Those are very cool outfits on the backing dancers, I like those. I like that giant lucky cat too. I'd love to have that on a postcard. :-)

Happy people in the audience ... ! :-) And Netta happy on stage. Starting on a very positive note.

The hosts appear .... the ladies in fancy dresses of course, that don't match each other. Anything but original. But of course all four look good. Slow camera work though ...

The traditional explanation of how the contest works. Norway isn't competing tonight so I can't vote. Not sure what I would even be voting for. I guess ... Poland and Australia?

The postcards are about dancing. The first looks very summery and charming. I want summer ...

Cyprus - Replay. She looks like her hair is wet. This is a pretty cool song, at least in the studio version ... and in our public broadcaster's warmup show, Adresse Tel Aviv, I think this ended up as the overall favorite. But it doesn't sound ANYWHERE near as good tonight. It actually sounds like shit. Her outfit is tacky and hideous and she sounds out of breath. A disappointment. I would actually not be surprised if they don't make it through, after this lousy performance.

Montenegro - Heaven. I actually like this one quite a lot. I wonder what it will look like, compared to when they won at home. Totally different, it turns out. Almost a shame, the original presentation was rather striking and was definitely more memorable than this. This is pretty standard. But better than Cyprus. I quite like those strings that break through every so often. But overall it gets kind of repetitive. Now they are dancing amateurishly. Well, they're pretty cute.

Finland - Look Away. I love Finland. It's one of my favorite countries. Fellow Norwegians: Forget about the Swedes, the Finns are our true brothers. But in Eurovision they are often a little depressing. This song is kind of depressing too. But, look at that - the presentation is less depressing than in Helsinki. Actually quite striking. Sebastian is hardly a great singer ... and this gets a bit repetitive ... but the beat is pretty catchy. Not bad, Finland, you've done much worse than this.

Poland - Fire of Love (Pali się). Yay, Poland! This is one of the entries I've been the most excited about seeing on stage. As I expected, it looks very cool. And it sounds cool too. This song is fascinating, it's almost hypnotic. They're getting the audience engaged with clapping. So cool to see this in the contest. They have got to be a shoe-in for the final.

Slovenia - Sebi. OK, slowing it right down. Aw, stars shining. Two pretty young things. And a pretty song, it's just soo sloow ... A lot of people may like that though. And so far, this song this does kind of stand out. A pretty ballad spinning slowly through space ...

the Czech Republic - Friend of a Friend. This song is both catchy and annoying at the same time. I don't know what it is exactly. The lyrics annoy me. I feel like the presentation could possibly give me epilepsy. But I suppose young people may like it. But then again it is Czechia ...

First trip to the green room. Chitchat with Cyprus and Poland.

Hungary - Az én apám. I quite like this entry, even though I liked his song in 2017 better. It had a much better beat than this one. But he's a good singer, he has an interesting voice, very expressive. A simple and classy presentation ... until his father's giant floating head heaves into view. Actually lots of giant floating heads. o_O A  golden tree. This song has a kind of ethnic sound to it that I think a lot of people will like. Will be surprised to not see this in the final.

Belarus - Like It. This year's youngest contestant. Dressed like a prostitute. OK. This song is pretty catchy and she's a pro at performing, despite being only 16. But it's pretty plastic. And the presentation seems ... old-fashioned somehow. I guess it's supposed to be retro? I'm too old to really get this, I suppose. I do kind of like it ... but I would have liked it better if I didn't have to watch this performance.

Serbia - Kruna. The singer wrote the song, so that's a plus. Wonder how it will look. I will be watching the final with a Serbian friend so I hope they will get through, even though this song doesn't particularly grab me. Her outfit at least isn't hideous. And she's alone on stage, they're not trying to distract us with dancers. Visually this is quite overwhelming. Any emotional ballad from Serbia and I of course can't help comparing it to Molitva, my all-time favorite ESC entry. This falls through in that comparison, I'm afraid. Not at all bad, but not all that good either. Nothing really special.

Belgium - Wake Up. Another young singer, but this one is at least a legal adult, dressed normally. And has giant drums. This song is a little weird, it seems catchy while I'm listening to it, but I can't seem to remember it when I'm not listening. I have no idea how this entry is going to do.

Georgia - Keep On Going. Another dramatic ballad.  Also with a visually striking presentations. I don't really like his voice. But the song has something, not sure how to phrase it ... This entry also has an ethnic sound to it that a lot of viewers may like. The big question is how will people be able to remember which is which of this and Hungary.

Australia - Zero Gravity. This will look the same as it did in their national selection, I understand. In other words, crazy. :-D Oh, wow, the whole thing looks crazy. Amazing. But the song is actually beautiful. I would be voting for this if I could vote tonight. Another shoe-in for the final. Just as long as people aren't too distracted by this presentation, which is almost literally out of this world. What a singer Kate is, wow. Go Australia!

Back to the green room. Plugging the app. Chitchat with Czechia. Every performance is amazing! Chitchat with Belgium.

Iceland - Hatrið mun sigra. This is not my type of music. But the chorus is actually quite beautiful. The song is kind of schizoid, it's like two different songs in one. But I think it's so cool that the contest has an entry like this. Will be extremely surprised if this doesn't get through.

Hoppe etter ruccola ... !! :-D

Estonia - Storm. First time I heard it I didn't like this song at all. Don't know why. I'm sure it's nothing to do with the fact that the singer's a Swede, though. He's not a very good singer, but it's the lyrics that really annoy me. You cannot rhyme this with this, come on. But I have to admit that the melody is kind of growing on me. Damnit. Would not be sorry to see this sink without a trace, though.

Portugal - Telemóveis. Weirdest presentation of the night, guaranteed. Much weirder than Iceland. Will the dancer fall again? OMG those outfits. Yes he fell. WHAT is that thing on the singer's face? Overall bizarre. But the song is actually not that bad ... but it's hard to notice that because the outfits and choreography is so distracting. No idea how this will do.

Greece - Better Love. Wow, Arabian Nights vibes. This singer has kind of an interesting voice. But that's not the word I would choose to describe her outfit. Dancers with swords ... and a giant balloon that disappears into the audience. This looks weird. A rather lovely melody but very strange presentation. I don't have high hopes for this. Lots and lots of flowers ... o_O

San Marino - Say Na Na Na. I actually quite like this song. Much more than I thought I would. How will it look on stage though, that's the question. Dancers in white shorts ... hah, the female dancers are show less skin than the male ones. I like that. A lot of text in the background. Dancing on a lit-up cube. Now this is retro I can get behind. I do like this. They've got to do at least a little better than last year ... or most years?

One host in the green room, the other three on stage. Explaining how to vote ... but like I said, I can't vote tonight. :-(

First runthrough of all the entries.

OK, some guesses on who will get through tonight.

Australia
Iceland
Poland
Hungary

Less sure of the rest ... it feels like anything could happen. So few standout songs tonight.

Serbia?
Georgia?
Finland?
Czech Republic? Maybe?

I'm hoping for San Marino ... and Montenegro. But I don't know. I really don't know tonight ... o_O

Dana International is in the house ... !! And on the stage!

One of the hosts with last year's Junior ESC winner. Cute.

A video featuring the beauties of our host country and the various performers all around the country. Ooh, there's Bilal Hassani ... And it's all set to A-ba-ni-bi.

Another runthrough of all the songs. Look at Australia flying ... !

And the voting is over ... now.

Chtichat in the green room, with Estonia and Portugal. The host looks like an idiot too with that thing on his face.

Ooh, a video tribute. Wow. Very cool. I want to watch that again.

Poor Netta, she's been wearing that ridiculous outfit for two hours now. But she probably likes it. :-D

More chitchat. The results are almost in ... The excitement ...

Two of the Big Five and the host are in the green room. Being embarrassed by the host and presenting their songs.  A little glimpse of Spain ... wow, that's colorful. :-D France! They are going to do so well this year. Finally, Israel. This guy must be so nervous, representing his country at home. Poor guy. But at the same time, what an honor.

The results are in ... !

And the ten finalists are ...

Greece
Belarus
Serbia
Cyprus! Wow, they sucked so bad, and they still made it. Wow.
Estonia. Boo.
Czechia
Australia! Of course!
Iceland
San Marino! Yay!!
Slovenia!

OMG - no Poland ... ! :-o

It was a good show, but I'm sad for Poland ... :-(

Runthrough of the ten finalists.

Aw, Poland ... :-(

Lisbon 2018 - final!!

It's on ... !! I have to write this on my phone so we'll see how it goes. Will be shorter than usual. :-)

Fado stars! Interesting, we never see this in Norway. Then some other performers we never see.

The flags being carried, I love that. But it's not the performers carrying them, it's ... sailors ... But here they all are. Great way to present them. Aw, our little hobbit.

KAS doesn't like the presenters. I don't actively dislike them ... but I've already forgotten their names. o_O

Ukraine - Under the Ladder. Opening with weirdness. Cute kid. Confident on stage. A good opening to the show. Probably a little too weird though.

The postcards are good this year.

Spain - Tu canción. Sparkly! And very heartfelt. A very sweet song, and charmingly performed. But probably with no chance to win since this slow ballad style is not the kind of song that will win this year.

I managed to get my computer up and running so yay, no more blogging on my phone. :-)

Slovenia - Hvala, ne!. This is one of the songs that have been growing on me. It's probably a little too odd but it certainly stands out. And the singer is very confident on stage. I like it, the Slovenes can be proud this year, however it goes. Probably not super well.

Lithuana - When We're Old. Very divided opinions here on this song. I quite like it, I think it's sweet. Quiltoholic thinks it isn't the worst she's heard. KAS hates it and trilltrall (her husband) also hates it. He thinks it should be used as the background music for a TV ad in Switzerland. For euthanasia. :-D So we're not rooting for this, I guess.

Austria - Nobody But You. This was performed very well in the semi. Quiltoholic accidentally brought home an Austrian flag so she is rooting for this just for that. It's good, a straight up pop song that you could hear on the radio any day. Unlike a lot of Eurovision entries, if we're honest. Well performed. But probably too ... square? to go all the way. It doesn't really have that extra little something. Although it is quite catchy, especially the chorus. I don't know.

Estonia - Forza. Ooh, now we'll get to see the giant dress. We hardly saw anything at all of it on Tuesday. I like this song a lot ... it stands out because it's sort-of-opera, but it's not too opera, so people can listen to it even if they don't like opera. It's catchy. This could do well. The dress is pretty impressive ... people will remember the dress if nothing else. :-D

This is really good for us, anyway, because we're next, and our song will really stand out because the genres are so different.

Norway - That's How You Write A Song. I wasn't too impressed with the performance on Thursday, but it's better now, quite a bit better. And he has so much enthusiasm and confidence on stage. Good chemistry with the dancers too. Ooh, and fireworks. Much better than Thursday. We can be very pleased with this. Our commentator says that Alexander will be 32 on Sunday "and we know what he wants for his birthday" ... yeah, but I don't think he'll get it. ;-) But we'll see. We're definitely a contender this year, I think.

Portugal - O jardim. Well, of course they don't actually want to win again this year ... and they won't, so that problem's solved. This is exactly the type of song that is least likely to win this year. It's very sweet and beautiful, but it's not a winner. This year. Very pretty. Like a lullaby. Time to go to sleep ...

A visit to the green room. Oh wow, look at her dress. It's made of mirrors. I don't remember her name.

United Kingdom - Storm. There was an English guy at my book club last night who had never been there before, we talked about Eurovision ... I said that I didn't think their song was so totally shitty this year, he said no, it's not totally shitty, but it's really shitty. :-D I don't think so actually. I like it. I think it's catchy. The presentation is good too. Just SuRie and these lighting effects. But OMG!! A guy got on stage and grabbed her mike! OMFG! Wow, what a pro she is though. She's visibly shaken but she's carrying on like nothing. Wow. WTF was that. I'm going to send her a sympathy vote just for that.

Serbia - Nova deca. This has been really slammed in this country, several articles I've read here with reviews have been crazy negative about this entry. I quite like it though. It's probably a bit too specific to go all that far but it's going to get a lot of Balkan votes. Good for them for showing their culture like this. More entries should be like this. Looking forward to Denmark ... ! :-D

Germany - You Let Me Walk Alone. I like this song. It has a great message, a good melody, a catchy chorus, a good singer. Germany is usually the 2nd best of the Big Five, after Italy. This is another strong entry. But it's not a plus to go straight to the final, it's really not.

Albania - Mall. I was really surprised when this got through from the semi ... especially when Azerbaijan didn't. They had such a bad slot. :-( This is a very Eurovisiony entry. A little more rocked up than your standard entry, but definitely fits right in. It's one of the best entries Albania's ever sent, I have to give them that. Not at all bad. In fact quite good. Why was I so surprised on Tuesday? o_O

France - Mercy. I wasn't too into this song the first time I heard it, but it's really grown on me. I really like it now. It has a beautiful melody. (Unlike the singers' outfits.) It's quite catchy and it's very French, although not in-your-face French (I'm looking at you, Ireland). I like this a lot. I hope it does well. It quite probably will. But again, it's not a plus to go straight to the final.

Czech Republic - Lie to Me. This is not at all my style but I still kind of like it. The chorus mainly. Young people may probably like it a lot? It won't get a lot of votes from us, that's for sure. It's quite a favorite but I personally don't really see why. It can't have any wide appeal. But kudos to the Czech for branching out and thinking outside the box. :-)

Denmark - Higher Ground. One of my favorites. The melody is so great, a wonderful flow to it, a catchy ballad. Quiltoholic is rooting for countries with red and white flags tonight, so she's crossing her fingers for this one. The performance is too tentative though. A little better than on Thursday, but still. It doesn't pack enough of a punch. But we're singing along. :-)

Australia - We Got Love. trilltrall is rooting for this. Me too, because we have super cool dinner plans for when Australia hosts. They're bound to win sooner or later. This may be their year. KAS says no, this isn't good enough. But then who is good enough?? KAS says she doesn't know, she only knows who she thinks won't win. But she thinks everyone won't win! That doesn't compute, someone has to win. :-D It may be this. I like it a lot. And the audience does too. Her performance is much better tonight than in the semi. She's much less nervous, for obvious reasons. This is definitely a very serious contender.

A little more chitchat. Flirting in the green room. Paying tribute to Lys Assia. Aw!

Finland!! OMG Finland. Monsters! I have to pay close attention. We didn't get to really see this on Tuesday, we mainly just heard it. Oh wow, they are spinning her around. There were lots of cheers on Tuesday, we didn't really see what people were cheering for, but we see it now. What a show. And what a great song. My vote goes to Finland, 100%. I can't help but think that they have a really chance.

Bulgaria - Bones. Probably the most, shall we say intense song this year. A striking entry. I like the song a lot, but this performance is a bit off-putting for me. I don't know ... the song is good, but as a whole I don't really believe in this entry. But this year I really know absolutely nothing.

Moldova - My Lucky Day. The first time I heard this I thought WTF ... ! But it has really grown on me and I wasn't surprised to see it make its way through from the semi. I think they have the chance to do really well. This is so much fun. It would be absolutely hilarious if Moldova actually won with this ... !! :-D

Sweden - Dance You Off. Quiltoholic figures this is a good time for a bathroom break. I'm not a fan, but I'm staying in my seat. It's the same song they sent last year though. Sweden is so annoying. And now they're trying to give us epileptic seizures too. What a douchey kid the singer is. At least he has his jacket on properly now. In their national selections I just wanted to smack him upside the head. I cannot believe that this can possibly win. This is techincally good but I still don't like it.

Hungary - Viszlát nyár. My least favorite of this year's finalists. I don't believe in this song's chances at all. It's kind of catchy, but I don't see how this is the kind of thing people tune in to the contest to watch. People want to have fun on Eurovision night, and this is not fun for the majority of the audience, I think.

Israel - Toy. This entry was not performed well on Tuesday, we thought. We could hardly hear Netta's voice, it was quite disappointing considering this was one of the big favorites. It sounds better now, much better. But this will have to rely on the younger segments of the audience to take it anywhere. And I wonder if this will get great results from the televotes, but not at all from the professional juries. It'll be so exciting this year! :-)

The Netherlands - Outlaw In 'Em. Not at all the type of music we expect to hear in Eurovision. Not at ALL. :-) But precisely that makes it stand out. And the performance is excellent, very professional. But I don't think this is what the audience is looking for either.

Ireland - Together. Ryan broke the curse and got to the final, but now what? It's a sweet and charming ballad. I like the presentation ... I like the way they've recreated the video. Even with snow. But this is exactly the type of song that is not going to win this year. Also it does get rather repetitive. KAS hates it. :-)

Cyprus - Fuego. Ooh, what an outfit ... !! Sparkliest outfit of the night. We didn't get to see the outfits when we saw the show on Tuesday. This is one of the big favorites tonight, but I have to say that IMO, Australia beats this hands down when I compare them tonight. But this has an excellent slot though. I'm so confused ... !! And now there's fire ... ! The audience in the arena loves her. Maybe the TV audiences will too? But no, now I'm rooting for Australia against this.

Italy - Non mi avete fatto niente. This has grown on me too. I'm not too crazy about this kind of message in the contest ... and their performances are a little too intense for me too. And they went straight to the final, that is not a plus. But the song is catchy, it has a good beat. We'll see. I know nothing.

Start voting now!!!

The first runthrough of all the songs ...

OK, I voted once for Denmark, three times for Australia and five times for Finland, and once for the UK out of sympathy ... and respect for SuRie's professionalism. My duty is done. Fingers crossed for ... I don't even know who at this point. :-)

Interval entertainment. No sign of Salvador. I guess his doctors don't want him to participate. :-( Should we know who Branko is?

Second runthrough.

Some more bad jokes from the presenters ...

A recap of Portugal's Eurovision history. Interesting and entertaining. :-)

Chatting to audience members ... and to the winner of Junior Eurovision. Aw, she's singing Amor pelos dois.

To the green room with the delegations, reminding us that the voting will end soon ... and Salvador!! Yes!! Oh, I'm so happy for him. I have a close relative whose life was saved by transplantation, it's an amazing technology. Salvador looks healthier now than a year ago. He's gained a little weight. Aw, he's dancing. To the extent that he ever dances, I guess. So sweet! He really does look so much healthier. And he has people on stage with him who are probably super famous but that we have never heard about. :-) Ooh, Amor pelos dois! So sweet. :-)

Third runthrough.

Voting is over! Eep! And it's already time for the jury group votes. This is so crazy exciting! I have NO IDEA how this will pan out. I think the winner will be one of these:
Israel
Australia
Cyprus
France?
Estonia?
I have no idea ... !!

Just as long as it isn't Sweden. What is wrong with the jury groups?? I hope the televotes will sweep the Swedes off the metaphorical table. KAS is profoundly shocked that Lithuania is ahead of Denmark.

The jury groups seem to really like the Israeli entry. I'm surprised, I hadn't thought they would. And Austria is doing so well. Imagine if it comes to a showdown between Israel and Austria ... ?? o_O

That guy who's going to give us the Australian votes looks like he's animated.

WTF is wrong with people! Stop giving all these points to Sweden!! >:-(

I am cheering for Austria now! A thousand times rather Austria than Sweden. But the televotes can change everything. And they probably will.

The twelves are being rather democratically distributed tonight ... ! :-)

Austria has got to beat the Swedes. We are in shock. Waiting with bated breath for the televotes ... !!

The jury votes are in. Austria in the lead and Sweden right behind them. Israel third. How is this possible?? Sweden second?? But now it will all change ... very soon we will get the televotes and then we will see. I have literally no idea how this will end.

Australia totally bombed!! OMG!! I'm shocked.

Sweden are screwed!! YES! We LOVE the people of Europe!! :-D Finland is also screwed but I don't really care anymore, as long as Sweden is out of the running. OMG. This is so exciting.

Austria's out too! OMG! It'll be Israel or Cyprus then? OMG! Denmark still hasn't been mentioned ... :-o

Germany's out! OMG! Israel will probably crush everyone. But anything can happen. There's Denmark. They did amazingly well!

This is so even. It's so exciting. OMG. Israel or Cyprus?? Or in some crazy turn, Italy? OMG.

Israel or Cyprus.

Israel!

OK, out of the two of them, we preferred Israel. And Sweden didn't win, at all, they didn't come anywhere near. So we're relatively happy. :-) And Netta is beside herself with happiness, that's nice to see. :-)

Two thoughts now: What did Salvador think about handing the trophy to Netta? :-D She's not exactly his favorite. In a way she is everything he said in Kyiv he didn't like about Eurovision. BUT at the same time they are both kooky outsiders, in different ways. Celebrate diversity!! :-)

Another thought: The splitting of the votes really highlights how incredibly different the professionals and the regular joes see this. It's really very striking.

Actually, two more thoughts: I cannot believe how badly Australia did ... !! :-o

Lastly, I feel soo sorry for the people who are going to clean up the arena now. Not only will they have to pick up fifty kilos of confetti from the floor, but all of that confetti will literally have to be picked up and not swept up, since it will be practically glued down by all the spilled beer. On Tuesday, the floor was so sticky that we had to pull our feet off the floor as we walked out. :-)

Congratulations to Netta and to Israel!!! :-)