Saturday, February 5, 2011

ESC 2011: Norway, semi-final

Welcome to beautiful Sarpsborg ... !! *cough*

Great dress tonight!! :-D

The setup: four sets of 'duels' where two entries face off against each other and we, the audience, vote for our favorites in each duel. The winners face off again and we vote, until we're left with two entries that will fill the two empty slots in next week's final. Couldn't be simpler, right? :-D

I already blogged my so-called thoughts on each song, so you can go back to the previous entries if you're interested in the details ... the entries are usually pretty much identical from the quarter-finals to the semi. Quarter-finals here: 1 - 2 - 3.

Duel #1: Use Me vs Pernille & Marius. I don't really want either of these to get through, and I don't think they will, but one of them has to get through the duel, at least. I'm betting on Use Me ... they're almost local boys, from Moss. People tend to always do better on their home court in this contest. Both these entries are crap and I hope to never hear either of them again. Bah, humbug!!1

Yep, Use Me won this duel. Good for them. At least that song has the 'gimmick' of them being so young and whatnot ... the other song just has absolutely nothing to recommend it.

Duel #2: Sie Gubba vs Mimi Blix. I'm betting on Blix for this one. The guys have a good song as far as that goes - although I'm not at all sure that it's right for the ESC - but they're just too nice and easy. If it was DDE playing this it would pack so much more of a wallop ... not that I'm a fan of theirs, but it would have been memorable on a totally different level. Also, considering that further east there are a lot of young people who watch the show and send their votes, Blix has that demographic pretty much locked down compared to the guys. She also has a lot more energy in her performance. Neither of these have the chance to win internationally, but of the two, Blix is the lesser of two evils.

But Sie Gubba won! OMG! There may be an advantage to being first in the duel ...

Duel #3: Gatas Parlament vs The Lucky Bullets. The former turning up again as this year's joker, damn them. Argh! I hate both of these. Why can't I send minus points?? >:-( Two stupid annoying songs ... the first is stupid first and annoying second, the other is annoying first and stupid second. But in this connection I think I prefer annoying. Hate them both though.

The Lucky Bullets went through. Whew. But fingers crossed that they will be beaten out in the second round.

Duel #4: Endre vs Susperia. Ooh, Susperia! Time to send off my first vote. It MUST be Susperia!! Just because ... and because them vs the Bullets ought to be just no contest. I hope there aren't a lot of stupid teenage girls voting right now ... because Oh Oh (Puppy Love) is just annoying and wouldn't stand a chance in Düsseldorf, but stupid teenage girls wouldn't get that. Fingers crossed for Susperia!

They're playing really well tonight, their first performance last week was just a fluke, technical differences and what have you. Fingers crossed. I voted three times for them. My civic duty done. :-)

Susperia wins!! Yay! Yay and wahey!! :-D

Second round - interestingly, there are only groups left now. No solo performers, only groups. Well, statistically speaking, it is easier for groups to win internationally than solo singers. But still, kind of weird. And it's all men, that kind of sucks ... but Use Me's singer sounds like a girl, so ... o_O

Duel #1: Use Me vs Sia Gubba. I prefer the latter here. They at least have some Norwegian-ness about them ... the teenyboppers could be from anywhere and have no national character to them. This is typically the kind of song that disappears without trace in the international final. Sie Gubba are sounding better now that in the first round. But still, this is just totally the wrong kind of song. I do hope they are the ones who get through though. I think their chances ought to be pretty good.

Duel #2: The Lucky Bullets vs Susperia. I cannot believe that there's any contest whatsoever here. Seriously. Go Susperia!!!

Intermission - Signe Tusvik finds Mr Sarpsborg, good choice, the principal of one of the elementary schools. :-) Musical act - FANTASTIC - Maria Haukaas Mittet and Wig Wam perform a totally different version of In My Dreams ... wow!! A ballad version, so cool. :-D She is dressed in a very innocent white lacey dress, and he's in a kind of Hollywood vampire costume ... looks great. In My Dreams with elements of Hold On Be Strong ... The Phantom of the Opera ... and she's got lots of different costumes on underneath her white dress, fantastic!! :-D I love this. So cool. But what are they going to do next Saturday to top this?? :-D

And now, finally, the results. Fingers crossed! OK, first ... Sie Gubba. No surprises. They won't win, but the song's not bad. Second ... the metal guys are so nervous, the lead singer can't even look up. :-D Let's have it. WTF?? The Lucky Bullets!!? OH NOES!!! Damn the Norwegian television public!!! What's wrong with you people?? This is down to all the old folks in this country who watch this show and can't think strategically. DAMN IT!!

DARN IT ALL TO HECK!!! >:-(

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