tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2757683443685424152024-03-13T18:41:22.484+01:00Leisha's Random Thoughts & PonderingsLeisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.comBlogger1735125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-13891082178303390722019-05-18T21:02:00.000+02:002019-05-19T01:08:23.877+02:00Tel Aviv 2019 - final!YAY ... <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">It's on ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! I'm watching with a nine year old so I have to explain things just as much as blog about them ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Cool opening</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! And what a great way to show off the country flags</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The 9 year old LOVES Iceland's outfits ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D I hope she manages to stay awake till Iceland's performance </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The hosts welcome us all and explain about voting.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Malta - <i>Chameleon</i>. One of my favorites this year. And the Maltese would be so crazy happy to win one day ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Albania - </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Ktheju tokës. </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The Czech Republic - <i>Friend of a Friend</i>. 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-) She says that they definitely won't win. I think she's probably right. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-) But I can see what people see in this.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Germany - <i>Sister</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Russia - <i>Scream</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Host in the green room, with Jean Paul Gaultier.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Denmark -</span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Love Is Forever</span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">. My favorite</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">San Marino - <i>Say Na Na Na</i>. This song is so hilarious. Disco style</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">North Macedonia - <i>Proud</i>. 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 ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Green room, chatting to Malta, Germany, Czech Republic.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Sweden - <i>Too Late For Love</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Slovenia - <i>Sebi</i>. 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 ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Cyprus - <i>Replay</i>. 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D I'm not impressed tonight either, sorry not sorry.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The Netherlands - <i>Arcade</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Greece - <i>Better Love</i>. This presentation looks so weird. The 9 year old shouted when she saw it, COOL</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D The presentation is so weird ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Host in the green room, enticing us with all the cool people we will see later in the show. Stay on this channel</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Israel - <i>Home</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Norway - <i>Spirit in the Sky</i>. 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D His daughter, the 9 year old, LOVES it. It's the best song so far</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! It actually is really good. A modern song but with an indubitably Norwegian flavor. I'm very happy with this. Yay for us</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">United Kingdom - <i>Bigger Than Us</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Green room with Russia, San Marino, North Macedonia. Sheesh, they are really obsessed with their app.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Iceland - </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Hatrið mun sigra. </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Weirdness</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! Not the winner. But great that they're here.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Estonia - <i>Storm</i>. 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 <i>this</i> with <i>this</i>. And also because he's singing depressing lyrics and constantly grinning. Estonia nil points.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Belarus - <i>Like It</i>. 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.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Azerbaijan - <i>Truth</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">France - <i>Roi</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Italy - <i>Soldi</i>. 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.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Serbia - <i>Kruna</i>. 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 <i>Molitva</i>. And nothing compares to <i>Molitva</i>. Sorry Serbia.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Switzerland - <i>She Got Me</i>. 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.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Australia - <i>Zero Gravity</i>. This entry ... </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Spain - <i>La venda</i>. Spain closes the show. Party time</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"> My Serbian friend says that this sounds like Spain doesn't want to host Eurovision next year. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D But it's an excellent end to the show. The arena is going wild. Perfect</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Host in the green room, and everyone is super happy. Now to the voting. We can vote ... now</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">First runthrough of all the songs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">I voted</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Interval entertainment - Conchita and Måns</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! Will they be singing each other's songs</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">? No, he's singing <i>Fuego</i>. Hah, this is a cool idea. What will Eleni sing??</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><i>Dancing Lasha Tumbai</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! Ahahahahaha</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! What will Verka sing ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Of course</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! <i>Toy</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Wow, blast from the past ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! <i>Hallelujah</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! They will all sing <i>Hallelujah</i>. OMG. My heart is melting. Where else but Eurovision ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Second runthrough.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Chitchat with the hosts. And Madonna</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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 ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Nope, locals first. Good.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Then a chat with some American I never heard of. And the mentalist again.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Netta ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Good thing that they sent <i>Toy</i> 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Third runthrough.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">There's still time to vote. But I used up all my votes already.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Chitchat in the green room with the Netherlands and Switzerland.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">And now Madonna finally. Not her best performance ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The voting ends ... now</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Oh, the excitement ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">OMG hahahah, it's so predictable. 12 points to Russia from Azerbaijan, 12 points to Italy from San Marino ...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">But we did not give our 12 points to Sweden</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! Go us</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">What is the Romanian woman wearing ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Chitchat in the green room with Macedonia and Sweden.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Hahaha, Russia and Azerbaijan just swapped twelves </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Izhar Cohen leading the Israeli jury</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Chitchat in the green room with Sweden.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">OMG I am nervous. Sweden in the lead now, Macedonia 2 points behind. I would a thousand times rather see Macedonia win than Sweden</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! But now the popular vote which will change everything ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Ahahahaha, the UK's coming last</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! LOL</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! But poor Germany, what a burn</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">OMG a gadzillion points to us</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! Ahahahaha</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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I love this new setup<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! SO exciting ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The Netherlands is the winner</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! They crushed Sweden</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! Hahahaha</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Congratulations to the Dutch</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! The last time they won I hadn't even been born yet. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">o_O Amsterdam 2020</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-67633282278349804852019-05-16T21:02:00.000+02:002019-05-18T22:28:06.670+02:00Tel Aviv 2019 - second semi-finalIt's happening ... <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Tonight we can vote as well. Exciting ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Info on how to vote - because tonight we can vote</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
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Armenia - <i>Walking Out</i>. 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 ...<br />
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Ireland - <i>22</i>. 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.<br />
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Moldova - <i>Stay</i>. A sand artist<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Wow. When was the last time we saw that</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">? 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Switzerland - <i>She Got Me</i>. 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 ... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Latvia - <i>That Night</i>. 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.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Romania - <i>On A Sunday</i>. 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.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Plugging the app. In the green room - with Conchita</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-D And with Luca from Switzerland, talking about all his achievements. Rolling my eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Denmark - <i>Love Is Forever</i>. I love this song</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Quite possibly my favorite song this year. It's so charming. And it's so catchy ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! 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 ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Sweden - <i>Too Late For Love</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Austria - <i>Limits</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Croatia - <i>The Dream</i>. Will he be wearing the angel wings, I wonder. Huh. No, but yes. Just CGI ones. But the backing dancers, OMG ... they have <b>golden</b> wings. Jebus. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Malta - <i>Chameleon</i>. Another of my favorites. This song is so cool. I also really like chameleons. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Lithuania - <i>Run with the Lions</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Plugging the app again. Host in green room with Ireland and Sweden. Damnit, Sweden. Some more exciting news about Saturday.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Russia - <i>Scream</i>. Ooh, Russia ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Albania - <i>Ktheju tokës</i>. 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 ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! And quite a dramatic performance. Could go either way for this one.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Norway - <i>Spirit in the Sky</i>. My country</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! We have a pretty good song this year. We've sent a lot worse. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The Netherlands - <i>Arcade</i>. 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 ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">North Macedonia - <i>Proud</i>. 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Azerbaijan - <i>Truth</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The hosts telling us about voting. Our civic duty. And it begins ... now</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">First runthrough of all the songs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">OK, I voted. Five votes for Denmark and three for Malta. My duty is done.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Back to host in green room. People are voting. Vote more</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">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 ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Second runthrough.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Last chance to vote ... Voting ends ... now</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Måns Zelmerlöw is in the house. He will be performing on Saturday too.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Host in the green room. Talking to the Netherlands.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">More of that cool video collage from Tuesday. SO MANY COOL SONGS ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Awesomesauce.</span><br />
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Happy people in the green room. They must be so nervous ... <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Again with Madonna. Sheesh.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Plugging Eurovision Choir.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">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.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Another video collage, this time douze points-themed. Fun. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">OK, my guesses. Who will get to the final. Let me think.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The Netherlands</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Russia</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Sweden</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Azerbaijan</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Norway</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Malta</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Fingers crossed for Denmark ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">And the ten finalists are ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">North Macedonia</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Yay</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The Netherlands, of course</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Albania</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sweden. Damnit.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Russia, of course</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Azerbaijan</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Denmark</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! YAY</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Norway</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">:-D</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Switzerland. Undeserved IMO but not surprising.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Malta</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Yes</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Whew</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">! Good choices, Europe.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">A runthrough of the last ten finalists.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Great show, can't wait for Saturday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">!</span>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-19281077652059686382019-05-14T21:00:00.000+02:002019-05-14T23:15:18.105+02:00Tel Aviv 2019 - first semi-final<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">It's on ... !!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The excitement ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-) And that music ... </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Happy people in the audience ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-) And Netta happy on stage. Starting on a very positive note.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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 ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The postcards are about dancing. The first looks very summery and charming. I want summer ...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Cyprus - <i>Replay.</i> 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, <i>Adresse Tel Aviv</i>, 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.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Montenegro - <i>Heaven</i>. 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.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Finland - <i>Look Away</i>. I love Finland. It's one of my favorite countries. Fellow Norwegians</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"> 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Poland - <i>Fire of Love (Pali się)</i>. Yay, Poland</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Slovenia - <i>Sebi</i>. 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 ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">the Czech Republic - <i>Friend of a Friend</i>. 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 ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">First trip to the green room. Chitchat with Cyprus and Poland.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Hungary - <i>Az én apám</i>. 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. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Belarus - <i>Like It</i>. 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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">? 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Serbia - <i>Kruna</i>. 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 <i>Molitva</i>, 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Belgium - <i>Wake Up</i>. 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 <b>not</b> listening. I have no idea how this entry is going to do.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Georgia - <i>Keep On Going</i>. 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Australia - <i>Zero Gravity</i>. This will look the same as it did in their national selection, I understand. In other words, crazy. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Back to the green room. Plugging the app. Chitchat with Czechia. Every performance is amazing</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! Chitchat with Belgium.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Iceland - <i>Hatrið mun sigra</i>. This is <b>not</b> 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Hoppe etter ruccola ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Estonia - <i>Storm</i>. 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 <i>this</i> with <i>this</i>, 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Portugal - <i>Telemóveis</i>. Weirdest presentation of the night, guaranteed. Much weirder than Iceland. Will the dancer fall again</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">? OMG those outfits. Yes he fell. WHAT is that thing on the singer's face</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">? 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Greece - <i>Better Love</i>. Wow, <i>Arabian Nights</i> 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 ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">o_O</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">San Marino - <i>Say Na Na Na</i>. 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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">One host in the green room, the other three on stage. Explaining how to vote ... but like I said, I can't vote tonight. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-(</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">First runthrough of all the entries.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">OK, some guesses on who will get through tonight.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Australia</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Iceland</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Poland</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Hungary</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Less sure of the rest ... it feels like anything could happen. So few standout songs tonight.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Serbia</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Georgia</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Finland</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Czech Republic</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">? Maybe</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">I'm hoping for San Marino ... and Montenegro. But I don't know. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">I really don't know tonight ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">o_O</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Dana International is in the house ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! And on the stage</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">One of the hosts with last year's Junior ESC winner. Cute.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">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 <i>A-ba-ni-bi</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Another runthrough of all the songs. Look at Australia flying ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">And the voting is over ... now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Chtichat in the green room, with Estonia and Portugal. The host looks like an idiot too with that thing on his face.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Ooh, a video tribute. Wow. Very cool. I want to watch that again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Poor Netta, she's been wearing that ridiculous outfit for two hours now. But she probably likes it. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">More chitchat. The results are almost in ... The excitement ...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">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. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">:-D France</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">! 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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">The results are in ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">And the ten finalists are ...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Greece</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Belarus</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Serbia</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Cyprus</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! Wow, they sucked so bad, and they still made it. Wow.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Estonia. Boo.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Czechia</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Australia</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! Of course</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Iceland</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">San Marino</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! Yay</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Slovenia</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">OMG - no Poland ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">:-o</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">It was a good show, but I'm sad for Poland ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">:-(</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Runthrough of the ten finalists.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Aw, Poland ... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">:-(</span>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-10850558930822665642018-05-12T21:05:00.001+02:002018-05-13T00:52:39.135+02:00Lisbon 2018 - final!! <div dir="ltr">
It's on ... !! I have to write this on my phone so we'll see how it goes. Will be shorter than usual. :-)<br />
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Fado stars! Interesting, we never see this in Norway. Then some other performers we never see.</div>
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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.</div>
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KAS doesn't like the presenters. I don't actively dislike them ... but I've already forgotten their names. o_O</div>
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Ukraine - <i>Under the Ladder</i>. Opening with weirdness. Cute kid. Confident on stage. A good opening to the show. Probably a little too weird though.</div>
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The postcards are good this year.</div>
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Spain - <i>Tu canción</i>. 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.<br />
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I managed to get my computer up and running so yay, no more blogging on my phone. :-)<br />
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Slovenia - <i>Hvala, ne!</i>. 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.<br />
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Lithuana - <i>When We're Old</i>. 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.<br />
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Austria - <i>Nobody But You</i>. 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.<br />
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Estonia - <i>Forza</i>. 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<br />
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This is really good for us, anyway, because we're next, and our song will really stand out because the genres are so different.<br />
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Norway - <i>That's How You Write A Song</i>. 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.<br />
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Portugal - <i>O jardim</i>. 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 ...<br />
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A visit to the green room. Oh wow, look at her dress. It's made of mirrors. I don't remember her name.<br />
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United Kingdom - <i>Storm</i>. 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.<br />
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Serbia - <i>Nova deca</i>. 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<br />
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Germany - <i>You Let Me Walk Alone</i>. 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.<br />
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Albania - <i>Mall</i>. 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<br />
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France - <i>Mercy</i>. 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.<br />
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Czech Republic - <i>Lie to Me</i>. 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. :-)<br />
<br />
Denmark - <i>Higher Ground</i>. 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. :-)<br />
<br />
Australia - <i>We Got Love</i>. 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 <b>won't</b> 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.<br />
<br />
A little more chitchat. Flirting in the green room. Paying tribute to Lys Assia. Aw!<br />
<br />
Finland!! OMG Finland. <i>Monsters</i>! 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.<br />
<br />
Bulgaria - <i>Bones</i>. 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.<br />
<br />
Moldova - <i>My Lucky Day</i>. 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<br />
<br />
Sweden - <i>Dance You Off</i>. 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.<br />
<br />
Hungary - <i>Viszlát nyár</i>. 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.<br />
<br />
Israel - <i>Toy</i>. 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! :-)<br />
<br />
The Netherlands - <i>Outlaw In 'Em</i>. 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.<br />
<br />
Ireland - <i>Together</i>. 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. :-)<br />
<br />
Cyprus - <i>Fuego</i>. 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.<br />
<br />
Italy - <i>Non mi avete fatto niente</i>. 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.<br />
<br />
Start voting now!!!<br />
<br />
The first runthrough of all the songs ...<br />
<br />
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. :-)<br />
<br />
Interval entertainment. No sign of Salvador. I guess his doctors don't want him to participate. :-( Should we know who Branko is?<br />
<br />
Second runthrough.<br />
<br />
Some more bad jokes from the presenters ...<br />
<br />
A recap of Portugal's Eurovision history. Interesting and entertaining. :-)<br />
<br />
Chatting to audience members ... and to the winner of Junior Eurovision. Aw, she's singing <i>Amor pelos dois</i>.<br />
<br />
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, <i>Amor pelos dois</i>! So sweet. :-)<br />
<br />
Third runthrough.<br />
<br />
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:<br />
Israel<br />
Australia<br />
Cyprus<br />
France?<br />
Estonia?<br />
I have no idea ... !!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
That guy who's going to give us the Australian votes looks like he's animated.<br />
<br />
WTF is wrong with people! Stop giving all these points to Sweden!! >:-(<br />
<br />
I am cheering for Austria now! A thousand times rather Austria than Sweden. But the televotes can change everything. And they probably will.<br />
<br />
The twelves are being rather democratically distributed tonight ... ! :-)<br />
<br />
Austria has got to beat the Swedes. We are in shock. Waiting with bated breath for the televotes ... !!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Australia totally bombed!! OMG!! I'm shocked.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Austria's out too! OMG! It'll be Israel or Cyprus then? OMG! Denmark still hasn't been mentioned ... :-o<br />
<br />
Germany's out! OMG! Israel will probably crush everyone. But anything can happen. There's Denmark. They did amazingly well!<br />
<br />
This is so even. It's so exciting. OMG. Israel or Cyprus?? Or in some crazy turn, Italy? OMG.<br />
<br />
Israel or Cyprus.<br />
<br />
Israel!<br />
<br />
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. :-)<br />
<br />
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!! :-)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Actually, two more thoughts: I cannot believe how badly Australia did ... !! :-o<br />
<br />
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. :-)<br />
<br />
Congratulations to Netta and to Israel!!! :-)</div>
Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-73973765989344852472018-05-10T21:02:00.000+02:002018-05-10T23:24:14.137+02:00Lisbon 2018 - second semi-finalIt's on ... !!!<br />
<br />
Tonight I will see more of the show than I did on Tuesday, and I will even get to hear what the hosts are saying. :-) SO excited for this. The show on Tuesday was great and I'm sure it will be amazing tonight too. The stage looks great, I love what they've done. :-)<br />
<br />
The hosts are explaining how and when to vote. I can vote tonight. :-o I 100% support that we can only vote after all the songs have been performed. Ooh, our song will be # 1500! Coolness. # 1000 was Ireland, I remember.<br />
<br />
We're first, unfortunately - it's a lousy slot. But I'm certain we'll get through though. Oh, there's our little hobbit. How does he not age???<br />
<br />
Norway - <i>That's How You Write A Song</i>. It's a fun entry, a very catchy beat, and guaranteed to be well performed. He can't really sing, but it's not a singing competition. :-) Nothing's going wrong technically ... and there's the violin, and fireworks. Hmm. I'm sure we'll get through to the final BUT I'm not sure I totally believe in this. Doesn't strike me as the winner. I could be wrong though. But it's a good entry and I'm happy with it. He does a great job on stage, as always.<br />
<br />
Romania - <i>Goodbye</i>. Oh, they've kept some elements from the original weird performance. OK. Not sure what to say about this. It's Romania, so I expect them to do well. I usually like their entries. And this has a good chorus. But I just don't feel it for this one. I don't know, they're distracting me with the weird presentation. o_O<br />
<br />
Serbia - <i>Nova deca</i>. Oh, I want this to do well! One of my friends who I will be watching the final with is Serbian and it would be so cool to have their song in the show. I also actually really quite like the song. :-) It has just the right level of drama. People in the Balkans are going to LOVE it. :-D<br />
<br />
San Marino - <i>Who We Are</i>. Noo, they brough the robots! OMG. Just go straight home. It's kind of a shame because the song is kind of catchy. I mean, it's not the worst they've ever sent. Well, it's a total ripoff of <i>Heroes</i>, so how bad could it be. And anyway, nothing can be worse than <i>The Social Network Song</i>. But this is ... no. Just no. Please, go home. At least don't sing to the robot ... ! :-o<br />
<br />
Denmark - <i>Higher Ground</i>. I really like this song. It has a great beat, the melody has a flow to it that I really like. I don't know how the viking theme will go down with Europe as a whole though. Maybe they will think it's exotic. The singer should definitely strike a chord with some though. I mean, <i>Game of Thrones</i> fans? I don't think he's singing super well tonight. But the presentation looks good and the beat is definitely coming through. Good luck to them! :-)<br />
<br />
Russia - <i>I Won't Break</i>. Julia Samoylova on the ESC stage at last! I like this song, but I liked the one last year better. They've made use of her handicap to build her up into a mountaintop. o_O And dancers, so at least someone is moving around. Hm. I do find her inspiring, in that this is her career, with such a tremendous physical handicap. I do NOT approve that she claims her illness was triggered by a polio vaccine ... !!! >:-( The song is quite striking and I'm sure we will see this again on Saturday.<br />
<br />
A trip to the green room, talking to our little hobbit, and the robot. o_O And the Danish vikings.<br />
<br />
Moldova - <i>My Lucky Day</i>. Is it really, though? I'm not completely sold on this. On the other hand it is a super fun entry ... and people are looking to have fun tonight. :-) They've got good chemistry on stage and a fun and creative presentation. I think they will get a lot of points from the televote, but not so much from the jury groups.<br />
<br />
The Netherlands - <i>Outlaw In 'Em</i>. Well, this is at least a song that stands out. :-D It's Alexander Rybak's hands down favorite this year, apparently. I wasn't sure about it at first but it's grown on me. It's really catchy. And it's a great performance. The best so far tonight. Would be very surprised if this doesn't get through.<br />
<br />
Australia - <i>We Got Love</i>. Ah, Oz! Another strong entry from down under. Not my favorite of the Australian entries, but definitely a good one. She's really getting the arena going. Ooh, and fireworks. I'm not a big fan of her dancing ... but she's got lots of confidence on stage, it's a good performance. Another shoe-in for the final.<br />
<br />
Georgia - <i>For You</i>. My friend who hosts our ESC dinner parties is a big fan of Georgia, ever since <i>Visionary Dream</i>. I hope they get through, for her sake, so she can cheer for them on Saturday. :-D I also think their decision to finally sing in Georgian should be rewarded. Also their bringing this genre to the contest. And this is quite a powerful melody too. Hm. Best of luck. :-)<br />
<br />
Poland - <i>Light Me Up</i>. I'm not a huge fan of this one. I guess it's catchy enough, but ... I don't know, this just doesn't do it for me. The Polish entries rarely do. Nothing against Poland, though. I just don't get anything about this one.<br />
<br />
Malta - <i>Taboo</i>. I'm not a huge fan of this one either. I do hope the Maltese manage to win one day though. They would be insanely happy and put on a fantastic show in Valletta. But not in 2019. I was wondering how they would present this. I'm not really a fan of how they've solved it. Also, I so disagree with the lyrics - we have to break the taboos before we all become animals?? We already are animals. I rather think it's having taboos that separate us from the other animals. o_O Well, at least the singer can actually sing.<br />
<br />
Back to the green room. Oh, Samoylova's dream of seeing the ocean has come true. Good for her. I somehow doubt that her second dream will happen this week though. Mauboy's chances seem rather better. Pastel de natas for everyone!<br />
<br />
Hungary - <i>Viszlát nyár</i>. Well, another genre is always good. I'm not super sold on this one though. Like I said, I think people tune in to this show to have fun. And this entry just is not fun. It's also not catchy, which is maybe even worse. I think the singer's performance may be off-putting to many viewers. It certainly is to me. >:-) Not convinced even all that fire can save this entry from oblivion.<br />
<br />
Latvia - <i>Funny Girl</i>. A good entry, I guess ... it has a good melody and a good performer. I like her dress. But I don't know, this doesn't really strike me. It's kind of forgettable. Not optimistic about their chances.<br />
<br />
Sweden - <i>Dance You Off</i>. Give You An Epileptic Seizure, more like. Soo typical of the Swedes that they have to have their own setup and can't just use what the host provides. And this is totally the same song they sent last year!! They've just slowed it down a bit and used a different singer. >:-( At least he's put his jacket on properly this time. In their national selections I just wanted to smack him upside the head. It's pretty catchy though, and the performance was good. And the audience really liked it. I just hope we beat them, that's all I ask ... !<br />
<br />
Montenegro - <i>Inje</i>. Bad outfit and horrible posture. It's a beautiful song, a lovely melody, but the presentation is not good. Vanja looks like there's something wrong with him. Really not sure about this one. The song deserves a place in the final but the entry as a whole ... ?<br />
<br />
Slovenia - <i>Hvala, ne!</i>. This one is kind of weird. The chorus is really weird. I kind of like it though ... in small doses. And I don't know what I think about the presentation. Talk about epilepsy-inducing. o_O But now what? The music cut out! Was that part of the performance? If it wasn't, she handled it like a pro. And the verses are really catchy. It kind of stands out, this entry. Maybe it will get through.<br />
<br />
Ukraine - <i>Under the Ladder</i>. Opens strangely ... and continues strangely. Makes me think of vampires. Which I like, so that's good, I guess. Oh, I wish we'd had this slot!! This is weirdly intriguing. Piano, fire! Will not at all be surprised to see this on Saturday.<br />
<br />
The hosts prepare to open the voting ...<br />
<br />
Voting ahoy!<br />
<br />
A runthrough of all the songs ...<br />
<br />
It's almost hard to know what to vote for tonight. I mean, even though we didn't get to see Alexander perform, I'm glad it was the first semi that we saw, it was soo much better than this. This one is really weak.<br />
<br />
More nautical jokes ...<br />
<br />
Some interval entertainment. Looking back through the years, that's always fun. :-)<br />
<br />
OK, I've voted three times for Denmark and twice each for Serbia and Australia. But seriously, I almost could have skipped voting tonight. There's nothing really good here. :-(<br />
<br />
Now the hosts are getting into it with the revivals. Singing <i>Euphoria</i>! Dancing Riverdance! They're good sports.<br />
<br />
Second runthrough.<br />
<br />
Who will get through?? Let me think.<br />
<br />
OK, some guesses as to who will get through:<br />
Australia<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Norway<br />
Sweden<br />
Serbia<br />
Russia<br />
Romania?<br />
<br />
Maybe Moldova?<br />
<br />
Who won't?<br />
San Marino<br />
Poland<br />
Latvia<br />
Hungary<br />
<br />
Maybe Denmark ... ?<br />
<br />
Showing us some fun that can be had in Lisbon and its environs ... Aw, the Russian delegation by the ocean.<br />
<br />
Now we'll learn about Portugal. Hah, inspired by <i>Planet Earth</i>. Cute. I was in Portugal this past weekend and I have already learned to recognize some of these things ;-)<br />
<br />
The last three of the Big Five to be presented ... France first. I didn't like this song when I first heard it but it has actually really grown on me. It's actually really beautiful. Then Germany ... who wants to sing <i>Fly on the Wings of Love</i> to us. I like that song. More than I like the German song this year. ;-) But it's not half bad. The Italians are being made to sing <i>Volare</i>. Which isn't actually called <i>Volare</i>. The Italian song this year has kind of grown on me too.<br />
<br />
The official results are in! :-o<br />
<br />
Serbia!<br />
Moldova! Hey!<br />
Hungary! WTF?<br />
Ukraine<br />
Sweden. Duh.<br />
Australia! Of course!<br />
Norway! Whew!<br />
Denmark got through! Yes!!<br />
Slovenia<br />
The Netherlands<br />
<br />
Six out of ten. And some of the ones I didn't mention I thought probably would, so I could have done better, really. ;-) Oh well, my three faves, such as they are, got through. And our little hobbit did too. Looking forward to Saturday!!! :-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-68939741299810430832018-05-10T19:57:00.000+02:002018-05-10T21:01:49.499+02:00Lisbon 2018 - some thoughts on the first semi-finalI didn't do a blog post for the first semi, but I had a very good reason - I was in Altice Arena in Lisbon, watching the show live. :-D I'm going to post some thoughts on it though.<br />
<br />
Which will be coming up soon ... ! :-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-68349308370648016812018-03-10T20:01:00.001+01:002018-03-10T22:16:57.720+01:00ESC 2017 - Norway's national selectionEep! I hardly dare to think how this will turn out. o_O Kind of fun intro ... would seem problematic that the singers can't sing very well, but this is Melodi Grand Prix, so obviously it's what we're expecting. I do like hearing old/oldish entries performed in a totally different tempo and style. :-)<br />
<br />
All the contestants telling us how much they want to win. Yawn.<br />
<br />
Very briefly presenting the international jury - or rather just showing them off. I don't like the idea of the international jury. I don't want us to cater to other competing countries, I want us to choose our own entry because WE like it. Grumble.<br />
<br />
They would do better to present the Norwegian jury ...<br />
<br />
Now on with the contestants ... !<br />
<br />
Song # 1 - <i>You Got Me</i> by Rodrigo Pencheff, Gustav Eurén, Karl Eurén, Andreas Grube, Niclas Arn and Stella Mwangi, performed by Stella Mwangi and Alexandra Rotan. I like that one of the singers has also cowritten the song. As for the song itself, it's ... the best so far. >:-) It's pretty catchy. I like Alexandra's sections much better than Stella's, but oviously it's the contrast that they're betting on to make it stick in people's minds. Hideous outfits. They really are getting the audience going ... ! This is a really cheerful song that I think people will enjoy listening to.<br />
<br />
Song # 2 - <i>Talk to the Hand</i> by Joakim With Steen, Jonas McDonnell, Magnus Klausen and Aleksander Walmann, performed by Aleksander Wallmann. Personally I would never even consider voting for an entry with this incredibly rude title. The title of the song is literally "I don't want anything to do with you". Well, fuck you too then. So I don't give a shit what this song is like. But unsurprisingly it is repetitious and has no personality. Boo.<br />
<br />
Song # 3 - <i>Scandilove</i> by Stefan Törnby and Ida Maria, and apparently a bunch of others that NRK haven't listed on their website? Performed by Ida Maria. At least someone who is a seasoned performer and can give a professional performance. That's a good beginning. But I've never listened to her, and I almost never listen to the radio (only if someone else turns it on). Turns out she's a horrible singer. :-o And the song is awful too and her outfit AND performance is awful. She seems to have a bunch of fans in the audience. They should get their ears checked. Nil points ... !!! :-o<br />
<br />
This does one thing for me and that is to make me wish I was watching <i>Voice of the Century</i>.<br />
<br />
Song # 4 - <i>Light Me Up</i> by Nicoline Berg Kaasin, Johan Larsson and Emilie Adams, performed by Nicoline Berg Kaasin. However shitty this entry is, it's guaranteed to be a thousand times better than the last one, so yay. But sheesh, their outfits. At least this singer can sing a little bit. But the song is ... boring, more than anything else. Got repetitive real quick. Yawn.<br />
<br />
Going to the green room to talk to some writers and some of the performers who are already done. Blather that only their parents care about.<br />
<br />
Song # 5 - <i>I Like I Like I Like</i> by Tom Hugo Hermansen, performed by himself. :-) Performing his own song, that's a big plus for me. Now that's a proper Eurovision outfit! :-D Apparently this guy is a professional songwriter and he writes a lot of songs for Japanese boybands. I think I can tell. :-D Well, it's hardly Ibsen, but it's fun. It has a good beat and seems to be getting the audience going. But now it looks like they have too many people on stage - that's something I really take issue with, because it means that we aren't voting for a realistic presentation. NRK should not be allowing that.<br />
<br />
Chitchat from the hosts ... they're going to talk to some of the international jury members. The Swede of course making completely OTT comments and portraying things unrealistically ... as expected. :-D<br />
<br />
Song # 6 - <i>Stop the Music</i> by Charla K, Per Gessle and Alex Shield, performed by Charla K. Per Gessle competing is actually a pretty big deal. Let's see. Or hear. Hm. Voice OK. Sequined dress, that's often a hit. But a whole choir on stage ... !! Seriously, that's ridiculous. I can't in good conscience vote for this, because we can't send this. What we would send would be something other than what they are presenting. NRK, get a grip! The song itself is ... very nice to listen to, but forgettable.<br />
<br />
Song # 7 - <i>Tengo otra</i> by Alejandro Fuentes, Angel Arce Pututi and Alejandro Pututi, performed by Alejandro Fuentes. Singing in Spanish, yes, that worked out so well for us last time we tried it. :-D But I am happy to see all kinds of languages in the ESC and he is after all a native Spanish speaker. So my mind is open to this entry. It is, however, closed to his blue hair. o_O As for the song, it's, well ... Boring. Just really really boring. Confetti cannot save it.<br />
<br />
Song # 8 - <i>Moren din</i> by Vidar André Mohaugen, Jonas Thomassen and Martin Thomassen, performed by Vidar Villa. A song with Norwegian lyrics in the Norwegian ESC selections ... ! What's next, a unicorn? Apparently this is the song that is the most popular among this year's lineup in terms of streaming. Haha, hilarious lyrics. And only six people on stage! :-D Charming singer and a song with a good beat. And girls in sequined dresses playing trumpets. Hah, I like this one. :-D<br />
<br />
Song # 9 - <i>Who We Are</i> by Kjetil Mørland, performed by Rebecca Thorsen. Same writer as <i>A Monster Like Me</i>, which is a beautiful song. And this girl can sing, wow! Great dress. Kind of a wannabe powerful ballad, but certainly beautiful to listen to. Not very memorable, I don't think. I'm sure it'll grow on me but it's not an instant earworm. But certainly one of the best of the night.<br />
<br />
Song # 10 - <i>That's How You Write A Song</i>, written and performed by Alexander Rybak. Our little hobbit is back again ... !! :-o I am SO looking forward to this and at the same time dreading it. Because if it's not good then ... that'll be so bad. :-( But we know that he can do it, so maybe it'll be good? Even great? I'm loving his thoughts on why he decided to make his comeback. :-) Excellent intro! Although may be considered a little bit of a <i>Heroes</i> ripoff ... just in terms of the presentation. A great performance, very confident. A wonderful topic for a song. He's not a great singer but he's an excellent performer, lots of stage presence and extremely confident and professional. Now also with the violin too, naturally. :-) But now there's too many people on stage ... ! Oh noes! Will still vote for him though. Rybak ftw. He makes me forget my principles.<br />
<br />
First runthrough ...<br />
<br />
Going through some scores from the international juries. Complete with embarrassing praise from the various foreigners.<br />
<br />
Rybak's doing well. He's going to win tonight. I feel it in my bones. :-)<br />
<br />
I've voted five times for Rybak, twice for Stella & Alexandra and once for Rebecca. My civic duty done.<br />
<br />
Talking to the Estonian jury leader. They've picked the right song but still, the hosts' conversation with him really shows up why we shouldn't have these international juries. "We're here to help you pick the winner" - hello, they're competing too! Why would they want to help us? o_O IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!!!1!<br />
<br />
Back to the hosts, talking with Alexander and Rebekka. And visiting an MGP party in Trondheim. :-D And a choir serenading a woman at a bus stop because she watches the show, awesome. :-)<br />
<br />
Interval entertainment - Anita Skorgan and Karoline Krüger playing piano and singing a duet. Wow. :-) And that song is so beautiful ... !<br />
<br />
Various content from social media ... and another serenade to unsuspecting fans of the contest. Adorable!!<br />
<br />
Revealing the top four. My guess:<br />
<i>That's How You Write A Song</i><br />
<i>Who We Are</i><br />
<i>You Got Me</i><br />
<i>Moren din</i>, maybe?<br />
<br />
<i>Who We Are</i> is in.<br />
<i>You Got Me</i> is in.<br />
<i>Talk to the Hand</i> is in! NOES!<br />
<i>That's How You Write A Song</i>. Of course! The winner! :-D<br />
<br />
Now there's a new system with the voting among the top four ... so now we're voting again. I voted five times for Rybak. :-)<br />
<br />
Hah, now they're doing the serenade for an unsuspecting audience member ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
Ah, now we're getting to see some of the entries from other countries that have already made their selections. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Danish viking will do :-D And Finland ... o_O<br />
<br />
Now to whittle the top four down to two ... I've voted five more times for Rybak. :-D <i>Who We Are</i> will get through this round, is my guess.<br />
<br />
Yep.<br />
<br />
Now the last two, and obviously <i>That's How You Write A Song</i>. :-)<br />
<br />
Yes! Of course!<br />
<br />
And now these two will get to perform their songs again.<br />
<br />
Rebecca has maybe gained a little confidence :-) - she certainly gives an excellent performance this time. It's really a quite beautiful song. I will be happy to have this represent us in Lisbon. But I still want the hobbit to win. :-)<br />
<br />
Another excellent performance from Rybak. Imagine all the extra press we'll get if we send him. Let's send him! I've voted five more times. :-D<br />
<br />
Aah ... ! Aleksander Wallmann got knocked out but now he's back on stage - Jowst is here to perform last year's winning song. Which still isn't any better than it was a year ago ... :-D But it looks like they had a great time representing us in 2017 and of course that is a very good thing. :-)<br />
<br />
And the winner is ... ooh, they have Rebecca's songwriter on stage, that's great. Because he is the one who is actually competing.<br />
<br />
Alexander Rybak! Yes! But why don't we get to hear the actual scores?? New system OK, old system better ...<br />
<br />
Yay for Alexander Rybak!! Now I can hold my head up high in Lisbon. Some of my friends and me are going to be in the arena for the first semifinal, and unfortunately Norway's competing in the second ... that's a shame, it would have been great to see Rybak on stage. But we're going home from Portugal on the Wednesday and KAS and I have plans on Wednesday night. Oh well, we'll have to figure something out here at home. I have an idea already ... ;-)<br />
<br />
Congratulations to Alexander and to my fellow Norwegians!!! :-DLeisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-35868168580475688462017-05-13T21:01:00.001+02:002018-05-10T20:56:47.636+02:00Kyiv 2017 - final!!IT'S ON ... !!!<br />
<br />
Fantastic intro, I love it! :-D<br />
<br />
We're watching at KAS and trilltrall's house, they've set up the projector and the big screen and we've eaten a Ukrainian dinner. SO ready for the show now ... !<br />
<br />
Presenting all the artists on stage now, I LOVE it when they do that. But they're not carrying their flags, they're walking against a background of their flags on the screen instead. Very cool. Ukraine has done such a great job with the show this year. They've had a lot of help, I know, but still. Three great shows. :-)<br />
<br />
I still can't pronounce the hosts' last names ... o_O<br />
<br />
A hearty welcome and jokes that aren't super embarrassing. The contest has begun ... !<br />
<br />
Israel - <i>I Feel Alive</i>. A pretty cool but slightly seizure-inducing presentation. A relatively catchy song, while you're listening. But not super catchy. Ooh, fireworks! And here's the Israeli tweak. An excellent opening to the show, but also pretty boring, in hindsight.<br />
<br />
Poland - <i>Flashlight</i>. A beautiful young woman performing, that's never wrong ... and I can put up with the white dress since most of the others have been weeded out by now. >:-) A good voice but a boring song. KAS is ecstatic after glimpsing a dolphin in the background ... ever since Iceland in Moscow she's been obsessed with dolphins in ESC and now she has to vote for Poland even though she thinks the song is crazy boring. But wait!! It's not a dolphin, it's an orca. Whew, now she can vote for Portugal with a clear conscience. :-D Kasia really put her heart into the performance but I still can't see this going anywhere.<br />
<br />
Belarus - <i>Story of My Life.</i> Kudos for singing in Belarusian for once. And this is a fun entry, at least while you're listening. Visually a little overwhelming. The performers are charming. But I think this is a little too ... offbeat, let's say, to go very far. But it's pretty sweet and they're very happy with their performance. :-)<br />
<br />
Austria - <i>Running On Air</i>. Another pretty but forgettable entry. I like the presentation though. An adorable sparkly moon. :-) And the singer is charming and contagiously happy. The song is also a happy upbeat entry and I understand that people like it. But I don't think it has what it takes to really make its mark.<br />
<br />
Armenia - <i>Fly With Me</i>. A beautiful song, well performed, and a striking presentation. Not what you'd call catchy but a striking entry. I have no idea how this will do but I'm thinking pretty well ... ? :-)<br />
<br />
The Netherlands - <i>Lights and Shadows</i>. Sparkly ... !! The sparkly outfits may be the most memorable think about this entry. It's lovely to listen to and they're pretty good singers, but ... how are we supposed to remember this? I can't see this going very far. One of a great many pretty but forgettable entries this year. I feel like I'm going to do almost nothing but repeat myself tonight ... o_O<br />
<br />
Chatting to the fans. :-)<br />
<br />
Moldova - <i>Hey Mamma</i>. Probably my least favorite entry this year. No, wait, that's Spain. Second least favorite though. I could hardly believe it when this went through from the semi. trilltrall and Calyx are dancing though. :-D We have a multicolored disco lamp ... :-D Argh, this is actually kind of growing on me. They're loving it in the arena. OMG.<br />
<br />
Hungary - <i>Origo</i>. I actually really like this. May be too unusual to go very far but I really applaud Hungary for sending this. And I would love to see them win one day, but not this year. They can win in Rome next year. ;-) But this is soo good though. I love the performance and the presentation and everything. This is actually one of my favorites this year. Beautiful. I hope they do really well.<br />
<br />
And now - Italy!!! <i>Occidentali's Karma</i>!! I LOVE IT!!! :-D trilltrall loves it too, he's bought a fake moustache to wear in honor of Francesco. OMG I LOVE that suit. And here's the gorilla! In a bow tie! :-D trilltrall is making KAS dance to express his joy at the brilliance of this entry. OMG it's so good. Everything is fantastic. Performance, presentation, singer, backing singers, outfits, gorilla, everything. LOVE IT. They're loving it in the arena too. Rome 2018!!!<br />
<br />
Denmark - <i>Where I Am</i>. Sheesh, going on stage after Francesco has to be a downer. Anything is going to be a disappointment now. And this is another pretty but forgettable song. At least she's not wearing white. Ooh, fireworks. There are soo many bland entries this year that I have no idea what order they'll end up in, but I can't imagine this going very far. Then again, some of them have to ...<br />
<br />
Portugal - <i>Amar pelos dois</i>. Yay!! This is so sweet and beautiful. I really wish Italy had had a much worse entry because if Portugal should ever win they so deserve to this year. It's so cool of them to send a song like this and now that they have it's just perfect ... the right melody played on the right instruments, the exactly right singer, the performance is just right ... it's so good. I love it. But I love Italy more. :-(<br />
<br />
Chitchat from the hosts, sharing a tweet.<br />
<br />
Azerbaijan - <i>Skeletons</i>. This is a weird entry. The song is pretty, if you don't listen to the lyrics too much, but the presentation is really weird. It's a striking entry though. But I think quite a lot of potential voters may find it too weird. It's also not really what you'd call catchy. Definitely not another potential victory for Azerbaijan.<br />
<br />
Croatia - <i>My Friend</i>. I hate that intro ... !! I just want to punch him in the face whenever I hear it. KAS just said spontaneously that she hates the intro and she wants to beat him up. So it's not just me. I really like the presentation, but the "two voices" thing is just an annoying gimmick. It would have been much much better as a duet. This is is just too much. I hope they bomb. Not an unrealistic hope.<br />
<br />
Australia - <i>Don't Come Easy</i>. Boo!! Haha, Quiltoholic just announced that this is her scheduled toilet break. :-D I'm really disappointed in Australia this year. The least convincing entry since Sweden claimed that <i>It Hurts</i>. And the presentation is beyond douchy. If I could send a minus vote, it would definitely go to Australia this year. BOO!! We all hate it. >:-(<br />
<br />
Timur in the green room. Haha, not at a hot tub party in the future. :-D<br />
<br />
Chitchat with Alex and Volo.<br />
<br />
Greece - <i>This Is Love</i>. Another pretty but forgettable song. The singer has excellent strage presence though. That's probably the most memorable thing about this entry. Ooh, and the rain of gold ... and the half-naked men splashing around, sure. :-D Not a contender though.<br />
<br />
Spain - <i>Do It For Your Lover</i>. TRASH. The worst entry this year, hands down. Embarrassing. I would be ashamed to be Spanish tonight. I hope they don't get a single point. If they weren't one of the Big Five there's NO WAY they would be on stage tonight. Barf. The chorus has a beat that is just wildly annoying. Three minutes is too long ... !!<br />
<br />
Norway - <i>Grab the Moment.</i> This is actually pretty brilliant, because our entry isn't all that, but compared to Spain it's going to look like a masterpiece. :-D OK, so the disturbance in the image is actually intentional. I didn't know that on Thursday. Weird. Hm. Well, this isn't half bad. It looks really cool and the chorus is pretty catchy. This could have been SO much worse. I'm not ashamed of this. The performance is good too. Clearly nowhere near the winner, but not an embarrassment either. And that's all I ask of our entry. :-)<br />
<br />
A little entertainment now that we're over halfway ... and hahahaha, they've got training sessions with Måns Zelmerlöw! This is hilarious ... and there's Måns in the Swedish commentators' booth. :-D<br />
<br />
United Kingdom - <i>Never Give Up On You</i>. Yawn. Another pretty entry that's so totally forgettable. There are so many samey songs this year and this is one of them. A kind of striking presentation, a lot of gold ... it's well performed, but it's just so forgettable. I don't see this breaking the British curse ...<br />
<br />
Cyprus - <i>Gravity</i>. This is actually not half bad. A really good beat and a striking presentation ... although slightly seizure-inducing. But the song itself is head and shoulders above most of the rest tonight. trilltrall is loving it, he's dancing around. :-)<br />
<br />
Romania - <i>Yodel It!</i>. Yes! I dig this. :-D This song is so much fun and they perform it so well. They're adorable. I love it. I may have to vote for them again. :-D This is SO MUCH FUN. And the sparkly cannon ... !! :-D Go Romania!! It would be beyond hilarious if they actually won with this. They won't, but still. This is so cool :-D<br />
<br />
Germany - <i>Perfect Life</i>. Another pretty and boring song. Weird presentation. They may not come last again, but that'll probably be because Spain beats them to it. >:-) There is a good thumping background beat to this, it's actually kind of growing on me ... but I don't know, it's one in the crowd.<br />
<br />
Timur in the green room again. Hm, a few glimpses from Eurovision Choir of the Year. Which might be fun, depending on the setup.<br />
<br />
Ukraine - <i>Time</i>. Well, say what you want about this entry, it stands out from the rest of the lineup this year by virtue of genre and I really appreciate that. So many samey songs this year but this isn't one of them. This looked cooler in their national final though. Much better actually. Oh well. I'm sure they don't want to win again either anyway. ;-D<br />
<br />
Belgium - <i>City Lights</i>. I like this ... !! Her voice is amazing and the song is ... not catchy, but fascinating. Hypnotizing. :-) The video was weird and boring but this presentation is really interesting. The lyrics are kind of depressing but the melody is really good.<br />
<br />
Alex and Volo are making jokes to introduce Sweden. Blech.<br />
<br />
Sweden - <i>I Can't Go On</i>. But they do go on, and on and on ... ! >:-( KAS is shouting abuse at the screen. :-D He's such a douche ... the whole entry is totally douchey. Blech. I dislike this song more and more every time I hear it. But it's so catchy ... !! In terms of craftsmanship it's a quality entry, absolutely. But it just has zero personality. It has no soul. I hate it. If this beats Italy and Portugal, that will be the incontrovertibl proof that there is no god. Barf.<br />
<br />
Bulgaria - <i>Beautiful Mess</i>. Another small child ... but unlike the Australian child, this one is at least singing about something that someone his age can make convincing. So I approve. I also applaud his confidence ... all alone on stage without the comfort of giant portraits of himself in the background. It's a good performance, and a pretty good song ... dramatic. I know some countries where this will go down very well. ;-) But I can't really see this as a winner, despite what the rumors are saying. But good, definitely.<br />
<br />
France - <i>Requiem</i>. Wow, that's some dress. I like this song actually. It's not depressing, despite the title ... it's actually pretty catchy, it has a really good beat. The presentation is a little strange ... KAS says she liked the video a lot better, I think I agree. This is weird. But I really like the song. trilltrall is dancing around with his champagne glass. :-)<br />
<br />
An explanation of the voting and ... Verka opens the voting! Ahahaha, excellent.<br />
<br />
First runthrough.<br />
<br />
Now for the voting. I've sent 10 votes for Italy, 5 for Portugal, 4 for Romania and accidentally 1 for Hungary. I was going to type in 9 but my finger slipped and I hit 8 instead. No problem, I like them. :-)<br />
<br />
Some interval entertainment. I already know what this is, it's Ruslana. She'll put on a show. Yep. In a chainmail minidress. :-D<br />
<br />
Volo in the green room.<br />
<br />
Second runthrough.<br />
<br />
Some local color ... super modern with traditional instruments. Interesting. Weird, but cool. I like it. Yay for Ukraine. :-)<br />
<br />
Timur meeting a fan from Australia ... who thinks the UK is going to win. Haha, he must have brain freeze ... he definitely looked like he did. :-)<br />
<br />
Now introducing the Junior ESC winner. Aw, she's so cute.<br />
<br />
Third runthrough.<br />
<br />
And now another performance ... from Jamala this time. Interesting. Not brilliant<br />
<br />
An Australian "fan" mooned the audience right next to Jamala ... ! Seriously ... !! I hope that guy gets banned from the ESC for life. And I hope the security guys beat the shit out of him. Fucker. >:-(<br />
<br />
More explanation of voting. But we already did! Countdown to the end of voting ... which is now.<br />
<br />
OK, Sand confirms that the jury votes from Friday are in and everything is in order. The special journey is ready to begin ... !!<br />
<br />
Of course we got nothing from Sweden. Boo. But 12 to Portugal. I have a really good feeling about Portugal now. And maybe not such a good feeling about Italy? But Portugal ... ! This may be their first victory, it really may. So exciting ... !<br />
<br />
OK, I can't keep up with all of these. o_O We're getting points both here and there actually. And Sweden just got their first point. Imagine if we actually beat Sweden ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
Bulgaria's doing really well. But Portugal ... ! <3 p=""><br />
Best joke of the night from the Danish presenter. <i>Greetings from Denmark, where I am</i> ... ! :-D And they gave Sweden their 12, what a shock. Dumbasses.<br />
<br />
0 points to Spain so far. Ahahaha.</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Marcus and Martinus presenting Norway's votes. They're so tiny ... ! trilltrall likes their suits. But they're too big for them. :-D</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">12 points to Sweden from Finland. OMG, seriously ...</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Portugal is doing SO WELL ... ! Wow. But this can totally change when the popular vote comes in.</3> These votes we're getting now are the votes from the professional music industry types who are looking for craftsmanship, and who recognize craftsmanship. But afterwards, we'll be getting the popular vote, from people like my friends and me, who are lolling half drunk on their sofas at home making fun of people's clothes. So that can and probably will change things around a lot. It's so exciting, I can hardly stand it ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
<3 p="">A Verka-out to diffuse the tension ... ! :-D</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Back to the vote count.</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Iceland gave Portugal their 12 and Salvador is looking like a deer caught in headlights. :-)</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Portugal is pounding Italy's ass ... ! :-o</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Australia gave the UK their 12 ... !! That got the biggest laugh of the night here. :-D When will they free themselves from their colonial master ... ? :-D</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Germany gave us their 12 ... !! Well, the Germans like us a lot. We've had very tangible evidence of that over the years. :-o</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Wild cheers here for every 12 Portugal gets. But Salvador seems overwhelmed. I don't blame him ... !</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Sweden is ahead of Italy ... !! WTF. What is the world coming to. But the popular vote can overturn everything. And give Sweden the victory! Nooo ... !! Portugal must win!!</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Spain still has 0 points. YES!! :-D</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">OK, Portugal way ahead. But it's almost time for the popular vote. What will happen?? </3><br />
Metaphorically biting my fingernails ... !<br />
<br />
<3 p="">Timur is in the box with Mr Sand :-D getting confirmation that the popular vote is in and correct.</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">OMG my nerves ... Sand already knows the winner, I know it. OMG ... ! My nerves!</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">We are ahead of Italy ... !! WTF??</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Spain got points! Oh noes!! But they'll still be last. That's something at least. >:-)</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Australia got pretty much nothing from the popular vote. :-D</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">I'm really starting to believe in Romania now. And Sweden got BURNED!!! Ahahaha!!!</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">Italy won't win!! OMG Portugal! Go Portugal! OMG my nerves ... !</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">IT'S PORTUGAL ... !!! :-D</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">OMG. My computer actually crashed with literally 3 countries left to get their points. But Portugal won. SO HAPPY ... !! Salvador's thank you speech is so profound, he's adorable. And now he has to sing again. Portugal ... !! 49 attempts and they finally made it. Such a fantastically worthy winner. Kudos and congratulations. :-)</3><br />
<3 p=""><br /></3>
<3 p="">A duet with Luisa ... !! OMG they are so adorable. They look so much like each other. A wonderful team. And an extremely well-deserved victory. Hearteyes!!</3>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-75545595514241733982017-05-11T21:01:00.000+02:002017-05-11T23:13:15.082+02:00Kyiv 2017 - second semi-finalWheee ... !! :-D<br />
<br />
Live from Kyiv ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
This is the semi where Norway is competing so I will be able to vote tonight. Sorry that I missed the chance to vote for Portugal on Tuesday, but luckily I will have the chance to do that on Saturday. ;-) Tonight I really don't know who to vote for ... there isn't really one single song that I really like tonight. But I have to send off a few votes ... a token effort. Maybe Estonia ... ?<br />
<br />
Nice suits on the guys tonight. And now they're playing us some Eurovision classics, Ukrainian folk music style. Awesome.<br />
<br />
I really like the show so far, they've done a great job. Of course they've had an awful lot of help, but still. :-)<br />
<br />
Ahahaha this is soo cool ... !! :-D<br />
<br />
Info on how to vote. I think I probably have that figured out.<br />
<br />
The show is on ... !!!<br />
<br />
Serbia - <i>In Too Deep</i>. Another pretty young woman in a white dress. And singing a song that is pretty to listen to but not at all memorable. Like the three from Tuesday night, in other words. It's impossible for me to guess who will get through tonight because literally nothing stands out ... but this is not an impressive effort from the Serbians. Alas. Her voice isn't sounding very good tonight either.<br />
<br />
Austria - <i>Running on Air</i>. Ooh ... he has his own sparkly crescent moon. The night's best prop. :-) But like Tijana, not a very good singer. A good presentation though. But a boring song that there's no reason to remember.<br />
<br />
Macedonia - <i>Dance Alone</i>. Now this is a catchier entry than the other two. And Jana certainly isn't wearing a long white dress. ;-) The presentation is ... kind of cool, but a little seizure-inducing. I don't know. It's catchy, but a bit repetitive. Still the best so far.<br />
<br />
Malta - <i>Breathlessly</i>. Another Faniello sibling! Oh look, she's wearing a long white dress. Is no one watching the other countries rehearse?? This song is quite pretty really, but it takes such a long time to get started ... and when it does it doesn't really go anywhere. Too bland. But pretty.<br />
<br />
But now, Romania! Who will <i>Yodel It!</i> :-D Say what you want, but this is a really original entry in this lineup. I take back what I said earlier, there is one song that does actually stand out. :-D I've read some really negative reviews of this entry but I think it's very cool that the Romanians are trying something new like this. Far too few contestants are doing that this year. Way to go, Romania!! Not sure how it will be received but I think people will like it. It's fun ... ! and there's far too little of that this year, in the lineup at least. They've really got the arena going, and that tends to "come through the screen". Go Romania!! :-D<br />
<br />
The Netherlands - <i>Lights and Shadows</i>. Ooh, sparkly ... !! Fortunately not three white dresses. ;-) I quite like this song, although I couldn't hum it if my life depended on it ... its back story is quite touching and I think they perform it well. It's a pretty song. But it's not catchy and it's not memorable. But pretty.<br />
<br />
A stopover in the green room.<br />
<br />
Hungary - <i>Origo</i>. Some gypsy music, and a fiddle. We'll see. This song has an interesting rhythm, and the singer has a good voice ... better than most of the others so far. And I love that the song has Hungarian lyrics. The melody is kind of flat, a little repetitive, but it's interesting. I like it. We'll see.<br />
<br />
Denmark - <i>Where I Am</i>. A red dress!! :-D A red dress on a pretty good singer, with a good stage presence, and a song that yet again is pretty to listen to, has a pretty good beat, but isn't memorable.<br />
<br />
Ireland - <i>Dying to Try</i>. Wow. The Irish singer is a boy, but he sounds like a girl. Kind of spooky. And there's the hot air balloon. Color-wise it's pretty cool, with the red and white balloon and the black and white background. It's visually appeaing. And at least there aren't any Celtic knots ... ! :-D A very bland song, IMO.<br />
<br />
San Marino - <i>Spirit of the Night</i>. Yay, Valentina ... ! I'm almost starting to feel like it isn't really Eurovision without her. :-D But she's had better entries in the past ... <i>Crisalide</i> especially, I love that song. This song ... I don't know, it's upbeat and fast and that makes it stand out a little bit from most of the other songs tonight. But it's not very original and it gets a little enervating. Like they're trying too hard. And the presentation feels kind of oldfashioned. But good luck to them.<br />
<br />
Croatia - <i>My Friend</i>. I wish they'd skip that quote at the beginning. But I guess not. It's interesting that someone who is supposedly so homophobic comes off as so ... well, gay, for lack of a better word. Not that there's anything wrong with that. This two voices thing is a weird gimmick, I don't know that it will appeal to people. I like the presentation, but the song ... the song I actually like less every time I hear it. Kind of hoping I won't have to watch this again on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Norway - <i>Grab the Moment</i>. Don't just seize the moment! Seizing is for wimps! GRAB it! :-D OK, so this is my country. I'm not super proud to be represented by this, but everything else we had to choose from was worse. Quite a lot of it was much worse, actually. We're at least making this <b>look</b> pretty cool, if nothing else. And the mask is working, at least. Or maybe not? No, that was the other guy. Also seems like there are some problems with the picture ... but hopefully that's just on our national broadcaster's part. This song is fine to listen to, but bland and not particularly memorable. But nothing much else is tonight either, so I don't know.<br />
<br />
Switzerland - <i>Apollo. </i>A yellow dress! Yay! One point to Switzerland for wearing yellow. :-D I like the song too but it's like soo many other songs tonight, pretty to listen to but nothing to remember. People may remember that dress though. :-)<br />
<br />
Another visit to the green room.<br />
<br />
Belarus - <i>Story of My Life</i>. Another white dress!! But this time accompanied by ... a lot of other white things that kind of distract from it. They're in a boat! He's got a guitar with lace on it. And they're singing in Belarusian, I like that. This song has a good vibe, it's charming. But may end up being too much of a good thing. But at least they're daring to be a little different. Dancing on the boat ... :-)<br />
<br />
Bulgaria - <i>Beautiful Mess</i>. One of this year's favorites. I don't really see that, to be honest. I think it's a relatively interesting entry - the presentation is quite striking - but I don't think the song in itself is memorable at all. I'll be extremely confused if this ends up winning ... ! :-D But not at all bad, just not particularly good either, IMO.<br />
<br />
Lithuania - <i>Rain of Revolution</i>. Not sure what to say about this. I think they're thinking that it's quite different and out there, but it isn't really. It's a little bit catchy in certain sections, and the presentation's flashy, but IMHO there isn't a lot to it. I'll be surprised if this goes anywhere.<br />
<br />
Estonia - <i>Verona</i>. Now here's a song that there is something to. A slow start, but once it gets going ... ! OK, she's wearing a white dress, but I forgive her. This song has a striking melodic line that raises it head and shoulders above the other entries tonight. Estonia gets my vote.<br />
<br />
Israel - <i>I Feel Alive</i>. Speaking of a seizure-inducing presentation ... o_O Ouch, his voice does not sound good at all. Worst singer of the night, closing the show? Well, the song has a pretty good beat, but I'll have forgotten it in five minutes from now. A very good looking singer though. ;-)<br />
<br />
Now it's time to vote ... ! I am less enthusiastic than I would normally be.<br />
<br />
First runthrough ...<br />
<br />
I voted five times for Estonia and twice for Romania. I can't in good conscience vote for anything else in this lineup.<br />
<br />
Verka is back to entertain us ... !! :-D<br />
<br />
Aww, chatting with fans in the arena. :-)<br />
<br />
Second runthrough ... but my civic duty is done ...<br />
<br />
Voting's almost over ... !<br />
<br />
"A brilliant and diverse array of performances" ahahahahaha ... !!!<br />
<br />
And the interval entertaintment is ... contemporary dance. OK, absolutely not my thing, but what the hey, I'll watch it. :-) Apache Crew, what a bizarre name for a Ukrainian dance troupe ... !<br />
<br />
A last pit stop in the green room ...<br />
<br />
OMG Jana's boyfriend is proposing to her ... !!! A Eurovision baby AND a Eurovision wedding!! :-D Now I almost regret not voting for Macedonia ... ! :-D If they got through to the final that would really be the icing on the cake. Wow. :-D<br />
<br />
Do I dare any guesses ... ? Hardly. As long as Estonia and Romania get through I honestly don't care about any of this other crap.<br />
<br />
Oh, talking to France ... and Germany and Ukraine. No instant classics anywhere there either.<br />
<br />
OK, so Estonia will definitely get through.<br />
Romania I'm hopeful for more than optimistic maybe?<br />
Also really hoping for Macedonia now. ;-)<br />
Bulgaria<br />
Hungary<br />
Maybe Norway?<br />
<br />
Hell, I don't know, everything except Estonia is no good. I would have a hard time picking ten finalists from this lineup.<br />
<br />
The results are in and approved ... !<br />
<br />
The last ten finalists are ...<br />
<br />
Bulgaria. Yep.<br />
Belarus.<br />
Croatia. Damnit.<br />
Hungary. Yep yep.<br />
Denmark. Huh. Well, why not, they weren't any worse than anyone else.<br />
Israel.<br />
Romania!! YES!! :-D<br />
Norway. OK, not surprising, we definitely weren't any worse than anyone else. ;-)<br />
<br />
But come on, Estonia ... !!!<br />
<br />
The Netherlands.<br />
Austria! WHAT!<br />
<br />
Estonia didn't make it! WTF!! I haz confuse ... !<br />
<br />
Crap.<br />
<br />
Oh well, at least Romania made it. But I haz disappoint. Boo, Europe!! >:-(<br />
<br />
Happy people on stage, but no happy Estonians :-(<br />
<br />
Still, all in all a good show. I have high hopes for the show on Saturday. :-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-73196237446312196062017-05-09T21:01:00.002+02:002017-05-09T23:13:42.257+02:00Kyiv 2017 - first semi-finalEEEEP ... !!! :-D :-D :-D<br />
<br />
OMG, it's happening. We've been waiting for a year and now it's happening. YAY!! :-D<br />
<br />
I'm really psyched to see what they've put together for us after all the problems they've been having this year. I'm sure it's going to be good. :-)<br />
<br />
A few glimpses of Ukrainian traditions and then some very modern music, a good combo.<br />
<br />
The hosts, whose names I can't pronounce! At least the last names. That's great, it's a Eurovision tradition. They look like a boy band. Some things are universal. ;-)<br />
<br />
Rules and explanations. SO happy that we can't vote during the songs this year. It's the only way to go.<br />
<br />
I can't vote tonight as we're not in this semi ... but that doesn't matter, because I only want to vote for Italy. Rome 2018 ... !! But there's a big danger to Francesco and his gorilla friend and it's coming up now ...<br />
<br />
Namely Sweden, opening the show with <i>I Can't Go On</i>. It's pretty much the best song this year and I hate it. It's so super slick and overproduced, it has zero personality. The performance is also just ... embarrassing. Fortunately his voice isn't sounding too good tonight. But the song is very catchy, and most of the other entries this year are emphatically not. So I think this is the most serious contender this year. But I hate it and I would give a lot to keep it from winning. Especially since the Swedes will be beyond insufferable if they win again and tie with Ireland for most ever wins ...<br />
<br />
I'll have to hope this very early slot will be their downfall, but at the same time they are opening the show, so I don't think it'll have that effect anyway. No way they won't get through.<br />
<br />
Georgia - <i>Keep the Faith</i>. Very red! A dramatic and quite beautiful ballad, but like most of the other songs tonight, not very memorable. Although Tamara's performance is excellent and she's really putting her heart into it ... this is actually better than I thought it would be.<br />
<br />
Australia - <i>Don't Come Easy</i>. I love having Australia in the contest but I certainly don't love this song. This kid is 17 but looks 13, and is wildly unconvincing performing this song. No matter how many times he tries, he can't outrun his past ... ?? Seriously? He hasn't even finished school! Gah. This is just too dumb. It can still do well since a hell of a lot of the audience can't understand English well enough to follow a 3 minute song. But it's also really boring compared to Australia's previous two entries and it's kind of freaky that most of their presentation consists of giant pictures of Isaiah flashing on the screen behind Isaiah. Here's hoping they'll get metaphorically punched in the nose this year.<br />
<br />
Albania - <i>World</i>. Well, my hopes for Albania are rarely high, but at least Lindita can sing. Even though she's dressed kind of like a really tacky bride. o_O This is one of those songs that are really pretty and pleasant to listen to while they're playing, but that you forget as soon as they're over. There are SO MANY of those songs this year. Good luck, they'll need it.<br />
<br />
Belgium - <i>City Lights</i>. Ooh, what will this look like ... ! She has such a cool voice. And their presentation looks so cool too. Wow! This sounds even better live than I thought it would. This is one of the few more original entries this year. And Blanche's performance will appeal to quite a lot of the audience, she's putting a lot of emotion into it. Good job, Belgium!!<br />
<br />
Montenegro - <i>Space</i>. I've been really looking forward to seeing the presentation for this song. OMG what is he wearing. The audience in the arena love him! :-D Haha, I knew the skirt would come off. Ahahahaha!! This is why I love Eurovision! This is the kind of thing you ONLY see in Eurovision ... !! :-D Hahaha, omg, seriously. This will maybe do super well or it may totally bomb. I don't even dare to guess ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
Info about the Eurovision app. I has it.<br />
<br />
Backstage with Timur and the performers. Timur is kind of the girl this year. Hmm ... not a lot of cheers in the arena for Sweden ...<br />
<br />
Finland - <i>Blackbird</i>. I love Finland, and I quite like their entry this year. It's rather typically Finnish. ;-) Ie slow and rather depressing. :-D But it's beautiful, I like it. And Leena's voice is perfect for this type of song. I'm sure a lot of people are really loving this song right now ... and most of them will forget it as soon as it's over. But there are many songs this year that are even less memorable and not this good, so I'm cautiously optimistic.<br />
<br />
Azerbaijan - <i>Skeletons</i>. What a weird presentation! Francesco won't be the only one with a dancer dressed unconvincingly as an animal. The song is pretty and enjoyable to listen to but also rather forgettable. The singer stands out a bit, maybe. But this is just one in the crowd for me.<br />
<br />
Portugal - <i>Amar pelos dois</i>. One of my absolute favorites this year. I love that they almost always sing in their own language. With a song like this, an emotional ballad, it's such a huge plus because the singer can completely put his heart into it when it's his own language. He has a charming voice and the song is adorable, and really stands out from the rest of the lineup this year. The arena audience loves it. They have got to get through ... !!<br />
<br />
Greece - <i>This Is Love</i>. Another pretty girl with a relatively good voice and a song that's pretty to listen to, but also forgettable. Not sure what more to say about this. Pretty, but forgettable.<br />
<br />
Poland - <i>Flashlight</i>. Another pretty girl in white. I don't like her voice that much, for reasons I can't really put my finger on. The song is very dramatic but IMO also rather forgettable. The melody doesn't stick in your mind the way ballads can do sometimes. I have low expectations for Poland this year.<br />
<br />
Moldova - <i>Hey Mamma</i>. One of my least favorite songs this year. Pretty much just dumb. And repetitive, which makes it annoying. But they're very happy and smiley and people will like that. Plus they have their saxophone player who is quite popular, but also annoying. Hopefully we won't have to sit through this on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Iceland - <i>Paper</i>. What's with all the blonde women in white dresses this year ... ?? Not too smart, no one will remember which is which. The Georgians were smart to go with red. This song is also pretty but forgettable. Almost the entire lineup is like that this year. Makes it hard to guess how the various songs will do. This one can go either way, but it's really bland, it doesn't stand out in any way.<br />
<br />
Czech Republic - <i>My Turn</i>. Are the Czechs cursed or can they actually not completely bomb in Eurovision?? Well, they've sent some real clunkers. They've done much better this year. But the song is still not very memorable. And her outfit is hideous. I wouldn't mind hearing the song again on Saturday but I'd rather not see that outfit ...<br />
<br />
Cyprus - <i>Gravity</i>. Finally a non-ballad. And a man in black. :-D Slightly weird presentation, but cool effects. It's sounding better live than I expected. Kind of catchy. Not at all bad. This might do pretty well for Cyprus actually.<br />
<br />
Armenia - <i>Fly with Me</i>. Another entry that I've been looking forward to seeing presented. Ooh, ethnic. And I like her outfit. I like the beat in this song ... it's a sort of unmelodious melody, if that makes sense. Her voice is pretty good, it's a pretty good performance, but I don't know ... The presentation isn't very creative. I don't know. Impossible to say this year, there's almost nothing that's really good this year.<br />
<br />
Slovenia - <i>On My Way</i>. Omar's back in Kyiv! :-D I actually quite like his song from last time. But I like this even more. :-) It's a big dramatic ballad but also rather cheerful somehow. Ooh, I like this ... !! Hope he gets through to the final this time. ;-)<br />
<br />
Latvia - <i>Line</i>. OMG, the last song already! Time flies when you're having fun. Agnese is dressed super weird, I honestly don't think that's a good idea. It distracts the audience from the song. A rather overpowering presentation like this does the same. But the song is rather original, for this year's lineup. Original in genre, but also repetitive in melody.<br />
<br />
It's done!<br />
<br />
Now info about voting which doesn't apply to Norway tonight. Alas. I wish I could vote for Portugal!! But I feel pretty confident I'll be able to do that on Saturday. ;-)<br />
<br />
First runthrough.<br />
<br />
Interval entertainment will be ... Jamala! Should be interesting. Flashback to Stockholm. Then an excellent performance of <i>1944</i>, which goes down very well with the audience in the arena. An interview with Jamala.<br />
<br />
Another pit stop in the green room.<br />
<br />
Second runthrough.<br />
<br />
The voting is winding down, 90 seconds left ...<br />
<br />
Voting's over! Now for another round of interval entertainment while the votes are being counted. Verka! :-D And another performance from Jamala. Wow, what an outfit.<br />
<br />
And now a little bit from half of the big five. Well, ca half. :-) Spain. I won't say anything about Spain. United Kingdom. A pretty song, but not very special. Italy!! YAY Italy!! I love this song. The presentation looks like it'll be fun. They're getting my vote, no question. :-D<br />
<br />
The votes are in and have been counted! Jon Ola Sand confirms. Eep! Who will get through??<br />
<br />
My guesses:<br />
Sweden, definitely<br />
Portugal<br />
Belgium?<br />
Montenegro?<br />
Slovenia, I hope<br />
Australia?<br />
<br />
OMG I don't know ... !!<br />
<br />
Now let's find out ... !<br />
<br />
Moldova! WTF??<br />
Azerbaijan. Sure, why not.<br />
Greece<br />
Sweden. Yes, of course<br />
Portugal! Yes!! :-D<br />
Poland<br />
Armenia<br />
Australia. Sheesh.<br />
Cyprus<br />
Belgium! Yes!<br />
<br />
OK, so sending a blonde girl in a white dress was not a good idea ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
Runthrough of the top ten.<br />
<br />
I still can't believe I have to watch the Moldovans one more time.Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-8882409304275891842017-03-11T20:57:00.003+01:002017-03-11T23:21:08.253+01:00ESC 2017 - NorwayIt's our time ... !!<br />
<br />
(I actually like that song quite a bit. The British are actually capable of sending something that isn't utter garbage, if they put in any kind of an effort.)<br />
<br />
A <i>Star Wars</i>-style opening. Is it clever? Kind of, I guess ... and it is pretty original in this context ... but overall it's embarrassing that we aren't able to come up with any ideas of our own and just mooch of others instead. And the Americans, to boot.<br />
<br />
What is good is that we're playing up the European side, because there are a lot of people outside of Norway who watch our national selection too. So that's nice. But it's not what you'd call classy. I'm starting to dread the interval entertainment ...<br />
<br />
All the performers flashing by ... good luck to all of them, but I'm not convinced that this year's international winner is in this lineup. It'll be interesting to see how it works out with the new voting system though. I don't really support it ... we're supposed to select a song to represent Norway, and then it'll just have to do however well it does. I'm not sure it's right to have the song partially selected by a bunch of people that have nothing to do with us. But it's part for the course now, NRK comes up with something new every year to try to make the show more ... I guess popular, it can't be relevant. :-D We'll just have to see. I don't really care how we do internationally, I just want a song we don't have to be ashamed of.<br />
<br />
Song #1 - <i>Places</i> by Tony Alexander Skjevik and Ulrikke Brandstorp, performed by Ulrikke Brandstorp. Boring opening, not good. Not a great singer, but that's less important. Not particularly catchy, and that's very important. Repetitive ... basically overall boring. Not a good performance either. Yawn. Just waiting for it to be over mostly.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Song #2 - <i>I Go Where You Go</i> by <span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Jenny Augusta Enge og Inga Þyri Þórðardóttir, performed by Jenny Augusta Enge. Opens with a violin, seems familiar. :-) A much more interesting voice than what we just heard, if nothing else. An eye-catching outfit. This will definitely appeal to a certain segment of the audience. It's a little too ... I don't know, even? There's no real hook to it. But it's very pretty and quite charming and definitely a lot more memorable than the first song. My favorite so far.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #3 - <i>Run Run Away</i> by Peter Danielson, Åsa Karlström and Mats Larsson, performed by Rune Rudberg Band. Svenskjävlar ... !! Just because this is written by Swedes I want it to bomb, I didn't even have to hear it first. I wouldn't vote for this even if it was a masterpiece, but luckily there was never a chance of that. >:-) What to say? It's about what you'd expect from a "country pop" song performed by Rune Rudberg. It's nice enough for its type but wouldn't stand a chance in Kyiv. Makes me wonder what they're actually thinking when they pick out the entries to compete in this show. I guess they just have to have some big names in there too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #4 - <i>Grab the Moment</i> by Jonas McDonnell and Joakim With Steen, performed by JOWST. The ambition here seems to have been to make something rather ... modern. There have been some songs like this in the contest recently - internationally, that is - and they have done well, so it's not a bad idea. But this doesn't take it anywhere near far enough. OK to listen to, but pretty boring.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #5 - <i>You & I</i> by Kristian Valen, performed by Kristian Valen. The other big name this year. I've never seen anything else Kristian Valen has ever done, I know him exclusively through various media headlines about all the crazy stunts he pulls, which is maybe why I think he looks ridiculous. He seems to be trying to look a lot younger than he is, to the extent that it's embarrassing. But can he sing?? Not that well, it seems. The song is a ballad, which can make an entry stand out, but is also risky. Ballads rarely win ... and this one definitely wouldn't. And he just looks SO ridiculous. This song could maybe have worked with some singer who could actually sing. But as it is ... nope.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #6 - <i>Nothing Ever Knocked Us Over</i> by Gustav Eurén, Danne Attlerud, Niklas Arn, Karl Eurén and Cissi Kallin, performed by In Fusion. Flera svenskjävlar ... ! But three pretty girls performing the song, that can only be a plus. And finally, a happy, upbeat song. With a lot of dancers on stage ... too many, and I really resent this, because it's cheating to present a song in a way that can't be used internationally. It gives the audience the wrong idea. But ooh, multicolored smoke ... ! Fun. Not half bad, in terms of this lineup.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #7 - <i>Mesterverk</i> by Amina Sewali, performed by Amina Sewali. I like it when the artists perform their own songs ... which I strictly speaking should have given Kristian Valen kudos for too. Oh well. Kudos to Amina, anyway. And it's interesting that it takes an immigrant to sing in Norwegian ... !! A very beautiful girl, with good stage presence and confidence on stage. A theater student, which shows in her performance. An unusual and striking presentation. Her voice isn't the greatest though, and the song isn't an immediate earworm, not by a long shot. I'm not sure what to say about this ... overall a very good entry (in context ;-) but with some weaknesses that unfortunately are rather central ones.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">I wonder if Jan Fredrik Karlsen has some kind of diagnosis. And I'm sure I'm far from the first to have wondered about that.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #8 - <i>Wrecking Crew</i> by Erik Mårtensson and Åge Sten Nilsen, performed by Ammunition. Now there are Swedes on stage too ... ! Whatever next. This is this year's rock'n'roll alibi. Certainly more memorable than the token ballad. Kind of catchy. Also a pretty good presentation, BUT it can't be performed in Kyiv because there are too many people involved ... ! A fun entry that would stick in people's minds more than most of the other entries we've seen so far tonight. And we could play up the Wig Wam connection in our PR. :-)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #9 - </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><i>First Step In Faith/Oadjebasvuhtii</i> by Elin Kåven and Robin Lynch, performed by Elin & the Woods. My immediate reaction - too weird. The Sami connection is a fun thing that can be made use of, but the antlers are taking it a step too far. The melody isn't particularly catchy and I think that this would just weird people out to the extent that they would completely lose track of it anyway.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Song #10 - <i>Mama's Boy</i> by Ida Maria and PK Ottestad, performed by Ella. The title rubs me the wrong way ... it's not the kind of thing I want us to send to Kyiv. But I don't want us to send any of these songs. :-( The singer's kind of hot I guess. The song is trying to be catchy but doesn't really succeed. A nice showy presentation though.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">That's it!! Sheesh. I don't really want to send any of these anywhere. Is it too late to drop out of the contest? :-( The first recap and I have to vote ... double sheesh, what to do?? I'll send one vote each for entry 2 and 8, and two votes for entry 7. I'm embarrassed that it takes a Ugandan for us to get a Norwegian language entry ... !! But overall it was the best entry so I'll be crossing my fingers for it. But we don't stand a snowball's chance in hell no matter what we do.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">And now, the results from the international juries! Ireland is the first to name their #1, and it is claimed that they know what they're doing. Not recently, I'll have to say. And not tonight either. o_O But Armenia also have <i>Places</i> as their choice! Sheesh. The Finns are more sensible though, they want a <i>Wrecking Crew</i>. :-) Hm, and a Swede claiming to have watched our show instead of their own final?? They pick <i>Grab the Moment</i>. Nah, let's not. Israel too!! Whut. The German also want <i>Places</i>. Sheesh. But the Austrians go with Ammunition. Eep! Two more votes for <i>Grab the Moment</i>. And the British go for <i>Mama's Boy</i>. I am seriously out of touch with Europe.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">Johnny Logan is going to sing to us ... !! Oh, his beautiful song with the super weird lyrics that it's best to just not think too much about. But what?? Is he in Oslo!? Haha, awesome interval entertainment. Johnny Logan's al</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a; font-family: inherit;">ways worth watching when he pops up at these events. He must have a good sense of humor. :-D</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">The voting seems to be over ... ? Now we're going to see the results of the rest of the European votes and our votes. I'm not even going to try to guess which four songs got through. None of them deserve it, IMO.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">The four "golden finalists" are ...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;"><i>Grab the Moment</i>, unsurprisingly. One of the best of a bad bunch.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26292a;">We can do something with this in Kyiv, I suppose. Probably the best choice. But who will remember this two minutes after they've heard it?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Places</i>. Sheesh. This will go exactly nowhere if we send this to Kyiv. The singer's friend claims it's super catchy. What has she been smoking? And her other friend says it's new and exciting. lolwut??</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">The joik! What! Bizarroworld. We're going to have to grab the moment, definitely.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Wrecking Crew</i>. Phew. That one's not totally hopeless. So one of the three I voted for got through. Better than nothing. :-)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">So two useless entries in the last round, and two that we won't have to be entirely ashamed of. It's probably smartest to send <i>Grab the Moment</i>. But I couldn't hum it to save my life even though I've listened to it twice in the last two hours.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">OK, I've voted once for Ammunition and twice for JOWST. I've done all I in good conscience can do with this crap. I wash my hands of it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">And now the interval entertainment ... Agnete!! Singing <i>Icebreaker</i> as a ballad. LOVE IT. I love that song. Can we send it again this year instead of whatever it is we've picked? Dancers ... and Agnete in her beautiful outfit. Let's send this!!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">A look at some of our competition ... which would have to be serious bullcrap for that word to mean anything ...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">The voting is over and the results are clear. Third runner up is ... <i>Places</i>! Yes! Whew. Second runner up ... the joik. Whew again! The Norwegian people are not complete idiots! First runner up ... or rather the winner ... and now we can't get a complete and utter piece of shit, so I guess I'm happy. The winner is ... <i>Grab the Moment</i>. OK, the best of a bad lot. The best choice. But still, sheesh.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">The hosts are claiming that the contest got more than ONE THOUSAND submissions ... ! And this was the best of the lot? Jebus, what's wrong with the world ...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26292a;"><span style="background-color: white;">They're going to make us proud in Kyiv. OK, good luck with that, and good night.</span></span>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-76279859496321286712016-05-14T21:04:00.003+02:002016-05-15T00:42:41.114+02:00Stockholm 2016 - final!The biggest night of the year ... !! :-o<br />
<br />
A little late starting up as we had some initial problems with the tv set and had to watch the first few minutes on my laptop. Fortunately we figured it out. :-)<br />
<br />
OK, so in the opening they are not carrying their flags, but the flag colors spread out behind them instead. I like both, but this is cool. Those random models in geometric outfits are rather distracting though. KAS is not happy. But Calyx thinks that nothing can ever be worse than Düsseldorf, so she think it's fine.<br />
<br />
There's Dami! Go Australia!!<br />
<br />
Our hosts. Petra with a new dress, but again in a rather similar color scheme. Can no one think outside the box?? Greetings to Europe and the various other countries watching. Thank you to the fans. Describing the new system for listing the votes, but we talked over it. KAS is so negative, she doesn't agree with my assessment of Australia. And she thinks all the other songs suck monkey balls too. Oh well, I know better. >:-)<br />
<br />
Belgium - <i>What's the Pressure</i>. Calyx: This looks like it's from the 90s. KAS: The lyrics don't match the melody, I'm confused. But trilltrall is humming along. :-) A colorful and energetic entry to open the show, but not the winner. This is one of the entries that have not been growing on me. Tanumine suggests it as a potential nil-pointer. :-)<br />
<br />
Czech Republic - <i>I Stand</i>. Not among my favorites but I'm thrilled for them that they got to the final for the first time. The song is beautiful but forgettable. trilltrall says that it's a mature and sober performance. In other words there is no way he can root for this, he's not middle aged! But he is, actually. :-D A nice presentation, overall nice entry, but forgettable.<br />
<br />
The Netherlands - <i>Slow Down</i>. This is among my favorites actually. I love their presentation, and the beat of the song ... it's just so nice to listen to. Calming. And this actually is quite catchy. Easy to sing along to. Calyx says no way will this win, but KAS says that at least it's possible to listen to it without dying. High praise. I like his tattoo. This is quite lovely really. I will be listening to this quite a bit, I think. But yeah, probably a little too slow and quirky to be a winner. :-)<br />
<br />
Azerbaijan - <i>Miracle</i>. Now this is a song that has been growing on me. I love the chorus. trilltrall is impressed with all the gold everything. And did you notice than when she sang the word <i>fire</i>, holographic fires burst out behind her. Subtle! :-D Oh, here come the dancers. Tanumine can't stop laughing. Pyrotechnics! A fiery stage from the land of fire.<br />
<br />
Hungary - <i>Pioneer</i>. Not among my favorites. Tuck in your shirt, you slob!! KAS says that it's supposed to be cool, I just don't understand it because I'm too old. She's only two months younger! And I may be old-fashioned, but that sloppiness is why young people can't get hired. Growl. Nobody understands about the drum, or the backing singers' outfits. KAS thinks Freddie's hair looks like her hamster's fur. I say this is the lowest point so far. Everyone agrees. Very disappointing, I usually really like Hungary.<br />
<br />
Italy - <i>No Degree of Separation</i>. One of the big five - I'm the only one who's heard this entry before. But I haven't seen the presentation. Ooh, colorful. Calyx thinks that this looks like something from the 90s too. Her vocals sound low, is that just me? No, the others agree. This is a beautiful song, but rather forgettable once it's over. The presentation is absolutely stunning. Looks like barne-tv, says trilltrall. :-) But everybody would have liked to hear the lyrics ...<br />
<br />
Israel - <i>Made of Stars</i>. N's reaction to the postcard: Boy George did it better. :-) I quite like this entry. Both the song and the presentation. N wants to do the spinning in a giant hula hoop thing with trilltrall. But they don't have the hula hoop. Maybe next year. Aw, this is so pretty. Loveliness!<br />
<br />
Bulgaria - <i>If Love Was A Crime</i>. Ooh, I voted for this! trilltrall thinks Poli's outfit looks like she's a visitor from the future. A rather epilepsy-inducing entry, but the song has a very catchy beat. This may be getting some votes from Nannestad tonight.<br />
<br />
Sweden - <i>If I Were Sorry</i>. Yawn! This entry is so dull ... ! The others haven't heard it before. N claims that it's like death metal, it's building up to something ... but no, it's not. It's just this for three minutes. KAS wants to know if the song has started yet. trilltrall thinks he must have had too much to drink already, he doesn't understand anything whatsoever. Tanumine is busy eating chips so can't comment, but is shaking her head. OK, that's the whole thing. I have to quite trilltrall's closing comment in Norwegian: Fy faen, det var ræva!! Ahahaha. The arena is going nuts. Must be full of Swedes. At least they don't have to worry about winning again. Hope they get 0 points tonight.<br />
<br />
Some chitchat from the hosts. Bite me, stupid Swedes!<br />
<br />
Germany - <i>Ghost</i>. trilltrall already doesn't like this, he doesn't like the German songs. KAS disagrees, her two all-time favorite entries are German. No, he won't be persuaded. The song is pretty good, and the presentation too, but her outfit just messes the whole thing up. Several of us have already forgotten what country this is because of her distracting outfit. "You're hurting my eyes" apparently. Oh well. Exactly what I said. I like this song a little less this time around.<br />
<br />
France - <i>J'ai cherché</i>. Pretty catchy, but it reminds me of some other song that I can't remember. N thinks that he would perceive this totally differently if he was a woman. Possibly. I'm not really feeling it. This is kind of fun to listen to, but it's not, as KAS says, "hummable". I agree. Ooh, he landed on the moon.<br />
<br />
Poland - <i>Color of Your Life</i>. trilltrall is a little upset that Michal isn't wearing socks, but KAS says that he's wrong, it's cool, all the kids are doing that now. She's read it in the paper. I think I would like the entry a little better if it was on the radio. The melody is very beautiful. The extremely dramatic performance is a little distracting. But overall we like it. I respect Michal, he goes all out. We like this. trilltrall will be voting for this. He is now convinced that socks are out. He will immediately stop wearing socks.<br />
<br />
KAS and trilltrall are married, FYI. :-)<br />
<br />
Chitchat with Petra now! What! No, it's time for Australia!! And now she's transferring us to the party arena next door to hear from Måns! No! Ooh, Carola and Loreen. And what are their all-time favorite songs? Duh, of course Carola would say <i>Hallelujah</i>, that fundamentalist bitch.<br />
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Australia - <i>Sound of Silence</i>. Oooh!! And everybody likes it! But of course. No, KAS doesn't like it. But of course. Oh, Dami can really sing. The presentation is a little weird, but who cares. If there is any justice in the world then this is the winner. Her glove jewelery thing! Her sparkly dress! The choreography!! My heart awakes! N says that this is truly Eurovision. The Australians are teaching us what the contest is all about. Yes! They have been watching the contest for 30 years and learning, learning ... Now it's their time to sweep us all off our feet and win!!<br />
<br />
Cyprus - <i>Alter Ego</i>. Meh. N says he's ready for rock'n'roll. Well, I guess this is the ESC version. Rock'n'disco? KAS doesn't hate it. A tremendous compliment! I am indifferent. It's fine when I'm listening to it, but I also forget it quite quickly. But I'm glad I didn't get epilepsy.<br />
<br />
Serbia - <i>Goodbye (Shelter)</i>. N is annoyed that NRK's commentator is mispronouncing Sanja's name. He is Serbian so I think he's on to something. Apparently it's difficult to get it wrong. I quite like this, anyway. She's a good singer. I think they really don't need those backing dancers though. They're not necessary, the entry is strong enough on its own. Whoops! N tried to do some complicated dance move and totally failed. But now Calyx is helping out, in her way. LOL!<br />
<br />
N and Calyx are married too. :-)<br />
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Lithuania - <i>I've Been Waiting For This Night</i>. N is dancing to this too. Hah. I don't really know what to say about this. It's just annoying. I actually listen to <i>Love Is Blind</i> quite a lot, but I will not be listening to this. Boring and repetitive. What were they thinking.<br />
<br />
Croatia - <i>Lighthouse</i>. Haha, excellent joke from our commentator. Everybody's fired up about her dress. But obviously it will be torn away at a strategic point! Hah! N is shouting Cranberries, Cranberries ... This is another very pretty song that is very quickly forgotten once I'm done listening. But a good performance.<br />
<br />
Russia - <i>You Are the Only One</i>. A visually stunning entry. Of course nobody is catching anything of the song, we're all enthralled by the presentation. The song is pretty good too. trilltrall demands an explanation! N says that this will definitely win, because now everyone wants to see this again. He's on to something ... !!<br />
<br />
Spain - <i>Say Yay!</i>. Not happy that they aren't singing in Spanish. Hideous outfit! Oh, this is so much worse than I thought it would be. trilltrall wants them to leave the stage immediately. And here comes their special dance. We're shouting No, no ... but N wants to dance the dance with trilltrall. But omg, she fell! :-o That can't have been part of it, the screen went black. Now I feel sorry for her. But she's back on her feet! But the entry sucks anyway!!<br />
<br />
Chitchat with Petra about souvenirs.<br />
<br />
Latvia - <i>Heartbeat</i>. If anyone wants to take a nap, this might be the time. I don't understand the presentation ... and I don't like his performance. I've forgotten the song already. Bah.<br />
<br />
Ukraine - <i>1944</i>. An extremely dramatic performance but a song that I just can't get a handle on. The presentation is quite striking but the song just ... I can't get grip on it. Incomprehensible to me that this is one of the favorites. Must be because everybody hates Russia.<br />
<br />
Malta - <i>Walk on Water</i>. Also not among my favorites. The guys are impressed with the opening of the presentation. trilltrall is impressed that Malta has sent Mariah Carey. I don't get this entry either ... why did we not get through, while this did?? Mysterious.<br />
<br />
Georgia - <i>Midnight Gold</i>. And this bullcrap??! Haha, N liked it for three seconds, and then when they started with the split screen thing he started shouting No no no ... :-D I guess I'm happy with a different genre in the contest, but I just am so annoyed with this. Also I don't want epilepsy. Seriously, what is this?? The longest three minutes in Eurovision history.<br />
<br />
There is something messed up with the production though. Not just on Italy. It's hard to hear the vocals.<br />
<br />
Finally it's over ... !!<br />
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Austria - <i>Loin d'ici</i>. The sweetest entry tonight. As sweet as sugar! N thinks she must be a devil worshipper, no one can be this adorable for real. She probably drinks goat's blood. I love this! Obviously not more than Australia. But I totally love it. French is the perfect language to sing this in. The presentation is wonderful. I love it! And everyone agrees that it's super cute. We all agree! Wonders never cease.<br />
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United Kingdom - <i>You're Not Alone</i>. This is actually not complete garbage. So kudos to the British for that. But it sounded better in the video. This is actually nowhere near as good as I remembered it. And I don't think they will do anywhere near as well as I originally thought.<br />
<br />
Armenia - <i>LoveWave</i>. KAS claims that Iveta is wearing a bathing suit. N says it sounds like Sonic Youth. But that was when the song had just barely begun. Now they are all weirded out like I told them they would be. trilltrall is whispering in his corner of the couch, <i>Oh my god, this is so bad</i>. This is so weird. Calyx is cracking up.<br />
<br />
That's it! Ending on a bizarre note. Måns and Petra are back - Petra in green. So there are other colors available! Haha, a <i>Vicious</i> comment! :-D Now explaining about the voting. And the lines are open ... now!<br />
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Calyx and Tanumine are going to vote for Australia. It's their only option, they say. N wants to vote for Armenia. :-D No, now he wants to vote for Boy George.<br />
<br />
First runthrough.<br />
<br />
OK, two votes for Austria, and around ten for Australia. Calyx was talking to me, I lost count. :-) KAS voted for Austria and trilltrall for Australia and Poland.<br />
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Måns in the green room, with all the performers and Justin Timberlake for some reason. WTF is he doing here. Yankee go home!! Seriously, I don't get it. Also am not a fan. But whoever it had been I wouldn't have wanted to see an American on stage tonight. >:-(<br />
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An homage to Swedish pop music through the years. Yes, their entry tonight is sleep-inducingly boring, but no one can deny that they are a powerhouse in northern Europe when it comes to pop music. This was fun. :-)<br />
<br />
And now Justin Timberlake. Disney's biggest star through the ages. I hope this isn't the entire interval entertainment, but I'm afraid it will be. Oh well, still better than the tribute to their hopelessly dysfunctional multiculturalism that I was afraid SVT was going to be forcefeeding us. But Jebus this is boring. Now he's going to perform a brand new song - the perfect time for a toilet break, in other words. I need to get rid of that pink champagne.<br />
<br />
Whew, glad that's over. A big hand for all the performers. The second runthrough.<br />
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Måns on stage with the junior winner. Will she sing?? No, just wave. Huh.<br />
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Petra in a new dress - black this time. Now to teach us how to win the ESC. Hah, this should be good. Haha, yes it's hilarious. Ooh, Alexander Rybak! Ahahahaha, this is brilliant!! Who needs Justin Timberlake! trilltrall wants to vote for this. :-D<br />
<br />
Lynda Woodruff live. Hopefully not for very long. No, just long enough for Måns and Petra to catch their breaths and change their clothes.<br />
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More of that revisionist documentary. But this part is actually pretty funny. Although that bit about the violent youth gangs in Stockholm would have been funnier if there hadn't been actual violent youth gangs in Stockholm. But of course since they are immigrants we can't mention them. Oh well.<br />
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The voting is over ... ! Well, I've done my duty. Fingers crossed for Australia!! But first, Måns gets to sing. Not <i>Heroes</i>, fortunately.<br />
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No, dammit, there's <i>Heroes</i> anyway. Sheesh.<br />
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Petra in pink, explaining how the votes will be presented this year. Should be interesting.<br />
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And we're on ... !! Austria gives Sweden a lot of points. But the 12 goes to Australia! Yes! OK, I can't list all of the points. I have to pay attention. :-)<br />
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When so many of the points are just added automatically, it's a little tricky to keep up. But I don't care because Australia is crushing the competition!! Yes!! Of course this is only the jury votes. Maybe the popular vote will be totally different. Fingers crossed ... ! Incomprehensible that Ukraine is doing so well. But haha, look at Germany. trilltrall is sad that Poland is doing so badly.<br />
<br />
Måns in the green room. Talking to the Australian contingent. Dami is so excited that she doesn't even remember what her country is called. :-)<br />
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EBU is right, this is definitely more exciting. It looks like we can tell what's going on, but actually we have no clue yet. Australia is crushing everyone. But that can totally change. Eep! trilltrall says that he think they will win anyway - half the audience has voted for them because they like the song, and the other half has voted for them because they want to see what will happen if they win. :-)<br />
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OK, Australia has won the juries over, very conclusively. This is so exciting!! What have the European audiences voted?? I am atremble ... !!<br />
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Jon Ola Sand is also excited. Super excited! :-D The popular vote is confirmed as correct. Eep!! I can hardly wait!<br />
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Come on, Australia!!!!<br />
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OMG Australia got the 4th highest score! Will it be Ukraine?? OMG! Panic!<br />
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It's not Australia!! OMFG come on Russia!!!!<br />
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Noooo!!! It's Ukraine!! FUCK!! That song ... !?<br />
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I am proud to say I did not vote for this year's winner.<br />
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N says that he can actually understand it - as an eastern European he feels that there is a sensibility to the song that resonates with him. Calyx says that singing about death and massacres is a surefire way to success in eastern Europe.<br />
<br />
OK, I now conclude two things from this result.<br />
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1: This new way of announcing the votes makes it super exciting and should be kept as standard.<br />
2: Everyone hates Russia.<br />
<br />
Sob!!! :-(Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-60026670488151929512016-05-12T21:00:00.001+02:002016-05-12T23:18:21.236+02:00Stockholm 2016 - second semi-finalOur turn ... !! :-) And Australia's ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
Nice intro, glimpses of different countries and flags.<br />
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Måns welcomes us, while Petra wears a dress that looks an awful lot like Tuesday's. Which I don't recall her changing. Sheesh! I will expect much better on Saturday.<br />
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Now addressing new viewers - the Americans and Chinese. How to describe the ESC? THE BIGGEST SHOW ON EARTH!! :-D<br />
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This musical history of the show is cute though. Ahaha, they're even trying self-irony. Remember in 2010 when they were so super offended we only gave them our 10. :-D This is actually pretty excellent. Although I'm not sure it's making things clearer for the non-Europeans ... :-)<br />
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But just keep watching, foreign friends! It will all make sense in just a few decades.<br />
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Info on the voting, which tonight is relevant to my interests, because tonight we can vote ... !! :-D Australia here I come, metaphorically speaking.<br />
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The first song ... ! Latvia opens the show with <i>Heartbeat</i>. Except that now Petra and Måns have kind of spoiled us all a bit with their performance. Oh well. This entry ... it's OK, far from the worst Latvia's sent. But it's nothing very special. The singer is extremely committed to his performance. :-) The presentation is interesting, rather eye-catching, but not garish. I would almost call it stylish. But it doesn't really have much of a catch to it. Forgettable.<br />
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Poland - <i>Color of Your Life</i>. Ooh, nice coat. And a very dramatic performance. Scenery-chewing, if that's the word I want. But at least he can sing. And the melody is quite beautiful. I'm not sure how long people will remember it though. They have a really bad slot. This is an extremely sincere effort though, good luck to them.<br />
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Switzerland - <i>The Last of Our Kind</i>. Another Canadian from Switzerland. A literally smoking one. Also quite pretty, but with unbecoming hair, and a rather peculiar dress. And very peculiar choreography. What is that?? Ooh, swirly blue stage ... pretty. The song is quite sweet, a pretty melody, but again, forgettable, and somewhat repetitive. I don't think the Swiss will have much luck with this ...<br />
<br />
Israel - <i>Made of Stars</i>. Ooh, this is one of my favorites. A beautiful song. And a good singer, with a voice that really suits the song. Oh, he's all sparkly tonight. And the stage is sparkling too. And the acrobats spinning around behind him are also sparkling. Everything's sparkling!! This is really all very very pretty and I will be shocked!! and appalled!! if they don't make it to the final tonight.<br />
<br />
Belarus - <i>Help You Fly</i>. One of my fellow <a href="http://www.saltklypa.no/e/119-saltklypa-grand-prix-2016/" target="_blank">podcast panelists</a> will be watching tonight to see if there are any naked men or wolves. I told her there wouldn't be, but she said she had to see for herself. :-) Hologram wolves, and also hologram naked Ivan. He's actually wearing quite a lot of clothes. And face paint. Would you look at that. But what about the song? Well, it's OK to listen to, but it's rather repetitive. I am underwhelmed.<br />
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Chitchat with Petra, and a ride in the Eurovision taxi. This is really sweet actually. Mr Lordi, is it really you?? :-o Hard to tell, obviously ...<br />
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Serbia - <i>Goodbye (Shelter)</i>. Please don't overdo it with the face and the grimaces ... ! This song is actually pretty good. But in their national final she just really overdid it. Fingers crossed. No, this is much better. A striking presentation too. A quite dramatic melody, I can think of a number of countries where this will go down well. Hope to see this on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Ireland - <i>Sunlight</i>. I am apparently supposed to know who Nicky Byrne is. I have never been a fan of any boy band so I honestly did not recognize him when I first heard this. Oh well. This may have a chance, not only because it's him, but also because we can't tell from listening to it that it's Ireland. I am SO SICK of them banging us over the head with their Irishness, no matter how irrelevant to the song. Must ... have ... Irish ... dancers ... !!1! This time they have come to their senses. And the lyrics are not projected in giant letters all over the arena. Yay. This is actually pretty catchy too. Ireland, you aren't totally useless after all, who knew.<br />
<br />
Macedonia - <i>Dona</i>. Their singer this year got them to the final in 2012, with a fantastic song, I love that song. IMO this year's entry isn't quite as good. But ooh, gorgeous presentation. And the song is quite beautiful too. Rather dramatic, some people will like that. :-) I like her voice, it really has character ... it's not for everyone, but I like it. And kudos for lyrics in Macedonian. One of their best.<br />
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Lithuania - <i>I've Been Waiting For This Night</i>. Another familiar face. There's a lot of them this year. Lithuania's hopeful tries for the second time with another song about how he screwed it all up and please give him another chance. How about learning from your mistakes? This entry is a bit more memorable than many others in the lineup this year, but it's not as catchy as his 2012 entry. I don't know. The presentation's very showy. I don't know what to think about this. really.<br />
<br />
Australia - <i>Sound of Silence</i>. My favorite this year, hands down. I love the intro. Love the chorus. Love the whole thing!! :-) A beautiful melody, a wonderful singer ... a peculiar outfit, but you can't win 'em all. A striking presentation too. That chorus ... !! Australia FTW!! This is so good ... !! And imagine how deliriously happy they would be if they won ... !! :-D<br />
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Slovenia - <i>Blue and Red</i>. Another striking presentation. Also another pretty girl ... and a very happy and smiley one. -) A good stage presence. And the song is catchier than most of the other entries so far. Not at all bad. I quite like this tonight. Ooh, an acrobat. And pyrotechnics. Worth remembering.<br />
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Bulgaria - <i>If Love Was A Crime</i>. One more returning hero. I really like their entry from 2011, that this same singer performed. She has a pretty good voice and she's very confident on stage ... but her dress sense is perhaps a bit more suspicious. But the song is pretty catchy and she definitely has the arena going. I definitely hope to see this again on Saturday, they deserve it.<br />
<br />
Denmark - <i>Soldiers of Love</i>. Speaking of boy bands ... o_O Are these guys not a bit too old to get away with this convincingly though? The song is pretty catchy though ... at least while you're listening, but I think it's also rather forgettable. The chorus is catchy but it doesn't really have that kind of hook that a song needs to really be an earworm.<br />
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Chitchat with Måns, and a show of support to the LGBT community. Our broadcaster managed to translate "Bulgaria" to "Ungarn", that's pretty impressive. Petra in the green room, and she has changed her outfit! Maybe she did that on Tuesday too and I just didn't notice?? :-o Everything's such similar colors, I can't tell ...<br />
<br />
Ukraine - <i>1944</i>. History or politics? Certainly very serious, whatever it is. Strangers are coming to your house to kill everybody ... !! But I shouldn't joke about it, it really happened ... and it can happen again, not least. But what about the song?? Well, it has quite a lovely melody, the singer pours her soul into the performance, she has a great outfit and the presentation is striking. Ooh, I love that tree ... !!<br />
<br />
Norway - <i>Icebreaker</i>. Ooh, a northern postcard. A little overdone but with some beautiful views of our wild northern nature. I'm really happy with our song this year, even though it is so weird ... it's like two songs in one. She just switches back and forth between two different songs. :-) But the two melodies are very striking and memorable. She's a very good singer, very beautiful, wears a beautiful outfit ... and the presentation is lovely too, and quite a propos. It's not good for us that she hasn't been doing any press. But her performance is great! We can definitely hold our heads high this year.<br />
<br />
Georgia - <i>Midnight Gold</i>. Sheesh. Not only is the song no good, they want to give us all epilepsy too with their presentation. The more I hear this song, the less I like it. I do like that there is a variety of genres in the contest, so I do appreciate it in that sense, but this has got to be pretty much the most forgettable song this year. I forgot it before it was even over.<br />
<br />
Albania - <i>Fairytale</i>. A pretty good singer this year, and a dramatic performance ... and lots of gold. <b>Lots</b>. A pretty melody, but forgettable, like so many other entries this year. I enjoy listening to it, but I forget it as soon as it's over.<br />
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Belgium - <i>What's the Pressure</i>. From a golden dress to silver shorts. An upbeat dance tune to end the show, that's not too bad. But this entry just seems very old-fashioned to me. Like this could have been sent in the 90s. Maybe that's the point. But it's a bit strange. A rather strange melody too. Catchy, I guess, but ... strange, somehow. I can't put my finger on it. An enthusiastic performance though. But I still can't really see this going very far.<br />
<br />
That's the last song! :-( The voting is open! Eep!!<br />
<br />
The first runthrough.<br />
<br />
OK, five votes to Australia, and one each to Israel, Macedonia and Bulgaria. My civic duty is done.<br />
<br />
Chitchat from our hosts, and more historical revisionism from SVT.<br />
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Second runthrough.<br />
<br />
Petra and Måns exhort us to vote while we still can ... ! But now the lines will close ... now! Well, I've done my bit.<br />
<br />
And now for the interval entertainment - people dancing with robots. OMG, what a metaphor for Sweden. Unintentional, I'm sure. In other news, during Oslo's culture night last year I saw a man dancing ballet with an excavator. It was actually really beautiful. Much better than this. And what's with the music they're dancing to ... ??!<br />
<br />
Back to Petra and Måns in the green room, now introducing the rest of the Big Five. Haha, our broadcaster added more info on Rybak's record victory in the subtitles than what Petra actually said. Let's brag about ourselves to ourselves! :-D Some numbers from ESC history. Now the German, Italian and British entries.<br />
<br />
Over to Jon Ola Sand who's got the confirmed results. But wtf? Måns says that he's our biggest export since salmon, and the subtitles say he's our biggest export since salmon and A-ha. WTF?? Translate what they're saying!<br />
<br />
OMG, I forgot to guess! But all I care about is Australia!!<br />
<br />
Latvia.<br />
Georgia. WTF??<br />
Bulgaria! Yes!<br />
Australiaaaa!!! YES!!<br />
Ukraine.<br />
Serbia! Yes!<br />
Poland.<br />
Israel! Yes!<br />
Lithuania.<br />
Belgium.<br />
<br />
Wow, I'm glad I didn't guess, I would have totally messed up. :-D<br />
<br />
Runthrough of the finalists. Go Australia!!Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-90887500890954315892016-05-10T21:01:00.002+02:002016-05-10T23:04:34.368+02:00Stockholm 2016 - first semi-finalOMG IT IS HAPPENING ... !! My hands are trembling ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
I am crazy excited as usual but not quite as psyched as I was last year ... SVT is so overwhelmingly politically correct that I fear all three shows will be a giant three-part homage to the wonders of multiculturalism. Which is like literally the opposite of what the ESC is about. But I'm trying to keep an open mind.<br />
<br />
Opening with last year's winner, not surprisingly ... not a highlight for me since I'm not a big fan of this song. I like Måns but I really believe they should have been disqualified with this entry. We should have been tuning in to St Petersburg tonight. :-) Maybe next year?? ;-)<br />
<br />
Anyway, my #1 gripe with <i>Heroes</i> is the dumbass lyrics. Hummingbirds don't sing, dingbats!!<br />
<br />
And now, our hosts! Petra and Måns. The stage looks pretty fantastic. And Petra's dress is very pretty. Presumably the first of many. :-)<br />
<br />
Some chitchat, welcoming all of us to the show ... and a Europe joke. How cool would it be if they turned up! :-D Instructions on how to vote ... not so useful to me as we can't vote tonight, we're in the next semi. Too bad, I want to vote for Russia!! But I have no doubt I will get the chance to do that on Saturday. :-)<br />
<br />
Finland opening the show with <i>Sing It Away</i>. Something totally different from last year, which can hardly do worse. I actually kind of like this song ... it has a pretty good beat and the singer is enthusiastic. But not actually that good at singing, unfortunately. And this outfit is also quite unfortunate. It's a good way to start the show, but I am underwhelmed.<br />
<br />
Greece - <i>Utopian Land</i>. A pretty weak effort from Greece, IMO. Using "typically Greek" elements as usual, but I'm not impressed with this. They have done it so much better in previous years. The chorus is pretty catchy but the performance tonight seems ... I don't know, kind of stilted. The Greeks can a lot better than this. But it looks pretty with the yellow sun symbols. :-)<br />
<br />
Moldova - <i>Falling Stars</i>. I really like this song. The chorus is so cool, I love the way the melody flows there. Her voice isn't the greatest but good enough for this. :-) But what is she wearing? And what's with the astronaut in the aluminum foil space suit? That's a little bit distracting. But the chorus ... !! Not at all shabby from Moldova.<br />
<br />
Hungary - <i>Pioneer</i>. OMG TUCK IN YOUR SHIRT!! I do see that the floor is lava but you can still try to not look like a bum. This song is ... meh. Just really intensely meh. I think the lineup is so weak this year. Lots of mediocre songs, some pretty good ones, but no real standouts. This is one of the mediocre ones. I'm not sure what I have to say about this. It's just totally meh. Nothing memorable about this entry at all. Except that the singer looks like a bum.<br />
<br />
Croatia - <i>Lighthouse</i>. Wow, her dress is the size of a lighthouse! :-D Possibly the most striking thing about this entry as it isn't very memorable otherwise ... but it is very pretty to listen to, and I really like her voice. Oops, there goes the dress. :-) She's so pretty though! This song is relatively unremarkable but so far it's actually almost the best song. o_O<br />
<br />
A break for some chitchat and jokes. Actually quite charming with the fans in the back seat and Petra and Måns driving. :-)<br />
<br />
The Netherlands - <i>Slow Down</i>. Oh, I like this entry! It's so charming. I'm not sure this oldfashioned thing will be a hit with the general audience though, but it's adorable. The song itself, the singer, the band ... and oh, the guitar solo! I love how you can sing along with the chorus before you've even heard the song through once. :-) I am charmed. Wish I could vote for them too. :-)<br />
<br />
Armenia - <i>LoveWave</i>. I'm always intrigued to see what the Armenians send, they usually send something good. This year I'm a little stumped. The song has a good melody and the ethnic elements will probably go down well ... but it's not what you'd call catchy. It grows on you, but that's problematic in the format of this contest. Still one of the stronger entries tonight, and an interesting presentation, but not what you'd call an earworm.<br />
<br />
San Marino - <i>I Didn't Know</i>. I wish I didn't! The first time I heard this I couldn't for the life of me figure out who on earth they're figuring this will appeal to. No one has been able to explain it to me either. It's a mystery. I think that even after tonight, we will not know. I'll be shocked if this gets anywhere.<br />
<br />
Russia - <i>You Are the Only One</i>. Ooh, Russia! I really want them to do well this year, I feel that they were cheated out of their rightful victory last year. Fortunately their song is good enough that I can justify rooting for them. :-) What a presentation though! Wings! Shattering mosaics! And now, whoah! Optical illusions! :-o Very cool. Only problem is that it may distract people from the actual song. Oh well. No way will we not be seeing this again on Saturday. :-)<br />
<br />
The Czech Republic - <i>I Stand</i>. A beautiful blonde is very rarely wrong ... and she's an OK singer too. The song is ... pretty to listen to, but forgettable. Nothing wrong with it though, but nothing really to remember it by either.<br />
<br />
Cyprus - <i>Alter Ego</i>. This is actually not half bad. Unlike most of the rest of the songs tonight it's actually really catchy. And it's a rarity in the lineup this year ... an actual rock band. Hopefully they will stand out enough to get through. A good melody and a good beat. Good luck, Cyprus!<br />
<br />
Austria - <i>Loin d'ici</i>. Finally a song that isn't in English ... ! And this song is so pretty. It could have been in a Disney movie about princesses and elves and shit. And her voice is so right for the song. I've heard people badmouthing this song, I don't see why. I think it's sweet. And actually really catchy. I realize it's hardly art, but this is about music! Let's just enjoy the pretty music. :-)<br />
<br />
Estonia - <i>Play</i>. Oh, I really like this song too. I love this guy's style. He really takes it all the way. And the song is good too. It's not the type of song that's ever really catchy, but it has a really good tune. I love the presentation. Estonia really deserve a spot in the final!!<br />
<br />
Chitchat from the green room and environs. Petra Mede is praising the Sammarinese entry. Spare me! Kissing the Russian ... :-)<br />
<br />
Azerbaijan - <i>Miracle</i>. They ave a very beautiful singer if nothing else. And what an outfit ... ! :-D She's a pretty good singer and the song is pretty good ... not very memorable but still among the better ones tonight. She's very confident on stage, but maybe a little too smiley for this rather serious song. And those dancers ... ! o_O The song is very pretty to listen to. We'll probably be listening to it again. :-)<br />
<br />
Montenegro - <i>The Real Thing</i>. Another weird entry from Montenegro. But that's good, they keep us guessing! :-) This entry is ... maybe not good, but it is good that it's so unusal. They'll be remembered that way ... and it's good for the contest to have this kind of diversity. This is probably too weird to make it very far, but kudos to them for sending it.<br />
<br />
Iceland - <i>Hear Them Calling</i>. They definitely have a good singer this year. And such a unique presentation! I see they're going with the same thing they did in Reykjavik. It's v. cool. But the song is still pretty upbeat and doesn't really match the very grim and gloomy presentation. Still good though. Creative. Good luck to Iceland, I'd love to watch this again in Saturday.<br />
<br />
Bosnia & Herzegovina - <i>Ljubav je</i>. FINALLY someone with confidence enough to sing in their own language! And this had such a ... striking video. What will they do on stage?? Ooh, barbed wire. And what a dress! Great melody, great beat, bizarre-looking instruments, a rap in Bosnian - what's not to like?? Go Bosnia!! :-D<br />
<br />
Malta - <i>Walk on Water</i>. The last song already! :-( A striking presentation, but I'm not sure what to say about the song. It's pretty to listen to, but forgotten as soon as it's over. Like so many other songs this year. I really wish Malta would win one year, because they would be SO HAPPY and the show in Valletta would be fantastic. But they have to send a better song than this.<br />
<br />
The first runthrough. I wish I could vote!! :-(<br />
<br />
Second runthrough.<br />
<br />
Chitchat from the green room again. They're all winners! Yes, they are in a way - they have all won their national contests. But we haven't heard their competition ... >:-)<br />
<br />
Some entertainment. Oh yeah, here we go, badmouthing themselves like nobody's business. I've never known a nation to be so collectively down on itself. And the results are plain to see, tragically. This also appears to be a complete fabrication of history - when ABBA won in 1974, the Swedish establishment completely despised the contest and practically fell over themselves to denounce it as bourgeois garbage. ABBA won entirely on their own merit. it's ridiculous to suggest that they were backed up by the movers and shakers. Yes, I do understand that this is meant to be funny, but historical revisionism isn't that amusing to me coming from an institution that has done so much for so long to pull the wool over the collective eyes of the nation it's supposed to serve.<br />
<br />
Third runthrough.<br />
<br />
OK, some guesses. Who will get through?? Let me think ...<br />
<br />
Russia, definitely.<br />
Bosnia.<br />
Azerbaijan.<br />
Iceland?<br />
The Netherlands.<br />
Estonia, hopefully.<br />
<br />
I'm really hoping for Austria, and also for Moldova, but I don't know if that's realistic.<br />
<br />
Some who won't get through;<br />
San Marino.<br />
Malta?<br />
Hungary?<br />
<br />
The voting's closed! Eep!<br />
<br />
The interval entertainment - depressing, apparently, to honor the depressing world situation. Trying not to get political here ... but I am not interested in hearing anything about that situation at all from Swedish mainstream media. Beware. You cannot trust a single word they say, or print.<br />
<br />
More chitchat from the green room ... going over who we will be seeing on Saturday, and introducing the French and Spanish singers. And the Swedish kid. That song is soo boring ... ! I don't understand how it can be a favorite. But sure, good luck.<br />
<br />
The votes are in! Jon Ola Sand confirms the results. The Dumbledore of Eurovision. :-) Eep! The list!!<br />
<br />
Azerbaijan. Yep.<br />
Russia, of course.<br />
The Netherlands! Yes!<br />
Hungary. Huh.<br />
Croatia.<br />
Austria! Yes!<br />
Armenia.<br />
The Czech Republic! Wow! :-)<br />
Cyprus.<br />
Malta! OMG!<br />
<br />
OK, my guesses tonight were way off base. :-D Better luck on Thursday! :-D<br />
<br />
One last runthrough, of course with just the finalists this time. Yay for Austria!!<br />
<br />
But my real favorite won't be taking the stage for a couple more days ... ;-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-40297443614819908142016-02-27T20:56:00.001+01:002016-02-27T23:16:01.496+01:00ESC 2016 - NorwayOur big night ... !! :-D<br />
<br />
OK, starting well ... funny in a way that is actually pretty funny, while also poking fun at the Swedes. I like it.<br />
<br />
Now up from the submarine and onto the Oslo Spektrum stage. Nice segue. And, haha, they've got impersonators. A not very convincing Conchita and Lordi. This is a really cool introduction, better than they've had for a while. Cool. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to hire Jan Fredrik Karlsen.<br />
<br />
I have to say that if they cut out the national semifinals and instead put their energy and resources into making an intro to the show of this quality, then I totally support it.<br />
<br />
A glimpse from the eighth Lithuanian semi which is going on right now. Eight, that is a lot ... !!<br />
<br />
Going over the rules ... and we're going to be allowed to vote from the beginning of the show again, I resent that. Should definitely change that back. >:-(<br />
<br />
Song #1: <i>Laika</i> by Tonje Gjevjon, performed by The Hungry Hearts feat. Lisa Dillan. Now this is MGP!! Oh my fucking god. What is this. We are confused. How can anyone think that this could have any potential ... like, anywhere? :-o A good thing too! We're laughing our heads off now, but we don't have to be the laughing stock of Europe if we don't need to. I wonder if their English pronunciation really is that bad, or if it's supposed to sound like they have Russian accents? Sheesh. At least they have zero chance of getting anywhere since ANYTHING else will have to be better than this.<br />
<br />
Maybe I already should have mentioned that I haven't heard any of the songs yet, just snatches of them. So these are totally my first impressions. :-)<br />
<br />
Song #2: <i>Into the Fire</i> by Torstein Flakne, Anne Judith Wik, Mark Spiro and Hallgeir Rustan, performed by Stage Dolls. About what you'd expect from this band. Fine. A perfectly acceptable rock song, but with very little personality. Not what you'd call catchy. We wouldn't get anywhere with this, but we wouldn't make fools of ourselves in any way either. So far my favorite by about 1000 percent.<br />
<br />
Song #3: <i>Traces</i> by Stine Hole Ulla, Ingrid Skretting and Trude Kristin Klæboe, performed by Stine Hole Ukka. A Disney-style ballad, apparently. Very pretty singer, with HUGE eyes. One of the songwriters was in the grade below me at school, uninterestingly enough. Pretty good voice. Peculiar presentation, if I'm being diplomatic. Ooh, but very pretty with all the lights in the audience. A enjoyable ballad although comparing it to your average Disney is overstating it a bit. Singer rather dull and anemic. Probably my new favorite now, although I would to be honest prefer to not vote for any of these. Fingers crossed.<br />
<br />
Song #4: <i>Stand Up</i> by Danne Attlerud, Michael Clauss and Thomas Thörnholm, performed by Makeda. Now this one I quite expect to like. The singer has a pretty good voice and I think she'll have much more energy on stage. She does ... but her outfit is <b>horrendous</b>. Out of this world hideous. And she's surrounded by guys in snazzy formal suits. Bizarre. What is this song about ... I can't pay attention to the lyrics, I'm so distracted by her clothes. OMG. Who would allow her to be seen in public like this?? :-o The song isn't half bad - I think, I could hardly hear it over her outfit. :-o<br />
<br />
trilltrall is having an attack of sudden anger every three minutes because he's so annoyed by Karlsen popping up in all the artist presentations. He's shouting at the screen, "I want to SHOOOT you!!" :-D<br />
<br />
Song #5: <i>Anyway</i> by Tommy Nilsen and Ronny Nilsen, performed by Pegasus. A power ballad performed by ... poodle rockers, apparently. Actually not half bad. This show is on a rising curve, each song is better than the last. Or I should say "better". ;-) I could vote for this. In fact I think I will vote for this ... but will have to consider the other half of the entries first. But so far this is the best, IMO. Although of course there is nothing so far that has a snowball's chance in hell in Stockholm. :-)<br />
<br />
Ooh, pyrotechnics ... ! trilltrall wants us to just send the pyrotechnics show and forget about all the songs.<br />
<br />
Song #6: <i>Feel da Rush</i> by Fredrik Auke, Simen Auke, Mikkel Christiansen, Trond Opsahl and Christoffer Huse, performed by Freddy Kalas. KAS and trilltrall are rooting for this because the singer is from Drammen apparently. And he's one of the favorites. But his likely victory will be prevented by the professional juries, because although this is fun and very catchy, we would of course be thrashed to within an inch of our lives in Stockholm. :-D He gets the arena going like crazy though. I kind of like this, but it's very embarrassing to hear a Jamaican accent from such an extremely white person. But this guy obviously doesn't care about embarrassing himself ... or us. :-D<br />
<br />
Can I mention as I do every year that it's SO annoying that NRK allow more than six people on stage. It's actually a kind of fraud, IMO.<br />
<br />
Song #7: <i>Afterglow</i> by Laila Samuelsen, The Beatgees and Jan Weigel, performed by Laila Samuels (obv. the songwriter's stage name). Very good presentation. I like her voice. Energetic performance. Beautiful melody, maybe not super memorable ... but the half naked dancer cavorting among the audience may jog people's memories during the recap. And quite powerful while you're listening. So far at least this clearly gets my vote.<br />
<br />
Song #8: <i>History</i> by André Lindahl, Jeanette Olsson and Michael Jay, performed by Elouiz. Pretty singer with excellent diction. Nice outfit, but weird presentation. Those store dummies are totally gonna start dancing at some point. I like her voice. Good melody. I really like the chorus here. Hm. This is actually quite good. This one or the previous entry ... we wouldn't have egg on our faces with either of these. Ooh, pyrotechnics ... !<br />
<br />
Song #9: <i>Anna Lee</i> by David Bjoerk, Andreas Moe, David Eriksen and Alexander Austheim, performed by Suite 16. Norway's answer to One Direction, according to Karlsen. In other words, not my type of music. Never been the boyband type. But now am obviously no longer in the target audience. :-) Not sure how many of those who are actually watch this ... but they have a bunch of fans apparently, who call themselves "suitehearts" ... and the teenyboppers are the best, or alternatively worst, at voting in these sms vote things. Wild screaming in the audience. This is relatively catchy, but I still don't quite see it. Although I'm sure we wouldn't do badly with this.<br />
<br />
Song #10: <i>Icebreaker</i> by Agnete Johnsen, Gabriel Alares and Ian Curnow, performed by Agnete Johnsen. I like it when people write their own songs in this contest. And this is another of the big favorites tonight. Well deserved, I'd say. Good song, well presented, pretty singer with a good voice and a good stage presence. Really nothing wrong with this, it just should have been a little catchier. But you can't have everything.<br />
<br />
OK, that's the lineup. Now the first recap, Let me make my prediction for the first round. Four songs will get through, and my guess is that we'll be seeing again ... Freddy Kalas, <strike>One Direction</strike> Suite 16, and two female soloists. Laila Samuels and Agnete Johnsen, probably.<br />
<br />
Awesome interval entertainment - Kate Gulbrandsen performing <i>Mitt liv</i> ... ! trilltrall is beside himself with happiness, singing along and cheering. Wow. He's four years older than KAS and me, I guess this is evidence of the generation gap, because we totally don't know the lyrics to that song by heart. :-D Ooh, and our performers from last year with their beautiful <i>A Monster Like Me</i>. This time with NRK's full choir. Stunning song that gets better every time I hear it. And Debra looks amazing, even better than in Vienna.<br />
<br />
So I've done my civic duty - I've sent five votes each for <i>Afterglow</i> and <i>Icebreaker</i>. Fingers crossed we won't make fools of ourselves in Stockholm. That's really all I ask. KAS demands that we get to the final too, but that's really more than I sign up for. We're Norway. All we can ask is not to totally embarrass ourselves. We may not get even that wish ...<br />
<br />
Second recap, but it's too late, the first round of voting is over.<br />
<br />
The four "gold finalists" are in ... !! Oh, the excitement. <i>Afterglow</i>!! Yes! Laila performs again, entry still excellent. :-)<br />
<br />
Second finalist ... <i>Anna Lee</i>. No surprise there. I like this idea of having some of the performers' most obsessive fans making a speech to appeal to the audience before the second performance. :-) Wow, these kids can't sing for shit.<br />
<br />
Third finalist - <i>Icebreaker</i>! Yes! Again no surprise. My powers of perception are excellent tonight. Agnete's speechmaker isn't a fan but a former coworker of some kind. He is less certain of victory than the other two, probably more realistic. :-)<br />
<br />
The fourth and last finalist - <i>Feel da Rush</i>. I knew it. OMG this idiot. Please, professional jury members, save us from this total embarrassment. Ha ha, his biggest fans are ten years old! :-D But his speechmaker was the best of the bunch. :-D But that accent ... ! To be fair though he always sings in Norwegian, this is his first ever song in English. No excuse, but maybe an explanation. ;-)<br />
<br />
Third recap. I've sent five votes for <i>Afterglow</i>. But I'll be happy with any of these entries except for <i>Feel da Rush</i>. 75% chance of a positive result as far as I'm concerned. And I trust in the professionals. :-)<br />
<br />
More of this wonderful interval entertainment, I love it! We've seen a lot of glimpses of MGP history so far, but I've missed <i>Voi voi</i>, and here it is. A tribute duet to Nora Brockstedt. Wonderful. And now other classics. Wow, trilltrall knows a lot of these old GP lyrics, I'm impressed. A hidden side to him is revealing itself. :-D Oh, <i>Optimist</i> ... !! We all know the lyrics to that one ... ! :-D And while we're on the subject of Jahn Teigen ... :-D Will we see him on stage?? It's the 40th anniversary of <i>Voodoo</i>, after all ... :-o Yes, the man himself ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
I love this. All the dancers are jumping around like crazy and Teigen is just standing there. That's all he has to do. He's the man! :-D He just accepting the adulation. :-) An applause for Jahn Teigen - definitely!!<br />
<br />
And now the votes are in. Oh, I forgot - now they're keeping all their votes from the first round too. Now there's a thought. Going to the first part of the country, Midt-Norge ... and they've got <i>Icebreaker</i> on top, quite significantly ahead too. I'm getting a feeling about that song. It'll probably be our entry. Northern Norway have the songs in the exact same order as Midt-Norge ... and Agnete is a northerner so she gets lots of votes from there. LOTS! Wow! :-o The south country next ... <i>Icebreaker</i> on top, again significantly ahead. But there's most people live in the east country and of course this is where Freddy Kalas is from ... KAS says that maybe we will give him a hundred thousand votes and he'll win at the last moment. Fingers crossed that we won't ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
Do they add the first sets of votes at the end? And do we even have professional juries this year?? :-o<br />
<br />
The west country have <i>Icebreaker</i> on top too, quite a bit. But now the east country ... ! Well, it won't be <i>Afterglow</i>, alas. Come on, <i>Icebreaker</i> ... ! Wow! Almost 20 000 votes ahead of <i>Feel da Rush</i> in second place. Yes!! We have chosen an excellent entry! Is this really Norway? The fourth really good song in a row! :-D<br />
<br />
Aw, and she's so happy. This was a good choice all round. We will definitely not make fools of ourselves this year. My wish came true! :-DLeisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-14453474944652674462015-05-23T21:02:00.002+02:002015-05-24T01:01:49.983+02:00Vienna 2015 - final!!Be still, my heart ... !<br />
<br />
We finished our dinner just in time - wienerschnitzel in Austria's honor :-) - and now we are SO ready for the show ... ! :-) Great opening with the orchestra. Flashes from Copenhagen, and now from Vienna ... and then to the Stadthalle. I am atremble ... !!<br />
<br />
A tribute to Udo Jürgens, very fitting. <i>Merci, chérie</i> morping into <i>Rise Like A Phoenix</i>, clever ... and now, Conchita!! In hot pink sequins! :-D Ooh, and they're doing the same thing the Danes did last year, they have a theme song. But even better than Copenhagen, the song has the same title as their slogan. The hosts are singing too. Conchita flies! Children on stage are singing the theme song! Fantastic. :-)<br />
<br />
An Austrian rapper, and more from the children singing ... and the hosts welcome us all. Whee!!<br />
<br />
Now all the performers on stage with their flags. I LOVE this way of presenting all the contestants. I'm trying to listen for who gets the biggest cheers, but that doesn't really mean much in this context ... because that's all down to who's got the biggest delegation in the audience, and that's rather too much down to location and other non-related things.<br />
<br />
Aww, fans all over the world! Wonderful! So adorable. :-)<br />
<br />
A little chitchat and, omg, we are on!! :-o<br />
<br />
Slovenia - <i>Here For You</i>. One of my absolutely top faves this year. I love this!! The melody is fantastic, such a fantastic beat ... and her voice is so cool. Great performance. Yay! Ljubljana 2016!! :-D Calyx is not a fan of the voice ... :-)<br />
<br />
France - <i>N'oubliez pas</i>. What will this look like? Huh. A city in ruins ... and white doves taking flight. So we shouldn't forget ... the horrors of war? Ooh, and they've found a way to get around the rules about only six people on stage. Hm. The presentation is kind of interesting, but the song is too ... boring. Nope, no way. We will all forget this.<br />
<br />
Israel - <i>Golden Boy</i>. Another of my favorites. Such a great beat, a wonderful entry. And I love the lyrics. Just cheesy enough. :-) The kind of fun lyrics that you tend to get at Eurovision - English-language lyrics written by non-English speakers. I love it. And the performance is significantly better than on Thursday. My hopes are rising ... !!<br />
<br />
Estonia - <i>Goodbye to Yesterday</i>. Not among my favorites as such, but I really like this entry. A very good melody. I really like her voice. And a good presentation, simple. They won't get that far, I don't think. But they can hold their heads up.<br />
<br />
United Kingdom - <i>Still In Love With You</i>. Still scratching my head over this one. I really don't know what they were thinking. I think it's a fun melody, but it's just so incredibly wrong for Eurovision. The presentation make it even more annoying, if that was possible. Another no-hoper for Britain! Our commentator was inspired to make a couple of really funny jokes, though.<br />
<br />
Armenia - <i>Face the Shadow</i>. A beautiful song, and I like their presentation and their outfits. And the backstory is of course powerful and important. But the song is just too bland for it to really have potential.<br />
<br />
Lithuania - <i>This Time</i>. My mystery contestant. But this is growing on me a little bit. Not that I would vote for it myself, but I can kind of see why other people would. It's a fun entry. They're really getting the arena going. No wonder after the last couple of entries, I guess ...<br />
<br />
Serbia - <i>Beauty Never Lies</i>. Ooh, my favorite ... !! I love this entry, it's soo beautiful ... I love this melody, and her voice ... ! Her performance is much better than on Tuesday too. Awesomesauce!! Go Bojana!! The audience is going crazy for her. YAY Serbia!! Belgrade 2016! :-D<br />
<br />
Norway - <i>A Monster Like Me</i>. A beautiful song, excellent singers, a very good presentation ... and the audience is really into it ... but it just may be too depressing. But they don't think so in the Stadthalle ... hm. N. really likes this, he hadn't heard it before, he thinks it's very interesting. And that a lot of the other entries aren't capturing his interest. Hm. Yes, We will definitely be getting quite a few votes from the Balkans ... :-)<br />
<br />
Sweden - <i>Heroes</i>. Very catchy, a great beat, and I do like Zelmerlöv. I just feel so strongly that he should have represented Sweden in 2007. :-( The one thing I don't like about this is that the presentation has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of the song. Whatever that may be, I guess. Also, hummingbirds, as far as I know, don't actually sing. Anyway ... I like this, and I won't be sad if it wins ... except that I would LOVE for us to do better than them just to shove their arrogant faces in it.<br />
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Cyprus - <i>One Thing I Should Have Done</i>. This is so sweet! Absolutely charming. I like this so much. Probably too low key to really get anywhere, but it would be hilarious if it did. :-) Totally charming and deserves every vote it'll get. :-)<br />
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Australia - <i>Tonight Again</i>. Oh, the uniqueness!! So cool that Australia is here this year. They'll get a bunch of votes just for being new and exotic. But this really is a fantastic song. Such a great beat, wonderful singer and a very good performance ...the presentation is weird, and the female backing dancer's outfit is hideous, but you can't win 'em all. Wonderful entry for Australia. Definitely a potential winner.<br />
<br />
Belgium - <i>Rhythm Inside</i>. I really like this entry too. And I dig their presentation too. Experimental. :-) I think this is too weird for the audience in general, but I love the fact that it's here. Kudos to the Belgians for sending something so ... outside the box. The only innovative entry so far this year, says Calyx.<br />
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Austria - <i>I Am Yours</i>. I really like this entry. Lovely melody, great rhythm, wonderful lyrics. Totally charming entry. Yay for the host!! But of course nobody wants them to actually win ... :-D<br />
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To the green room and Conchita ... and some bad jokes. Aah, traditions ... !! :-)<br />
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Greece - <i>One Last Breath</i>. One of my least favorites this year. OMG she looks exactly like Cat Deeley, I never noticed that before. Her singing is so annoying ... all those breaths and pants. Annoying. Calyx says she must be very badly trained as that is one of the first things you learn to avoid in voice lessons. I don't know, I just know I don't think it sounds good. And the song itself, regardless of the singer, is just bland. Meh.<br />
<br />
Montenegro - <i>Adio</i>. One of the most beautiful entries this year. I love this. Absolutely beautiful melody. A lovely Balkan ballad. N. is unimpressed ... and he's Serbian, so I'm willing to take his opinion into consideration. But I think this is beautiful. And major kudos for singing in their own language.<br />
<br />
Germany - <i>Black Smoke</i>. I like this song a lot, but the others aren't fans. Calyx loathes the presentation. I'm not a big fan of it either. It's very choreographed and ... sort of calculated. I like this less tonight than I ever have before, actually. Hm. And what the hell is she smiling for, this is supposed to be sad??<br />
<br />
Poland - <i>In the Name of Love</i>. A beautiful but not very memorable entry. Very cutesy presentation, A lovely song, and a beautiful singer with a good voice, but what's going to make us remember it? The wheelchair? Another entry that's just too bland.<br />
<br />
Latvia - <i>Love Injected</i>. Like Belgium, this may be too weird, but I'm so thrilled to have it in the final. Creative and original. Wonderful! I love the chorus. And the presentation is fantastic. Major kudos to Latvia. N. thinks this is the winner. o_O I'm not entirely convinced ... :-)<br />
<br />
Romania - <i>De la capat</i>. N. likes the singer's jewellery. :-) I like it too, plus I also really like the song. A very good melody, but too ... even, if that makes sense. A good band and a very good performance, plus the presentation is good, interesting. And I really like their subject matter. An topic that's actually important. Kudos. But a little too bland, alas.<br />
<br />
Spain - <i>Amanecer</i>. Another of these powerful ballads that are lovely to listen to but very quickly forgotten. That thing with the cloak and the dress is the most memorable thing about this entry. Nothing wrong with this entry, but I'm pretty sure we won't be tuning in to Madrid next year.<br />
<br />
Hungary - <i>Wars for Nothing</i>. N. thought Cyprus was dull, so I guess he may fall asleep during this one. :-) I like it a lot, though. Lovely melody, beautiful presentation, lovely singer with a beautiful voice. Important message, of course. But is it too low key? Probably. N. is still awake but not impressed. :-)<br />
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Georgia - <i>Warrior</i>. Now he's awake ... !! :-D So is the Stadthalle, by the sound of it. This entry certainly has a memorable presentation. Striking. Cool that she's alone on stage even with a song that seems to just beg for a crazy dance routine. It has crazy lyrics instead! A powerful entry.<br />
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Azerbaijan - <i>Hour of the Wolf</i>. One of the best ballads this year. An absolutely beautiful melody. I really like the presentation too. It makes a little bit more sense of the title. :-) I don't think it has what it takes to reach the top - but then I didn't think their 2011 entry had that either, so what do I know? :-) Definitely a very good entry from Azerbaijan, as usual.<br />
<br />
Russia - <i>A Million Voices</i>. Another of the very best ballads this year. Beautiful song ... and a beautiful singer. It's so interesting that the Russians keep sending these songs about peace and fellowship across borders ... ! This is definitely memorable enough to make it very far ... maybe even all the way.<br />
<br />
Albania - <i>I'm Alive</i>. Another singer who smiles while singing something supposed to be sad. Oh well, at least in this song the sad part passed quickly. Pretty singer, pretty song ... beautiful while you're listening, but by the time the Italians are halfway through their song we won't be able to hum this one to save our lives. And people are calling this a favorite? Nope.<br />
<br />
Italy - <i>Grande amore</i>. Now this entry has it all! This is Eurovision! :-D Italian opera-singing hipsters ... and boy, can they sing! The kid with the glasses especially, he's fantastic. Grande amore!! :-D OMG they are SO Italian. And the old ruins ... !! :-D This is fantastic. They just have no shame. They have pulled out absolutely all the stops ... and why not?? :-D So fantastic. I love it. We all love it. This is seriously a contender. A wonderful way to close the performance part of the show.<br />
<br />
The hosts start the voting ... ! How should I vote? Tactically or from the heart? :-)<br />
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A runthrough of all the songs. I'm thinking, I'm thinking ... !<br />
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One vote for Slovenia. Five for Serbia. Three for Israel. One for Italy and one for Australia. My civic duty is done.<br />
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The first part of the interval entertainment ... Austrian musicians. Percussionists and horn players. Now singers too. Nice!<br />
<br />
Second runthrough ...<br />
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The voting is closed ... now!!<br />
<br />
Ooh, Conchita on stage! Yay! I haven't heard this song before. I like it!! I think I'll have to buy her album ... What a blouse she's suddenly wearing. o_O A little chat with Conchita ... and then this year's Junior ESC winner. What a voice for such a young boy.<br />
<br />
One of the hosts in the green room ... and the others with Conchita and the trophy. Now reactions from winners over the year, Adorable!! Squee!!<br />
<br />
Now to Jon Ola Sand and his announcements ... in plural this time.<br />
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The first points .... !! Should I make a guess? I think the winner will be ... Serbia, Russia, Sweden? Italy? Australia? No, I have no idea. It's so even this year, and so many good songs. I can't guess. There's actually almost not a single song that I would be horrified to see as the winner this year. Except the UK, but that goes without saying.<br />
<br />
Now it's time to eat cake ... !! Calyx's horribly deformed Esterhazy torte. But I'm sure it'll taste good. :-) And it has the Austrian colors since she didn't have any apricot jam and had to use raspberry. :-D<br />
<br />
The Belgians are voting now. It's looking a lot like this will be a fight between Russia, Sweden and Italy. Australia's on fourth and the gap between third and fourth is just massive. Huh,<br />
<br />
I cannot BELIEVE that Austria hasn't gotten a single point yet ... !! Boo, Europe!!<br />
<br />
I'm soo glad that Belgium and Latvia are doing so well ... !!<br />
<br />
Halfway through the points ... Conchita's in the green room with the Russian delegation. Aw, I love that she's so protective of the Russian singer. The audience aren't cheering very hard for her. But if you want to follow Conchita's philosophy then you would never dream of penalizing this young woman for the actions of her government ... !!<br />
<br />
This is such an exciting scoring this year ... !! I love it! :-D So even and things are changing with every new country giving their points. Nerve-wracking ... !! :-D<br />
<br />
Sweden's in the lead and Måns is deliriously happy ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
And they've won!! 328 points and they can't be beaten! N. is thrilled, he's wanted them to win since he heard the song for the first time. Ie, about two hours ago. :-D Sweden is the winner! Måns is completely ecstatic ... ! And gets a very warm hug from Conchita. Aw.<br />
<br />
Tredje gången gillt!! Congratulations, Sweden!! :-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-80713297253344809152015-05-21T20:59:00.003+02:002015-05-21T22:59:57.610+02:00Vienna 2015 - second semi-finalIt's on ... !!! :-D<br />
<br />
Now this is the exciting semi ... ! Not because we're in it :-) but because the entries tonight are much stronger. Almost all my favorites are in this semi. And yay, I can vote for them!!<br />
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No big flashy opening tonight. Aw. I guess they're saving the big guns for Saturday. :-) Again pretty dresses on the hosts - but Conchita has the best outfit. Charmingly casual introduction of the contestants. Lots of cheers for us! I hope it's not just because there are lots of Norwegians in the audience. :-) And quite a big cheer for Israel too, yay.<br />
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I forgot to mention this on Tuesday but I think the stage looks great.<br />
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A pretty big cheer for Sweden too.<br />
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A brief presentation of the seven pre-qualifiers, and instructions on how to vote. I LOVE the fact that we can only vote a limited number of times for each entry. I wonder what would happen if each viewer only got one single vote ... ??<br />
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And now, the songs ... !!<br />
<br />
Lithuania first - <i>This Time</i>. Ick, I don't like her outfit. Or his. And it looks like they're performing in front of the Macedonian flag. o_O The colors are changing ... and are quite distracting ... but that may be for the best. I don't think this is sounding good tonight. A totally typical ESC song. I'll be shocked if this gets anywhere.<br />
<br />
Ireland - <i>Playing with Numbers</i>. What will this look like?? Please not ... you know ... Irish. Hm. It's actually looking really good. And the song is so pretty. She has an unusual voice, it really fits the song. Kudos for co-writing it herself. Ireland's best entry since I don't know when. Still, it's another one of the slowish ballads that are so abundant this year. So it doesn't really stand out.<br />
<br />
San Marino - <i>Chain of Lights</i>. Not one of my favorites, to put it mildly. Ouch, her voice ... ! Supposedly this entry is so much better now, in this "new" version, than it was in their national selection. Someone told me that on Youtube. I can't really tell the difference. I like it even less now. The first time I hear the chorus I like it, there's something to the beat there ... but then it just gets annoying. Blech. Please, let's not have to hear this again on Saturday ... !<br />
<br />
Montenegro - <i>Adio</i>. This song is so beautiful ... ! Not surprising considering who wrote it. Major kudos for having lyrics in Montenegrin. A beautiful Balkan ballad. I was worried it might be a little too bland - yet another ballad - but this packs quite a punch tonight. The audience is really enjoying it. Fingers crossed for Montenegro ... ! :-)<br />
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Malta - <i>Warrior</i>. My least favorite song called <i>Warrior</i> this year! I think this song is really just ... boring. The singer's not very good either. I would LOVE to see the Maltese win one year, they would go into a collective delirium with happiness ... but there's no chance of that happening this year. Yawn.<br />
<br />
Conchita in the green room, The hosts on stage.<br />
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Norway - <i>A Monster Like Me</i>. A beautiful but depressing song. Talented singers, especially Debrah, she has a wonderful quirky voice. And wow, she looks great! Her hair looks so much better done this way compared to how they'd done it at our national selection. An extremely low key and simple presentation, which is good. Ooh, crescendo. The audience is digging it. Yay us. Pretty sure we'll make the cut this year. :-)<br />
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Portugal - <i>Há um mar que nos separa</i>. Lyrics in Portuguese as always, major kudos for that. They really never give up. :-) But I don't think this song has much potential. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just ... bland. The singer is putting in her best effort, but ... boring. :-(<br />
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The Czech Republic - <i>Hope Never Dies</i>. She's an OK singer, he's awful. AWFUL. Kind of fancy presentation but that can't save this entry. Another boring song. I've already forgotten it. Too bad for the Czechs, it's great to have them back ... !<br />
<br />
Israel - <i>Golden Boy</i>. Yay ... !! My favorite this year. I can't stop listening to it. It's fun and modern yet sounds so distinctively Israeli. And it has those adorably cheesy lyrics that we all love in ESC songs. :-) His singing voice isn't too great tonight, though. But he definitely has the audience going. Oh, this is making me nervous ... ! I love the song but it doesn't sound its best tonight. And the presentation is ... kind of overwhelming, maybe too much so. Fingers crossed ... !<br />
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Latvia - <i>Love Injected</i>. Tonight's weirdest entry? I like it. Kudos to Latvia for sending something so original and different. Edgy. :-) I like her voice. And I really like their presentation - the way they're working her dress into the background. Coolness. This may be too weird for the audience, BUT I'm sure it appeals much more to the younger section of the audience, and they vote more. So ... ? :-)<br />
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Azerbaijan - <i>Hour of the Wolf</i>. Peculiar title, but a beautiful song. I really really like this. And the audience in the Stadthalle seem to like it too? Pretty presentation. Ooh, I like this. Good luck, Azerbaijan!<br />
<br />
Iceland - <i>Unbroken</i>. What an awful dress she's wearing. Totally inappropriate, IMO. And ballet slippers. Sheesh. Ooh, aurora borealis ... !! OK, a striking presentation, and that's a great idea to show off Iceland like that. But the song ... pretty singer with a pretty good voice, and a song that's quite beautiful to listen to, but not memorable. No "hook". This might get through but it just as well might not.<br />
<br />
Conchita in the green room again, talking to Debrah and Geir, and then Leonor from Portugal.<br />
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Sweden - <i>Heroes</i>. Finally, Måns Zelmerlöv on the Eurovision stage ... !! I wanted soo badly to see him there in 2007, so this is a bitter-sweet moment for me. :-) But this is a very catchy song. Definitely memorable. :-) They're using the same presentation as they did in their national selections, which I think it weird ... what does it have to do with the subject of the song? o_O But it's got a wonderful beat. The audience is loving it. This is a shoe-in for the final. :-)<br />
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Switzerland - <i>Time to Shine</i>. Kudos to whatshername for writing her own song. Very weird outfit. Or, wahey! It's a trick! :-D Her voice isn't sounding too great, but she's giving a great performance, and the audience is totally into it. I never really have faith in Switzerland but this is better than I expected. Though that doesn't really mean much when it's the Swiss. :-( Good luck, anyway. :-)<br />
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Cyprus - <i>One Thing I Should Have Done</i>. This is such a sweet and charming song. Adorable. And they're keeping it simple in every way. Love it! It may be too low key for this contest but that hasn't stopped a bunch of other songs. Like Hungary's the day before yesterday. :-) I don't know if they can manage it, but I would love to see this again on Saturday. :-)<br />
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Slovenia - <i>Here For You</i>. My other favorite! I just dig this entry. LOVE IT. :-D Love the melody, the beat, the lyrics, her voice ... and now their presentation too, it's totally Eurovision. OMG this is perfect. And it's sounding great!! I think this may actually be turning into my #1 favorite now ... ! :-o<br />
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Poland - <i>In the Name of Love</i>. A worthy end to the show. A beautiful ballad ... ooh, I love the intro. That little piano thing that is repeated here and there. The singer is beautiful and has a good voice ... and major respect for refusing to give up her career just because she's in a wheelchair now. I'd like to see this get through, and it well may, but it is yet one more ballad without too much personality. Beautiful, but a little bit meh. Nice presentation though. And will be remembered more easily because it's the last song.<br />
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Conchita in the green room, hosts on stage. The voting is on!! First overview. What to vote ... ??<br />
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OK, I voted. Three times for Israel, five times for Slovenia, and twice for Cyprus. Sorry, Israel! But Slovenia's performance was better tonight ... !<br />
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A little entertainment - Austria's non-musical contributions to the contest over the years.<br />
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Second overview. Too late, my mind is made up.<br />
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The voting's almost over ... ! Well, my conscience is clear, my civic duty is done. :-)<br />
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More entertainment while we wait on tenterhooks for the results. Haha, lots of screwups from past votes. I love seeing old stuff like this from contests of years past ... ! It's so cool to think that this has been going on for well over half a century. Here's to another sixty years ... !!<br />
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The hosts chitchatting to the rest of the Big Five. The UK and Italy. Ooh, Italy ... ! :-D Germany. I love their song this year. Their singer reminds me of Anna Kendrick for some reason. And then the Austrians - I like their song a lot too, I'm really happy that they've sent a good song. :-)<br />
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But OK, I have to make some guesses here. Let me think. Hmm.<br />
<br />
These are certain to get through:<br />
Sweden<br />
Norway<br />
Montenegro<br />
Azerbaijan<br />
<br />
And probably Poland.<br />
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These won't make it:<br />
Malta<br />
San Marino<br />
Lithuania<br />
The Czech Republic<br />
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Obviously I'm hoping intensely that Israel and Slovenia will get through, but I honestly can't say for sure. I have faith in them, but it could go either way. Fingers crossed ... !! :-)<br />
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All the others are in the same situation, could go either way, hard to call it. But I don't care that much about them. Go Slovenia!! And Israel. :-)<br />
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Overview of the prequalifiers.<br />
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Jan Ola Sand is ready to approve the results. Yes, let's hear it ... !!<br />
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The last ten finalists are ... omg nerves!! ...<br />
Lithuania! WTF??!<br />
Poland. Yep.<br />
Slovenia!!! YES!!!<br />
Sweden. Extremely non-surprising.<br />
Norway. Yes. I think we got a bigger cheer than Sweden ... ? ;-)<br />
Montenegro, naturally.<br />
Cyprus! Yay!<br />
Azerbaijan. Another non-surprise.<br />
Latvia! Yes!!<br />
Israel! YES! OMG my nerves ... !!!<br />
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OK, so I got it almost right. I was just totally wrong about Lithuania, what's the deal with that? Other than that I am very happy with these results. Yoo-hoo! Slovenia!! And Israel! :-DLeisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-65823955667339845692015-05-19T21:01:00.001+02:002015-05-19T23:09:25.335+02:00Vienna 2015 - first semi-finalWheee ... !!! It's happening! EXCITEMENT ... !! :-D<br />
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I am seriously so crazy excited to see what the Austrians have got for us this week. I'm sure it's going to be fantastic. And now it's starting ... !! :-)<br />
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Last year's winner is opening the semifinal, that's unusual. Normally I'd expect them to save this for Saturday. Makes it even more exciting to wonder what they'll have for us then. :-) Conchita is wonderful of course. I love this song so much, it's so beautiful ... and they're really making absolutely the most of it. :-)<br />
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Great way of introducing the performers! I loved it in Copenhagen when they all walked with their flags across the stage, this is a fantastic way of doing the same thing. Hmm, did I detect a few extra cheers for Serbia? They're my favorite tonight. :-) A big cheer for Russia, that is ... good, I suppose. Wow, biggest cheer so far for Georgia. Huh.<br />
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Dancing in the aisles ... !! :-D And now the crescendo of the song. Wow. This is really really extremely good. And it's only the semi ... ! I hope they're not blowing all their fireworks tonight ... ;-)<br />
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The hosts. Nice outfits, but they don't match each other at all. Peculiar choice. The traditional scripted jokes. Highlighting their motto for 2015, Building bridges, which is a really good one IMO. Instructions on how to vote, alas, I cannot vote tonight. The Serbians will have to make their way through without my help.<br />
<br />
OK, we're on ... ! Eek!<br />
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Moldova opening the show with <i>I Want Your Love</i>. They have had soo much drama this year. And all for such a crappy entry, too. Although it is nice to see a Ukrainian on stage, at least, even if he's performing for another country. But wherever he's from and whatever's happened , he can't sing for shit. A lousy voice. The studio version is actually bearable, but live this is just so cruddy. And the presentation is beyond tacky. Cut your hair and get a job, kid!<br />
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Armenia - <i>Face the Shadow</i>. Ooh, medieval-style outfits. And that wheel thing they're standing on is cool. Some of the singers have good voices ... actually most of them ... but one of the women is just really annoying me. The song ... I'm going to say this a gadzillion times before the week is over, but it's one of those entries - ooh, a map of the world, and they're each going to their own continent! :-D What was I saying? Oh yes, One of those entries that is lovely to listen to while you're listening, and then you almost immediately forget about it. Too bland.<br />
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Belgium - <i>Rhythm Inside</i>. Ooh, I like this entry! One of the most original songs this year. One of the <b>only</b> original songs this year. It may be a little too far out of the common way to go very far - and the presentation's pretty weird too - but the Belgians should be proud of themselves for sending this. Great beat.<br />
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The Netherlands - <i>Walk Along</i>. What will she be wearing?? Ooh, something much nicer - much more age-appropriate - than what she wore at their national final. That was pretty easy though. The song though, that's the most important thing ... it's nice but not that special. Relatively catchy. Not going to get anywhere near as far as their entry last year though. Not memorable enough.<br />
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Finland - <i>Aina mun pitää</i>. I work for the Norwegian branch of a Finnish company, and my boss here in Norway is Finnish. He really can't stand this song. :-) He's so annoyed that they chose it and he thinks it won't get anywhere whatsoever. Personally I don't like the song at all as it's just not my type of music at all ... I am still happy to see the genre in the contest though, but I don't think it's going anywhere either. I don't think there are enough fans of this genre who will vote in this contest. :-) And I don't think the sympathy votes will carry the day either. Alas.<br />
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The hosts explain what the hell Australia is doing in the contest. :-D A trip to the green room where Conchita has changed both her dress and her hair. Awesomesauce.<br />
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Greece - <i>One Last Breath</i>. One of my least favorite entries this year. Not because it's bad, it's just boring. Beautiful but bland. And it doesn't sound Greek at all ... I think it'll appeal less to the audience because of that. The presentation is very striking though. So much drama. Almost enough to take my mind off how breathless she sounds. Maybe it's intentional, she's on her last breath ... :-)<br />
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Estonia - <i>Goodbye to Yesterday</i>. I really like this song, it has a great melody. A really good beat. I love the intro especially. Ooh, this presentation is great, they're really working the subject of the song. Pretty good voices too. Hers especially. Wish I could vote tonight, I would send a vote or two Estonia's way. :-) In terms of melody and lyrics this is definitely one of the most memorable songs tonight.<br />
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Macedonia - <i>Autumn Leaves</i>. Another song that is nice to listen to, but very quickly forgotten. Not particularly catchy. I don't think the performance tonight is very good either. He's not exactly a good singer. OK presentation. Overall ... boring. Can't see this going anywhere.<br />
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Ooh ... !! My favorite tonight, Serbia! Their entry is called <i>Beauty Never Lies</i> and it's soo beautiful. I love it. :-) But wtf is she wearing. :-o OK, that outfit is seriously unbecoming. Bad choice. And too much makeup. But the song is still beautiful ... a gorgeous melody, catchy, beautiful and meaningful lyrics with just the right singer. May be too similar to last year's winner though - not in how it sounds, but in what they're trying to say with it - and that's never smart. Ooh, the bridge. This song just totally rocks! I love it!! :-D Sounds like the audience in the Stadthalle is totally digging it. YES! Fantastic. A+, Serbia!<br />
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Hungary - <i>Wars For Nothing</i>. Another song with an important message. But may be too low key. Ooh, gorgeous dress. And her voice is lovely. Hmm, this is actually packing quite a punch tonight.<i> </i>The presentation is a little over the top maybe, but overall this is very good. Much better than I expected. I may have to revise my ideas ...<br />
<br />
Belarus - <i>Time</i>. At first, when I'd only seen the live version of this, I totally hated it. It was totally shitty in that version. The studio version sounds soo much better. What will they sound like tonight?? Hm. His voice is OK, not very good, but OK. The presentation is ... annoying. Distracting. Not a good choice. She plays beautifully, but looks a little wacky. Overall ... much better than at their national selection, but not as good as it could have been. I'm rather ambivalent about this entry.<br />
<br />
Russia - <i>A Million Voices</i>. Ironic that Russia keeps sending these peace anthem-type songs. I would have been fine with it if Ukraine had been in the contest this year. :-( Anyway. Beautiful singer with a lovely voice. Someone who can actually really sing, yay. :-) She's really getting the audience going. Striking presentation. Deservedly a favorite, this is an excellent entry. Second strongest in this semi. :-)<br />
<br />
Back to the green room. Cheers for Bojana! Yay! :-)<br />
<br />
Yes, I would like to warm up my cell phone, alas, it would be pointless. :-(<br />
<br />
Denmark - <i>The Way You Are</i>. Catchy and fun, but maybe too retro. I think this may appeal more to those parts of the audience that don't vote as much. On the other hand, these are four cute young guys who are clearly having fun on stage. And the song is really catchy. The entry as a whole is quite appealing. Good luck to our former colonial overlords. :-)<br />
<br />
Albania - <i>I'm Alive</i>. Another ballad, another beautiful but bland entry. Lovely singer with a good voice. But she's not wearing her red sequined dress that I wanted to see her in again. :-( It would have been a much better choice than this weird outfit she's got on now. The presentation is ... a bit much, IMO. This is supposedly a favorite to win in some circles. That is seriously a mystery to me. This is very pretty to listen to, but quickly forgotten.<br />
<br />
Romania - <i>De la capat</i>. Singing in Romanian, yay!! Major kudos to them. I really respect that. This is one of the really good entries tonight ... a beautiful melody, well performed by a really professional band, and with an important subject. Romania is one of my favorite countries in the contest ... I would love to see them win some time, but I don't think this is their year. Still though a very good entry.<br />
<br />
Georgia - <i>Warrior</i>. WHAT is she wearing. OMG. And the lyrics of this song ... ! I kind of want to give her kudos for writing her own song, but seriously, does she speak English? <i>I'm a warrior - oximated</i>?? Oximated, really? I don't think that word means what you think it means ... o_O A very dramatic presentation of a dramatic song. I'm hard pressed to say exactly what is wrong with this, I just ... sheesh.<br />
<br />
That's it!! 16 songs, over and done with. A brief visit with Conchita in the green room and then the voting is open. The only sensible way to do it. :-) I can't vote tonight since my country - Norway - isn't in this semi, so I just have to wait with bated breath. Now the runthrough.<br />
<br />
Interval entertainment - a presentation of Vienna set to music from last year's contest, now also with fake animals heads. Well, why not.<br />
<br />
Second runthrough.<br />
<br />
OK, some guesses. Who will make it through?? I'm having a really hard time guessing tonight, this semi is generally so weak and there are hardly any really good songs, as well as no really bad ones. Huh. I'll have to try to guess.<br />
<br />
These are shoe-ins IMO:<br />
Russia<br />
Romania<br />
Serbia<br />
<br />
These probably won't make it:<br />
Moldova<br />
Macedonia<br />
Finland?<br />
Armenia?<br />
Belarus<br />
<br />
Maybes:<br />
Estonia<br />
Belgium<br />
Greece<br />
<br />
... sheesh, no, I don't even know!!<br />
<br />
The voting is over! :-o<br />
<br />
And now, let's learn about Austria. Lots of fun facts about our host country mixed with memories from the ESC over the years. Hah, this actually is fun. :-)<br />
<br />
And now some info about the Big Five, and presenting the Australian artist. Oh, haha, and the Australian connections! :-D And here are the French and Spanish singers. A runthrough of all the prequalified entries.<br />
<br />
Over to Jon Ola Sand who will pronounce the results as valid. Oh, the excitement ... !! :-D<br />
<br />
And the ten qualifiers are ...<br />
<br />
Albania, why not.<br />
Armenia. Damn their giant diaspora.<br />
Russia, of course.<br />
Romania! Yes!<br />
Hungary. I wouldn't have thought so yesterday, but now I'm not surprised.<br />
Greece. Hm.<br />
Estonia, yay.<br />
Georgia. No accounting for taste, I guess.<br />
Serbia!!! YES!!<br />
Belgium. Oh, good!!<br />
<br />
OK, so all my certains and maybes got through, and all except one of my non-qualifiers were cut. Huh, pretty good guesses after all. Everybody up on stage!! An excellent show from the Austrians! I'm already psyched for Thursday night ... not to mention Saturday!! Eep!!! :-D<br />
<br />
Overall a great show with satisfactory results. I'll have to ask my boss tomorrow what he thinks about theirs. :-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-87567115401567719982015-03-14T20:25:00.003+01:002015-03-15T02:10:56.347+01:00Melodi Grand Prix 2015Whee ... !! Our time has come .. ! We will be selecting our entry for Vienna tonight and of course I am live blogging it. Oh, the excitement ... !! :-)<br />
<br />
First of all I have to say that it's SO annoying that they're calling it the "MGP final". There hasn't been any quarter or semi finals so how is there any final?? Try to think a little, NRK.<br />
<br />
But that's just my little pet peeve. I'm hoping for a good show tonight as it's a big anniversary - the ESC is 60 years old this year, although of course we haven't been participating that long. But it's also the 30th anniversary of our first victory, and the 20th of the second. So apparently they're going to really celebrate. We'll see.<br />
<br />
Ooh, and our official broadcasting orchestra is playing the music for each song, they're wonderful, so that's a very good thing. :-)<br />
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Opening with a short WWII-themed skit, how can that go wrong. Well, it's a nod to the biggest hit on Norwegian TV this year, which was a mini series set during the war. A few more little fun skits ... intended to be fun, at least .. and then, wahey, all the performers of the night in a rousing rendition of<br />
<i>Dschinghis Khan</i>. Costumes and all. That really is a cool song. And it's a first - no song in German has ever been performed in our national selections before. Hope you're catching this, Austria ... ! ;-)<br />
<br />
A few comments on this year's lineup here in Norway: it's not very good. We will definitely not be bringing the contest back to Oslo again this time around. :-) There are no really abysmal clunkers, though ... just a whole lot of songs that are completely meh. I do really hope that we won't pick the pizza song.<br />
<br />
Entry #1: <i>Thunderstruck</i> by Joy Deb, Linnea Deb and Erlend Bratland, performed by Erlend Bratland. My favorite this year. That doesn't mean it's all that good, but it's the best of the bunch, anyway, IMO. In this context. Good lyrics, a good melody that really packs a punch ... and, not least, a singer who can actually sing. I'm hoping getting to open the show will work in his favor. It may not though. His performance is ... OK, pretty good. A hell of a lot of pyrotechnics.<br />
<br />
Entry #2: <i>Louder</i> by Andreas Stone Johansson and Ricky Hanley, performed by Raylee. She's going to "inflict" her energy on the audience. OK. She looks really different off stage and on. Not that that's relevant. Her voice is pretty good and the song is sort of ... semi-catchy. Gets a little repetitive, maybe. Energetic stage show ... but now they're doing that thing that just pisses me off where they send lots and lots more people on stage than what we'll be allowed to use internationally. That's tricking the voters, NRK! You're asking us to vote for something that we won't be able to use in Vienna. Not that this is what we'll be sending, probably, but still. It's the principle of the thing. Sheesh.<br />
<br />
Entry #3: <i>All Over the World</i> by Tor Endresen and Are Selheim, performed by Tor Endresen and Elisabeth Andreassen. This is supposed to be some fantastic thingummy because these two are such Eurovision greats and it just has to be great because it's them. But it's SO not great. Ridiculously oldfashioned and just too much of everything that no longer works in this contest. And now they have NRK's children's choir on stage! All of it!! Seriously. They're trying to sell us a nonexistent product. Don't vote for this, people, it's a scam!<br />
<br />
Entry #4: <i>Next to You</i> by Jenny Langlo, Robin Mortensen Lynch and Niklas Olovson, performed by Jenny Langlo. Ooh, they've stuck her mike on a lightsaber. And then there's lots and lots of spotlights sort of echoing that. This is obviously something we're supposed to remember the song by. It might work. She also has a very unusual voice which make this entry stand out a bit. The song itself, I don't know ... The chorus reminds me of the Swedish song in Malmö. But only the chorus. The rest is ... rather unmelodious, so of course not very catchy. Kind of good, but also the sort of song that needs to be heard more than once for people to really get their heads around it, I think. Definitely not a plus, I'm afraid. I'm watching with Quiltoholic and she is very underwhelmed by this. :-)<br />
<br />
A little interval entertainment there - the top 3 craziest costumes from the past 60 years of the international finals. Ukraine wins. No prizes for guessing which year ... ;-)<br />
<br />
Entry #5: <i>We Don't Worry</i> by Øyvind Blikstad, Bjarte Giske, Ali Pirzad and Julie Bergan, performed by Ira Konstantinidis. The youngest performer of the night, only 17. Not a very good singer, IMO. She sounds constantly out of breath, They're playing up the high school aspect ... something awful, really. This isn't doing anything for me whatsoever. My least favorite so far.<br />
<br />
Chitchat between entries ... showing people in various countries who are watching the show. Yay for the internet!!<br />
<br />
Entry #6: <i>Heaven</i> by Jan Lysdahl and Jacob Collin Launbjerg, performed by Contrazt. Contrazt are what in Norway and Sweden is called a "dance band". Think Vikingarna, if that means anything to you. This entry is very typical of the genre. Easy listening, literally. The singer has a good voice, a very comfortable voice to listen to. Again, typical of this kind of band. They mentioned that their concerts normally last for four hours ... and this is definitely voice you could listen to for four hours. The song is easy to listen to, and catchy - as these things usually are - but also quite forgettable. So definitely not the winner. However, there's nothing on this stage tonight that can possibly win. So IMO we should actually just as well send this, try to spread the genre and at least know that nobody will be clawing their ears bloody listening to this.<br />
<br />
Entry #7: <i>Ta meg tilbake</i> by Marie Klåpbakken, Linn Hege Sagen and Olav Tronsmoen, performed by Marie Klåpbakken. One of the only two Norwegian entries this year that is actually in Norwegian. So for my part I was inclined to like it before I ever heard it. And she's all alone on stage, that's very good too. I'm not thrilled with the presentation though - very modern, and the song seems a little oldfashioned. Oh, a couple more people on stage now. Violinists. And the singer is playing the violin too ... while being blasted with a wind machine. Oh, Eurovision ... !! This is a pretty good entry, but like all the other songs, too forgettable. Too bland.<br />
<br />
Another top 3 - this time crazy choreographies. OMG how to choose ... ! Montenegro wins, with <i>Euro Neuro</i>.<br />
<br />
Entry #8: <i>En godt stekt pizza</i> by Stian Thorbjørnsen, Petter Kristiansen, Lars-Erik Blokkhus, Jesper Borgen and Magnus Clausen, performed by Staysman & Lazz. The night's big favorite, because Norwegians are idiots. Also with Norwegian lyrics. Which is a very good thing if we should choose to send this, because no one will understand what they're saying. A "party song". I suppose it's catchy ... but it's mostly just annoying. And the presentation shouldn't be allowed, they have like 25 people on stage! I hope anyone who's considering voting for this realizes that in Vienna, it would look NOTHING like this. They probably aren't though. Sad. We might actually end up sending this.<br />
<br />
Entry #9: <i>A Monster Like Me</i> by Kjetil Mørland, performed by Mørland and Debrah Scarlett. Now this is actally a good entry. Has some, whatchacallit, depth. The problem with it is that it may be ... too good, or whatever. It may need more than one listen to really get to the audience. Which is exactly what it doesn't get ... that's the format of the contest. That's a shame sometimes. His voice is pretty good, hers is wonderful. This is probably the best entry this year, but it may be a little too ... profound, or whatever, for its own good.<br />
<br />
Yet another top 3 - this time the "most la la la" songs. WTF? The UK wins, with <i>Boom Bang-A-Bang</i> - Spain comes third ... ! Seriously??<br />
<br />
Entry #10: <i>Cinderella</i> by Erik Smaaland, Kristoffer Tømmerbakke and Thea Oskarsen, performed by Alexandra Joner. A pink-haired Cinderella ... in fact, pink everything! Wow. This is tacky even for Eurovision. But it has potential. It could be made classy. I think. The song is a little unusual in its theme, which is good ... and Joner is a good singer. The catchiest song of the evening. This is the only song tonight that people will remember the tune of for longer than ten minutes. Maybe we should actually send this. o_O<br />
<br />
Entry #11: <i>Human Beings</i> by Karin Park and Guy Chambers, performed by Karin Park. Her pre-song interview sent shivers down our spines. Karin, please: <b>just speak Swedish!!!</b> This song ... this is one of those entries that are pretty while you listen to it, but that you immediately forget once it's over. Her outfit is ridiculous, who picked that?? This won't get anywhere. Too bland, although her voice has character.<br />
<br />
That's all! Now a quick runthrough of all the entries. While we all get the chance to vote ... although the voting has been open since the start of the show. I'm voting, let's see ... twice for <i>Thunderstruck</i> and once each for <i>Cinderella</i> and <i>A Monster Like Me</i>. Although I'm afraid it's pointless ... I can't tell you how I know this, but I have connections. :-) We're going to send the pizza song. It's almost completely certain. Damn you, stupid Norwegians ... !!<br />
<br />
Alas.<br />
<br />
More chit-chat, and a look back at our Eurovision history ... and then our winner from last year. Now that was a good song! I love that song, I really do. Ooh, the songwriter's singing too! They've made it a duet! AWESOMESAUCE. A last glimpse of happiness before the pizza song takes over ...<br />
<br />
The first round of voting is over and now the eleven finalists will be reduced to four. Dare I make a guess? One of them will most definitely be the pizza song ...<br />
<br />
Tor & Bettan. Sheesh, people! This is my parents' generation who have done this. I hardly know which would be worse between this and the pizza song.<br />
<br />
They're performing their song again and it's still IMPOSSIBLE TO PERFORM internationally. So wtf, NRK??<br />
<br />
Top 3 something or other - crazy falsetto singing?? I didn't catch it, I was in the kitchen getting some <a href="http://www.oskarsylte.no/syltebrus.html" target="_blank">pineapple soda</a>. Albania wins.<br />
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Next through is ... the pizza song! Boo-hoo. They think that their song will appeal to lots and lots of people all over Europe. They think they can win the whole thing. Are they mentally ill?? Or can they really be that dumb?<br />
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The sad thing is that on stage right now it's looking really good, lots of energy, happy people, a real party. But it won't look ANYTHING like this in Vienna. Sheesh, humans.<br />
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Top 3 creative performances ... Azerbaijan 2013, Russia 2008 and Ukraine 2014, in that order. That hamster wheel actually kind of grew on me.<br />
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Third "gold finalist" - <i>A Monster Like Me</i>. Well deserved.<br />
<br />
Top 3 "weird". Bosnia wins with <i>Pokusaj</i>.<br />
<br />
Fourth and last ... <i>Thunderstruck</i>. Some small amount of faith in my countrymen restored.<br />
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All four have performed for a second time. It all went well and now we have five minutes to vote. I'll vote twice each for <i>Thunderstruck</i> and twice for <i>A Monster Like Me</i>. Let no one accuse me of failing in my civic duty.<br />
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BREAKING NEWS ... !! Like I said, I have connections. And now I can report that we most likely will NOT be sending the pizza song! OMG!! <i>A Monster Like Me</i> is pulling ahead! Be still my heart ... !! Can it be true?? I have to send a couple more votes their way ... !!<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the interval entertainment! And it is ... Bobbysocks! First the hosts with a ballad version of the first verse of <i>La det swinge</i>, and then actually Bobbysocks with the rest of the song. And what a song it is. This is fantastic. And the actual best song will probably win. FANTASTIC. Fingers crossed that it will actually pan out ... !!<br />
<br />
And now - the results ... ! The country has been divided into five parts and they're calling the votes from each part. Starting with the north. Gasp! The pizza song came second! In the north! Now I believe ... ahem, my source. That's where I thought that kind of thing would really be a hit..<br />
<br />
Middle Norway, or whatever I should translate it with ... and they've got the pizza song last! I believe! <i>A Monster Like Me</i> came second both here and in the north. And <i>Thunderstruck</i> first. Well, I'll be thrilled with either! Wahey!! :-D<br />
<br />
The south country next ... and they have <i>A Monster Like Me</i> first!! YES!<br />
<br />
The west country ... Pizza last and Tor & Bettan second. <i>A Monster Like Me</i> second and <i>Thunderstruck</i> first. By a lot! Wow! Maybe my actual favorite will actually win?? Coolness!!<br />
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The east country. Fear! The pizza song will win here! But ... but ... ! OMG! Not by that much. They came third and not last. <i>A Monster Like Me</i> has won!! YAY!!! YAY YAY YAY!!<br />
<br />
OK, I apologize. I take it all back. Faith in my countrymen fully restored! YAY!<br />
<br />
My conclusions from this are as follows: First, that if it wasn't for the extended voting, the pizza song would never have gotten to the second round. With only a brief window for voting, it wouldn't have stood a chance. Second, that their results in the second round was due primarily to Østfold.<br />
<br />
Congratulations to the winner!! The best song won. No idea how this will do in Vienna, but we can hold our heads up high. :-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-14361405643609475992015-01-18T23:23:00.005+01:002015-01-18T23:23:51.291+01:00It's alive ... !!!Yes, I'm still alive! Believe it or not. :-) You wouldn't think so with how I've been neglecting this blog recently ... and that's being diplomatic. "Recent" is actually not the right word to use at all. I feel bad. :-(<br />
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I really don't have much to say for myself other than that I'm a lazy procrastinator who lets the time get away from me again and again. This will not be the last time. I'm going to try to not be quite so lazy about the blog in the future, but, well, we'll see. I make no promises. But I'll try. :-)<br />
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I'm not sure anyone is really reading this anymore, although it looks like I keep getting a few dozen page hits daily, but, well, for what it's worth. :-)<br />
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What have I been up to since, basically, the summer of 2013? Sheesh. Apart from watching last year's ESC, of course. Well, I've been traveling ... I've been to, let's see ... Visby, Helsinki, Ålesund, various places in the north of India, New York City, York, Kolmården, Gothenburg ... and of course the usual places like Rondane and Värmland and the Nordic Ark. At the Ark we saw Sparta's babies, they were beyond adorable. Had some fun times. My next trip will be to Botswana in Africa for a two week luxury safari in and around the Okavango delta. Two months from now and we'll be there. Yes, I'm really excited about it. :-)<br />
<br />
I've become addicted to Pinterest - you can see my various boards <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/leishacamden/">here</a>. You can also find me on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/LeishaCamden">Youtube</a> where I'm uploading an incredible amount of randomness ... over the past few days I've been starting my annual review of this year's ESC entries. Come check them out if you like, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the songs too. Unless it's to say that your country's song is the best because it's from your country ... that's not how it works.<br />
<br />
I've been working - I got a new job in September 2012, and I love it, it's a zillion times better than my old job. This past fall we moved to a new location that makes the trip to work kind of a hassle for me, but what are you gonna do.<br />
<br />
I've become a huge Zachary Quinto fan, I've read a shitload of books, I've recently become quite a bit more active again with both BookCrossing and Postcrossing ... I've even attended the first, and AFAIK so far only, Norwegian Postcrossing meetup. I'm still doing <a href="http://www.saltklypa.no/">the podcast</a>. I still have my three little turtles.<br />
<br />
But basically I'm just really lazy and procrastinate ALL. THE. TIME. So. All I can say is I'll try to do better. If you miss seeing me around, you can always find me on Pinterest. :-)Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-85354771689394256972014-05-10T20:58:00.000+02:002014-05-11T00:38:57.810+02:00Copenhagen 2014 - final!IT'S HAPPENING ... !!<br />
<br />
Great intro! Simple and fun. DR has really done a fantastic job with this. We're loving it.<br />
<br />
Ooh, a new thing ... ! They're introducing all the performers in order with their country's flags in lights. Coolness. This should be a thing every year from now on. :-)<br />
<br />
KAS has a good point though: They should have had a little bit of text on the bottom of the screen making sure that everybody catches which country it is ... it's a little bit hard to hear what's being said over all the cheering and maybe not everyone recognizes the flags by sight, I don't know. :-)<br />
<br />
The hosts! The guys in suits, the way too skinny female host in an at least acceptable dress. But it's too big though, she's too skinny for that dress. Oh well. She'll probably be changing into something else soon.<br />
<br />
It is SO FUNNY to hear Danes speaking English ... ! :-D<br />
<br />
OK, there's no reason to wait ... !! It's on! Eeek!!<br />
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Ukraine. I'm not a big fan of this song, so I wasn't thrilled to see them get through, but then again I totally dig the giant hamster wheel. I LOVE it. So I've actually been looking forward to seeing this again. Hah. The song kind of packs a punch, so it's actually a good way to open the show. It's growing on me.<br />
<br />
Belarus. This was so hideous in their national final and actually looks kind of stylish now, although the lyrics are still so dumb ... but it doesn't totally kill me to see this now. He's not a hit here in Drammen though. KAS wants to give him minus points. trilltrall says we should call it penalty points. :-D Hm. The song gets kind of enervating in the last minute or so. Nope, don't want to hear this again.<br />
<br />
Azerbaijan. Beautiful singer, beautiful dress, beautiful voice, beautiful song. The trapeze artist is a little hard to relate to though. I don't quite see how it relates to the lyrics. She's very good though. But it's a beautiful entry. I would have liked to see them win with this - although they're not likely to - rather than <i>Running Scared</i>. They'll probably do quite well this year though.<br />
<br />
Iceland. Blech. Maybe my least favorite entry in the final. So annoying. Almost everybody else here likes the song though. What's wrong with people. It's the fricking teletubbies. Sheesh. But as it's being said further along the couch here, there's only 300 000 of them, there's a limit to how much talent there can be on that island. People are dancing in the arena though. But I hope they'll bomb. >:-)<br />
<br />
Norway. Come on, Carl Espen ... !! Now's the time to go all out depressed! Give us all the feelings! Quiltoholic wants to see a grown man cry. Oh, his beautiful voice ... !! But he did a better job on Thursday. Still good though. And getting better. Ooh. This is gorgeous. Nenad says it reminds him of whales singing. :-D It's a beautiful song though. I love it. Kudos to us. The arena looks beautiful too with all the cell phone screens lit up. Yay us.<br />
<br />
Romania. I like this song but the performance annoys me a bit ... the round piano's so gimmicky. The song's got a good beat, and it's totally different from our song, which is good, keeps the audience on our toes. :-) I really hope Romania will win the contest one day, but I don't think tonight's the night for them. I could be wrong though, I think they will do well.<br />
<br />
Armenia. Nenad's shocked by how much makeup Aram's wearing. He's right, he looks almost dusty. LOL! Nenad's on a roll with these animal analogies. Iceland ducks, Norway a whale, Romania chickens and Armenia a frog. :-D This song starts out as a tender ballad and then suddenly totally takes off ... and he's alone on stage and totally owns it. I really like this tonight. Yerevan 2015? I'm tempted to say they deserve it.<br />
<br />
Montenegro's a swan. :-) I really really like this song, it's beautiful ... and I love that they're singing in Montenegrino. The rollerblader's a little klutzy tonight though. But overall a good presentation, just a little distracting. But beautiful, a beautiful entry. Hope they'll do really well.<br />
<br />
Poland. KAS wants to give them a minus vote too. LOL! Minus ten! She's making a note of it on her bingo sheet. I actually think it's fun though. And the guys are loving the "cultural exchange" as trilltrall's calling it. :-D We're having a lot of fun with this now. This could be one of those gimmicky entries that ends up doing scarily well.<br />
<br />
Greece. LOL! The intro ... we're obviously back on the Balkans, and Nenad says that "this is how it sounds when you die". LOL. Hmm ... funereal opening and then we're told to "rise up". Hmm. ;-) This is a fun entry that gets a little annoying. But it's Greece, they'll do great.<br />
<br />
AUSTRIA ... !!!! Sshh ... ! Seriously. This is THE BEST ENTRY EVER. I'm serious. This entry IS Eurovision. Some of the crowd here has been standoffish about this but now everybody agrees. We all applauded when it ended. It has everything. The song itself, the singer, the dress, the presentation, the performance. EVERYTHING. It must win ... !!!<br />
<br />
Germany, making their flag out of candy! Sweet. Just like the song, sweet. But also somewhat forgettable. Would be better if we'd heard this more than once, so to speak. It's not good to be one of the big five, it really isn't. They have weird outfits. I really don't know about this. I'm hoping they'll do pretty well, but they had really needed to be heard twice. Oh well.<br />
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A short break with a word from our host and a new record, highest high note ever. And the record goes to Croatia. Ouch! The other two hosts pop up ... she's still in the same dress, what a waste.<br />
<br />
Sweden. Oh, I love this entry. But the broken English is a little painful. Beautiful singer though, and she's looking so great tonight ... and the song is just so fantastic. Great presentation too. Overall I really love the stage and what they're doing with it. They're really making it work for Sweden. This is fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if they won tonight. But I don't want them to ... ! Sorry Sweden, you guys rock tonight. But Austria ... !<br />
<br />
France, making their flag out of smoke in a way that kids probably shouldn't try at home. Silly song that we mostly don't like, though Nenad thinks it's fun ... and we're kind of laughing, but no. It's so samey too. Nope. France bombs again.<br />
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Russia. Pretty young girls is never wrong. Pretty young Jedi knights is absolutely never wrong. Very appropriately we are all eating Fazer's vodka liqueur fills right now.<span style="background-color: white;"> Na zdorovje! I really like this song. It's very pretty. There's a lot of distracting elements though. But they're going to do very well.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Italy, making their flag out of food, of course. And Emma's wearing an outfit from ancient Rome. LOL! Coolness. This is sounding a lot better than the studio version. They're totally rocking it. But the song itself is too forgettable, I think. And that crawling around is a little off-putting, at least for part of the audience. Ahem. Good luck to Italy, but, meh, I don't know.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Slovenia. With her fancy blue gown. And her piccolo and her really very good voice. I like this entry a lot. The dress is sort of too ... bulky, though. It's not quite becoming. But the song is beautiful, I really like it. I've been listening to it quite a lot. Good luck to Slovenia!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Finland. KAS has been complaning since Thursday that the singer has such horribly poor diction, she can't understand a word they're saying. I think I can understand one word in about four. But aside from that it's a pretty good entry. It's forgettable though. Calyx is making a prediction: This will get lots of points from northern Europe, and basically nothing whatsoever from anyone else. :-D We'll see ... !</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Spain, yarnbombing their flag ... ! Awesomeness. Ahahaha, her hair is wet because she's dancing in the rain!! Ahahaha, brilliant. I love this entry. The best from the big five, hands down. Great presentation and wonderful song. Love it! Go Spain! They can come third, after Austria and us. ;-)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Switzerland. Oh yay! I'm so happy to see them in the final. :-) They're totally getting the arena going. But I've heard from several people now that the first time they heard it they didn't really like it, but it's really grown on them. I feel the same way. So that's not good since a bunch of the audience will be hearing it for the first time now. Fingers crossed though. I'd love to see them do well.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Hungary. This has become very arty. Harder to understand. The original presentation may have been too explicit ... but this is harder to get the story from. Hm. The song is good but the entry as a whole is quite depressing. Really not sure that this is what people are looking for tonight.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Malta. I really don't understand how this got through. Most boring entry of the night. This is like a flashback to ten years ago. I guess that could be the appeal. But I really don't get it. Mysterious.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Denmark, making their flag out of ... what was it, pallets? We were talking and I didn't pay attention. Sheesh. Oh well. This is catchy and fun while you're listening to it, but kind of forgettable. It's a summer hit kind of song. Not a classic, but fun. I hope they'll do OK, since they're the host and all. I'm not entirely convinced, but good luck.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The Netherlands, making their flag out of tulips, of course! I missed that in the semi. :-) And the hostess introducing them, seriously ... ! Go eat something, woman!! But the song is wonderful. Beautiful melody and great performance. I really like the presentation too. But it's not really a Eurovision song. It's fantastic, but is this what the audience is looking for? I'm not entirely convinced. But I wish them the best of luck, I really do. Quality-wise, it's quite possibly the year's best song.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">San Marino. So cool to see them in the final! I like this song. It's one of the ones I've been listening to the most this year. The presentation's a little weird, but the song's so pretty. And Valentina's so happy ... !! Hope they'll do well. They could, it's a beautiful melody.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">United Kingdom, making their flag out of red cars and buses and ... garbage bags? This is another example of how it's no good to be in the big five. This needs to be listened to more than once. It's a good song, but it's weird. And her outfit doesn't make it less weird, to put it diplomatically. I like this, and it gets the arena going, but ... I really think this would have benefited from having gone through the semis. It's one of the better UK entries of recent years, but still ... it's the UK.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">It's over!! :-( Or one might say, it's about to begin. ;-) A few words from the hosts, thanking the commentators, that's new. And then, time to vote ... !!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Runthrough of all the songs.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">OK, twenty votes sent for Austria ... ! I've done all I can. :-) There are others I kind of want to vote for but I don't think I dare, I don't want to contribute in any way to anything that risks damaging their chances. That's going to have to be my strategy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Really weird interval entertainment. The hosts sing their own song about the contest - that's so meta. This is a strange video. Jebus, is that you?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">To the green room ... ! Our crazy skinny hostess chatting to a Junior Eurovision winner.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Another runthrough. The fun one with the performers leaving the stage. This needs to be a thing every year from now on.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">OK, the voting's over. Panic attack ... !!!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">And now for the real interval entertainment. Which is super fun, of course!! Of course the Danes are making it cheap, simple and seriously funny. We're loving it. :-) Go Denmark!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Starving hostess in the green room. She needs to change out of that dress! Sheesh. Chatting with the performers. A full English for the Maltese singer, a cake for Molly Smitten-Downes, a restaurant meal for the French band. Fun. I love hearing Danish people speak English ... !</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">And now, finally, last year's winner ... ! They have broken with tradition by saving it for the interval, rather than opening the show with it. I have no beef with that. DR can do no wrong tonight IMO. <i>Only Teardrops</i> over, and now, <i>The Rainmaker</i>. Both of them presented in a really weird way. Well, she already won, so it can't be too weird now. :-)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">All the performers on stage ... ! Carrying their flags and everything. Aw! This is what Eurovision is all about. This show is soo good ... !!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">She is seriously not going to change that dress ... !! But at least she's found Jon Ola Sand. The votes are almost counted ... ! OMG I HAS A NERVOUS ... !!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">First 12 to Austria already from the second jury!! Wow! I am cheered.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">8th country voting and it's so even. Which I claim to think is the best way for it to go, why do I keep saying that ... ! Augh. We are seriously weirded out by how well Hungary is doing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Russia voting and being totally booed by the arena. And their jury leader is totally hearing it. WORD.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Thank you to the Netherlands, 12 points to Austria!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">My guesses tonight have been pretty off ... ! This is an extremely difficult lineup to call. We are loving the fact that France has 0 points and they are the only ones who still have that score. Hah. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">10 points from France to Austria, and they're in the lead! I'm sorry France ... ! Thank you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">UK keeps Austria in the lead! AWESOMENESS!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">12 points from Armenia to Montenegro ... ! Love it!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The Netherlands are doing so well, that's so cool ... !! But Austria's still in the lead. I SO HAPPY ... !</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Sweden only gave us 3 points, that's so to typical ... !! But 12 to Austria! Thank you Sweden! Bet you we'll give your our 10 ... ;-) And 1 point to France, noo ... ! That means they will have 1 point. Sheesh, Sweden.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Now Germany. They will give their 12 to Austria for sure ... ! What? The Netherlands? No points to Austria ... ??! WTF, Germany??? >:-(</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">What?? A silly record now??! Most lalalas?? Spain has the record, but seriously, now??</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">This is seriously a thriller ... !</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Hostess, still in her unbecoming dress, in the green room. Talking to Conchita of course. Who is so happy she's about to pass out. Awesomeness.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Israel ... ! Now they'll give their 12 to Austria for sure. Germany, I hope you're listening ... !</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Us ... ! 10 to Sweden, 12 to Austria? No! 8 to Sweden, 10 to Austria! That has to mean ... 12 points to the Dutch song? Yep. Oh, OK.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Another 12 points to the Dutch.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Moldova voting, and good point from Calyx: The more folksy the jury leader's dressed, the more dictatorial the regime of that country. Keep your eyes peeled, she's right. :-D</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Ireland's 8 points to the UK, what a shock. 12 points to Austria!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Finland gives another point to France! Is there something in the water?? 12 points to Austria!! :-D</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">We are cheering SO WILDLY for Austria here ... !!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Austria voting, so no points there, but the jury leader has THE BEST OUTFIT EVER. OMG I am crying with laughter.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Spain - 12 points to Austria.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">This is so incredibly cool. I have no words.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Belgium gives 12 points to Austria. Thank you, Belgium!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">12 points from Italy to Austria. The entire Austrian delegation is practically in tears. This is a beautiful night.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">OK. Wow. There are three countries still to vote, but no one can beat Austria now. They've won. OMG.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Conchita's so happy that I'm almost wondering if she'll be able to sing one more time. :-) Especially now that she even got the last 12 ... !!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">THIS IS PERFECT.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Thomas Neuwirth for president ... !!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Seriously. This is just exactly perfectly right. The best entry, a performer who really has a message, and a very important message too. And Europe embraced it. Seriously. Best Eurovision ever.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I love this entry. And I love the thought of all the Russian heads exploding right now. >:-)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The lyrics to this song are now incredibly profound.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Thank you, Denmark, for an absolutely fantastic show. And thank you, Europe, for making such a fantastic statement. Vienna 2015!!!</span>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-50795938695033366572014-05-10T19:43:00.001+02:002014-05-10T19:43:47.961+02:00Vote Austria!!!OK, so I just have to post something before the show starts, I'm super nervous and just can't wait for it to just happen already ... !!! so we'll all know how it'll go. :-) I am SOO hoping for Austria to win tonight. I think the field is wide open and pretty much anything can happen tonight ... there's no obviously brilliant song that's guaranteed to leave everyone else in the dust, like <i>Fairytale</i> or <i>Euphoria</i>. But Austria's entry is my total favorite, and although the song isn't perhaps the best this year <i>qua</i> song, the entry as a whole is hands down the best in this year's lineup. And the performance ... !! They've made quite a few changes from their national final and absolutely everything's just made it better. A fantastic presentation and a wonderful performance. Conchita's no Maria Callas, but who cares! She's the perfect performer for this song and the whole thing is just clearly the best. So vote for Austria, people!!<br />
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VIENNA 2015 ... !!!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SaolVEJEjV4" width="560"></iframe>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-56879919216589549702014-05-09T12:51:00.001+02:002014-05-09T12:52:46.895+02:00Eurovision bingo for Copenhagen 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, I made a bingo game for the big night tomorrow. My first effort at this, which means it will probably be better next year. ;-)</div>
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Just posting it in case anyone else might feel like printing it out and using it. Feel free to do so. :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ31SR9s_XpM1E49rWQvqJ5lxjYg-YlP92Ezv1B16rL-qin20dr5Zfb1jn7TSlGZGGl_y637EuHIuRiqUdcTnqtD87wMT_1PG6YSwfhwJh7iyHhrZGvimK0st5vzcsSHiF31UBAf0onII/s1600/Eurovision+bingo+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ31SR9s_XpM1E49rWQvqJ5lxjYg-YlP92Ezv1B16rL-qin20dr5Zfb1jn7TSlGZGGl_y637EuHIuRiqUdcTnqtD87wMT_1PG6YSwfhwJh7iyHhrZGvimK0st5vzcsSHiF31UBAf0onII/s1600/Eurovision+bingo+2014.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
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(It's in Norwegian, because everyone at our party either is Norwegian or speaks Norwegian.)</div>
Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-47673239803531637262014-05-09T09:05:00.000+02:002014-05-09T09:05:00.296+02:00Copenhagen 2014 - Random thoughts III<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5GAgLaBUXKQ" width="560"></iframe>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275768344368542415.post-24866548833991781562014-05-08T20:59:00.000+02:002014-05-08T23:04:52.713+02:00Copenhagen 2014 - second semi-finalTHIS IS IT ... !!!<br />
<br />
Yay yay yay ... ! We're back!! And now, yeah, this really is it. Do or die for <i>Silent Storm</i>. I have faith in our entry this year, I seriously do ... I'm happy to say that we really have a quality song this year. That doesn't happen every year, so yay us. :-)<br />
<br />
A rather arty opening with lots of music and weird dance. Modern. Why the hell not, go nuts! I'm already so convinced that this will be good that they'll have to really screw up to make me change my mind.<br />
<br />
Ooh, a virtual tree. That's so pretty. And with apples falling ... ooh. Pretty.<br />
<br />
And now, our gracious hosts. The guys in boring suits, the gal in another unbecoming dress. But this is slightly better than Tuesday's. Seriously curious about what she'll be wearing on Saturday. Again, so happy that we can only vote after the performances are over ... and that there's a cap on the number of votes from each phone number. Still not ideal, but much better.<br />
<br />
Malta starts the show, making their flag with fireworks. Nice. But the song's just way to meh. Not the best song to open with. But of course that's what you get with the luck of the draw. Actually this is sounding better than the studio version ... much more engaging. I actually kind of like this now. But still, probably too generic to get anywhere. And samey.<br />
<br />
Israel, making their flag with a ... what now? Huh. This is one of those songs that are kind of freaky but that just hook you anyway. Her performance is much milder than I'd expected though. Maybe she's been asked to tone it down a bit. :-) She is so super aggressive in the video ... but it fits the song. She's too smiley now, the lyrics are so serious, she shouldn't be smiling. The song sounds really catchy but her performance, while energetic, is wrong for it now. IMO. But she definitely has the arena going. This is what really opened the show. ;-)<br />
<br />
Norway! Our performer, who is a glazer, of course makes our flag from a window. Aww. But can he sing?? The arena's full of fans, sounds like. He better not smile at them ... !! Seriously though, this is such a beautiful song. We really don't need all these effects ... the smoke, the lights, the four (!!) violinists ... it's overdoing it, IMO. It was better in Oslo, where it was just Carl Espen and a pianist, nothing fancy at all. But he's doing a great job, he's emotional and genuine and really showing off his beautiful voice. Yep, this is good. We're in. :-)<br />
<br />
Georgia next, with a flag made from glasses of wine. And a bizarro entry made of garbage. They sound weird, they look weird, and the song literally takes one minute to even start. The last two minutes aren't worth waiting for. Seriously, what were they thinking. They should have saves their money. This is just total weirdness and not even charming. Blech.<br />
<br />
Poland ... !! OK, they have been slammed for being trashy, and I thought they totally were too when I first saw them, and heard their entry, but this has seriously grown on me. I like this a lot now, I listen to it all the time. I hope they'll get through. Kind of a shame that they've been talked into singing mostly in Polish, and of course it doesn't have the same effect with so few people on stage ... and hearing it now I have to say this doesn't pack the punch the studio version does. It's less catchy in real life. :-) But still one of the entries that I have ended up really liking despite myself. And I like how they're just going all out with the Polish thing (interesting, because I would totally hate it if, say, Ireland did that ;-). And it's good that they're singing mostly in Polish. So yay, go Poland. :-)<br />
<br />
Another silly record. Clapping. Austria has the record. I should have guessed ... !! because Austria is up next. GO AUSTRIA ... !!!<br />
<br />
Hosts, still in the same outfits, thanking the fans. And introducing Austria. Yay!!<br />
<br />
Conchita makes their flag out of evening gowns, of course. Ooh, I'm shivering in expectation. Gotta turn up the volume on my TV set. :-) OK, I've heard her sing better. But she's looking gorgeous, the dress is beautiful ... and the presentation is fantastic, OMG, I love it!! Austria!! I love you guys!! I SO want to see this on Saturday ... !! THIS SONG IS SO FANTASTIC I LOVE IT SO MUCH PLEASE VOTE FOR IT ... !! Wow. I has a happy. This was perfect. THIS IS EUROVISION YOU GUYS ... !!1<br />
<br />
Lithuania. One of my least favorites. OMG her outfit ... ! Dumb outfit, annoying song with ridiculous lyrics. Epilepsy-inducing presentation. The best thing I can say about this is that it's making Austria look AMAZING in comparison.<br />
<br />
Finland, making their flag out of blocks of ice. Nice. This is another song that has really grown on me. It's not a great entry, and the presentation's not doing it any favors, but it's very enjoyable to listen to. Compared to <i>Attention</i> it's a masterpiece. The poor singer sounds out of breath after the first two minutes. :-) But the song's pretty catchy, nothing wrong with it. Probably too bland though to get very far.<br />
<br />
Ireland. Flag made from balloons. Clever. I really like their song this year, it's very catchy and has a really good beat, but they'll probably mess it up by bashing us over the head with Celtic knots and what have you. And ... yep. OMG they even have Irish dancers. IDIOTS. The song itself is Irish enough, we don't need all this other crap. And she's not singing very well .... and what's with the dress, seriously. And she's looking very stern. Alas! I had certain hopes for Ireland this year, but I fear they're fading very fast now ... Still a very catchy song, but rather badly performed and presented. :-(<br />
<br />
Oh no, Belarus ... !! Shudder. Maybe the worst entry this year. A flag made out of hockey pucks can't save it. This song is just so totally, dare I say it ... cheesy. BUT I will give them this, that they're sounding, and looking, a hell of a lot better than they did in their national final. Then again that wouldn't take much. >:-)<br />
<br />
Macedonia. With a flag made from ... sound waves. Wow. Oh, I love what they're doing with the flag colors transferring to the #JoinUs diamond. I like this entry, kind of ... the song itself is really nice, pretty, a nice melody ... but the presentation is weird, I'm not sure I get this guy in white running around. And her singing isn't the best we've heard tonight, to put it diplomatically. Optimism fading for Macedonia too ...<br />
<br />
Switzerland. Sebalter making their flag from dominoes. Or domino-shaped things. Yet another song that has really grown on me. I'm crossing my fingers for this entry ... the Swiss keep getting a bum deal in the ESC, they've sent several really good songs that haven't even gotten through to the final. Hoping that won't happen this year. This is catchy, charming, a kind of "loud" presentation, but fun too ... I like this entry more and more every time I hear it. Good luck to Switzerland!<br />
<br />
Our hostess reminding us to vote. And a silly record, for ... people licking their lips? Ireland has the record. Johnny Logan ... ! LOL!<br />
<br />
Greece! Flag made from towel and shells. :-) This was a song that I felt sure I wouldn't like when I heard what kind of music it was, but then when I heard it found myself really liking it immediately. The intro's so cool. Great singers they're not, though. And while the song is catchy and has a really interestng beat, it does get kind of repetitive. It's a ... ooh, there's the trampoline ... song that you don't want to listen to too many times, it can get on your nerves. But hopefully most people aren't like me and haven't heard all the songs dozens of times already. ;-)<br />
<br />
Slovenia, flag made out of books. What's not to like about that. :-) Another good intro. And a striking presentation. I like that the song is partly in Slovenian and partly in English. And it's catchy too, not exactly memorable, but really catchy when you're listening to it. I like this. Getting a little dizzy from the swirling blue lights, though. :-)<br />
<br />
Romania. Ovi and Paula are making their flag out of ... let's see .... reflections from fireworks on water. Paula's got a bunch of fans in the arena. :-) I like this entry, but it's not as good as <i>Playing With Fire</i>. It's catchy and has a good beat but it doesn't just instantly grab you like that song did. Oh jebus a circular piano ... ! Seriously ... I do like the song, but really, a truly quality entry doesn't need bizarre gimmicks like that. I would LOVE to see Romania win one day, but with this song ... not so much. A fun entry though, and a great way to end the performances. We'll definitely be seeing this again on Saturday. :-)<br />
<br />
Ooh, the voting is about to begin ... !!<br />
<br />
A runthrough of all 15 songs. Doesn't matter to me, I don't need it, I already know who's getting my votes. Go Austria ... !!! :-D<br />
<br />
A word from the hostess - a shoutout to Australia ... ! Aw, sweet. They deserve it. :-) But so annoying that they're making the joke "you can't be in the contest, you're not in Europe" ... that just confuses people who really do think that that is the rule. What's Israel doing here, then? The answer is of course that the contest is for EBU members, not European countries. Still, really cool that they're making a point of the Australian fans. Fun interval entertainment. :-)<br />
<br />
OK, ten votes to Austria. My civic duty is done. :-) Oh, OK, two for Switzerland as well. :-)<br />
<br />
Another runthrough.<br />
<br />
OK, some guesses. Let's see. This is a hard one to call. I'll say I'm certain about these:<br />
Norway ;-)<br />
Romania<br />
Greece<br />
<br />
Pretty sure about Poland too. Slovenia? Other than that, sheesh ... !! I want to say I'm sure about Switzerland, but ... if that song had been sent by anyone else, I'd say it was a shoe-in, but since it's Swiss there's just no telling. But fingers crossed.<br />
<br />
There will definitely be some not stellar entries getting through tonight though ... since ten of these songs will be in the final, this is unavoidable. ;-) But some are too crappy even so. Hoping we won't see these again:<br />
Georgia<br />
Lithuania<br />
Belarus<br />
<br />
Of course there's one entry I'm dying to see get through though ... ! Austria! If there is justice in the world then Austria will have gotten through ... ! But of course there isn't enough of just that ... and far too much prejudice against people who don't fit the standard mold, especially in ... certain areas. :-(<br />
<br />
Loving this medley of dancers from all over Europe and of all ages, what a brilliant idea. And so cheap, I'd imagine. Way to go, DR! :-)<br />
<br />
A saunter through the green room ...<br />
<br />
Silly record, though this one actually isn't entirely silly - longest note held, and the record goes to Malta, for 13 seconds.<br />
<br />
Wow, Conchita has a whole arena full of fans there ... !! A good sign! But our singer in 2011 had lots of fans in the arena too and we all know how that went, so I'm still in dread of what may happen, or rather not happen, in the next fifteen minutes. I has a nervous ... !!<br />
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Brief presentation of the big five and our host. Same as Tuesday. Yay Spain. :-)<br />
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Checking in with Jon Ola ... who's not ready with the votes, what a shock! Technical difficulties? Oh well, another runthrough, why not. Augh, I'm so nervous ... !!<br />
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Eek! The results are ready! NERVOUSNESS ... !!!<br />
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And the finalists are ...<br />
Switzerland! Oh yay!! HAPPY!<br />
Slovenia. Yep.<br />
Poland. Unsurprisingly.<br />
Romania, of course.<br />
Norway, of course. ;-)<br />
Greece. Yes.<br />
Malta! Really?<br />
Belarus! What the fuck??<br />
Finland. Good for them.<br />
AUSTRIA!!! YES!!!<br />
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OMG they made it! Does this mean that there is a god?? ;-) YAY AND HURRAY!!!<br />
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OK, so, seven out of ten tonight. And one that I seriously thought we'd gotten rid of. But we got through, and most importantly, Austria made it!! I has a SUPER happy!! :-D<br />
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<b>Vienna 2015 ... !!!</b>Leisha Camdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768409807832229050noreply@blogger.com0