EUROVISION 2018 DAY 6: FIRST REHEARSAL FOR GERMANY, ITALY, FRANCE
The Big5 first rehearsals continue with top-3 favorite France and very much underrated Italy....
Germany - Michael Schulte - You let me walk alone
Germany seems to have scored well with it's improved staging; a lot of close ups of Michael, screen graphics and powerful delivery. Seems they are the second country with home brought LED wall for the projections in black and white and red, the photos were submitted by his fans earlier this spring apparently. The duplicate image of Michael spreading his hands gets kinda psychedelic and disturbing but for the rest it looks pretty nice. At least they make the stage look very different from anyone else. Oh yes, you can't quite see it behind the LED wall, that's why... Casually dressed (for now?) and vocally strong. Did we witness some teary eyes, too? Some are putting Germany up there among winning candidates but let's not get over enthuastic here, maybe top-10 at best, right? And of course some opposite reactions: looks bad on stage.
Ermal and Fabrizio go separate ways to the bridges towards the end of the song to end up in the catwalk before ending the song mid stage in a manly hug while screen graphics deliver the message of the song. Thankfully reviewers say it's less angry - my biggest concern for the live performance -, well performed and more powerful. Great energy even if they stand still most of the performance. Some problems still positioning the screen text so they don't cover their faces (half screen a face, half screen the text). Maybe it's time the boys in the bubble wake up and see how good this is? It seems the guys have gotten a bit emotional themselves <3 p="">
"Convincing", "Powerful", "Effective", "Solid", "Fails to capture atteention", "Amazing"
France - Madame Monsier - Mercy
Vocally good, but mixeed reviews about the staging. Being one of the top favorites who knows what the boys in the bubble expected. The signature hand gesture plays a major role and without audience looks a bit weird but will work with packed arena wonders. They are in black as always, only this time designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, and red shoes. Simple, similar lighting as Portugal. Apparently press center listened in dead silence the first run through of this very last entry this year to be rehearsed for the first time, and many hoping to be the winning onee (I wouldn't mind!) ending with a massive applause. Rather dark and simple. Some steadicam use. Dry ice.
"Simple", "Incredible effective", "Good but not instant", "A bit repetitive", "France aims to win", "Magnificient", "Stylish", "Elegant"
Małgorzata Jamroży aka Margaret has also been tipped for Eurovision and apparently she did turn it down but she'd be perfect. She's got a look and persona you can't unnotice nor forget, she's got hit songs, she has been voted or nominated for everything from Trendy artist to the Hope of the Year, Fashion Icon and Glamour Woman of the year besides the usual best video, song, album, debut..... Oh she's also a fashion designer! She's very clever with social medias and would surely use it to her advantage if selected for Stockholm 2016. Her debut album is titled Add the blonde , do we need to say more? Except it includes mostly Swedish written pop tunes like Tell me how are ya , Wasted , Start a fire and Heartbeat . And of course her debut single and internationally noticed Thank you very much that you can enjoy below with all its anti-textil feel. I think she's Eurovision perfection, she's cheeky and fun, can we have her?
Krista Siegfrids is delivering nice pop tunes one after another and this one is particularly catchy and soon you will be singing along..... Hopefully her Melodifestivalen entry will be equally good!
Today's funniest Eurovision related story comes from Belarus. Some sources claim Ivan wants to perform on stage naked and with live wolf or wolves. It surely would be a first on Eurovision stage! We have seen some forgotten underwear over the years, and some cardbox animals though..... Is it time to take things a bit further? No, according the rules live animals are not allowed, and Eurovision being a family show nudity won't do either. (It seems to be ok to be half naked if you are a dancer though..... )
Regina Lund's new video Jag är osynlig was censored by Youtube only minutes after it had been uploaded. In the video she was playing a female Jesus who gets crusified in the end. "I was shocked!" she says. "There's nothing more naked in it as in every church! It's ok to have naked man hanging on the wall but my nakedness is too much on internet? ". Oh well, no comment. She's prepairing a new album Dare Regina Lund and we of course remember her from her Melodifestivalen 2007 adventure with Rainbow star .
Here is the video for Alexey's previous hit Бам Бам! and here is the video for his Eurovision 2011 entry Get you as Alex Sparrow as he likes to be called now abraod. Looks like he potreys the new rich Russia well.... The only problem is that he can't play the bad part convincingly not even a second. And did I say the song is crap? And of course as he is a Russian star he must have nude fotos of him flotaing around internet trying to be sexy and he fails there, too, big time. If you are not bad nor sexy you shouldn't push it. Maybe he should stick to singing jolly little numbers like the Kalinka rip off instead....
Update! Another thing got Swedes talking last night: Carola's boobs when she was giving away an award. This is not the first time her boombs cause headlines; her misfortunate adventures in the 80's in Japan wer explained with her boobs being too big for Japanese market. Ok.... Or was it the song ? Anyways, Carola apologies and says she thinks the dress is stylish and elegant (even her friends said so) and she's a mature woman in her 40s, not a 16-year-old girl and looks like one. The Swedish Oscars, Guldbagge awards were given out last night. Carola was there as a guest star to sing Barbra Streisand's The way we were when honoring the movie stars who passed away during 2012. However, the cameras were too much on Carola, not on the stars showed in photos in the background and that upset many viewers as that part of the show was to celebrate them, not Carola. Oh well... The producer of the show tells in Aftonbladet the part of the show was made the sam
Tim Schou has a pretty good solo career going since he left his friends in London. He's travelling the world and relesing songs and videos. The latest one is a great track and comes with a steamy video that kinda takes away from the song really. But who's complaining. If you got it, flaunt it. Enjoy the video below. This post coming after the other Dane, Rasmus Seebach as wishlist for Eurovision. To think about it, Tim would do nicely, too. Maybe he should give it another go?
Eurovision song contest 2005 winner Helena Paparizou has been enjoying Top-5 hits every year since 2003 with the exception of 2010 and 2014, this latest one being already her 27th! And Haide is charting also in Bulgaria and Finland, of all places. The catchiness of her hits has changed less over the years than her face.... Here's the English version , below the Greek version.
Czech Republic's internally chosen Martina Bárta has released her entry My turn for the Eurovision as well today. Not sure if I managed to keep my attention level very high for very long when listening to it.... Shame.
Reigning Eurovision song contest champion and the host of the next contest in May 2016 in Stockholm Mäns Zelmerlöw bares it almost all in GT following some other Eurovision stars like Blue and Jedward ( see more here ) All for the good cause of course, prostate cancer - something this blogger can also relate having experienced it in my closest circle. Nothing to laugh about. The annual Naked issue of GT or Gay Times features also several other celebrity men out of their designer fashion and stage or sports outfits. I guess Christmas came early to some fans when they can unwrap their most wished gift already now.... Maybe. But it's not the first time he gets naked.... he did so when hosting the annual QX Gala some years ago. Who knows what he and Petra have in store for us in May?!
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