Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Switzerland gives the pretty much same performance as they always has given. Straight rock band staging but the backdrop mainly with blue-green-red lights and lines looks pretty amazing. The guys are wearing black and green leather among others and the foxy lady is in a miniskirt. The ending of the song is a little anticlimax. It's hard to say if they will qualify. Unfortunately  have to lean on no more than yes even if I like this one a lot. Robert met the guys this morning and the interview is coming up so stay tuned for that! Update: it's here . More here . Belgium follows on blue and purple and Iris in white. She has also dragged out the pink bubbles from Oslo to her backdrop. And there's the old fashioned left to right, right to left swinging with her three backing singers taking us back to circa 1975. Unfortunately this says nothing to be but what's in the fridge? Why I get the feeling that she doesn't like the song herself that much? I might be wrong ...

To conclude the first day's technical rehearsals are Belgium and Finland.  Belgium brings us back about a thirty years and to the good old time singer + backing group routine. She has three ladies swinging from side to side. Oh nostalgia! The stage is lit to blue and purple and there seems to be some sort of balls or bubbles going as well. She sings reasonable well but the song is boring, there's no denying that. And what's with her facial expressions? More here . Finland concludes today's rehearsals and Pernilla is on stage alone with her cellist Heikki Takkula. Under her black jumper there's a green dress with a long tail blowing in the wind - is that her dress for the main event? Her flaming red hair sticks out from the blue and white with a hint of green lit stage with moving somethings and some sort of eruptions. Pretty. She also sings well with a smile on her lips and looks relaxed and confident. Hmmm, are we onto something after all? Especially ...

The very last national final of the season takes place tonight. Well, can you call it a national final when there ae only two songs in the running? Anyhow, 17-year-old Laura Van den Bruel aka Iris was internally selected ages ago, they received hundreds of songs for her and we will hear the two they thought best tonight, namely Safety net and Would you. Two ballads. The show starts at 20 CET and you can watch it also on eurovision.tv. the result of the televote will be announced around 22.50 CET. UPDATE: And the winner is Would you . 53%-47%. Shame. Safety net would have been much classier choice, and would propably have done better in Baku. Would you will be lost in the circus. Safety net Would you

The first surprise of this eventful day was the announcement of practically unknown 16-year-old Iris as the Belgian entrant for Baku 2012. Fans were waiting for Kate Ryan or someone at least a little bit known.  She's backed by the same people who made Tom Dice a success. Listen her here and here . Her eventual entry will be revealed later.