Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

What can I say about the show to start with? The hosts? Okeyish, mostly kept to their role, the attempts to be funny mostly were a bit meh and what an earth was Michael wearing?! The graphics were rather unpleasant when the songs were introduced. The postcards kinda nice but weird, an evolution of those in Turin but better. The opening act was nice and pure Eurovision, the interval act also typical Eurovision the little I watched it being busy scrolling Twitter but that Australia/austria thingy was a big yawn really. And it seems Italy and Finland took over Twitter at least in my wall.  But the stage! I love the stage! It looked great to most everyone and some shots were just stunning. One of the best stages for many years! Of the acts Croatia stunned me the most and Belgium looked great, too, as for the songs Israel really steps out in the recaps.  And then the finalist, here in order they were announced except Finland (announced second) that makes the headline of course. Aft...

Here we go again. Every year the prediction of the qualifiers is getting more difficult, this year there's the added re-introduction of the juries in the semi-final and of course the voting pro and against Israel. Also the contest has moved a bit south-east with those comebacks and those who stayed home in west. But here goes judged by the own impressions and the few comments I have read online by those who have seen the rehearsals and not only the 30 seconds video clip and three photos. Update after show with colors: Tbh I never quite believed in Estonia but thought for some reason it might do it after all, Portugal I was hoping for a miracle that never materialized, I'm sure they came 11th :-) I put Montenegro in Maybe category but really it should have been in Most likely out as I never believed one minute it will qualify. I still don't get Lithuania and I'm surprised it did qualify, it will be curious to see if it's all juries work or did people really like it. ...

The second semifinal is over and we have the full line up for Saturday's final. If the results of the first semifinal were somewhat surprising this second was a total chaotic surprise for most everyone. Had I done my list after the performances I would have dropped Czechia, Serbia and Australia from my list and had added Armenia and Lithuania and scored a lot better than my prediction list 6/10. From my wish list I got only 5/10 while the Home jury also got 6/10 right. The worst results probably ever! The show was somewhat more boring than the first semifinal except for Hazel who was letting it loose and can't wait what they combine with Michelle in the final at this point. The idea of the 2020 artists getting chance to perform their 2020 entries was nice and should have been done already in 2021. Or 2022. Or 2023. Or 2024... But why, oh why they chose those four who actually did return in 2021??!! WHY?? Why not giving a chance to Arilena Ara, Athena Manoukian, Damir Kedzo, San...

What a great show, I really liked it. Great stage, not so great graphics. Hosts were good and funny enough, opening and interval acts very enjoyable incl. Petra Mede and the Made in Switzerland thing, the message and homage to Celine Dion with the Class of '24. And the qualifiers all fine with me. Only sad for Slovenia but then again it was expected. The new announcement procedure worked fine, too. All seemed to go smoothly - except for Switzerland itself when the filming froze at one bit. Martin Österdahl & co were no longer in the arena but in a tiny little room somewhere out reach of booing and whistling. FUN FACTS: San Marino's Gabry Ponte becomes the first Sammarinese artist to qualify at his first try! All non qualifier songs in semifinals were sung in English rather than in the native language! Only Norway did in English, the others in native or mixed English/other language!!! 9/10 were songs from national finals, only Netherlands Claude qualified with internally se...

Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia.... SVT really milked it by announcing all these Maybes first.... Ukraine, Lithuania... five non-English songs in a row, wow! Finland next as predicted. Another surprise Cyprus before favorites Croatia and Ireland... and finally..... Luxemburg! Here they are the qualifiers for the final. Out are Poland as I feared after seeing it as it was shaky vocals and quite a messy staging. The song is happy and fun though but it wasn't enough. Maybe simplier staging and choreography could have helped it? Iceland and Moldova as was expected, sadly Azerbaijan but then again the song is great, the staging wasn't and finally sadly also Australia. Also here the staging was very basic and close to nothing. It just wasn't enough even if I like the song.  For Finland this is fourth final in a row, something that has happened only once before from 2006 (when we won) to 2009. But in this new streak we have a 2nd and 6th place! Finland's fellow underdog Portugal do...

Tonight the second semi-final took place and got to see who joined Norway, Serbia, Portugal, Croatia, Switzerland, Israel, Moldova, Sweden, Czechia and Finland plus the Big 5 Italy, Spain, France, UK and Germany with  Ukraine in the grand final.  Well, a lot of pink to start with. Why was Estonia having those weird movements as she clarly concentrated at one point only to remember where to walk and rush. How much did Cyprus actually sing live? Iceland was even messier than I expected..... And Greece made it even worse. If these two had kids..... Is it only me but I don't understand Victor's English?! If someone had a sparkle i the eye that was San Marino's singer. And I repeat myself but one of the most secured singers this year. As were Lithuania and Australia, very convincing.  Ok, again 8/10 as I dropped Poland even if I should have known better and I risked with San Marino because as someone once said "Once Sammarinese, always Sammarinese", how could I not sup...

The first semi-final is over and we have finalists! I predicted 8/10 and exactly those I toyed around switched places: I had Latvia and Azerbaijan in and Serbia and Czechia out. Oh well... All in all good show. Great stage, beautiful use of colors and lights, not too many pyros for the sake of having pyros. Pretty nice hosting trio, but Hannah Waddingham is right there with Filomena Caurela and Petra Mede becoming a legend! Good opening and intervals, nothing extraoridnary but decent and enjoyable. Nicely Ukraine remembered here and there and a lot of Käärijä as well in both background in green room and in the little dance instructor segment. Can't wait for Saturday! The fever is high and it's real. Loved his It's crazy it's party outro in his performance, and the first bit in the box was pretty amazing! Oh by the way Finland has never made it to the final three years in row since the semis started! In the first half of the gran final will perform Finland (sigh), Switze...

Last night the dreams and hopes were crushed for additional eight acts and most notably for Achille Lauro under Sammarinese flag. It will be interesting to see if he was 11th or lower, and if so can we just think he would have qualified if Italy could have voted in this semi? This said let's have a look at their social media comments and how they took it, and their performances. Enjoy! After making a bit of a fool of himself during the show when joining the hosts he has set his mind already to other things: Like proposing his boyfriend who said Yes! See you on tour! Brooke published a teary video but no worries, she's moving on to bigger things!

Last night seven acts had to say goodbye to their dreams and hopes for the Eurovision glory, some of them expected, some not so much. Below are some comments by the artists published post-show in social medias while the others have kept silent so far..... Enjoy the videos once more!

  Oh well, I didn't get the jackpot by ignoring Moldova. Should have known better but 9/10 (and 19/20 overall I can be happy, no?)  What a moment when AHOY audience was chanting "Finland! Finland! Finland!" before the last announcement. Priceless! Anyways, here are the finalists: Albania will perform in the 1st half in final Serbia will perform in the 1st half in final Bulgaria will perform in the 2nd half in final Moldova will perform in the 2nd half in final Portugal will perform in the 1st half in final Iceland will perform in the 1st half in final San Marino will perform in the 2nd half in final Switzerland will perform in the 1st half in final Greece will perform in the 1st half in final Finland will perform in the 2nd half in final

And so it happened, I predicted 10/10 this time around. Surprised even myself! Otherwise it was a fine show, that went on rather smoothly if you forget some delays in change of stagings especially for Ireland and Malta, and that the sound level in some inserts was rather bad. Nice stage, ok graphics and postcards. Things can only get better for the second semi-final and most importantly for the final. And here they are, the finalists that I guessed all right, did I mention that already? Lithuania got 2nd half in the final Russia got 1st half in the final Sweden got 2nd half in the final Cyprus got 1st half in the final Norway got 2nd half in the final Israel got 1st half in the final Azerbaijan got 2nd half in the final Ukraine got 2nd half in the final Malta got 1st  half in the final Belgium got 1st half in the final

The second semi-final of the 64th Eurovision song contest in Expo Tel Aviv, Israel has just ended and the combined jury and televote has given us the ten qualifiers for the final to join  Cyprus, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Belarus, Serbia, Australia, Iceland, Estonia, Greece and San Marino : Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Malta, Russia, Albania, Norway, The Netherlands, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan . What can I say? I predicted 8/10. I was afraid people would fall for the Croatian cheese fest again and maybe they did and the juries put them down, we will find out come Sunday morning, and I was hoping for Austria that I switched with Denmark with the last minute, and I was also toying with Albania and Armenia, more with Albania. Armenia proved once again an aggressive female artist doesn't work in Eurovision. Sadly we have say goodbye to these eight: Armenia, Ireland, Moldova, Latvia, Romania, Austria, Croatia and Lithuania Performing in the...

The first semi-final of the 64th Eurovision song contest in Expo Tel Aviv, Israel has just ended and the combined jury and televote has given us the ten qualifiers for the final: Cyprus, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Belarus, Serbia, Australia, Iceland, Estonia, Greece and San   Marino ! I'm only surprised for Belarus, have her social media followers voted en masse in the ex-Soviets or what? Estonia also a minor surprise as it has been ranked so low by most everyone, I kinda started liking it in the end.... and San Marino has been certainly helped by the Turkish disapora and cult like status the song and the state have achieved... Therefor it's game over for these unsuccesful seven: Montenegro, Finland, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, Portugal and Georgia . I'm very sad to see Poland, Hungary and Belgium out. Montenegro and Finland were quite obvious, as was Portugal after the rehearsals started but a minor surprise is Georgia didn't make it in the...

Oh dear. This must a first: I got all 10/10 right! Usually at least one slips way for whistful thinking or some major surprise and this was a hard decision one. I was suree about six of them, while the rest was all open until the voting ended when I finalized my list.  Russia is out. Justice be done. Romania, too. This year has seen most "sure" and forever qualifiers go out from Azerbaijan to Armenia, and from Russia to Romania. Hooray!

We have the first semi-final qualifiers for the Saturday's final. Azerbaijan and Armenia are both out while Finland and Ireland for example are in :-).  This blogger got 8/10 right, and that didn't include Finland and Albania - I had Azerbaijan and Armenia in instead even if I started having serious doubts about Azeris after hearing and seeing the performancee, while Armenia sounded great but it wasn't enough this time... I'm particularly happy for Lithuania and Ireland. Azerbaijan missed the final for the first time, Armenia second. Ireland re-enters the final for the first time since 2013, Finland 2014 and Czech Republic makes its second final ever. And Greece fails the final for the second time.  Here they are: