Author: Phil

Thursday brought with it the second semi-final of ESC2014. It also brought with it more cloudy and damp weather. A bit of a mooch in Copenhagen found us at City Hall, which opened the Contest last Sunday evening.

As in Malmö last year, there is a countdown clock to the final on Saturday which is located next to City Hall. Every day brings us closer to finding our winning song for 2014, and a host country for 2015. Such is the perpetual nature of the Eurovision Song Contest, the dates for next year have already been announced – and if I remember correctly we will be back in the ‘bubble’ slightly later next year.

I have previously mentioned the Eurovision Village and Fan Mile. I’m not entirely sure what criteria they are being measured by. True, there are lots of people moving around the city who are here for the Eurovision, but the fan mile does *nothing* to add to their experience. As you can see, the corporate bunting is up, but all it does is lead us through the high street, past designer shops, fast food joints, and tourist shops. Not exactly inspiring stuff!

Take a look at the photo below. Is this Copenhagen readying itself for roadworks in the city centre?

Nope, it is part of a Guinness Book of Records attempt to make the longest kissing chain ever. Slightly random, isn’t it. I’ll have to check whether the record attempt was successful. In that rain, I’d be surprised!

Arriving for the semi-final last night, the weather was being suitably unkind as the heavens opened…

There are plenty of rainbow flags here in Denmark this week, and as if to acknowledge that, Mother Nature did her bit. I don’t think I have even seen a double rainbow before. Such was the weather is lasted for at least 20 minutes…

Inside the main entrance, the 10,000 strong audience were being greeted by supporters of Austria’s artist, Conchita Wurst. It was a really fun thing to do: we were given a free hug as we arrived. It was a nice touch. There is a lot of love for Conchita Wurst. As I mentioned in my earlier review of this semi-final, the song is great, and the fact that the artist is anything other than conventional is really incidental. #JoinUs, #WeAreInclusive…

I know I have mentioned the rather ramshackle approach to the organisation of the event this year. You saw the rather humorous image of the merchandise stand next to the waste bin, well here is further evidence of a rather underwhelming approach to customer service.  Here is the ticket help desk..

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Back in the arena there was a more energized buzz for the second semi-final…

We had great seats once again. As you looked a the stage I was sitting by the walkway arrow to the right of the stage as you look at it, with a great view of the artists when they came off stage…

It was a great show. On both the ‘expert’ napkin of death and my own I got 9 out of 10 songs. I only got Israel wrong, and left Poland out. Did you see what I meant with Poland – it’s filthy, isn’t it! Finland and Greece were fab, good for Malta, fantastic that Norway got through, Romania – dull but predictable.

Last night, if you were to have asked me what my favourite Eurovision memory is since attending for the first in 2008, it would be an easy choice. When Belgrade played host to ESC2008, they did a great job. On the evening of the final I heard a reaction to a song that I have never heard before, or since: it was the hometown cheer for their own Serbian entry. Actually it wasn’t a cheer, it was a roar – a wall of sound that would make the hair on the back of your neck stand-up. It was amazing. It might be because it was my first final that I remember it so vividly, but it was more special than that – it was being amongst the energy and emotion of that crowd – it was truly breathtaking.

Ask me today what’s my favourite moment – it was the performance from Conchita Wurst last night. Well, actually it was her performance and, once again, the reaction (and indeed performance) of the audience. It was a-ma-zing. I’m sure you guys at home could hear the reaction of the audience throughout (I watched it back on You Tube!). The ovation started as she took to the stage, and it pretty much lasted throughout – I have never seen or heard the like before. The reaction was extraordinary – and that’s what made is extra special for me. I am proud that I was part of the whooping and the hollering!

I think the reaction represented more than just the buoyant good will of the LGBT community – it’s going much further than that. Take a look at the betting odds today and Conchita is now third favourite (previously she was 10th). Clearly there is momentum building for this song. Part of it is because of the artist and the LGBT support she will have around Europe, it is also probably partly due to anti-Russia sentiments and attitudes to sexual equality. Also, because it’s a really good song (like I said, Bond Theme much). I think the television presentation was fantastic too – the ‘spidercam’ shot from the back of the arena to the close-up on Conchita was inspired. And the phoenix flame wings at the end looked really cool. I will remember that moment for a long time.

The television producers did their bit to add to the drama by leaving the announcement of Austria progressing to the final until the end. Great stuff. Live telly, eh! There was clear relief and excitement for the finalists, and the ‘walk of shame’ for the not-so-famous-five countries…

We now turn our attention to the Grand Final. Indeed, I was on BBC Radio Lancashire early doors this morning discussing just that – was anyone listening at 7.20am?!

I will be back at the arena today for the Grand Final dress rehearsal, where for the first time, the ‘big five’ plus hosts Denmark will be in the mix. I would expect that the UK odds will narrow later today, as will Denmark. I still think that they will do the double, and an each-way bet might well reward you with a dividend. I don’t bet, but if I did there are too many good songs, this year and this whole thing is wide open. It’s great fun though…

More reaction to the final later…

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The votes have been counted and verified – but for whatever reason my excel spreadsheet wasn’t cooperating, so there was a slight delay!  Here is who we, your ‘expert academic jury’ (ahem) think will qualify for the grand final tonight…

Going through…

Greece

Norway

Malta

Finland

Romania

Austria

Israel

Belarus

Switzerland

Poland

Going home…

Ireland

Macedonia

Slovenia

Lithuania

Georgia

It’s a close vote, however, with not all members of the jury agreeing. How about you – what’s your song of the night? Enjoy the show, see you on the other side when we will have a complete line-up of finalists…

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It is a rather British obsession to feel the need to relay information about the weather here in Copenhagen. FYI, on Wednesday it was a mixed day of rain showers and sunny spells. More rain than sun, it has to be said. That said, even on a damp day it’s a beautiful city…

The main business of the day on Wednesday was to attend the first dress rehearsal of the second semi-final. Travelling to and from the arena from my hotel takes approximately 30 minutes. Good metro links take us to the city centre, then we hop on the bus to ‘Eurovision island’. A short walk to the arena and we we’re back in the thick of it.

The atmosphere was really manic for this visit. This is not as a result of the press and fans, more that there were thousands of excitable school children who had been taking part in a singing competition of their own. It looked like primary schools competing with each other. Clearly they had stayed on for the afternoon for the dress rehearsal. It was nice to feel their energy and enthusiasm – and at times their cheering was deafening. It must surely have given the performers a lift.

So here are my thoughts about the runners and riders for the second semi-final, which you can see on BB3 at 8pm in the UK, or via www.eurovision.tv.

o1. Firelight – Coming Home (Malta) 

This is a gentle start to the second semi, but still a melodic and catchy song from Malta. We will be clapping along in the arena, and I am sure that you will be at home.  Watch the video below to see the poignancy of song, and it’s link to the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1. It should make it through to the final.

02. Mei Finegold – Same Heart (Israel)

A good effort from Israel this year – there have been some strange song choices from them in the last two years. Uptempo and well performed by singer Mei. There are a few entries in this semi-final that could cancel each other out (for example this with Macedonia), but I would like to see this in the final, as we could do with a few more uptempo tracks in the mix.

03. Carl Espen – Silent Storm (Norway)

I hope you are playing spot the performer in my pictures, by the way!

This is one of the best songs in the whole competition. It might be a case of ‘too good for Eurovision’, but that is usually said by people who really don’t appreciate the strength of the songs that are in the mix. Carl Epsen has great tone to his voice, with simple stage presentation. It should sail through, probably with the assistance of the national juries, but I hope that the viewers voting tonight – including the UK – will get behind this beautiful song.

04. The Shin & Mariko – Three Minutes To Earth (Georgia)

There are always kookie songs in Eurovision. This is one of them! It’s all kind of crazy: a bit folky, a bit Jethro Tull sounding, with a Charlie Dimmock lookalike on vocals. Oh, and a parachute for whatever reasons.  It is hashtag bonkers! Surely it will be taxi for Georgia…

05. Donatan & Cleo – My Słowianie – We Are Slavic (Poland)

When you view the music video (below) for the Polish entry you will be entertained and appalled in equal measure. Or appalled. Or entertained. And you may well think, as most of us do, “You can’t do that!”. The performance on stage, and the television presentation of it, is similarly inappropriate. And entertaining. Never before on the Eurovision stage will you have seen such inappropriate churning and scrubbing. No really, seeing is believing. Or disbelieving!

As for the song, I quite like it. Reminds me a bit of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl”, and it’s catchy for sure.  But has the whole package done the best for the song? What do you think?!  50-50 whether it goes through.

06. Conchita Wurst – Rise Like A Phoenix (Austria)

This is one of may favourite songs of the year, even outside the ‘Eurovision bubble’. Regular readers of my popblog will know that. My dear friend Carol Poole is also a big fan. You might well be intrigued by the performer, Conchita Wurst. Yes, she is a singer in a fabulous dress, with great hair and a beard. This is how she describes herself.

#Why not! #We’re open minded enough to cope with that. #It sounds like a Bond theme. #Shirley Bassey should record it.

Having blogged earlier about how permissive and openminded this Contest is in terms of LGBT, let’s hope that people listen to the song as much as judge it on Conchita’s fabulous performance, rather than dismissing it because a drag queen is performing. It’s in my top ten on my napkin of death today, 110%. We will see it again in the final.

07. Vilija Matačiūnaitė – Attention (Lithuania)

(apols for the blurry photo!)

This is all a bit too ‘shouty’ for me. And not the best song. I can’t see this in the final, you might!

08. Softengine – Something Better (Finland)

The kids went *wild* in the arena for this one, and you will see why. Great song, great performance. The kids are all right on this one – it’ll sail through to the final. Boyband good looks and a room full of pre-teens, you can imagine the screaming! Oh wait – that was the Eurofans…

09. Can-Linn (feat. Kasey Smith) – Heartbeat (Ireland)

Blimey. It’s twenty years since the Eurovision Song Contest introduced the world to Riverdance. Not that I saw any of that interval act at the time – I was on the telephone to my best friend Rachel discussing who we thought would win that year! You will hear and see the celtic influence in their entry once again this year. It doesn’t sound particularly fresh and the staging uses the usual, and perhaps now slightly too contrived/cliche elements. It’s borderline whether it’s going through or going home…

10. Teo – Cheesecake (Belarus)

I met this chap yesterday. It’s funny how much smaller in real life people seem after you’ve seen them on the telly! One of my top ten songs of the year. The video is fun and a bit tongue-in-cheek. The performance is way more sophisticated and smooth. That said, Robin Thicke should ask for his suit back! No blurred lines here though, I think this will make it through…

 

11. Tijana Dapčević – To The Sky (F.Y.R. Macedonia)

As I said earlier, this and Israel may well spilt votes as they are quite similar. It’s a good effort, well styled and presented. That said, I don’t find the song particularly memorable. You might have seen Tijana and my buddy Paul Jordan on BBC3 during the semi-final broadcast on Tuesday, being interviewed by Scott Mills. She seems like a great personality, and that might carry the song through. I’m not convinced…

12. Sebalter – Hunter of Stars (Switzerland)

We’re not clapping or tapping to this one – we’re whistling! That’s the main hook of the song. The video below really doesn’t do it justice. Luckily the performance it strong, so it should entertain you, and on the recap the whistling hook should attract votes. Going through, I think…

13. Freaky Fortune feat. Risky Kidd – Rise up (Greece)

One of the best songs in the whole competition. For sure we will see this in the final. Look carefully at my photo. It’s a spot-the-ball type thing: can you see the trampolining man? You will tonight…

14. Tinkara Kovač – Round And Round (Slovenia)

There’s something about Tinkara. She has a flute. That might be good enough to get her to round two…

15. Paula Seling & Ovi – Miracle (Romania)

Paula and Ovi did rather well representing Romania back in 2010, finishing a very respectable third place with a better song than they have this time around. If I was Will.i.am or one of the Black Eyed Peas I would call the lawyers – it’s more than a bit similar to their song “I Gotta Feeling”. See what you think.  Going through for sure, but keep an eye out for the least convincing piano/keyboard during the performance. Who are they kidding – looks like a piece of painted circular MDF!

So, by the end of the evening there will be ten songs left, and we will lose five. The second napkin of death to follow later.

By the way, is it just me – but do you feel sorry for the majority of backing singers this year – they are mostly banished to the shadows and given very little, if any, screen time.  Imagine if you were one of them and you had told all your friends and family that you would be on Eurovision – you’d be gutted. There was a scene during the rehearsals for Spain on Monday when the backing singers were removed to the shadows – they didn’t look happy. But then again, as we I will discuss tomorrow, there’s only room for one Spanish diva!

More later… 😀

Since my arrival on Saturday there has been a lot of activity to ready the arena for the arrival 0f 10,000 people at the B&W arena. You know how I mentioned that I was yet to approach it via the main entrance – it turns out that I had, I just didn’t realise it! The venue has now been transformed into a welcoming, if still rather shabby-chic location…

I hope that the arena looked great on your television screens. We had fantastic seats, as you can see from the images below. A clear view of the stage, and of the green room where the contestants awaited their fate…

I thought that the opening sequence was really well conceived. It showed the family of Eurovision as much as the family of Europe and beyond coming together to – and I am borrowing the host theme from Olso 2010 now – “Share the moment”. Despite how some people may perceive the event and the fans of Eurovision, there is more than sexual diversity here. Yes, the gay community is very well represented as always, but this is a very popular event amongst male and females, teens and older, as much as it is by families with young children. That’s what made the opening sequence special. It showed the Eurovision audience to itself, and accommodated all kinds of difference (all kinds of everything, you might say!).

Throughout the show there was a subtle but knowingly political subtext about inclusion and difference. As a Eurovision fan I loved that, and as a music fan I loved it even more. There will always be a certain amount of fromage amongst the songs each year, but each year we are introduced to something different, which broadens our understanding of other countries musical tastes and influences, which in turn influences ours.

I thought the show was excellent overall, and on my personal napkin of death I selected nine of the ten songs – how did you do? The ‘expert jury’ of academics got 8 out of 10, so that was a relief! It was fun to see the reactions of the countries in the green room as their songs were recapped during the voting and the results. You can see that I had a great view…

It was, as I had expected, a bit awkward to see the disappointment from the six countries that didn’t make it. What was nice to see was a sense of camaraderie between winners and losers last night. Some hugs for the Latvian’s and consoling of Axl from Belgium, with the Portuguese singer cheering on all the winners, and dancing about to all the songs. We forget that it is an achievement to get to represent your country on the Eurovision stage, so all things considered everyone did well last night.

The perhaps inevitable, and I am guessing for you guys at home, very audible booing came with the announcement of Russia progressing to the final. We know that that booing is about the political situation between Russia and Ukraine at the moment, as much as it is about attitudes to equal rights and sexuality in Russia. I can’t disagree with the voicing of those sentiments, but I do feel sorry for the young Russian twins who must surely  have felt that it was aimed at them. The moment was short lived, as the successful finalists took to the stage…

Ah well, onwards we go. Brian and I are off to the arena to meet Karen and Paul for the dress rehearsal of the second semi-final.

More later…

For each of the semi-finals and the grand final you will probably know that the public telephone vote accounts for 50 percent of our UK vote. The other 50 percent is decided by an expert jury of music professionals. The votes are then combined and relayed for the ultimate ‘douze point’. What the expert just do now is to rank the songs in order of preference, so tonight that will be from 1 to 16, best to worst. We thought that we would try that with the napkin tonight and see how we get on. Here’s our results:

Going through to the final:

Sweden

Armenia

Hungary

Azerbaijan

Netherlands

Ukraine

Estonia

Russia

Montenegro

Moldova

Going home…

Latvia

Portugal

San Marino

Iceland

Belgium

Albania

See how we get on, and compare it with your own list.

As always have a great evening and I hope that you enjoy what will be a great show. The opening sequence is one of the best ever, and will connect particularly strongly with any fans.  I felt quite emotional watching it. No spoilers from me! See for yourselves tonight on BBC3 at 8pm, or via www.eurovsion.tv.

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It has been a cloudy Tuesday here in  Copenhagen…

The sights and sounds of the ESC are noticeable the more I make my way around the city. Today was the first time that I’d made it to the area known as the ‘Fan Mile’, around which there are contest themed events and a more noticeable presence of the Eurovision brand…

There is a gentle buzz around this area, also known this week as the ‘Eurovision Village’, and there is a noticeable international crowd building ahead of the semi-final tonight. Earlier today (Tuesday) Brian and I went to the first open rehearsals for the ‘Big 5’ (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain) and host country Denmark.

On entering the arena I wasn’t exactly inspired to purchase any merchandise…

These rehearsals (where each country gets three performances) are the first for these countries that have been open to the press and fans. It all started with Germany performing their decent song, with an interesting backdrop against which the trio perform, largely static. The backdrop is doing most of the work! It’s effective enough, and the song is a bit of a grower – not exactly what you need in the ESC for first time viewers…

Second on stage was the United Kingdom, with ‘our Molly’…

It’s a really good performance!  And that isn’t me being baised. Check the betting odds – she’s now third favourite. Molly is really confident, has a distinctive voice – and the backing singers do a great job. Best of all, the vision mixing and the choice of shots for the television really do add to the vibe of the song.  We will not be disappointed by Molly on Saturday night!

We were all ushered out of the Arena when France took to the stage for their first run through, not sure why. I didn’t get back in time to see the other two, so I have nothing to say about their song “Moustache”.

Representing host country Denmark is Bruno Mars. Sorry, I mean Basim -he’s a bit of a clone of Bruno as you will see will probably be in the top three at the end of the day, if not win for Denmark again…

Brilliantly choreographed, and it’s one of the catchiest songs in the contest this year. As Wogan used to say, “I have a feeling”…

Italy were next. Awesome graphic design for the backdrop of the performance. The singer is styled in a very glam rock, Lady GaGa knock-off attire. The song does nothing for me, but the visuals are great, as you can see…

Finally, it was Spain that blew me away. Ruth Lorenzo, whom some of you will remember from the X-Factor a few year back, is outstanding. Madrid maybe next year, it’s that good! Ruth is “Dancing In The Rain”, and the staging uses the motif of rain throughout. I love the Swedish ballad, as you know, but this outdoes Sanna Nielsen to be the strongest ballad, by a whisker…

Not a bad performance amongst these countries. The ‘Big 5’ have upped their game in terms of their participation song selection. Great entertainment from all these countries on Saturday night.

Leaving the rehearsals, you can see that the organisers still haven’t quite got their act together with the merchandise stand…

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I hope you guys back in the UK and Ireland had a great Bank Holiday.  On Monday I was inside the mothership! It was my first visit into the arena for the first full run-through of the first semi-final dress rehearsal. It is (familiar theme here folks) much smaller than in previous years.  The magic of television will make it appear much bigger, but it is rather bijou. That said it is *awesome*. DR (the host broadcaster) have constructed a fantastic stage and arena. My photos will not do it justice (as usual!), but they will at least give you my view of the action, and you will like what you see on the telly during the week.

A key area of the auditorium this year is the green room for the artists. Much like in Baku 2012, all the participants will sit in the arena to await their fate. Cruel maybe as it offers nowhere for them to hide after their performance, but it adds a little something to the proceedings for us. Then again it has dramatically reduced the size of the audience. Looks good though…

So here we go, my thoughts on the action today. There are a few gaps in my photos, which may or may not be directly linked to my interest in the songs! First to perform for semi-final one was Armenia…

01. Aram MP3 – Not Alone (Armenia)

This is a confident opener from Aram MP3. Taking to the stage alone, with no gimmicks this is a very good start, and as I mentioned in my pervious posts, it is the early favourite with the bookies.  Should have no problem in getting to the final. But is it a winner?

02. Aarzemnieki – Cake To Bake (Latvia) 

This is a fun, feel-good song in the arena. Terribly catchy and clap-along. Vocals were a bit dodgy in places, but you will enjoy the energy from the performers, and be tapping along too. I hope it gets through.

03. Tanja – Amazing (Estonia)

This is perhaps the best choreography of this semi-final. The singer Tanja is more than ably supported by a male dancer, both of whom give if full welly in terms of physicality. No doubting that the backing singers (largely out of view) are picking up that slack in terms of vocals! That said, a really good performance that should see it through to the final. You might notice that Tanja bears a whiff of resemblance to Charlotte Church, or is it just me?

04. Sanna Nielsen – Undo (Sweden)

This is perhaps the best vocal of the semi-final, probably the contest. Vocally perfect, this is an incredibly assured performance.  Yes, you will have heard a ballad of this kind many times before, but this whole package is so polished that it should challenge to win the whole thing, if it is to be a ballad that wins this year.

05. Pollapönk – No Prejudice (Iceland) 

Not my favourite song before I saw it performed today, it is actually well polished and I like the song better now that I have seen it. The best things about the song are the energy of the performance, and the theme of the lyrics – no prejudice.  Listen very carefully to the lyrics, and there is a subtle narrative about social, political and sexuality discourses happening around Europe at the moment, and how everyone should be more tolerant. Yes, we know who it is being aimed at! Good on Iceland for raising the issue in a quirky entry that probably won’t make it to the final. If it doesn’t it will be the first time since 2008.

06. Hersi – One Night’s Anger (Albania)

One of the songs to refresh your drinks and refill the snacks and nibbles to. The singer Hersi performs on a plinth which I think resembles the stern of the Titanic. I can imagine Kate and Leo on there, you know – their hearts might go on, but in this contest I don’t think that this will.

07. Tolmachevy Sisters – Shine (Russia) 

Politics at Eurovision? Russia are carrying on regardless with a very well polished performance from their Russian twins, who are – it has to be said – more than ably assisted by their backing singers. Oh, and a see-saw. It will probably make it to the final, whilst many might not want it to – for reasons that are anything other than of the twins making.

08. Dilara Kazimova – Start A Fire (Azerbaijan) 

A great song from Azerbaijan – but no picture from me to accompany my review! Azerbaijan have a fantastic record in the ESC since their debut in 2008. Constantly sending strong songs, but often overshadowing them with gimmicky stage theatrics. This happens again on this occasion, see what you think when you see in on BBC3 this Tuesday evening.

09. Maria Yaremchuk – Tick-Tock (Ukraine)

Probably amongst the worst lyrics of the entries this year. That said, Ukraine also have a great track record – not that I think that this is their best effort. In some circles there is the suggestion that this will do very well, due to the situation between Ukraine and Russia. It’s a good effort – with a man on a hamster wheel that will, in all honesty, distract you from the song, and the lyrics. Sympathy ain’t going to make this win, but it will boost it through to the final.

10. Axel Hirsoux – Mother (Belgium) 

This song won the Belgium national final with a landslide victory. Axel is performing an impassioned ballad about his moher. Fair play. Pity that, for me at least, there is a weird disconnect that feels quite creepy. When you see the live performance Axel is shadowed by an interpretive dancer – presumably the incarnation of his dead mother? I don’t get it – but see what you think. I can’t see it getting to the final, unless the national juries reward Alex for the passion in his vocal performance.

11. Cristina Scarlat – Wild Soul (Moldova) 

This is hair raising stuff!  You will see singer Cristina give it some welly, so much so that she rips out her own hair! That’s what I call committing to the moment! I don’t think we will see it in the final.

12. Valentina Monetta – Maybe (Forse) 

This is the third time in three years that Valentina Monetta has represented San Marino. Good on her for keeping the faith. I really like the song. People here with me in Copenhagen think that I’m mad, but hey – that’s the subjective nature of this whole experience! It would be in my personal top ten, but it’s probably not getting through. You will like the literal visual interpretation of the lyrics at the start of the song: Valentina is the pearl in the shell of which she sings. A good effort, for an old-school ballad (written by winning composer and Eurovision legend Ralph Siegel – who you will see tickling the ivories on stage), but the draw won’t help it make it through – there are better songs still to come.

13. Suzy – Quero Ser Tua (Portugal) 

Aah, if the prosecco has kicked in by song 13, you will be out of your chair and reliving those memories from back in the day – do you remember the Lambada? There are flavours of that in this fun song. After a string of ernest balladeering this is a breath of fresh air – if not entirely contemporary. Good on Portugal for giving us a moment in the sun. Let’s hope that there isn’t rain heading towards their parade. It does have a lot of front, nothing to do with the weather – you will see what I mean, particularly from the male backing performer…

14. The Common Linnets – Calm After The Storm (The Netherlands)

Performance of the day for me, and one of my favourites this year. This is quietly assured, understated and classy. A great song for television – you guys will get the nuances better at home than we do in the arena. I would hope that this sails through – and that Radio 2 start playing it next week! I love it!

15. Sergej Ćetković – Moj Svijet (Montenegro)

A charismatic performer with a twinkle is his eye, and the first appearance of a figure skater on the stage since 2008. No, really! This is a great song, staged very effectively. Surely going through to the final.

16. Kállay-Saunders – Running (Hungary)

Lastly, Hungary have a song which deals with themes of domestic abuse. It’s not easy to represent that through the staging and the impassioned choreography from the backing dancers. Too subtle or too much? There is disagreement here. See what you think. A great song that should make it to the final.

* And Relax *

So that’s your lot for semi-final one! What a great show. Have we seen a winner yet? Well, we haven’t seen ‘our Molly’ yet…

As I left the dress rehearsal after the run through of the songs the interval act took to the stage…

Overall I really enjoyed the semi-final dress rehearsal. On Tuesday my euro-chums and I will deliver our ‘napkin of death’ to see who we think will make the final.  Be sure to do your own so that we can compare – and you can always share your thoughts here on the blog. Remember, only ten songs can make it through…

By the way, this post is titled after the winning Danish entry from 2000 – the really quite awesome “Fly On The Wings Of Love” by the Olsen Brothers. Fab stuff…

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So I’m here in sunny Denmark! The weather has been pleasant as I have made my way around the city on Saturday and Sunday.

As you move around the city there is beautiful architecture, and coastal views (of which more during the week).  This building caught my eye – if you look closely and you can see people climbing the steps to the top. I won’t be doing that!

Whilst I awaited the arrival of my friend and fellow Eurovision scholar Professor Brian Singleton, I made my way to the press centre to collect my accreditation. This is my first glimpse of the venue for ESC2014, the B&W Hallerne…

It really isn’t the most auspicious of buildings, is it! Yes, it is HUGE but also quite formidable. The surroundings don’t exactly suggest that Copenhagen is hosting the longest running and most watched television programme in Europe. Indeed, it would appear that the Eurovision has been sent to jail for crimes against popular music…

All jokes aside, what the host broadcasters DK are aiming to do is deliver a media event that uses local spaces to deliver a media event that is linked in with sustainability and a green agenda. We’ll see how that translates over the coming week. Yes, we are located in an old shipyard – there is no disguising that – but it is the hope of the organisers that most of the people travelling to what has been named ‘Eurovision Island’ will do so by water on the many boats and ferries that link to the venue.  More on that as I navigate my way around the place.

The accreditation centre is at the back of the venue – a good two kilometre walk from the bus stop by the time you’re there. I was saying to my friend and fellow Eurovision scholar Dr Karen Fricker that there is a sense in which we are here to work the Eurovision and not be at it. I am yet to see the main entrance, so far I’ve been in via the tradesman’s entrance at the back…

Once inside here’s a view of the working area of the press centre…

Much smaller than last year, it already feels busier than in previous years prior to the start of the semi-finals. The facilities are also not as grand as in Malmö, but hey – this makes it more sustainable, right? It’s good to be be back in the bubble, but I haven’t yet had the opportunity to get into the venue for any rehearsals – that will happen on Monday. Hopefully I will get to see our artist Molly rehearse ‘Children of the Universe’ in the morning, followed by the first full dress rehearsal of the first semi-final in the afternoon. I think we have a better than good chance of being in the top five this year. I might even go as far as to say that this is the UK’s year. We’ll see/kiss of death!

In the evening I headed into town to have dinner with Karen and my dear friend Paul Jordan – that’s “Dr Eurovision” to you and me. Congrats to Paul as he has just published his thesis “The Modern Fairy Tale: Nation Branding, National Identity and the Eurovision Song Contest in Estonia”. If you fancy reading his research into nation branding, politics and how they relate to Eurovision, check it out. Also a reminder from previous years on this blog, you can visit Paul at www.dreurovision.com.

I had dinner in the Forum area of Copenhagen, which was also the location for the 50th anniversary concert for the Eurovision back in 2005…

How apt that two-time Eurovision participant, Sir Cliff Richard will be playing here later this year…

So, I’m getting my bearings in CPH for the ESC. Monday brings with it a change in gear. All the countries have done their initial rehearsals. The first dress rehearsal of the first semi-final is when it starts getting really interesting, and where the performance element, and how it is vision mixed for you guys at home, really can be a game changer. Watch this space for my reactions on Monday night…

By the way – the post title, my favourite Danish entry ever, sung by Chanée & N’Evergreen. How about a little reminder from ESC2010 in Oslo…

😀

 

 

Hello again, everyone. How have you been?

It really doesn’t feel like a year since I was in Malmö covering what was, in all honesty, pretty much a sure bet that Denmark would win the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. It was a deserving winner, and the reason why I am in Copenhagen for the next eight days. Indeed, I am back in the host country ‘Eurovision bubble’ for the sixth time in seven years, and this is the seventh occasion on which I will be blogging on all things Eurovision. For regular readers, welcome back. For new readers, welcome! For all, I hope to add a little something extra to your Eurovision experience.

Regular readers, since 2008, will know what’s in store on the blog for the next week: the backstage buzz from the arena, dress rehearsals, press centre and host country, as well as a panel supposed ‘Eurovision experts’ (including me!) predicting the winners and losers in the two semi-finals (broadcast on BBC3, Tuesday and Thursday this week, from 8.00pm), and ultimately naming the winning country, artist and song (BBC1, Saturday 10 May).

I think that this is a great year for songs – and the outcome is far from certain, which makes it much more interesting. A glance at the betting odds sees Armenia installed as the long-running favourite. I like the song, but can’t see it winning. You can see all the songs on the usual social media platforms, as well as the Eurovision web page (www.eurovision.tv), and as usual I’ll be reviewing all the songs after each of the semi-final dress rehearsals.

The theme for Eurovision this year is #JoinUs, and I’m looking forward to the week ahead and hope that you swing by the blog each day to #JoinMe.

More later today…

So we are indeed off to Denmark – and I would guess probably Copenhagen. I’m well chuffed with the result.  Whilst I think that the staging of the entry from Azerbaijan is very effective, it didn’t quite feel like a Eurovision winner – but second place is well deserved. I’m really glad that Norway and The Netherlands also placed well. I’ll be watching it back again tonight to see what I missed. Did you see the rather odd segment from the green room when Eric Saade seemed to swear?  And then what about how long the broadcast overran by! The EBU will not be happy that…

It’s a shame that Bonnie Tyler didn’t do better, but in a really competitive competition we can’t just send a good song – we have to send a great song. That said – 19th place for Bonnie is what it is – not a cause of national embarrassment like it has been over the years, but not setting the world on fire either. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the night came from Ireland. Who would have thought that they would finish in last place? Well, someone has to, and it doesn’t mean that they are terrible songs – and this one definitely isn’t a bad song.

There’s loads more for me to reflect on – but I won’t! Grab me for a chat on campus if you’re eager for more post-match analysis, or drop me an e-mail. As Graham Norton mentioned during the broadcast last night – the atmosphere was really special, and I said the same after the second semi-final. It seems that the smaller venue and fantastic organisation and staging of the Contest by Swedish broadcaster SVT all conspired to produce not only a cracking piece of telly but also a bunch of great songs.  So, in homage to the mighty ABBA, let’s thank Sweden for the music. Until we meet again on this blog in Denmark next year, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my Eurovision journey once again – and I hope that you enjoyed yours as much as I did.

That’ll be Malmö then… 😀