{"id":550,"date":"2010-05-24T22:11:33","date_gmt":"2010-05-24T21:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/?p=550"},"modified":"2010-05-25T00:17:36","modified_gmt":"2010-05-24T23:17:36","slug":"lets-get-the-party-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2010\/05\/24\/lets-get-the-party-started\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s get the party started!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I spent Monday afternoon at the dress rehearsal for the first semi-final. There were no major calamities, and unlike in previous years we got through without having to stop for a technical error. That said some of the vision mixing on the screens in the auditorium was a bit fudged. What is looking stunning, however, are the transitions between songs: the postcards are charming, involving people from each nation, and then what I can only describe an \u2018eurovision aura\u2019 (loads of swirling dots) will fly onto your TV screens to first form the outline of each country, and then the flag from it. You\u2019ll see what I mean! Also, as the artists enter the stage you will see that too! A nice touch that we haven\u2019t seen since 1979, apparently (I didn\u2019t know that – I\u2019m not that much of a geek!). Some looked more nervous than others today!<\/p>\n

So, on with the runners and riders for Tuesday night (BBC3 at 8.00pm!)<\/p>\n

Oh, one MAJOR change to the proceedings this year is that you can text to vote for a song you like at any time, rather than waiting until the reprise after all the songs have been performed. This might just shake things up a bit.<\/p>\n

01 MOLDOVA<\/p>\n

A good opener for the first semi-final. I\u2019ve liked this for a while, but today at the dress rehearsal she was a little off. Loving the M People stylee sax flourish \u2013 sounds a bit like Moving On Up from back in the day?<\/p>\n

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02 RUSSIA<\/p>\n

Russia seem to have realised that now they have hosted the ESC they are in no hurry to win it back. The lead singer looks slightly bored \u2013 and you might be too..<\/p>\n

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03 ESTONIA<\/p>\n

The first time I heard this it made me think of music from the 1980s (aah, the 80s \u2013 the best of times!). I think it sounds like Midge Ure and Heaven 17 mixed together. Must say that I have not been a fan of this song, but he delivers it really well \u2013 with a quirky style that makes the song sound better. I know you might laugh, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if this gets through\u2026<\/p>\n

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04 SLOVAKIA<\/p>\n

Best song of the night so far. Is it me, or does the green costume remind you of that episode of Doctor Who recently when the people turned into trees? This is straight through to the final.<\/p>\n

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05 FINLAND<\/p>\n

This is bonkers, but charmingly so. You\u2019ll be clapping along by the end. The assembled press at the rehearsal today were doing just that!<\/p>\n

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06 LATVIA<\/p>\n

I love this song. Not sure why Aisha has taken to the stage in what looks like her bath robe? Perhaps she\u2019s going for the dirty old man vote\u2026<\/p>\n

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07 SERBIA<\/p>\n

Rearrange these words and I think it\u2019s all I need to say:<\/p>\n

BOX \u2013 FROGS \u2013 A \u2013 AS \u2013 MAD – OF<\/p>\n

Except that \u2013 if you don\u2019t judge the poor fella for having a haircut that his mother gave him because she\u2019d hoped for a girl \u2013 it\u2019s irritatingly catchy, and it\u2019ll be popular with the voters in Eastern Europe for sure.<\/p>\n

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08 BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA<\/p>\n

A bit retro. Bosnia have made the final for the last couple of years \u2013 I\u2019m not sure that they will this year. What do you think?<\/p>\n

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09 POLAND <\/p>\n

Poland need to realise that less is more, as there is far too much to distract the eye from the ear. Also, singer Marcin grabbing a backing singer by the throat during the performance it a little sinister\u2026<\/p>\n

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10 BELGIUM <\/p>\n

This is really popular here in Oslo. It\u2019s got one of the best reactions in the auditorium today. As a song it does build in all the right places and is a clap along crowd pleaser. <\/p>\n

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11 MALTA<\/p>\n

I\u2019m on the fence with this one. Generally well staged \u2013 with great gospel singers adding very strong backing vocals to provide a dimension to the track that we have not heard before, and actually making me want to hear it again. <\/p>\n

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12 ALBANIA<\/p>\n

There is a song every year that the fans love that never makes it to the final. I think that this might be that song this year. And if you thought that Pete Waterman had composed a song for the UK that sounds more clich\u00e9 than retro, then I think that this is in the same league.<\/p>\n

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13 GREECE<\/p>\n

Greece is the word once again this year with another strong contender. Infectious and catchy \u2013 sure to go to the final! Feel the testosterone\u2026<\/p>\n

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14 PORTUGAL<\/p>\n

2010 is quite ballad-tastic. In such a wide field this charming performer might struggle to qualify.<\/p>\n

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15 F.Y.R. MACEDONIA<\/p>\n

I said today at the dress rehearsal that this would be one of the songs if I was watching at home during which I would put the kettle on and have a cup of tea. I quickly corrected myself. It\u2019d be a song when I would refresh my G\u2019n\u2019T!<\/p>\n

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16 BELARUS <\/p>\n

And then, following the previous song where my gin and tonic had been refreshed, I\u2019d be on my feet again to go and get another one! A wee bit bland for me. A pity that they replaced their original entry this year with this substitute \u2013 the former song was much better. BTW: keep a close eye on the female singers who will literally sprout butterfly wings on the key change at the end. No, really! Eurovision, cheesy \u2013 surely not!<\/p>\n

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17 ICELAND<\/p>\n

Hopefully you\u2019ll be in the europop zone by this point in the proceedings. So, go on- push the coffee table to one side, put down that bottle of Lambrini and it\u2019s hands-in-the-air-shake-em-like-you-just-don\u2019t-care. Do it for me – sashay with Hera and her team. Love it \u2013 a great finish to the night.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Team Oslo\u2019 \u2013 will deliver our \u201cNapkin of Death\u201d predictions tomorrow, for the third year. We did quite well last year!<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I spent Monday afternoon at the dress rehearsal for the first semi-final. There were no major calamities, and unlike in previous years we got through without having to stop for a technical error. That said some of the vision mixing on the screens in the auditorium was a bit fudged. What is looking stunning, however, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nLet's get the party started! - Phil Jackson's Eurovision Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2010\/05\/24\/lets-get-the-party-started\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Let's get the party started! - Phil Jackson's Eurovision Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I spent Monday afternoon at the dress rehearsal for the first semi-final. 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