Predictions for 1st semi final

Tonight's the night! Approximately 21:00 CET the first semi final will kick off live from Moscow. I have tried to put down which 10 songs I think will go through to the grand final on Saturday, based on the rehearsals for the last week and the way I think Europe will vote.

Almost certain qualifiers:

01. Bosnia & Herzegovina (99%)

02. Turkey (99%)

03. Armenia (99%)

04. Malta (90%)

Very likely qualifiers:

05. Portugal (75%)

06. Iceland (70%)

07. Sweden (60%)

08. Romania (60%)

Just making it:

09. Switzerland (55%)

10. Andorra (50%)

Just missing out:

11. Israel (45%)

12. Belarus (45%)

13. Montenegro (40%)

14. Finland (40%)

Little or no chance:

15. FYR Macedonia (30%)

16. Belgium (20%)

17. Bulgaria (15%)

18. Czech republic (5%)

The finalists' rehearsals

Yesterday and today the 5 finalists had their rehearsals in Moscow, consisting of the Big 4 countries and host nation Russia. This concludes the rehearsals part of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

FRANCE

Patricia Kaas is a well known singer through most of eastern Europe and of course France as well as other French speaking countries. When she started singing you could tell this was an experienced and top class singer. I am not very keen on the song itself but she oozes professionalism and quality. I am in fact incredibly impressed. Not often you can say that someone is actually better live than on record. This should place high on the scoreboard if there is any justice. (10 out of 10)

RUSSIA

She sings well live although I am not sure if I like the background, consisting of pictures of herself and was today replaced by moving images of her miming to the song and having some sort of nervous breakdown towards the end. It's a very dramatic and theatrical number. I am sure the eastern part of Europe will embrace this and I can see this doing quite well. Today she was wearing a plain white dress, however I do hope this is not the final outfit. Something along the lines of what she wore in the Russian final would be far more effective. (7 out of 10)

GERMANY

Very professional performance from Germany this year. Vocals are very good, and there is plenty going on the stage. Not a dull moment. The act also look very relaxed and everything flows very nicely. Time will tell how the audience will perceive this. With a little luck they may end up on the left side of the board. (8 out of 10)

UNITED KINGDOM

Jade Ewen has had quite some experience now performing this song practically all over Europe. And this is definitely the best performance I have seen her done yet. And the vocals were even stronger in today's rehearsal compared to yesterday. This definitely has a winner feel over it and the rumoured appearance of Andrew Lloyd Webber on the piano will put this up there in the top. Very elegant staging, very pleasng on the eye, and a pure joy to listen to. (10 out of 10)

SPAIN

The Spanish singer is a bit of a P!nk-look-a-like, and she looks very comfortable on stage. The opening of the song has been changed to a much slower intro which I feel is very effective. Lots of dancing on stage and everyone looks great. The only downfall is that it looks a bit crowded from time to time. I think this could be Spain's best result in years. Soraya sings very well and even handles the newly invented operatic ending note with ease. (9 out of 10)

Video clips for most of these performances can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AKOE09

More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/

Fourth day of rehearsals

Wednesday 6th of May was the 4th day of rehearsals, and time to hear the last half of the songs in the second semi final on the Moscow stage for the very first time. The second rehearsal of these songs and countries took place on Saturday and Sunday. We continued where we left off the day before with the tenth song and country, Slovenia...

SLOVENIA

The performance is quite similar to the one presented in the national final except that the first part of the song is sung in Slovenian. I must say I prefer the full English language version. It's all very pleasing to both the ear and eye, however I am unsure if this will make a great impact on the night. (7 out of 10)

HUNGARY

This camp George Michael-ish dance song comes across very well on stage. The vocals are good but yet again it is one of those songs that neither impresses or disappoints. And I fear this is one that the viewers may easily forget about as there is nothing here to grab you. (7 out of 10)

AZERBAIJAN

This act has everything the former two didn't. It's lively, dancey and definitely sets the mood. Arash's vocals have been a bit shaky but was much improved on the second rehearsals. Aysel's vocals were almost flawless. I think this is one to watch out for, and a definite qualifier. (9 out of 10)

GREECE

This is another favourite and one that everyone expects will qualify. Sakis Rouvas brings a prop with him on stage, which at first looked a bit out of place. However on the second rehearsal it came more into use and I must admit the whole performance looks quite impressive combined with the flashing neon lights of some of the song's lyrics. Saki's vocals are not perfect as expected but seems much improved compared to his 2004 performance. (8 out of 10)

LITHUANIA

The background for this song is very dark and the artist comes on stage looking a bit like Frank Sinatra. The vocals are very good but I feel there is too little happening on stage. The song doesn't really grab me and it may turn out to be the perfect toilet break on the night. This is another one of those performances and songs that leave me completely indifferent. (6 out of 10)

MOLDOVA

From the dull to the explosive. This is very lively on stage, lots of dancing, and the costumes fit both the song and the background. Vocally this is also very good. (8 out of 10)

ALBANIA

Being one of the youngest artists in the competition this year I feared the Albanian singer would fail live due to nerves. However she sings just as well live as on record and her vocals are in fact very strong. Unfortunately she seems to look a tad uncomfortable on stage from time to time, and some of her movements appear a bit odd. Still I think this might do very well unless nerves kick in on the night. (9 out of 10)

UKRAINE

From the sweet to the vulgar. The song is the most sex-fixated song of this year's contest and from the beginning I have felt this performance comes across as a bit cheap and tacky. The use of the now famous/infamous hell machine has now been shown on stage. It looks quite impressive I must say but it may be a bit too much of a good thing. Certainly a song that will be remembered, and probably another certain qualifier. Vocally this is also good but I think it would gain more votes by toning down the performance a couple of notches. (8 out of 10)

ESTONIA

Another country and song that uses blue costumes next to a blue background. The lead singer sings well, and there are no problems at all vocally. It looks a lot better on stage in the second rehearsal than the first, yet still I feel it would look better if the members of the group stood closer together while performing the song. Despite this I think this is another likely qualifier. (8 out of 10)

NETHERLANDS

last country out in semi final 2. The performance is as camp as can be expected, complete with handheld lights attached to palms of the three male singers. The interaction with the 3 black backing singers wearing blonde wigs looks a bit corny and for me it is difficult to take this performance seriously. I think yet again Netherlands will fail to qualify, but vocally this is very well sung. (6 out of 10)

Video clips for most of these performances can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AKOE09

More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/

Third day of rehearsals

Tuesday 5th of May was the third day of rehearsals. This also marked the beginning of the rehearsals of the second semi final. The second rehearsals for the below countries and songs were held Friday and Saturday. To kick it off is Croatia...

CROATIA

A reasonably good performance although it's not the best way to open a show with a ballad. The artist sings well, the only drawback could be that it gets a bit anonymous compared to a lot of songs that are to follow. (7 out of 10)

IRELAND

The first rehearsal was not the best for Sinead Mulvey and the girls, both vocally and visually. However they made massive improvements upon the second rehearsal. The flashing letters spelling the song title "et cetera" in the opening of the song is very effective. Sinead has a great vocal throughout the song except the very last note that is a bit shaky. The background still looks a bit gloomy but other than that I was really happy with this rehearsal. (8 out of 10)

LATVIA

It is no secret that I don't care for this song at all. However the act put on a very good performance and background fits the song well. Yet I fail to see the impact this song will have coming right after Ireland. Nonetheless a good effort (7 out of 10)

SERBIA

Things certainly get more bizarre with this number. Could be the joke act of the year, and as much as I hate it these types of performances tend to get a lot of the protest votes. The colours in the background comes off very well, and the act is certainly eye-catching on stage with their odd appearances. Vocally this is good as well. (8 out of 10)

POLAND

This song is very pleasant to listen to, that is in the studio version. It seems that live this song is too much for the singer to cope with. A lot of the notes are off key and whilst hearing her sing it I actually can't wait for it to be over. Very disappointed with this performance as Poland initially had one of the better songs in this semi final. Neither does it help with the dancers on stage who only distract....but in this case maybe a good thing? (3 out of 10)

NORWAY

The big favourite of the year, and still way ahead of the others in the polls. Alexander Rybak puts on a very good performance, both vocally and visually. The background is of a fairytale village at night, with flashing lights in the windows of the wooden houses and the sky above filled with stars. The whole thing appears a bit christmasy, not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but the colours are perhaps a bit dark. My only other criticism would be the space. It looks as if the dancers are struggling with the space on stage, as they appear to almost dance over Alexander in the rehearsals. And it therefore looks slightly clumsy. But overall this was a very good rehearsal. (8 out of 10)

CYPRUS

Luckily Christina sings a lot better now than she did in the national final. Her costume and the props on stage look very nice. Yet I feel this still lacks the wow-factor. It's nice but nothing more. (7 out of 10)

SLOVAKIA

In my opinion one of the most dreadful songs in the competition this year. The background is pictures of candlelights which give a romantic feel. I must admit both singers give strong performances and despite the many difficult notes stay in tune throughout the song. However I still feel there is too much screaming, and it appears nothing can or will hold them back. (8 out of 10)

DENMARK

The Ronan Keating-sound-a-like is up next. Yet another strong performance. He makes the most of the song and the background fits the song well. This has a good chance of qualifying. (8 out of 10)

Video clips for most of these performances can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AKOE09

More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/

Second day of rehearsals

Apologies for the delay in bringing updates from the rehearsals due to unforeseen circumstances. However let's roll it on.... The second day of rehearsals was held Monday 4th of May, with a second rehearsal of these songs held Thursday and Friday. I will do another review of the performances themselves and give them my score.

ISRAEL

They have chosen to go for the remixed version of this song in the sing-back rather than the superior original version which is a shame. I have felt that since the remixed version was presented in the music video of the song, it sounds slightly as if the music and the vocals are two different songs which gives a messy sound picture. That aside, the girls gave a near perfect vocal peformance, only the costumes need improving especially the one the Jewish girl wears. (8 out of 10)

BULGARIA

I wasn't sure what to expect of this as the live performance from the Bulgarian semi final and final was disasterous. However, the vocals are now much improved, due to the backing vocals taking over a lot of the high tones. Still it is a bit too much screaming for my liking but at least they are now in tune. The second rehearsal was not as good vocally, still not bad. However the stage show featuring two people on stilts are very distracting from the performance. Neither does it help with the lead singer's medieval outfit. (6 out of 10)

ICELAND

Yohanna sings beautifully, perhaps even a notch better than she did in the Icelandic final. The song comes across very well on stage, a very nice background. However the only thing she needs to work on is her stage appearance, as she looks a bit tense. In the second rehearsal she wore a big blue dress that looked completely wrong in my opinion next to the already blue background. (9 out of 10)

FYR MACEDONIA

Well performed without really impressing me nor disappointing me. I can't help but being somewhat indifferent to this song. Fairly decent background. But I am afraid this could be easily forgotten. However, vocally this is spot on. (8 out of 10)

ROMANIA

The first rehearsal of this song was a tad messy, the second rehearsal was much improved. Elena sings well without ever giving me the wow feeling. Catchy song with a decent dance routine, but is not as effective on stage as it could or should have been. (7 out of 10)

FINLAND

This song sounds like a hit on record, however the live performance has let me down quite a bit. The girls doing the vocals can definitely sing but live it sunds a bit screechy. The performance doesn't flow very naturally and I feel there should be more action on stage during a dance song like this, instead we get 4 people standing almost side by side rapping and singing. Although I like the studio version a lot the live performance is making me feel quite indifferent. (6 out of 10)

PORTUGAL

Not the most outstanding song in this year's contest, however the background they have chosen is perfect and the singer looks a lot better than she did in Portuguese final. Vocally, this is flawless, it comes across very naturally and effortlessly, a very charming performance. There is nothing here I feel need much improvement. (10 out of 10)

MALTA

We all know Chiara can sing. The background was luckily changed from the 'fish in the sea' to a now almost magical 'sky filled with stars'. Despite being alone on stage, Chiara gives it her all. A powerful performance and a sure qualifier. We have not yet seen the outfit she will be wearing but this looks very promising. (9 out of 10)

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

The last song of the first semi final. And what a way to end the first show. Vocally, this is again flawless. We saw the group in their full costumes in the second rehearsal and it looks and sounds fabulous, very pleasing to both the ear and eye. A perfect choice in matching colours and visual image. (10 out of 10)

Video clips for most of these performances can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AKOE09

More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/

First day of rehearsals

Today, 3rd of May, was the first day of the rehearsals in Moscow. The first 9 countries and acts performed their songs, and below I have given my views and verdicts based on the performances alone (as I have already given my full reviews of the songs).

MONTENEGRO

Performing in the same order as they will appear in the semi finals, Montenegro had the job of opening Eurovision once again this year. The performance was not bad, neither disappointing or impressing me. From the video clip available on youtube we could only see one male dancer and the singer on stage. First impression is that this was a bit tame, I think the song would benefit from a more lively presentation, but this could change. The vocals were ok. (6 out of 10)

CZECH REPUBLIC

This song has everything that the first song lacked in originality and uniqueness. Despite my feelings for this song I must admit they put on a very good performance, bizarre as it is. Vocals were good, and there didn't seem to be any major technical issues, the group also appeared very relaxed on stage. (8 out of 10)

BELGIUM

The presentation was very similar (if not nearly identical) to the one seen in the music video. Even the costumes looked the same. Fairly good vocals again, neither disappointing or impressing me. Unlike Montenegro, we can actually see all 6 people on stage for this song. Decent effort. (7 out of 10)

BELARUS

One of the best rehearsals of the day in my opinion. The singer is very strong vocally even if he lacks that little extra in stage presence. The only weakness was the woman covered in a veil dancing by his side. I feel it distracts some attention away from the artist and the song. (9 out of 10)

SWEDEN

Visually this was near perfect, beautiful costumes and stunning contrasts in colour. However I felt Malena was not quite on shape, possibly she was holding back a little. Unfortunately she seems to struggle a bit in the low parts of the song, and the choir seemed a bit too loud in the mix in the refrain. I am expecting that this will be much improved on the night. (6 out of 10)

ARMENIA

Another highlight of today's rehearsals. Vocally this was almost faultless except for one note that was sung lower than in the studio recording. Nice choreography for the dancers on stage but I was very puzzled to why the famous/infamous dance that goes with it was omitted from the presentation. Seems like a strange decision taking into account that it is one of the things people remember the most from their video. Still a strong performance. (9 out of 10)

ANDORRA

This was a lot better than I had imagined it would be. The vocals were a tiny bit shaky from time to time but she managed to carry off the song well without any major problems and looked like she was enjoying herself on stage. The guitar she is playing in the first half of the song also had the number 07 imprinted on it, so let's hope the viewers remember to vote. (7 out of 10)

SWITZERLAND

Gorgeous background pictures were used for this song ranging from skyscrapers to snowy mountains. Vocals were fairly good, although with room for improvement. The image however could be a factor though as the group seems very anti-gimmicky, which in Eurovision can be dangerous, and may even come across as a bit dull to the viewers. Still a very decent first effort. (7 out of 10)

TURKEY

One of the favourites this year. Unfortunately this performance was very disappointing for me. I think the background colours was way too intense (bright red), in addition to that the fireworks used seemed a bit over the top and unnecessary. Hadise did also sound off key several places in the song, and was drowned out by the choir in the refrain - especially towards the end where it was impossible to separate Hadise's vocals from the choir. This needs a lot of improvement. (4 out of 10)

Video clips for most of these performances can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AKOE09

More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/

The rehearsals schedule has been revealed!

Today the rehearsals schedule for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest was revealed, details are below. I am sure ESC fans all over Europe will follow the events intently, some will be disappointed with their favourite act/song while others will be pleasantly suprised. It is only then we will start to see which acts can really deliver when it counts. Last year most of the rehearsals were posted on youtube, and I am sure this year will be no different.... The press conferences themselves can be viewed on http://press.eurovision.tv/.

Saturday 2 May

8:30 Opening of the Press Centre and Accreditation Centre.

Sunday 3 May

01. Montenegro (09.30-10.10 - press conference: 10.45-11.15)
02. Czech Republic (10.10-10.50 - press conference: 11.25-11.55)
03. Belgium (10.50-11.30 - press conference: 12.05-12.35)
04. Belarus (11.30-12.10 - press conference: 12.45-13.15)

LUNCH

05. Sweden (13.10-13.50 - press conference: 14.25-14.55)
06. Armenia (13.50-14.30 - press conference: 15.05-15.35)
07. Andorra (14.30-15.10 - press conference: 15.45-16.15)

BREAK

08. Switzerland (15.30-16.10 - press conference: 16.45-17.15)
09. Turkey (16.10-16.50 - press conference: 17.25-17.55)

DINNER

Monday 4 May

10. Israel (09.30-10.10 - press conference: 10.45-11.15)
11. Bulgaria (10.10-10.50 - press conference: 11.25-11.55)
12. Iceland (10.50-11.30 - press conference: 12.05-12.35)
13. FYR Macedonia (11.30-12.10 - press conference: 12.45-13.15)

LUNCH

14. Romania (13.10-13.50 - press conference: 14.25-14.55)
15. Finland (13.50-14.30 - press conference: 15.05-15.35)
16. Portugal (14.30-15.10 - press conference: 15.45-16.15)

BREAK

17. Malta (15.30-16.10 - press conference: 16.45-17.15)
18. Bosnia & Herzegovina (16.10-16.50 - press conference: 17.25-17.55)

DINNER

Tuesday 5 May

o1. Croatia (09.30-10.10 - press conference: 10.45-11.15)
02. Ireland (10.10-10.50 - press conference: 11.25-11.55)
03. Latvia (10.50-11.30 - press conference: 12.05-12.35)
04. Serbia (11.30-12.10 - press conference: 12.45-13.15)

LUNCH

05. Poland (13.10-13.50 - press conference: 14.25-14.55)
06. Norway (13.50-14.30 - press conference: 15.05-15.35)
07. Cyprus (14.30-15.10 - press conference: 15.45-16.15)

BREAK

08. Slovakia (15.30-16.10 - press conference: 16.45-17.15)
09. Denmark (16.10-16.50 - press conference: 17.25-17.55)

DINNER

Wednesday 6 May

10.Slovenia (09.30-10.10 - press conference: 10.45-11.15)
11.Hungary (10.10-10.50 - press conference: 11.25-11.55)
12.Azerbaijan (10.50-11.30 - press conference: 12.05-12.35)
13.Greece (11.30-12.10 - press conference: 12.45-13.15)

LUNCH

14.Lithuania (13.10-13.50 - press conference: 14.25-14.55)
15.Moldova (13.50-14.30 - press conference: 15.05-15.35)
16.Albania (14.30-15.10 - press conference: 15.45-16.15)

BREAK

17.Ukraine (15.30-16.10 - press conference: 16.45-17.15)
18.Estonia (16.10-16.50 - press conference: 17.25-17.55)
19.The Netherlands (16.50-17.30 - press conference: 18.05-18.35)

DINNER

Thursday 7 May

01.Montenegro (11.00-11.30 - press conference: 12.05-12.25)
02. Czech Republic (11.30-12.00 - press conference: 12.35-12.55)
03. Belgium (12.00-12.30 - press conference: 13.05-13.25)

LUNCH

04. Belarus (13.30-14.00 - press conference: 14.35-14.55)
05. Sweden (14.00-14.30 - press conference: 15.05-15.25)
06. Armenia (14.30-15.00 - press conference: 15.35-15.55)

BREAK

07. Andorra (15.20-15.50 - press conference: 16.25-16.45)
08. Switzerland (15.50-16.20 - press conference: 16.55-17.15)
09. Turkey (16.20-16.50 - press conference: 17.25-17.45)
10. Israel (16.50-17.20 - press conference: 17.55-18.15)

DINNER

11. Bulgaria (18.20-18.50 - press conference: 19.25-19.45)
12. Iceland (18.50-19.20 - press conference: 19.55-20.15)
13. FYR Macedonia (19.20-19.50 - press conference: 20.25-20.45)

Friday 8 May

14. Romania (11.00-11.30 - press conference: 12.05-12.25)
15. Finland (11.30-12.00 - press conference: 12.35-12.55)
16. Portugal (12.00-12.30 - press conference: 13.05-13.25)

LUNCH

17. Malta (13.30-14.00 - press conference: 14.35-14.55)
18. Bosnia & Herzegovina (14.00-14.30 - press conference: 15.05-15.25)
01. Croatia (14.30-15.00 - press conference: 15.35-15.55)

BREAK

02. Ireland (15.20-15.50 - press conference: 16.25-16.45)
03. Latvia (15.50-16.20 - press conference: 16.55-17.15)
04. Serbia (16.20-16.50 - press conference: 17.25-17.45)
05. Poland (16.50-17.20 - press conference: 17.55-18.15)

DINNER

06. Norway (18.20-18.50 - press conference: 19.25-19.45)
07. Cyprus (18.50-19.20 - press conference: 19.55-20.15)
08. Slovakia (19.20-19.50 - press conference: 20.25-20.45)

Saturday 9 May

09. Denmark (11.00-11.30 - press conferance: 12.05-12.25)
10. Slovenia (11.30-12.00 - press conferance: 12.35-12.55)
11. Hungary (12.00-12.30 - press conferance: 13.05-13.25)

LUNCH

12. Azerbaijan (13.30-14.00 - press conferance: 14.35-14.55)
13. Greece (14.00-14.30 - press conferance: 15.05-15.25)
03. France (14.30-15.10 - press conferance: 15.45-16.15)

BREAK

10. Russia (15.20-16.00 - press conferance: 16.35-17.05)
17. Germany (16.00-16.40 - press conferance: 17.15-17.45)
23. United Kingdom (16.40-17.20 - press conferance: 17.55-18.25)

DINNER

25. Spain (18.20-19.00 - press conferance: 19.35-20.05)

Sunday 10 May

14. Lithuania (11.00-11.30 - press conferance: 12.05-12.25)
15. Moldova (11.30-12.00 - press conferance: 12.35-12.55)
16. Albania (12.00-12.30 - press conferance: 13.05-13.25)

LUNCH

17. Ukraine (13.30-14.00 - press conferance: 14.35-14.55)
18. Estonia (14.00-14.30 - press conferance: 15.05-15.25)
19. The Netherlands (14.30-15.00 - press conferance: 15.35-15.55)

BREAK

03. France (15.20-15.50 - press conferance: 16.25-16.45)
10. Russia (15.50-16.20 - press conferance: 16.55-17.15)
17. Germany (16.20-16.50 - press conferance: 17.25-17.45)
23. United Kingdom (16.50-17.20 - press conferance: 18.05-18.25)

DINNER

25. Spain (18.20-18.50 - press conferance: 19.35-19.55)

Official Welcome Reception


Monday 11 May

First Dress Rehearsal of first Semi-Final

EBU & C1R Eurovision Song Contest 2009 Press Conference

Second Dress Rehearsal of first Semi-Final


Tuesday 12 May

Third Dress Rehearsal of first Semi-Final

First Semi-Final (LIVE)

Winners’ Press Conference


Wednesday 13 May

EBU & Eurovision TV Press Conference

First Dress Rehearsal of second Semi-Final

Second Dress Rehearsal of second Semi-Final


Thursday 14 May

Third Dress Rehearsal of second Semi-Final

Second Semi-Final (LIVE)

Winners’ Press Conference


Friday 15 May

First Dress Rehearsal of the Final

Second Dress Rehearsal of the Final


Saturday 16 May

Third Dress Rehearsal of the Final

The Final (LIVE)

Winner’s Press Conference