Liverfpool Live

A funny guide through the 1st semifinal

Tonight it’s that time again: the Eurovision Song Contest kicks off with its first semifinal. We cheerfully look at the entries per country. Norway starts the row. Alessandra is ready for it and after the Norwegian entry we are too. Since the starting order is determined by the EBU and no longer by draw, it is always a blast that can open. She does that very will. In the Norwegian national final she sang with autotune. We conclude: she does not need that. Without autotune she will also go to the final. Malta seems to have prepared the act in a special way. Normally there are all kinds of ideas from which a choice can be made. The Maltese have decided not to make a choice, but to do everything. At the start, the men show us that they feel better in their sweater. Halfway through the sweaters come off and they appear to be wearing silver glitter sweaters that many Eurovision participants would be jealous of. A place in the final for Malta will be difficult. Serbia starts as if Luke Black just woke up and doesn’t feel like it at all. That is what the lyrics say. Around him four men (his demons?) who are connected to his bed with some sort of of vacuum cleaner hoses. Luke Black pulls those hoses loose. The Serbs can be happy tonight: they will most likely make it to the final. Latvia is, after Malta, already the second band. The composition is a bright one. The staging with the beautiful lamps is nice, but you kind of forget that there is also a band playing there. And that’s a pity, Latvia does not stand out in this semifinal. That will also be the case in the result. Latvia will not qualify. Do you remember Suzy? She represented Portugal with all glee in 2014. She didn’t make it to the final. It could just happen this year, because Mimicat brings a song in the same genre, but much better. And as red as red can be. But we think Mimicat can be a happy woman tonight after the hosts mentioned her as one of the finalists. We would have loved to have been present at the brainstorming session about Ireland’s act. Because at a good moment someone must have shouted: ‘a golden jumpsuit, that’s it!’. Apparently no one said at the time that this was not a good idea. The result: you look at a jumpsuit for three minutes and completely forgets about the song. We will only see the suit once; Ireland will not be there on Saturday. The Croatian participants seem to have fun. Thank goodness, at least someone has to have fun. A band with members in their sixties in the cloths of dictators, and later in their underpants. Well yeah, for everything is a market, and we even think the country will go to the final. Remo Forrer from Switzerland sings a song about a water gun. Fortunately, no one in the delegation thought that he should also shoot with a water gun. The act is kept sober but fits the song. The final should be possible for Switzerland. Fortunately, the Israeli delegation looked at Wikipedia to see what a unicorn actually is. In the music video, they performed another centaur, now a unicorn. In any case, a lot happens on stage, but unlike Malta, this is a unity. Noa communicates with the audience in the dance part. We cannot imagine Israel failing to reach the final. Moldova sends Pasha Parfeni for the second time. This time he is supported by two ladies, each with a horn of hair on their heads. The entire group’s clothing is somewhat reminiscent of what Ruslana and her backing group wore when they won in 2004. This time it will not be easy for him to reach the final. And then we get Sweden. We can easily say that we see a Eurovision winner at work here. Even if she doesn’t win this year, Loreen already did. Will Loreen be the one who will get two victories, like Johnny Logan? It is possible. Vocally she is good now and the act is also rock solid. We are glad that the structure hanging above her head is hung on sturdy cables. We cannot imagine that Azerbaijan will reach the final. We know first hand that people in Azerbaijan themselves do not trust it either. The first images come from the time when the world was still in black and white and Azerbaijan was still part of the Soviet Union. Fortunately, the rest is in color. However, qualification will be very hard, if not impossible, for Azerbaijan. And on we go to the Czech Republic: beautiful pink is not ugly. And the women of Vesna all have very long braids. We have news for you: the braids are not real. For those who know the video clip, the act in the final does not seem to come across very strongly. We think it is strong enough for the final however. And then the Netherlands: a lot of work has been done and improvement is visible in the act. The vocals certainly sound good, although it must be said that Mia and Dion come across as very cautious. Especially in the first part of the song. The high note that Dion makes sounds very beautiful, and the last half minute is downright magical. We think a place in the final is possible. The last one is Finland. Anyone who thought to get a rest at the end will be disappointed. We can now dream Käärijä with his green bolero. An engaging person who effortlessly conquers the hearts of people of all sort. Televoter winner? Then he would also win the semi-final tonight because there is no jury present. If Finland does not go to the final, we will eat our shoe. All in all, we can conclude that this is a pretty strong and

Liverpool live: rehearsals on coronation day

Today, king Charles III will be crowned. You can follow the coronation live on YouTube. However, because you visit our site we think you will be more interested in the Eurovision Song Contest. In that case, you are in the right place! Today is the day of the last few rehearsals. We saw the Big 5 and Ukraine today. Also, the decision will be made today which country performs where in the final. photo credits: EBU/Corinne Cumming/Sarah Louise Bennett/Chloe Hashemi Germany As we only get to see some pictures, it is hard to say whether there is any change or improvement. On the current pictures, the triangle structure behind the band is more visible and notable. Furthermore, it gives the same impression. Germany is currently 15th at the bookmakers. Not a top position, but at least much higher than the last few years. France Also for France there are no differences. La Zarra is still standing on a high structure with the long black rug on it. France is currently strongly on the 3rd place in the betting odds. There are even people who talk about the French song as the potential winner. So who knows…. Italy Marco Mengoni has returned to perform on stage and has changed his outfit. He is no longer wearing the silver vest he wore on Thursday. Instead, he is now wearing a longer silver vest that gradually fades from silver to black, giving it an ombre effect. To create a cohesive look, sparkles have been added to one side of his leather trousers. Italy is currently number 8 at the bookmakers. Ukraine According to eurovision.tv, the graphics are working well in the act. Note that this is their opinion, we have to judge for ourselves. Also, they mention something about the timing that goes perfect. Again, let’s wait and see. Not that we don’t trust TVORCHI in this, but we haven’t seen it ourselves. The bookmakers say the Ukrainian entry would end up in 4th place, which would be a great score for the country. Spain No changes whatsoever in the Spanish act. Still she is wearing the white platforms and the stage is almost red during the whole performance. It is said that she vocally does well. All we heard so far is that this is true. Spain has a 5th place at the bookmakers, which would be a wonderful score for Spain for the second year in a row! United Kingdom Also no changes in the act like it was at the first rehearsal is noticed. Still the graphics with the split head. What the people of eurovision.tv noticed, again for what it is worth, is that she had more energy in this performance. The United Kingdom is 10th at the bookmakers. That would be top-10 twice in a row for the UK, and it is quite a high score for a host country. In collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool Live: rehearsal schedule

On this day of celebration in the United Kingdom, the last 6 countries will have their individual rehearsals. And after that, we have the turquoise carpet on Sunday. This is today’s schedule: 11.00 – 11.15 Germany11.25 – 11.40 France11.50 – 12.05 Italy12.15 – 12.30 Ukraine12.40 – 12.55 Spain13.05 – 13.20 United Kingdom

Liverpool live: red screens, a poet and an orange dress

The last part of the rehearsals for today is finished. We have now seen all the entries of both semifinals twice. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Chloe Hashemi San Marino Not much has been changed for San Marino since the previous rehearsal, at least that is what eurovision.tv tells us. So there is still the band playing in a reddish surrounding, with the graphics on the LED-screens having a main role. Still, no expectations at all for San Marino, as they have a 34th place at the betting odds. Austria The webteam of eurovision.tv was surprised about the impact of the graphics during the Austrian performance. We were not. We already saw that it was impressive during the first rehearsals and what we saw of it. No changes are made since the first rehearsal. Of course there is a main role for Teya, Salena and Edgar Allan Poe. In the betting odds, Austria is 9th. A higher placing however should also be possible. Albania What is remarkable of the Albanian performance is the use of the LED-screen and the LED-lightning on the floor. Maybe it helps, because Albania will face a hard time qualifying. A 35th place at the bookmakers is not very helpfull. Hopefully for Albina and her family the bookies are wrong this time. Lithuania Other clothes for Monika Linkytė: still orange, but she is now wearing a strapless minidress. That is the main change in the act of Monika, at least that is what the eurovision.tv webteam notices. The bookmakers have a 27th place now for Lithuania, but in the semifinal ranking they are 5th. So a place in the final for Lithuania is likely. Australia There are no changes noticed in the previews. Australia has a performance that at least the reporters of eurovision.tv like, for what it’s worth. When the performance start, Voyager frontman Daniel Erin is actually sitting in the car. The rest of the performance is around the car. Australia is currently number 13 in the overall betting odds ranking. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: bare feet, earrings and a train

Day number 6 of the rehearsals is going on. This is what happened in the first half of the rehearsalday. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Cyprus No shoes for Andrew Lambrou this time. Furthermore, not much has changed compared to the first rehearsal; many red and blue, fire on the LED-screens and smoke on the floor. Cyprus is currently 22nd at the bookmakers, and is very likely to qualify for the final. Iceland The people of Eurovision.tv noticed that Diljá has earrings. Whether there have been changes in the performance or improvement in singing… we don’t know. On the other hand, singing does not seem to be Diljá’s problem. Still, a number 29 in the betting odds and a number 14 in the semifinal ranking does not necessary bring the final closer for Iceland. Greece The Greek performance seems to be pretty much the same as the previous one, Victor Vernicos varying from sitting on the floor to walking, dancing and jumping. And of course he still has shorts on. Greece is currently 31st at the bookmakers and 11th in the semifinal ranking. But Greece and Denmark (no. 10) seem to get closer to eachother. Will Greece make it to the final after all? Poland No bare feet, earrings or a haircut (as the eurovision.tv liveblog mentions with Greece) is noticed when they talk about Poland. We guess it is because there are no changes. We are especially anxious on how Blanka’s singing is. In the national final this was definitely not good, we wanna know if that improves. We keep you updated! Poland is currently 24th at the bookmakers and could seriously reach the final. Keep in mind that this is all based on the staging. Slovenia The cheerful Slovenian entry was performed once again too. The act is still swinging and colourful. We mentioned the words Joker Out on the LED-screens but we also saw the title of the song, “Carpe diem”. The bookmakers predict a place in the final for Slovenia, as they are 21st in the ranking right now. Georgia Again, a change in clothes. The dress Iru is wearing is still the same, but the train it has is much bigger now. The windmachine still works at this stormy performance. Georgia is likely to qualify with a 23rd place at the bookmakers and a high ranking at the semifinal odds. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

Today the rehearsals for the 2nd semifinal will be finished. The 11 countries that didn’t rehearse for a second time yet will do so today. We will closely follow it again. 11.30 – 11.50 Cyprus11.55 – 12.15 Iceland12.20 – 12.40 Greece12.45 – 13.05 Poland13.10 – 13.30 Slovenia13.35 – 13.55 Georgia 15.00 – 15.20 San Marino15.25 – 15.45 Austria15.50 – 16.10 Albania16.15 – 16.35 Lithuania16.40 – 17.00 Australia

Liverpool live: Fireworks, LED-screens and a moon

This is the day when we first see the Big 5 and Ukraine to rehearse. Of course Ukraine is added, not as the organizer but as last year’s winner. photo credits: EBU/Corinne Cumming/Sarah Louise Bennett Germany Lord of the Lost is wearing red costumes, like in the national final. Singer Chris ‘Lord’ Harms wears a collar of flames. The band is elevated on a triangular metal structure, adorned with red and black LEDs, and an unrelenting flashing light display that persists throughout the entire three-minute performance. And of course we spot a lot of fireworks in the performance. France La Zarra is standing on a tall, moving column covered in sparkly black fabric that goes all the way to the ground. The column has a mirror-tiled top, and La Zarra is wearing a fitted gown made entirely of black and red sequins. She is singing her heart out on top of the column, and there’s a French flag displayed on the LED wall behind her at the end of her performance. Italy Marco Mengoni sings his ballad while standing alone on stage. Marco is wearing leather trousers and a silver sparkly vest, while a backdrop of swirling clouds on an LED wall. An oversized moon provide a dramatic visual setting. Ukraine TVORCHI-member Jeffrey wears a black suit covered with gold images. Andrii wears black clothes with a silver jacket over it. During their performance, TVORCHI effectively utilize lighting and an LED wall, with four boxes on stage providing a backdrop for their two dancers dressed in black. Their are big flames during the performance. Spain The staging for Blanca Paloma’s performance resembles the setup seen during Benidorm Fest in January. It features two fringed red semi-circular structures at the center of the stage, forming a circle where Blanca and her five dancers perform. The background is set aglow with black, red, and white lighting. There has been some low smoke during the performance. United Kingdom Mae Muller wears a corset jacket and black trousers, and commences her performance on a raised plinth before the LED wall. The wall features pop art-style graphics. At the beginning, there’s a section where Mae’s face splits horizontally, giving the impression that she’s inside her own head, which enhances the pop video quality of the performance. four dancers dressed in black and red accompany Mae, particularly during the second half of the performance, when they join Mae at the front of the stage for a synchronized dance routine. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: a pink day and a dancer!

Already for the 5th day, we are rehearsing. The first countries of the 2nd semifinal will rehearse today. Later today we will see the Big 5 for the very first time. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Chloe Hashemi Denmark Reiley has another outfit than he had last Tuesday. In stead of beige and white he was wearing pink today. The rotating house serves as a useful navigational aid for Reiley, preventing him from becoming disoriented on the expansive stage. Currently Denmark has the 30th place at the bookies, but in the 2nd semifinal ranking Reiley is 10th. There is hope for Denmark. Armenia No changes seem to have appeared in the Armenian performance. So we still have Brunette sitting on the sloped structure, singing from it and later leaving it. Currently Brunette has a 12th place at the bookmakers. But remember Rosa Linn last year. She was 20th but had a worldwide hit. Romania A major change for Romania: where he had a yellow suit on Tuesday, it is pink today. Again he is wearing shorts, also his socks and boots are in pink. The Pikachu socks have changed for SpongeBob. The song is still not liked very much. We haven’t heard him singing yet, but with a 37th and last place in the betting odds the final seems very far away for Romania. Estonia Estonia didn’t have much changes in comparision to the previous presentation. Wouter Hardy, who previously wrote “Arcade” for Duncan Laurence and “Tout l’univers” for Gjon’s Tears, is also responsible for this song. But it doesn’t seem to gonna be thát successful: 24th at the betting odds, but in the semifinal ranking Estonia has a 12th place. Belgium It seems the Belgian act also remains the same. The stairs play a main role in the act, but the dancer, PussCee West has a remarkable role as well. The odds give Belgium a 29th place, but if we look at the specific semifinal ranking, it is an 8th place. Can we safely say Belgium will make it to the final? in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

We already head to day 5: some rehearsals of the 2nd semifinal, and….. the big 5. 11.30 – 11.50 Denmark11.55 – 12.15 Armenia12.20 – 12.40 Romania12.45 – 13.05 Estonia13.10 – 13.30 Belgium 14.40 – 15.10 Germany15.20 – 15.50 France16.00 – 16.30 Italy16.40 – 17.10 Ukraine17.20 – 17.50 Spain18.00 – 18.30 United Kingdom

Liverpool Live: something is happening at the betting odds

The day with the most rehearsals continue. Eight more countries rehearsed today, only 20 minutes each. That means we can inform you if there were major changes in the act. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Switzerland Remo Forrer performs in his black jacket and black plastic pants again. It seems there are not many changes since the last performance: Remo with his four dancers, who at a moment wrap him in long ribbons. It is something that reminds us of Sertab (2003) and the late Toše Proeski (2004). Switzerland is currently number 13 in the betting odds, so the final doesn’t seem far away for Remo. Israel The Israeli act is one where a lot happens. She and her dancers are standing in front of a bunch of squares. The dancers bring their hands to their heads, to depict the horn of a unicorn. And of course there is a lot of fireworks in this performance. Israel is currently number 7 at the betting odds. Definitely an entry to look up to, Noa can do very well. Moldova There seem to be no changes in the Moldovan entry: Pasha Parfeni is, in his second Eurovision performance, still surrounded by two backing vocals with a horn, made out of their hair. Two guys accompany them playing the drums. Moldova is currently number 20 at the betting odds. But with a 6th place in the odds for the first semifinal it feels pretty safe for Pasha. Sweden And than there is the other returning participant from 2012, Loreen. Of course there are no changes in the performance, as everything was already there way before the rehearsals… as always in Sweden. All the eyes are at Sweden at this moment, as she leads at the bookmakers. But note that there is something going on: she has now 42% chance of winning, while the runner up has 23%. They are coming closer to eachother. Azerbaijan What we didn’t hear from the first rehearsals but what we know now: the performance of Azerbaijan on screen starts in black and white. Later it fades to colour. It seems to fit to the combination of sixties-like music and rap. However, Azerbaijan is at this moment number 32 at the betting odds. So far that doesn’t give the twins much hope for a place in the final. Czechia Finally a country were there have been some changes: Czechia. The Vesna ladies have altered their hairstyle. During the opening verse, there is some intricate hair choreography, and their braids have become notably longer and weightier than they were on Monday. At this moment Czechia is number 11 at the bookies. The Netherlands We don’t know if there are any changes in the performance of The Netherlands. The people of eurovision.tv say they got goosebumps of the intimate performance Mia and Dion gave. When they are singing the camera turns around them. That seems to work. The bookmakers seem to be more positive about The Netherlands than they were, with currently an 18th place. However, they are 11th at the specified list for the 1st semifinal. Finland The last one is Finland with the same energetic performance we saw Monday. Today a video went viral where Käärijä dances on the music of “Tattoo”, Loreen’s song. At the betting odds something is happening. Finland is coming closer and closer to the first place. Yesterday they had 18% winning chance, now it is already 24%. That might make Finland a serious contender for the victory. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists