Australia

What is it the artists want to tell us?

The last few hours before the first semifinal…. some of the artists are still posting messages for us on social media. We collected some of the messages for you: The Roop (Lithuania): We have very good news for those who live in: Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Israel, Ireland, Italy, North Macedonia, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, The Netherlands, Ukraine. You will have an opportunity to support us TODAY Share the message. Montaigne (Australia): international followers! if you love technicolour as much as I do, you can vote for me during the eurovision semi-final 1 live broadcast. details on how you can vote below. my number is 05. Vasil (North Macedonia): One heart united in music. I invite you all to stand tall with me, send me your love, energy, and if I deserve it … your vote. * Thank you for you! Lesley Roy (Ireland): Today is Semi Final One 9pm CET! Vote Song 7 #Eurovision I’m so happy it’s finally here. Albina (Croatia): Wonder Woman don’t you ever forget, You’re divine. Eden Alene (Israel) does not text anything but shares a video. We see her walking through Ahoy. Go_A (Ukraine): Last night we had two performances at the dress rehearsal of Eurovision 2021 before the jury. Even technology could not withstand our crazy energy But technical problems with the sound did not prevent us from performing with dignity. It will start at 22:00 on UA Pershiy @ 1tv.ua and STB @stbua

1st semifinal overview

Of course we first see beautiful images of the Netherlands. The tiny house already plays a role. After Duncan Laurence has opened with a new song, the four presenters welcome you; three in a dark dress or suit, Chantal in yellow. Lithuania: Yellow suits no one; but there are exceptions. Just try doing with your fingers what the guys from The Roop do. They are dancing, but not alone. We are sure of a place in the final for the yellow men. Slovenia: “Amen”: this is not the last prayer you will hear. But Ana Soklic shows that she has a strong voice. She is a woman of the world: you can see that on the LED screens behind her. Unfortunately the final might be one bridge to far for her, we think. Russia: You cannot miss it: Mazinha is a Russian woman. If you think she is going to perform the same trick as Linda Wagenmakers did: keep looking, she is doing something different. Mazinha will definitely reach the final. Sweden: If you follow Melodifestivalen you will, as usual, see not much new things. But people who were concerned about Tusse’s voice can rest assured: there is nothing wrong with that. Tusse goes straight to the final. Australia: The story is known, Montaigne is not in Rotterdam. You don’t notice that. Her performance is in every way a lot stronger than anything we’ve seen of her before. However, we think it’ll be tough for Montaigne to reach the final. North Macedonia: Vasil comes with a ballad. And then half of the viewers say “wow, beautiful”, and the other half “boring”. But “Here I stand” suddenly means something completely different now that Vasil came out as gay in public two weeks ago. We are pretty sure that it’s not gonna help him to a place in the final. And then Nikkie de Jager comes to update us on everything that has happened online in recent weeks. Then Edsilia Rombley talks to us from the greenroom, after which the show continues. Ireland: Ireland does not use LED screens but cardboard. Two particularly handsome ladies serve all those pieces of cardboard in the Irish act. Yes, as a TV viewer you miss that part. She impresses by running the set, and empathizes with it so that it actually sounds like she is out of breath. It’s not impossible for Ireland to reach the final. It’ll be hard however. Cyprus: Elena Tsagrinou sings that she likes menthe wrong men. If you think she’s breaking the rules by having a lot more than six people on stage, no, she works with mirrors. For a moment it was rumored that Lady Gaga would perform at the Eurovision song contest: not, but Elena comes close with her song. Cyprus will go to the final, no doubt about it. Norway: Another bunch of demons, but now with an angel in the middle. But that one is a fallen angel. One with a special story, as you can read here. We do not know TIX personally, but he has stolen our hearts because of ihis openness. It will definitely bring him the final. Croatia: Croatia works with holograms. Or did you really think they cloned Albina? The song has everything to make it to the final, but then Albina has to sing it well. And we haven’t really heard her do that until now. Reaching the final will be tough, but not impossible. Belgium: You could expect it: Hooverphonic is not in for a puppet show and therefore puts down a more down to earth act. As a result, Geike Arnaert’s strong vocals come out all the better. Not making concessions could just result in something beautiful. One of the editors of Eurovision Universe has already promised to eat his shoe if Belgium does not make it to the final. We think that will very well be possible. Israel: We can only say that Eden Alene is doing her best. Yet “Set me free” is not an entry that stands out from the rest. Eden sings a very high note: great that she does that, but it is not necessarily beautiful. The final is probably very far away for Eden. And then we are going to look at Måns Zelmerlow, who will be interviewed by Chantal Janzen. Romania: And then Roxen suddenly wears something different than during all rehearsals: a red and white blouse with ruffles and ditto skirt. Roxen has certainly made progress in the past week, but beautiful singing is something else in our humble opinions. No final this year for Romania. Azerbaijan: The Azerbaijan delegation knows how to throw a party on stage. Fortunately, because let’s say it carefully: “Mata Hari” is not their strongest entry ever musically. Mata Hari means “eye of the day”, or simply sun. This can be seen in their act. See you in the final on saturday Azerbaijan. Ukraine: If you are wondering what a forest would look like after a nuclear disaster, Go_A will show you. There are outspoken fans of this entry, but also outspoken opponents. Whether you like it or not, Ukraine show us a great performance. Malta: With Destiny you don’t have to worry about her voice: it is always good. She now wears a silver-colored suit and ditto boots: she has changed that quite often in recent days. The song is still a swinging song. Malta jumps into the final without any doubt. Then we can enjoy Davina Michelle singing the song “The power of water”, supported by actress Thekla Reuten. In addition, images of waterland in the Netherlands are added. Don’t go to the toilet now, but keep watching, because it is spectacular! When the lines are closed and the votes are counted we will see the countries that are automatically placed for the final. Italy: You see a glam rock band, but that is not exactly what you hear. Rock it is. Opinions can be divided into “loud noise” and “great”. Something

We saw the Australian entry!

So far we had not been able to admire an entire performance from Australia. The story is known: Montaigne could not leave the country to be present in Rotterdam itself. Therefore the live recording was used that each country has made just in case … Dark is the magic word in Montaigne’s performance. She wears black clothes and performs against a black background. The only thing that is brightly colored is Montaigne’s hair. Where there had been quite a few doubts about Montaigne’s vocal performance, she takes those doubts away completely.

Live blog press conferences

We will also follow all press conferences from today. We also do this through a live blog. We will keep you informed all day long. 18.48 Ukrainian head of delegation Oksana Skybinska explains that singer Kateryna Pavlenko did not feel well, had undergone a PCR test and is now waiting for the results. The other band members have done a daily quick test. Kateryna is doing well, she is taking a rest. The neon circles in the act represent “cyber tambourines”. The ancient Ukrainians believed that all rituals should take place in groups. These cyber tambourines are to help Kateryna awaken the spring. The band members indicate that it was quite difficult to reduce the 4-minute version of the song to 3 minutes. Actually, it felt like starting all over again. After talking about the bookies, band member Taras Shevchenko remarks sharply: “Yes, but we are not here for money, we are here for music”. photo credits: EBU 18.18 Efendi says she was nervous but gave everything to show what she was worth. One sentence in the song is in Azerbaijan. It means “You don’t give up, you are a liar”. It’s in the song because it’s about Mata Hari. The eye in the act is in it because Mata Hari means “eye of the sun”. After “Cleopatra” and “Mata Hari” she might want to sing about another woman, but there are so many strong women in the world that she can’t choose. However, she says that in addition to songs about strong women, she also wants to convey other messages. photo credits: Efendi 17:58 Roxen from Romania says this is the first time at an event like this and she is enjoying it. She says that she had practiced in the hotel. “Amnesia” is really a song that suits her, because her mental state has not always been good, but now it is. She knows what it’s like, she says, asking for help and no one hears you. She wants to convey the message that you are no less if you are different. You are special! The act is to depict a fight of Roxen with her thoughts. Roxen does indicate that she is enjoying herself in Rotterdam. Sometimes she feels like she’s in a Netflix movie, and she even likes the Dutch rainy weather. Roxen chose her stage name because her actual name is Larisa Roxana and says that Roxen can do things that Larisa can’t. 17:31 Eden was more focused on the camera than before. She is proud of herself and her dancers. The crown can now no longer be seen only in the last take, but throughout the entire show. It’s good enough for the semi-finals, she says. She is impatient, she said earlier, but can wait until the semifinal very well. She learned a lot during the talent show “Hakohav haba”, for example how to dance. She indicates that the mix of different languages belongs to her: she is Israeli, she has Ethiopian roots. Step Vaessen from Al Jazeera wanted to ask a question about Eden’s feelings about the political situation in Israel. EBU did not allow this question. photo credits: Itay Bezaleli 17:08 Alex Callierfrom Belgian Hooverphonic says the band is satisfied with the exception of a few small things. Joking helps the band members to keep it relaxed. Even if you have a tour you should do that. The men do not want to say what jokes they are. Geike says she is in the Netherlands a lot, is happy with the directness of the Dutch and remembers immediately being helped when she had a breakdown. Geike had a lot of reasons to be in The Netherlands, she had a big hit with “Zoutelande”, together with Bløf. Alex says that there are many influences. He mentions a composer who made music without instruments. “The wrong place, if it were a movie, would be a Tarentino movie. What band members Alex and Raymond love about Geike is that every performance with her is different. Geike herself experiences her return to Hooverphonic as a victory. She loves to look for an interpretation for all those songs by other singers that she now has to perform. Her return actually started as a joke, but it soon turned out that the band members were serious about it. 16.18 The composer of “Tick-tock” wanted to make something cheerful, cathy. He may have found his inspiration both in and outside Croatia. Albina, the singer, dedicated the song to her grandmother. Her favorites for this year are France, Italy and Russia. However, she believes that everyone has something special to bring, everyone has something different. They are asked about the fact that she went to the national final by bus. She thinks that is much more environmentally friendly. 15.51 TIX enters dancing and jumping. He jumps on the table to loosen the press a bit. “I am ecstatic,” he exclaims. He admits he hates the big white fake fur coat because it is way too warm. TIX says that at Christmas and New Year’s Eve he was alone to perfect the song. TIX does not want to tell about who wrote his song, because he wants everyone to identify with it. Asked for a message for children in need, he has tears in his eyes. “Whatever you experience, it will either be better or it go away. I myself have turned my greatest weakness into my greatest strength. ” 15.26 When asked how the second rehearsal went, Cypriot Elena Tsagrinou sings “Better than the first, so I’m very happy”. All problems that arose with the dancers have been solved today. Elena reveals that she has been practicing the difficult choreography every day since January. There is a connection with Lady Gaga: one of the song’s composers also composed for Lady Gaga. But, she adds, there are also a lot of differences. Recently, Elena has completely mastered the song and the act. 14:59 Lesley Roy says that everything in the

Day 5. Live Blog 2nd Rehearsals

Today we will follow the 2nd rehearsals in Ahoy, and will keep you informed live. In Cooperation with: Eurovision Artists. Photo & Video Credits: EBU 17.15 – Ukraine Last of the day Go_A, performs with a stand-in (Emmy) for singer Kateryna Pavlenko. Kateryna did not feel quite fit this morning, and in accordance with the security measures, she remains in quarantine pending a Covid-19 test. Whether the stand-in Emmy sings live, or whether the tape recording from the first rehearsal was used, is not entirely clear. Fact is, whether you like this genre or not … the act is rock solid. With a 9th place in the polls, Ukraine will undoubtedly easily qualify for the final. 16.50 – Azerbaijan Also today, Efendi puts down a solid rehearsal. Here and there some minor flaws in song and dance, and a little more conviction than last Sunday. 21st place in the poll. A place in the final is certainly not excluded. 16.25 – Romania Roxen performs in the same comfortable as last Sunday. Although vocally a little bit stronger than during the 1st rehearsal, Roxen comes across as nervous and anxious, which does not help her voice and the strong message of her song. 16th in the polls … Final perhaps , if she manages to recover. 16.00 – Israel During the first rehearsal it became clear that it is sometimes difficult for Eden to combine singing and dancing. The whole act looks energic and modern, but also today, Eden has trouble with the combination of singing and dancing. 17th in the polls, but will Israel make it to the final? 15.35 – Belgium. Hooverphonic still impresses today with their modest, sober and well-thought-out act. A welcome change from all the visual violence. Only a 20th place in the polls, but hopefully thanks to the professional jury we will see Belgium back in the final. 14.45 – Croatia Vocally, this rehearsal sounds a lot better than the first. The act is well put together, Albina herself still seems a bit insecure and nervous. Hopefully she will get over that before Tuesday. Own the stage girl!! With a 19th place in the polls, a final place should certainly be possible. 14.20 – Norway Today TIX puts on a much better rehearsal than last saturday, when the nerves seemed to be playing tricks on him. TIX has a high favor- and sympathy factor, and with a 15th place in the polls, we would like to see him back in the final. 13:55 – Cyprus Elena once again puts on an okay rehearsal, occasionally she sounds a bit out of breath. With seventh place in the polls, Cyprus will reach the final without too much trouble. 1.30 pm – Ireland Hard work has been done in the Irish camp in recent days. The whole thing seemed very messy last Saturday, during the 2nd rehearsal all the graphics come into their own much better, and it seems as if Lesley is running barefoot through a book, turning the pages. Vocally, there is still some gains to be made. With a 24th place in the polls, the question is whether it is all good enough for a final place. 13.05 – North Macedonia While there were some minor flaws in his vocals last Saturday, today Vasil puts down a solid rehearsal, although it seems that, especially at the end during the last blow, he is holding back to spare his voice. North Macedonia ranks 32 in the polls. It is very doubtful whether Vasil will be able to qualify for the final. 11.40 – Australia Just like last Saturday, no rehearsal in Ahoy , since Montaigne is not present in Rotterdam, but an exclusive preview 11.15 – Sweden Tusse had still some problems with his voice last Saturday, this now seems to have recovered completely. On stage there was an apparently self-assured, radiant Tusse, with a well-thought-out, slick act as we are used to from Sweden. Sweden ranks 10th in the polls. We will certainly see Tusse in the final 10.50 – Russia No changes in the act here either. Solid and stable act and vocals. The powerful message / ode to the Russian woman is very clear! Russia is ranked 14th in the polls. Finals should not be a problem. We would not be surprised if Russia managed to get a top ten, perhaps even a 5 position in the final 10.25 – Slovenia. In the second rehearsal for Slovenia, Ana comes out better than last Saturday. More confident in her singing and movement across the stage, although it seems her shoes are killing her. Slovenia is in 35th place in the polls. A final place will be a challenge. 10.00 am – Lithuania. The Roop shows a solid, dynamic act again in the 2nd rehearsal, with little or no changes. The Roop is ranked 8th in the polls. A top ten listing should certainly be possible for the Roop.

Recap First Rehearsals Day 1

Today we have watched the first rehearsals of day one. In our opinion Lithuania (The Roop) and Russia ( Manizha) stood out. Sweden and Slovenia also did well. Australia is hard to judge, as there was no Rehearsal live in Rotterdam. North Macedonia and Ireland have some work to do. In Cooperation With Eurovisian Artists Credits Photos and Videos: EBU

Australia, How to rehearse when not in Rotterdam?

The big question was of course … How are they going to do that with rehearsals, while Montaigne is not in Rotterdam, and will not come at all. A short sneak preview is what was shown. In cooperation with Eurovision Artists Photo and video credits: EBU

Australia: Montaigne releases new video

So far, the official video of the Australian entry, supported by eurovision.tv, is a performance of Montaigne at Mardi Grass. However, today Montaigne released a new video of “Technicolour”. Montaigne will not be able to attend the Eurovision Song Contest in person as she can not travel to Rotterdam. Therefore, the prerecorded performance Australia submitted to the EBU will be used.

Australia: not on site in Rotterdam

This morning, EBU announced that the Australian delegation will not be able to fly to Rotterdam for the Eurovision Song Contest. Due to the situation around COVID19, Australian participant Montaigne can not perform her song “Technicolour” live on stage in Ahoy. Instead, the live-on-tape recording of the song will be shown during the first semifinal, and depending on the results maybe again in the final. In an earlier stage, Sietse Bakker, executive producer of the Eurovision Song Contest, already stated that it would be difficult to get the Australian participant in Rotterdam. In an interview with eurovision.tv, Montaigne expressed that this does not make her very sad. “I have the preternatural ability to let go of opportunities that don’t come through. Like water off a duck’s back.” She will, however, keep on campaigning for the song. The fact that she will not travel to Rotterdam gives her the opportunity to follow the voting with her dearest friends and family.

Road to Rotterdam: Australia

Montaigne’s real name is Jessica Cerro. She started singing 9 years ago, but she had to finish school first. After several 45″singles she released her debut album in 2016. Three years later a second album came and in 2020 she was chosen to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest. Unfortunately, as we know, this was canceled. The Australian broadcaster quickly expressed confidence in Montaigne, which is why she will be singing the song “Technicolor” this year.