If you think that WRS & Co were this pleased
BEFORE the results were announced...
Okay, so maybe I should have put 'spoiler alert' up somewhere but you all know already! WRS were arguably the shock Qualifiers for the Final out of SF2 - he was for me anyway - and were naturally ecstatic to be Romania's first representatives in the Final since 2017. Nine other nations made it through and I managed a 7/10 strike rate this time, plus my votes actually counted this time. As for SF1, I watched the Public live show without grading each act, but by deciding if what I had seen deserved one of those twenty votes we are all allowed to give out (at 15p a time in the UK). So as before, a brief 'as positive as possible' summary plus whether I voted for them or not...
FINLAND (The Rasmus - "Jezebel")
A great way to start off the show - very solid ground to lead with your most recognisable act. Yes, Lauriis still not the strongest vocalist but the whole staging was still a blast and I am sure that they got buckets of televotes based purely on the energy of the performance. I am also sure that they will do a decent job in the Final too - if they had been in my top five for the night, they would have got votes but as it was, there were NO VOTES to give...
ISRAEL (Michael Ben David - "I.M")
Michaelis nothing if not consistent and he performed this routine as well as he ever has. In the big scheme of things, this still looks and sounds like an X Factor routine - more was needed for Israel to make the Final this time and there were no stand out factors like Eden's huge note last year to make this memorable. NO VOTES...
SERBIA (Konstrakta - "In Corpore Sano")
This entry has become strangely hypnotic for me and even my other half Ellen, who said that she just had to keep watching it all the way to the end! It is still more performance art than a song but it does have the 'love/hate' factor which means that people will positively want to vote for the whole amazing concept by Konstrakta. It will be interesting to see if either juries or public were the factor for getting this through - NO VOTES from me but there were quite a few geographical friends in place who perhaps saw this into the Final...
AZERBAIJAN (Nadir Rustamli - "Fade To Black")
I was not sure if all the 'sad male vocalists' were going to make it in SF2 and I felt that if one would fail, it would be Nadir. In the end he made it - I suspect that he got big Jury points across the board for that voice and emotional delivery, plus the darkness of the set would have worked in his favour, given the lyrical content of the song. NO VOTES from me but a deserved finalist...
GEORGIA (Circus Mircus - "Lock Me In")
In the end, what was an intriguing process ended up as a damp squib - all of the interest for this band was behind the scenes but you get no points for that. I am not sure that many people's attention would have been kept with the song or performance, most missing the highlight of the open music box and the miniature versions of the band. Another interesting entry from Georgia but perhaps something more mainstream or traditional to Eurovision is needed to get them back into the Final - NO VOTES...
MALTA (Emma Muscat - "I Am What I Am")
It is a shame for Emma that she has missed out on the Final, as I suspect she would have been portrayed as one of the stars of the show, given her high profile within Italy. The song let her down, pure and simple, as much so that her vocals were suffering during the Public show. As a radio song it is really listenable and fits onto any playlist - as a live competition entry, this really had no hope, NO VOTES...
SAN MARINO (Achille Lauro - "STRIPPER")
Now this was my big shock of the whole Contest - I had jurors and public alike loving this glam rock song with the outrageous staging that Achille had brought to the stage. All I can think is that it was TOO OTT for viewers to stomach - it was erotic in nature and that brought Ronela down in SF1, plus it might have come across as a 'hot mess' rather than an artistic statement. I think that the Final has lost something visually spectacular with San Marino failing to make the Final but I suspect that Achille won't let it bother him - Sanremo 2023 perhaps? I did VOTE for "STRIPPER" though...
AUSTRALIA (Sheldon Riley - "Not The Same")
As stunning as ever and we also saw another reason why Sheldon is such a class act during his performance. He gets to the top of the staging and needs to put his mic into the stand so he can use both hands to lift his mask off - as has become part of the 'charm' with the Italian production, the stand is only 2/3 of the way to where it should be and it won't stay in place. Sheldon takes a moment to realise what is happening and then does the 'mask unveil' with the mic in his hand which hasn't been rehearsed at all, completing the song perfectly as though nothing has happened. A true professional and something that not many people took in, superb vocals and emotional connection too - VOTES came from me..
CYPRUS (Andromache - "Ela")
If this Contest was based on beauty, Andromache and her wonderful staging would still be here and vying for the win. Unfortunately her performance and vocal were really not memorable enough for anyone to keep in their head through the running order or even the recap. No matter how good this looked, it was no surprise that she fell by the wayside - NO VOTES...
IRELAND (Brooke - "That's Rich")
I think that we have here with Brooke an instance where poor vocals and routine for one show has scuppered her chances of making the Final. As I said yesterday, her Jury Show was not good and even though her Public performance was arguably the best run of 'That's Rich' I have ever seen, I think that she was already too far away from the pack to be able to catch up. Shame really as this would have at least added colour and fun to the Final line-up, still NO VOTES from me though...
NORTH MACEDONIA (Andrea - "Circles")
Another entry where possibly the weak vocal performance that Andrea had in the Jury Show may have cost her qualification - the run for the Public had everything. Great vocals, passion, spot on connection with the camera, perfect mood lighting and camerawork. I expect this just being outside the top ten - another 'close but no cigar' for North Macedonia, NO VOTES...
ESTONIA (STEFAN - "Hope")
STEFAN recovered himself this time with a perfect staging of "Hope" - all the camera marks were hit, his vocals were perfect and he did less 'playing to the crowd' than he did in the Jury show. It was also obvious that he has now got the pacing that he needs to do to get from one place on the stage to the other correct and he has the right balance of serious/smiley! This came back as a definite qualifier in my eyes and closing Eurovision 2022 is his reward - he would have got votes from me if there weren't others ahead of him and I hate spreading them too thin so NO VOTES...
ROMANIA (WRS - "Llámame")
Whereas Achille missing out was my shock DNQ, this was my shock Qualifier. Only Chanel and her dancers out do WRS and his for slickness and style in their dance routine, and I have never had any issue with the visuals here. My main thought about why this would struggle is his vocals that sound very nasally throughout - this obviously didn't matter to a lot of voters, especially the public, as I feel that televotes got him through. It is pleasing to have this there though as you can't have a Final with 20+ ballads, at least not for entertainment value - NO VOTES from me though...
POLAND (Ochman - "River")
This is an incredible picture as it possibly captures the only bright moment of the whole of Ochman's performance! Everything was dark and moody but that has always been perfect for the whole of this staging - his vocals are as excellent as ever and he does deliver this so well. The whirling figures plus the tv effects does make this the most complete entry we have here in Turin and if we have a close fought contest, "River" will be up there at the end of the Final scoring. VOTES from me for this wonderful performance...
MONTENEGRO (Vladana - "Breathe")
Now this picture is something we did not see on tv and really sums up why Montenegro were one of the nations worst affected by that arch not moving and completing the LED. Those are faces linked to those affected by COVID, the whole reason for the song being written and sung. I hope that the EBU compensate this nation (and others) for this - as it was, the disc still worked but was still over shadowed as soon as the lights went up. Kudos for being the best female vocalist in Turin but this was always going to be a tough ask for Vladana. NO VOTES...
BELGIUM (Jérémie Makiese - "Miss You")
I have to admit that I thought that we would have a Latvia/Denmark situation going on her with Belgium - decent enough but not impacting on anyone in big enough numbers to give Jérémie enough votes to get through. Obviously somebody did as his nation was the first called out - he is still the focus and the dancers not needed but well done to him for making it. NO VOTES...
SWEDEN (Cornelia Jakobs - "Hold Me Closer")
Yep, both Jury and Public shows went off without a hitch for Cornelia and there was enough of the Melodifestivalen winning show about this to ease Sweden into the Final. Still that wonderful gravelly voice, still all the right moves and facial expressions, still that wonderful story to be told - this is still a contender for her nation's seventh win IF we don't get a Ukrainian landslide. VOTES from me on the night...
CZECH REPUBLIC (We Are Domi - "Lights Off")
Delight and relief on the faces of the guys of We Are Domi - close SF2 and open the Final has happened quite regularly over the past ten years and we have it again, a reward for the Czech Republic making it to yet another Final. Dominika nailed her vocals again and is really growing into this role of sassy lead, so much so that I could see a top half finish for these guys, despite opening the show. I loved this and so more VOTES...
Whereas here was my overall Jury/Public scoring...7/10 in the end, with San Marino, North Macedonia and Ireland not making it.
Of my personal DNQs, Azerbaijan, Belgium and Romania made up the numbers...
No super analysis from me but very quick points...
- Having a song called 'Hope' must have been irresistible for the show's producers and STEFAN closing the Final was obvious
- Only one real banger in the first half of the draw made 'Lights Off' the only choice to open
- We have two blocks that contain arguably potential winners - ITA/SPA/NED/UKR and SWE/AUS/UK/POL
- Two other strong entries are near those - NOR first half, GRE second
- Armenia/Azerbaijan/Australia are where they are to allow for increased staging set up times
- This will either be a landslide for UKR or an incredibly close Contest - we will know more after the Jury show
After the SF2 results were announced, we had the Qualifier's Press Conference and again I was fortunate enough to have one of my questions asked to the jumping STEFAN:
"How does it feel to take Estonia back to the Final for the first time since 2019 and to also continue your personal journey?"
It was a quickly constructed question but is of a nature that appeals to conference hosts, so it got asked. He gave a fairly stock answer, but with some emotion in his voice that he was proud to represent Estonia here in Turin and also that he was proud of himself with what he had achieved. A nice reply there and I think that his nation will be pleased that he has got them back to the Final.
Other highlights of the Conference were: We Are Domi would miss Andrea the most of those DNQs, as they bonded as special guests at the Romanian NF; Lauri of The Rasmus was delighted to get a rock band into the Final and that given that they had to be back in make-up at 6.30am, they would go straight from the bar; Cornelia hugged her best friend and then her boyfriend (in that order) in the Green Room after hearing she had got through; and Konstrakta would have just been a tourist in Turin if she hadn't made the Final, plus she wants the canteen facilities available for delegations after 2!
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Other highlights of the Conference were: We Are Domi would miss Andrea the most of those DNQs, as they bonded as special guests at the Romanian NF; Lauri of The Rasmus was delighted to get a rock band into the Final and that given that they had to be back in make-up at 6.30am, they would go straight from the bar; Cornelia hugged her best friend and then her boyfriend (in that order) in the Green Room after hearing she had got through; and Konstrakta would have just been a tourist in Turin if she hadn't made the Final, plus she wants the canteen facilities available for delegations after 2!
So there you have it - two days left of Eurovision 2022 (three if you include the Winner's Press Conference being in the early hours of Sunday morning). Tomorrow will see more from the hosts, perhaps more dancing - what I will see is the Jury Final on Day 14 and obviously that means that the Big 5 get serious...
That includes this man...
Fingers crossed for Sam Ryder!