[LMBTO] Eighteen Less Eight - Eurovision 2016 SF1...

We'll get back to on that one, Serhat...

Big day for all the acts in SF1 AND for all the Eurovision fans around the world who were able to tune into the action at the Globen on 10th May 2016.  All the rehearsals were over, just the real deal now for the contestants, with eurovision.tv showing some backstage footage earlier in the day:



You've seen all my posts this past ten days and it has all been building up to this - the only decision left was a biggie:




Being a Brit and not having to vote, along with knowing that Mel has calmed down a bit since last year's first SF (she did handle our NF well), I decided to give our guys another chance.  I know that this might have been a mistake but they do occasionally come up with some entertaining quips...very occasionally!

Some quick thoughts on the SVT production itself:

• Petra and Måns did a pretty decent job of hosting the SF, even if some of the humour didn't hit the mark (to be honest, it never does, that being a very subjective and cultural thing - ever wonder why there isn't a Eurovision Comedy Show?  Or why physical comedy is the only form to travel across boundaries?);
• The Eurovision Taxi sketch - no, just no;
• If my television was fully internet ready, I would be watching the eurovision.tv broadcast as the SF broadcasts are still being played for laughs on the BBC;
• The production values were good, decent camerawork at times but some delegations would still have some grumbles with when SVT went to long shots, away from their performances;
• I know I love visuals but I'm not quite getting the 'OMG amazing' feeling that have come out of the Press Centre since the 'The Grey People' interpretive dance interval act was shown.  I'm not a great one for this sort of art form and it really didn't do a huge amount for me but I do get what it was about.  Maybe I need an contemporary dance guide book...

Finland




Here we had a stereotypical show opener for Eurovision, reasonably uptempo to try to get the crowd up on their feet and the watching public thinking they had entered a wonderful party.  Well, it was uptempo but it wasn't a superb start to Eurovision 2016 - Sandhja had loads of attitude but had developed some sort of hard-nosed impression of Jessie J with her 'bra, bra' moments during the song.  It was interesting to watch to see whether acts that filled a small NF stage would be lost on this sized platform - not quite but Sandhja showed that walking out to the satellite stage and back for no apparent reason didn't really add anything to the show.  Her vocals weren't the best either and the best bit about this act, the choreography of her backing singers, were not the focus of attention for the SVT production team enough of the time.

I hope that Sandhja wasn't expecting anything else from her experience here in Stockholm, as it was obvious that SVT had Finland down for this role alone.  A fairly safe bet for an NQ and I was right...


Greece




There was always the thought in the back of my mind that Greece would still do it, still make the Final based on their reputation, their diaspora, their 100% qualification record.  I had this just outside my top ten pre-SF1 based purely on that background but it seems that the nations of Eurovision have grown tired of a traditional Greek entry with ethnic instruments (that was the best bit of this), Pontian dancing (this was poor and still looked as though they were marking out the steps) and Greek singing (this time rap, which almost always ends in Eurovision failure).  The backdrop was nice enough and


but the rest of it was all a bit, well, amateurish looking and in the end, this would have been depriving another entry more deserving if 'Utopian Land' had made it to the Final.


Moldova




Another attempt by the SVT to kick start some energy into the Globen crowd (which never really happened all night, truth be told, if the television footage was anything to go by), Lidia gave it her absolute best shot at getting to the Final but it was never going to be enough.   To be fair to her, this was the best "Falling Stars" had sounded at any time in Stockholm and her staging, although bordering on literal comedy, was visually okay, although someone should have told the dancer that he didn't have to keep his accreditation badge on when he was on stage - I'm sure that Security would have realised that the guy dressed as an astronaut was legit!  The music was still the best thing about this entry, a pulsating Euroclub anthem wannabe but with Lidia's vocals attached to it


Lidia has always come across as a lovely lady, delighted to be at Eurovision and always smiling prettily but as a potential Finalist?  That was never going to happen - too many of the other semi-finalists were much better for her to even glimpse 10th place...


Hungary




This is really where the night began for me.  After three acts that realistically were never going to make it to Saturday night, Freddie brought the first bit of Eurovision class to proceedings.  The only bit that I hadn't seen of this performance (as it was virtually identical to A Dal and early rehearsals) was the floor show, imagery of lava flow or rock?  Whatever it was, Freddie sung this as he always has done (raspy but engaging), the backing singers were visually and audibly sound and


Whether it's because I like Freddie's persona on stage, his voice or the simplistic but extremely effective staging compared to some of this year's extravaganzas, all of which tie in with the lyrics and the message of this song, I have always felt that Hungary would go sailing into the Final with this one.  And so it proved - it is unlikely that he will be providing any shocks on Saturday night, after drawing FIRST HALF during the Press Conference afterwards but it is a decent bit of quality for the first hour of the show...


Croatia




I wasn't the only one pundit who thought that having two ridiculous dresses for the price of one would detract so much from this lovely song and Nina's distinctive voice that Croatia would not get to the Final.  Okay, so this was my first wrong choice out of the two I made during this SF.  The outfits that Nina are wearing are still going to win Barbara Dex this year but this performance was so much more than that - her hair, her connection with the camera, her facial emotions, her beautiful voice and her acting were all there on the night.


There was actually an audible cheer and wow moment from the crowd at the Globen, the first I had heard all evening, with the reveal of the second dress once the giant kimono had been pulled apart - I picked up on that and I am sure that a lot of televoters did too.  An unusual OMG moment but one nevertheless and all of this helped push Nina into Saturday's Final.  If she can repeat the spot on vocals yet again and provide a bigger audience with exactly the same show, combined with the fact that she pulled SECOND HALF out of the draw pot, this could almost be a surprise hit in the Final.  I am always delighted to hear wonderful singing - I got that with 'Lighthouse'...


The Netherlands




Could lightning strike twice at Eurovision?  Could a Country & Western sounding song from The Netherlands storm out of nowhere to become a real contender for the Eurovision crown come Saturday night?  I have to admit that I wouldn't bet against it after watching Douwe Bob charm the Eurofanatics with this laid-back but extremely charming stage performance.  For a Brit, this was almost like watching an established star playing with Jools Holland on his Hootenanny show at New Year - Douwe Bob and his band perform this like masters, a thoroughly enjoyable three minutes with every viewer watching his flawless engagement with the camera.  As for the ten second gap in the music?

If he says the right thing or makes the right gesture, that could be Eurovision gold and, say it quietly, could be a vote clincher.  The whole entry is now so endearing, so mellow and such a crowd pleaser that another Common Linnets scenario might not be out of the question.  The only fly in that particular ointment was Douwe Bob pulling FIRST HALF out of the pot for where he would sing in the Final - positions 10, 11 and 12 are going to become very popular...


Armenia




There were two performances in SF1 where it was all about the woman on stage, just them, no-one else.  "LoveWave" had always been a hard one to call pre-Stockholm as we only had a stylised official video and a straight vocal show at the Moscow Pre-Party to go on.  How would Iveta keep our interest during the first twenty seconds, where she is effectively just speaking, and past the 'rocket lifting off' into the meat of this entry?  It was heavily hinted at in the rehearsals that we had seen - Iveta's outfit and her obvious physical beauty would plug the gap!  She was absolutely outstanding during this entry, her stature meant that you couldn't take your eyes off her, her interaction with the crowd and the camera was mesmerising, her vocals were perfect and the special effects (pyros and virtual Ivetas) were the cherry on the cake.


at one stage caressing her body with her hand from her face down to her thigh.  And the SVT cameraman obliged by following the path!  In fact, the SVT camera shots made this entry - the choppy switching of cameras matched the beat of the music exactly and made for very entertaining viewing.  It was a superb visual and audio stage show and well worth the Final placing gained from it.  There are a lot of fans (plus the bookies) who now have this challenging for the title - that view will have been enhanced by Iveta drawing the SECOND HALF of the Final to sing in.  As long as she stops waving certain flags in the Green Room, that is...


San Marino




If you don't put up Valentina Monetta, you won't get to the Final again, San Marino!  Having watched this very poorly staged 'disco' entry (is it only my generation who knows how to dance to Saturday Night Fever?), I almost - and that's a big admission - hankered after the straight morose stalker version that Serhat had originally.  I have heard so many people talk about this being like Leonard Cohen (even Sarah Dawn Finer drew that comparison on BBC4) that I was starting to think that making this more fan friendly was an error - then I remembered the monocle and THAT video and I shuddered!

Eurovision fan Serhat got the opportunity to get his face seen all over Europe and Australia, he brought burgundy back as an accessible suit colour and someone in the crowd left with an unusual headgear momento.  This was a very mediocre entry, his backing singers/movers weren't the best and if this entry had been dropped from the running order, I am sure that no-one would have really missed it!  The only reason 'I Didn't Know' needed to be where it was in the running order was to separate two amazing entries and now two of the favourites for the win...


Russia




An absolute no-brainer as far as getting to the Final was concerned, Russia appear to be on course for a likely overall win in Stockholm with this visual tour de force and relatively catchy uptempo pop song.  I went into great detail why I think this is a visual masterpiece during the first rehearsal review and Sergey didn't disappoint me at all with this first live public performance.  It looked absolutely perfect,



Czech Republic




Iveta was the first single female soloist tonight with her own 'independant woman' vibe - Gabriela had a different version of this, the pure vocal talent, powerful and clear, but with simple costume and staging, no pyros but lots of geometric shapes!  I was slightly worried as her vocals weren't as good as I have heard them elsewhere but the straight to the point 'sing down the camera', her excellent emotional performance and Gabriela totally hitting the big notes gave her the best result she could have hoped for...


She was absolutely delighted, showing a different side to her beautiful but measured and shy persona.  The removing the hair band and letting her hair blow in the breeze of the wind machine was new to me and was a nice touch.  I am also delighted to be able to see and hear "I Stand" yet again on Saturday and hopefully it will give her nation the impetus to keep sending entries in the future.  I am sure that Gabriela was not fussed which half she would be singing in - the FIRST HALF is becoming the 'slow half' so the Czech Republic might still stand out in comparison to other ballads...


Cyprus




Schlager Rock rules!  Do the horn sign!  Or just stand there waving your flags, if you are a stereotypical Eurovision fan, up to you.  They just don't get rock of any sort but not that Minus One care..


great guitar play, the drummer was suitably 'in your face' and Francois was a superb lead, with his guyliner and muscles, being the stereotypical 'rock god' lead singer.  The camerawork was again spot on, tracking all the participants on stage and intercutting the subliminal wolves snapping at the screen superbly.  The uptempo highlight of the night and a well deserved qualifier - I am sure that SVT are pleased that this visual extravaganza made it to the Final.  They even pulled SECOND HALF out of the bowl, giving quite a fast second half at the moment...


Austria




No treadmill, no hallucinogenic mushrooms in the background, the Austrian delegation have decided to go simple and run with ZOË's on stage charisma, her beauty and the adoration that every Eurovision fan has given her to date, hoping that she feeds off the response from the crowd to the delight and pleasure she gives them.  And do you know what?  It seems to be working - she might have gone back to looking like a fairy princess (a bit) but her vocals and her reassured no nonsense performance worked spectacularly well...


She is coping better with the adulation but she was still fairly overwhelmed by the cheers - she is also becoming a star of the Press Conferences, directing the host towards the journos who had their hands up!  Her 'fairytale' continued as she drew SECOND HALF from the bowl - still on for a surprise top ten? Or better?  Lots of non-fans like this song so don't be surprised if this is a dark horse this year...


Estonia




There is always one artist who looks terrified to be on the Eurovision stage, looking like a rabbit in a set of headlights.  This year, it was Jüri - a single artist has to command the stage, like Iveta and Gabriela, but he just couldn't cope with the Globen.  His vocals weren't as good as I have heard them previously, his movements were quite odd (especially his hands), the actual staging with the card tricks went missing in action as the camera really didn't pick them up...


The only thing about Estonia's act that really worked were the cards on the floor with Jüri's face on them, singing along - that was superb and one of the technological highpoints of the night.  Maybe SVT should have kept the focus on those...


Azerbaijan




This was my shock qualifier of the night but I suppose that I shouldn't have been that surprised - it is Azerbaijan after all but 100% qualification records were set to tumble all night elsewhere.  Based on her rehearsals and Pre-Party performances, I had Samra down as not getting through to the Final - this entry's only redeeming feature up to now have been Samra herself (one of the beauties here in Stockholm).  It has been mentioned on social media that a lot of reliance on the backing singers was part of this entry and you can hear that happening to good effect - to be fair to Samra, this was her best vocal performance in Stockholm and that, combined with the OTT dancing troupe and the 'going for it' backdrop special effects, might have swung votes her way enough to get her into Saturday's Final.


I think that the visuals and maybe the fact that this nation had some friends amongst the voters (despite obviously one enemy) may have helped.  Samra drew the FIRST HALF in the Final - I cannot imagine that it really matters, as I cannot see this finishing anywhere more than lower mid-table.  Maybe a show opener?


Montenegro




Will Montenegro return to Balkan ballads in their own language next year?  Their brief foray into singing in english with a rock band has failed miserably although there was one silver lining:
Thanks to David Ransted of OGAE for this superb picture of the best aspect of this nation's entry, Marija Lazić, the female backing singer.  Oh yes, she'll be another of my Eurovision Beauties!  To be fair, SVT assisted big time with "The Real Thing" looking as good as it possibly could be - they did a 'Cyprus', as it shall now be called, chopping and changing with whom the camera was focussing on, keeping it tight on the singers and the guitars, maybe not so much on Marija, which was a shame for me.  The song itself was all still a mess and Highway weren't as good at air guitar as Minus One were, so it shouldn't be a massive surprise to anyone that they didn't make it to the Final...


Iceland




If you have been following my blog for a while now, you may remember how gutted I was when the forecast glory days of Molly winning Eurovision were totally dashed by a sharp dose of reality.  This morning, I had a little bit of that feeling again after my #1 ranked entry this year did not even make the Final...


Ever since the Icelandic selection process, when I saw this performed during the SF and then the Final, I loved this entry.  I loved the artistic backdrop, how Greta interacted with it, how she acted her 'part' in the show, how the lyrics were delightful, how the lighting was amazing, how the shadows and birds seemed to come out of the screen...

The Press and social media cannot understand how this entry is not in the Final and neither can I.  Was it a bit too dark for some?  Possibly.  Did Russia steal Greta's thunder with their interactive backdrop that took this sort of technology up a notch?  Definitely.  That is probably the main factor that I can see for this not making the Final - jurors and televoters alike saw Sergey's climbing the wall, compared this with that and maybe piled the votes there rather than for 'Hear Them Calling', despite this being a more complete package.  Iceland were the victims of Eurovision fate - if this had been first up in SF1 or even in a separate SF, maybe Greta would be doing this all again on Saturday.  As far as the performance itself went, this was damn near perfect - maybe the lighting was a bit dark and Greta was not in it all the time when she was on the ground but her interaction with the screen was spot on and the effects were mind blowing, especially with the birds coming out of the screen.  Even the SVT cameras resisted straying too far away from the screen - if this had been Vienna, we'd have been at the back of the venue for most of the act!  The crowd loved this too - I just wish I had been able to vote and not be in one of the non-voting nations, as Greta would have had twenty extra televotes.  'Hear Them Calling' is forever destined to be one of my Eurovision Moments of 2016 but not one for the Final...


Bosnia & Herzegovina




Another surprising non-qualifier for me but not one I'll be crying too much over.  Perhaps singing in Bosnian, especially rapping in it, was too much for Eurovision viewers, perhaps the story telling of the entry didn't connect (to be honest, I only got the refugee connection on the night itself and I've been watching the rehearsals) and maybe it was just too 'out there' with the barbed wire and emergency blankets...


Both guys in trenchcoats and both ladies in what can only be described as futuristic brightly coloured outfits would have confused too so I can see why this did not connect enough to get the votes needed to qualify for the Final.  Shame really, as I feel that the story told would have made this an interesting watch in the Final, as commentators would have padded out the background to this one.  Ana will be getting a 'mention in dispatches' in Eurovision Beauty though...


Malta



We also had the treat of the three Direct Finalists who were voting in tonight's SF (France, Spain and Sweden) all showing off a minute's worth of their entries, as filmed previously in the Globen.  The full footage was posted on eurovision.tv later on - how would they sound and look?

France



There were lots of reports that Amir was off key in parts but unless my ears are deceiving me, I could find very little to moan about vocally, although he seemed to struggle towards the end.  His actual on stage presence was sound and the backdrop/floor combination involving the planets and stars was pleasant enough, without being too overpowering.  For France to stand any chance of winning, putting Amir on his own means that he has to carry the whole entry - his voice and singing has to be spot on and his charisma needs to shine through for the audience.  This is where him performing in front of a full Globen for the Jury and public Finals will help him a great deal - having seen him in London, he thrived on the cheers and energy of the crowd.  If that happens again, maybe France will still have a chance, despite the First Half draw.


Spain



Barei's singing is still superb, her stage presence is still the best part about this whole entry but why, oh why, spoil the whole flow of this with the staged fall?  It will really confuse anyone who has come to this new and all of the momentum built up by the start of this party song will be stopped dead in its tracks, meaning she will have to build it all up again.  Seeing that this is a new aspect to the staging, hopefully Barei and the Spanish delegation will look at it, see it doesn't really work and bin it - please, Barei, bin it for me!  The other thing that is still annoying me is that at least one of the backing singers is slightly off during this all the way through - whoever it is, turn their microphone volume down or off.  I still have hopes for this doing really well but I can only see these negatives dragging this out of a dark horse status and possibly even out of the top ten in the Final, Second Half draw or no...


Sweden

Not really a lot to say, this is effectively the Melodifestivalen winning performance.  It'll be down to whether jurors and televoters see this as really contemporary, an intelligent song of a jilted teen who is telling his ex what she's now going to miss or if it comes across as a petulant surly brat acting like a smug unlikeable w**ker.  I love this as I liked all of the early Streets stuff ('Original Pirate Material', 'A Grand Don't Come For Free') and I could see this fitting in perfectly with those sort of albums - clever lyrics sung in an appropriate way for the circumstances.  I just can't call how this song will fall - 'If I Were Sorry' will either be there for the win or will bomb badly and we will only know which when the jury votes start coming in.

I've already told you how my predictions fared but here is how they were announced:

It was almost immediately that Azerbaijan came out first that I had this feeling that Iceland were in trouble - no idea why, there were still nine slots to fill.  As we got to the Czech Republic being called, I knew that Greta was out - such a shame for the Final itself, 'Here Them Calling' would have been great entertainment at least.  I suppose eight out of ten wasn't bad on the night but it didn't really make matters much better.

And that was SF1 in all its glory - I would have to say that most of the qualifiers were fairly obvious pre-Stockholm but the rehearsals had led me to believe that a couple of those who made it to the Final wouldn't have been my expected acts there.  And of course, I have already lost my #1 ranked song of 2016...