Monday afternoon rehearsals

Denmark

Favourite or not, I'm not expecting this to be an interesting one, as they have announced several times that this would be very similar to what we've already seen in DMGP.

And indeed, it looks much of the same, flute person with the weird shaves in his hair, yellowish stage, Emmelie in a similar dress, the main difference is that her hair isn't all deliberately messed up (which makes her look like a completely different person - incredible stuff).

They're mopping the floor after each run (does she have greasy feet...?).

The screens are now replaying a scene where the flute man gave Emmelie a filthy look. I guess the delegation isn't happy with this. Or that the director is loving it.

Second run and I think the delegation can be pleased with it, it sounds good and looks like just a few camera angle tweaks are needed. My only advice to them is that Fluteman eases down the serial killer expression on his face. Is this part of the act?

Third and last run added gold confetti and Running Scared-style pyro (teardrops of fire?). At parts Emmelie is still not finding the camera (or is knowingly looking away), the sound is still great and the backing singers blend with her voice perfectly. They were obviously very carefully selected for this.

Russia

Dina had a rough sleep, judging by her hair. Her voice is mostly fine though. She's surrounded by giant streetlamps (or balloons? or orbs? or gooseberries?), the backings are behind it until the first chorus, then they're slowly creeping in behind her. The visual effect on the keychange is quite impressive - a high wide shot at the front of the arena overlooking the colourful lamps, and would be even more with audience, but up to that points it's quite underwhelming. Especially coming after Denmark.

Feels a bit better the second time. Two of the backing singers were holding a smaller version of the gooseberries, until one of them dropped his. Oops.

No one dropped a gooseberry in the third run (accidentally, anyway, they're still throwing them towards the audience at some point). Another entry where the backing singer mix is well thought of, I would probably have guessed that this is Swedishly produced even if I hadn't known it already.

They're showing her actual dress to the cameras - grey with a bit of glitter at the shoulders. It's very narrow at the centre, hopefully it will unfold by Tuesday or only Marta Roure would be able to wear this.


Ukraine

A small country's annual supply of bronze and feathers has been spent on the outfits - and that's just the little they showed to the cameras before the rehearsal started...

Even Zlata can't hold a straight face when the giant carries her in and sets her down on her plinth. After that the giant goes away and it all becomes kind of normal - she just stands on her plastic rock and doesn't move from her place. Her body moves in lots of several directions though, following the cameras at all time (and working it quite well, I must say). There's no doubt she can sing, either. Backing singers stay in their places too, in a large circle behind her.

The background is some kind of dark forest, I'm guessing a few more props will be added to the lonely plinth.

Second run went less smoothely. The giant set her down in the edge of the plinth rather than the centre, and she lost her balance and nearly fell off it (just as she was saying "gravity" - you can't make this up!)

Third runthrough, and the consensus around here is that this is both what-is-this-I-don't-even ridiculous and omg-I'm-loving-this amazing at the same time. BTW, she doesn't say "I'm alike a butterfly" anymore, but just "like".

Last go, and we're hearing Ukraine 2013, but seeing France 2003. Her hair has completely defied gravity and gone all over her face instead. The press can't hold their laughters at this... Otherwise, it's just fine, and I guess many will find her hot.

Netherlands

Whereas Zlata found the camera at any possible moment, Anouk seems to systematically avoid it, and sing to the front few rows in the arena instead. Not sure it's a good idea, I'm not really connecting with the entry as it is.

As promised, there's no choreography, just her standing and then backing singers that become noticeable at the bridge. The background has, wait for this... birds. They're flying though, not falling. Anouk sounds just fine.

Second runthrough, we heard her getting an instruction from her director to actually look into the camera, but she's not really managing it quite yet...

Third go (after a long break), and she's actually looking at the camera some of the time and showing her personality this entry so depends on. She's selling it now, and I couldn't get my eyes off the screen (and not just because it's my turn to blog and I'm supposed to look and all that).

End of the rehearsal day and we're going to find something to eat because the sandwiches at Euroclub are REALLY SMALL