1st Dress Rehearsal - Semi Final 2 (Part 2)

Lise wants to "thank all you handsome men for coming out!" They seem to be on a roll with these jokes in Scandinavia.

Austria
For those who have not seen the postcard on youtube yet, Conchita is in a theatre and has numerous red and white dresses which she starts hanging from a three-tiered clothes hanger. She puts the red ones on top and bottom and white in the middle forming the Austrian colours.

Would be interested to know if Russia, Belarus and Armenia Ukraine (updated after reading comment below, thank you very much) will be broadcasting this or if they will have technical issues. Good to see Azerbaijan has not been involved in the talks about this topic. Good old Catholic nations it is again then. But moving on, Conchita is amazingly lit and the revelation of the bearded lady brings shivers. As does her rendition of the song, even though there were a couple of bad notes there. Biggest applause in the press are yet. Qualifying - unless there is some serious injustice in this world and contest. 

Lithuania
Vilija decided to go to the main square in Vilnius for her picture. She is with a number of people who are holding umbrellas even though it seems quite a sunny day (yes, we're surprised too!). The group opens their brollies which are, as you may have guessed, yellow, green and red.

You all know what Vilija and crew are wearing so it won't come as a shock. Vocally not great and quite shouty but there is enough noise going on in the background to make it sound correct. And if that was not enough, you've got so many things to distract you the song is one of the last things you notice. I would say this should not qualify based on merit but as usual, Lithuania is not necessarily stopped just because they have a bad song. Undecided.

Finland
Another postcard which has been available on the internet for a few days now. The boys of Softengine are taken to the frozen seas of Finland and do a bit of ice-sawing. A bit of treatment some of the ice block and some careful placing of them on top of each other reveal the Finnish cross.

They are still as smiley and happy as ever but as mentioned before, they don't really need to be. I would hate to have to be their manager but I guess you take what you can. And maybe I judge them too badly, who knows what they are like in private, away from the gaggle of 'journalists' they encounter here at Eurovision. They perform the song well and there does not seem to be any issues with notes - well, unless you include the screeching as a note, then there could be one there. Qualifier.

Ireland
And it's balloons for Ireland. Helium-filled ones. Kasey and the team are in a grand looking room having fun filling up the balloons with helium. They let them go once filled and they float to the ceiling. A number of them are needed but before you know it, the ceiling is full of green, white and gold balloons. The final golden one goes a bit astray and ends up in the middle of the white so it's Kasey who has to go up a ladder and place it where it should be. Back to the floor, Kasey takes the picture.

Vocally not strong, but Kasey is looking into the camera more. Visually quite ok if you ask me, people at home are used to expect a bit of random mess by now when watching Eurovision. People also commented about the dancers, but would you be able to have an Irish tune without the dancing? Ok, probably yes, but I see no harm in them being there. You never know, Lithuania is there, Poland is there, UK is there... I put my neck out and say Qualified.

Belarus
Teo is taken to an ice-rink and directs an ice cleaning truck to reverse onto the ice. Hundreds (I guess) of hockey pucs are deposited on the ice - one side black while the other a possible red or green. Teo spends time putting each one the right way up in order to reveal the colour and also carefully places them on the ice in order to reveal the Belarussian flag.

Well, I'm slightly tired of listening to cheesecake also but he sings it well and Europe is open to this music.

FYR Macedonia
And another lovely postcard from darling Tijana! A cello is hooked up to a sound machine which vibrates a red film on which bright yellow sand was poured. Tijana starts playing the chello, making the sand bounce and form sound formations on the film. Looking for the correct note she finally finds it and the sand creates the sunburst motif of Skopje. Different to other artists, its is a lab camera which is used in order to take the picture.

Vocally unfortunately a bit weak in this performance. The presentation has not changed much since the first rehearsals. Not always sure what we're supposed to be seeing but the charisma of Tijana both on and off stage makes me warm to her. I would love this to go to the final but watching this today I am not sure I can say it will. With a heavy heart I must say Not Qualifying.

Switzerland
And it's domino's for Switzerland. Many of them to be precise. Sebastiano places them carefully in order, accidentally knocking some of them down. After what must have been quite some work, he finishes his task, and continues to knock one of them down - revealing that some of them had a white back to them forming the Swiss cross.

Vocally doing well and enjoying the stage - and utilising it well. I don't think Malta and Switzerland will need to share votes, and this should see themselves doing reasonably good. Can't remember how many I said would qualify, but I would say this is borderline. Could qualify but could also just miss out.