Day 2 rehearsals: DK, AL, RO + GE

After some tofu curry and a strawberry panna cotta I'm as ready as I'll ever be for what on paper looks like an afternoon of nightmares

DENMARK

Well well. If you saw the Melodi Grand Prix performance, you've essentially seen the Eurovision performance. If you liked it then, you'll like it now and if you didn't, you won't.

In what may be deemed a very Germanic compliment: this is very competent. Black and white stripey floor and back-drop enhancing the 60s vibe, or the "Beatles revival" as the press blurb claims.

Third run-through and nothing seems likely to change. It's a bit like someone presses Play and they do their thing. Exactly. The. Same.

(I'm not saying this means anything but despite all that has come since, I'm still humming the Belarussian song)

ALBANIA

Oh look, more breasts trying to escape from within their black wrapping. Quite a shaky (voice, not chest) first attempt.

Getting better, there's some nice steadicam work spinning around her. But overall still quite underwhelming. And for some reason Elhaida is wearing a glittery cape. Oh and the false ending doesn't really work.

We're getting there. Some nice lighting effects and her voice is warming up. So this is no disaster, but still one of the least impressive of all the rehearsals.

ROMANIA

Solid first run-through here vocally. Suitcases at the front of the stage which just look in the way really, creating a barrier between the group and audience. Not sure about the singer's white trousers either. And the English second chorus really needs to go,

(I now have Anne Gadegaard's Suitcase in my head)

They have the video in the background with the children. It's mostly very monochrome and they just turned on some bright white lights in the press centre, presumably to make us feel like we're on stage, stars that we are.

We seem to be having an awful lot of run-throughs for no apparent reason. It's been equally competent every time.

GEORGIA

So the Russians aren't the only ones who know how to stage something. Great lighting, backdrops, floor, everything. Again, predominantly black and white, with Nina dressed as a raven in hotpants. Some flashes og lightning in the floor which the Belarussians could have done with,

I do still expect Ruslana to appear at some point though.

She is quite a fierce warrior. But this looks great on screen. And a great pair of giant crying eyes behind her at one point.

And with that, today's rehearsal blogging is over.