Hi from the Wiener Stadthalle!
All accredited press can follow along with the first dress rehearsal this afternoon and I'll be trying to liveblog it all for you, WiFi permitting of course.
Here is a quick picture I snapped of the stage right before a very Austrian woman told me I had to return to my zone. Vicky Leandros was already on stage, lipsyncing for her life.
Eröffnungszeremonie
The first dress rehearsal started at 15:30:00 on the dot but without any additional heads up or welcoming to the press. Semi 1 is opened with the Life of Toni montage which is already on YouTube if you're too curious. It really is beautifully made, I think.
Afterwards we are treated to an impressive choir on stage that performs an abridged version L'amour est bleu, including Vicky Leandros herself. No live vocals detected, but: pyro!
Next we meet our hosts. They're dressed in white and silver. She looks gorgeous, he doesn't. It's giving 70s circus host vibes. They make a few (language) jokes that don't land particularly well but they say and do what they have to. Michael pretends to not know how the voting system works. Appropriate, because who can still keep up, really?
01. Moldau
It's really cool how the LED projections are not only visible in the arena on the wall behind the artists, but also on the floor below them, which goes all the way down the catwalk and even behind the greenroom.
This is the perfect opener - a highly energetic, pro-European stomper. There is a wonderful touch here with Aliona Moon performing her bit in a gigantic dress that is very deliberately resembling her 2013 version, which the crowd loves of course. Lots of pyro in the final chorus. This works really well.
02. Schweden
Basically what we saw in Melfest but with a bit more fun in the light show and projections. It all feels a bit by numbers at this point. Felicia was good but not extremely convincing. I'm honestly not sure if this is convincing enough to qualify or if a fate similar to Red Sebastian awaits.
03. Kroatien
I have to also admit that the postcards this year are absolutely gorgeous. Very stylish shots of the artist in a different Austrian landmark, ending with the artist holding an actual postcard of their own country. Super neatly done.
Neatly done is also how I describe the Croatian performance, which has had a major upgrade compared to Dora. One of the five singers is seated on a high chair, onimously towering over her four colleagues - she comes down during the second verse.
The background projections really help telling the story of the song and there is the same level of fire here you would expect during, well, Fire. The vocals are also on point today and much better than during Dora. I can't really focus on the camera work from where I'm sitting, but at least on the stage this looks great.
04. Griechenland
As expected, Akylas takes his video game look and feel to the max with his background projections, which we here only see on the actual stage and not on the catwalk or behind the greenroom - not sure if this is on purpose or not.
Akylas performs the first half of the chorus inside a box creating a very neat visual effect before stringing one of his dancers along, Helena Paparizou-style. He rides on the catwalk with a kick scooter (there are the visuals here too!) before performing the second chorus from inside a complicated set on stage with four corners each having a very different setting. From an ancient Greek ruin to presumably the house where his mother lives.
It looks absolutely stunning on screen. I haven't seen anything bad yet today but this is hands down the best staging so far. This was fantastic.
05. Portugal
Just like last year, I unfortunately happen to be seated right next to a very loud group of Portuguese press members. Lucky me.
This is effortlessly beautiful. A very modest, dark staging but excellent vocals and beautiful projections of white roses during and after the violinist's part on stage.
The five guys start on the right side of the catwalk before making their way to the main stage towards the end, giving some gorgeous shots along the way.
I have little to say about this except that I really hope this will qualify. I said the opposite last year, so now watch them not make it :(
06. Georgien
This semi has been amazing so far, which obviously couldn't last.
This all feels very hollow with not a lot happening. Very shaky vocals from particularly the female Bzikebi members. For the first time this afternoon, I felt my attention waning. Tepid audience response.
Also: the LED projections of the three Bzikebi members as AI cyborgs are truly creeping me out.
After Georgia we have our first break. Victoria introduces a montage of former participants reflecting on how Eurovision has changed their lives. Sissal, Miriana Conte, JJ, and then a random German fan. And then Will Ferrell. No joke. The sound crew makes an appearance, which is nice. Then Eleni Foureira. Then a Swedish fan. Then Victoria (not Swarovski, but of 2020/21 Bulgarian fame). Then more fans from Sweden and the UK. Yeah it was all pretty random.
XX. Italien
We're treated to a whole story here, starting with a prospective groom getting dressed by his two best men who also do somersaults. During the bridge the bride joins the stage. She kisses the groom and then... she drops on the floor and is undressed by the best men, revealing the Italian flag colours. It's not 100% clear if this was supposed to happen this way but it looked funny.
Overall this was actually rather underwhelming and Sal did not sound very convincing vocally.
07. Finnland
Just watching the gigantic Finnish prop being put on stage is impressive.
It's also amazing to see how fast Linda and Pete run on the stage and how various stagehands are needed to keep Linda's dress intact.
This is exactly what you know from UMK, and it works wonderfully on TV. It doesn't fill me with particular excitement, but this will of course go very far. I'm still not 100% sold if it can go all the way though.
08. Montenegro
Tamara and her four dancers give us their all. The question is if that will be enough to qualify. I'm not convinced.
Red is the dominant colour in the graphics overall, which works very well with the black and white outfits. We get a sunset projected in the final chorus which looks stunning. Tamara doesn't look nor sound particularly great though today.
I'm sorry, but this is a hot mess.
09. Estland
I'm not sure who said it first on the MB, but the description of wine mums is very accurate for this.
They are genuinely enjoying themselves and it's lovely to have them back but it's all rather lukewarm and not very engaging. Until the bridge when they really go all in on audience engagement, which I think will work well with a full arena.
I do think there is an audience for this and can see it sneaking through to the final, only to have last place in the final pretty much qonfirmed.
The onscreen projections are remarkably similar to those of Portugal, at least in the first part of the song. Make of that what you want.
10. Israel
People who want to vote for it, will still do so. Those who don't want to, still won't. What more is there to say?
XX. Deutschland
Sarah Engels starts laying down on an elevated cube on the stage dressed in a stylish white dress. It all looks very sophisticated. In the beginning, at least. The dress comes off pretty fast.
Twenty seconds later it's pretty much the same performance as in das deutsche Finale - Sarah must have overcome major trust issues to let herself drop from the cube into the arms of her four dancers.
It's all giving major go girl, give us nothing vibes. Sarah ends on the elevated cube again surrounded by, of course, her song titel.
11. Belgien
Time for our second break in which we are treated to a video lecture of 'Professor Eurovision', played by Victoria Swarovski. They highlight that Austria holds the shared record for having ended with nil points most frequently, which this blogger appreciates. They mix up Conchita Bautista and Wurst before showing a brief montage of performances ending with nil points. Yes, Jemini made the cut!
The Belgian postcard ends with Belgique only, so that's another major linguistic scandal in national politics waiting to happen.
Essyla starts on the catwalk with what has to be the saddest snow machine ever, held by a single man off-camera and making so much noise that we hardly hear her sing in the beginning.
Which isn't that much of a shame as there are various vocal misses thorughout the performance. Which really is a shame as the staging actually looks really cool with a beam of light projected in the bridge, dramatically unfolding in the final chorus.
The second go girl, give us nothing performance in a row. Had I mentioned yet that I'm not a fan of the second half of this semi?
12. Litauen
We appear to having a wardrobe malfunction with Lithuania on stage and are treated to some improvised greenroom interviews by Victoria and Michael, despite the greenroom being empty. It's all pretty awkward.
Excellent light design. It's all giving Phantom of the Opera vibes, which I mean in a good way here. I don't like this, but I appreciate it tremendously.
This would be my best guess for a left-field shock qualifier if the juries can lap this up enough. I don't see anyone picking up their phone for this unfortunately.
13. San Marino
Bless their bribed hearts and wallets. Senhit starts in one of two giant on-screen constructions creating great visual effects before being reunited with her dancers on the main stage. In the second pre-chorus (which is half the song really) she is lifed by her dancers and carried around for a few seconds.
Boy George is, of course, revealed to hiding out the second construction in the last minute. He has to be the most glorified backing vocal in Eurovision history. This is more camp than a field of tents at an international jamboree. I don't care for the song in the slightest but I so hope this qualifies.
14. Polen
Girl is a vocal power house from the first bars. She starts alone on stage towards the end of the catwalk. During the second verse we go to the main stage where four dancers do their thing on a tilted platform dressed in white and black. Alicja joins them towards the end.
The choreography is stunning and Alicja should make the final based on her vocals alone, despite me not caring for the song at all again. This should make it quite comfortably I think.
15. Serbien
I called this a very weird choice for a closer when the running order was announced, but I have to admit I was wrong. This works very well. A dramatic, explosive finish. This will sail through.
We had to leave the arena afterwards, so that's all folks! Back tomorrow with qualifier predictions...
