Second Day of Rehearsals - a roundup

Hiya chuck,

Another day of trying to glean something significant from very little. What we can all agree on is that we're going to see some great shows on stage this year. And the Netherlands.

What did the MBers make of it all on the second day of first rehearsals? Scroll to find out.

As before, click the country link to see the TikTok footage.

1. Israel 🇮🇱

- Wow! That’s a contender and she’s a hell of a performer.
- Looks very effective - and may I repeat she is so stunning
- Performance is the best bits of Fuego and SloMo combined; the difference is that this is far from effortless

2. Azerbaijan 🇦🇿

- So weird to see something like this, so simple and classy, from AZ
- Hmmm, i don´t find it particularly good tbh, even if i like the song. It´s a bit boring and worse sung that the studio
- Completely hopeless, I love it

3. Czechia (are we gonna do it? OK then) 🇨🇿

- Difficult to judge by so little but there seem to be goosebumpworthy moments there... and the vocals the little we hear seem okay
- That's a very cohesive look, I'll give them that
- If all goes right for them, I wonder whether this has the potential to be this year's Proud with the juries. And, like Proud, probably facing off at the top of the jury votes with Sweden.

4. Netherlands 🇳🇱

- I think this will look great, if anything
- The higher key will take some getting used to, but otherwise this seems fine. 
- It does like they've spread a single jacket over the two of them

5. Finland 🇫🇮

- I pity whoever comes after then in the final because they will be forgotten
- Love the backing singers' synchronised swimmer faces
- They've 'out-Loreened' Sweden here - this has way more impact

6. Denmark 🇩🇰

- Looks like he stole a bit if Ireland's suit, and a couple of their stairs
- It already looks million times better than in the NF
- His impression from the rehearsal seems to be 'not bad' and that's the sense I get, too.

7. Armenia 🇦🇲

- I'm guessing this will look amazing on screen. (It will sound good, feel good, look good)
- This feels underwhelming
- This looks and sounds great, seems an obv top 3 in the semi, or even first 

8. Romania 🇷🇴

- Pikachu is the mildest thing there:-D
- "Your delegation was so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should"
- ...and with this he probably scared away the last people on earth that still believed this can qualify

9. Belgium 🇧🇪

- He looks like a marshmallow:)
- Tbf this is his best look yet
- He does look like the 90's one hit wonder who's getting a chance to perform now that gen Z is having 90's revival

10. Cyprus 🇨🇾

- He actually sounds good - AND he's doing the high notes live!
- 'Let's throw all rain and fire in' situation. He looks good! 
- He sounds good! The visuals are ok but basic, I guess they could work with great camera angles

And that's it for Day 2.

I'll leave you with this thought:

First Day of Rehearsals - a roundup

 Hiya and happy most wonderful time of the year!

As you probably know, there is a change to the procedure, and - wisely some might say - we humble Eurovision fans will only get access to rehearsals from May 8th. Coincidentally, this is the day I arrive back in my hometown to lead ESC Nation's live coverage. As in 2010 (was it really that long ago?) my focus will be on doing things a little 'differently' and trying to bring the vibes, feelings and atmosphere of Eurovision 2023 through the screen and into your lives.

For now, the best place to access the appetite-whetting info from early rehearsals is the official site and TikTok Eurovision channel. As always, you are invited to join the conversation on our message board.

In that spirit, let's take a quick look at Day 1 - click the link to watch the TikTok footage, or just read about it in ESC Nationer's words:

1. Norway 🇳🇴

- She went with her NF outift instead of the video outfit 

- It looks like the NF performance

- They do have glo sticks… outdoing them will be impossible

2. Malta 🇲🇹

- A huge colour and stage contrast with Norway
- Very colourful 'but' it could come across as rather Junior Eurovision
- They’re celebrating with past Maltese entrants, Destiny, Chiara and others are there (in cardboard cut-out form)

3. Serbia 🇷🇸

- Looks pretty much the same as in the NF, which is no bad thing
- It seems they change the “crab walk” choreo, the rest feels the same
- Why is he wearing a shirt like the Amish people do

4. Latvia 🇱🇻

- Maybe best we’ve seen today? [Ed: This was 4th on] The stage looks great! 
- But their outfits don‘t! 
- Good to see Ann Sophie's backing lights still find some use 8 years later

5. Portugal 🇵🇹

- The sofa is gone!
- She seems lovely and the lighting looks good
- She's painting the town red, Denmark 89-style

6. Ireland 🇮🇪

- Wtf has he got on?
- As expected. The progression from the steps to the satellite breaks down the repetitiveness a bit.
- He looks like he should be singing Telegram in a Silver Convention tribute band.

7. Croatia 🇭🇷

- All the chaos I wanted from them... and a Croatian Costume Change! 
- Grandpas going around with their underwear
- It's everything I wanted, and a little bit more 

8. Switzerland 🇨🇭

- Hm, curious to see how this looks on screen. I was a bit sceptical, but it could work well
- A bit too gimmicky for a ballad? Always a risk to add in a load of choreography to a slow song
- What a hideous outfit.

9. Moldova 🇲🇩

- Lots of kitchen sinks here
- Their outfits are epic and so Eurovison friendly. I think they are doing a Dotter moment with the flute player which I think it's very clever. Moldova will sail through
- The Moldovan method strikes again: They bring someone cute as a support to the main act 

10. Sweden 🇸🇪

- The camerawork will probably be topnotch and it'll look supercool on TV but probably not as fun in the hall
- Wasn't there talk of some new elements to the staging? This one looks identical 
- The prop has slightly different dimensions to the one from MF. No final for Sweden.

Liverpool?

(no, not Millstreet)

We are there! From next Monday, our Harrow will bring you juicy reports from the scene, and the rest of us will add in some rehearsal impression too - when available.

Stick with us, it's gonna be boss!

Another edition is over

And it's been a Eurovision like no other (aren't they always?).

In January, we released ESC-Wordle. Google Analytics told us that it has been played in thousands of locations in many countries around the world. One of these in particular drew my attention - Bucha, Ukraine. 17 February. A few days before the horror unfolded.

It probably was a nerdy Eurovision fan just like me and you. I hope they survived. And I'd like to think that last night made them happy, because they need it most, and making people happy is what Eurovision does best.

It's time to thank the EBU and RAI for making it happen, our blogging team - and of course all of you for reading and commenting. ESC Nation will be here for you during the unknowns of the coming year.

For now, happy hangover!

Grand Final - Fishy Prediction

BURSDAG! No, wait, it's even better! (Also, it is BURSDAG, happy birthday, Anthi!)

It's finally time, almost exactly five months after we had our first entry chosen, that is incidentally also the first entry on stage tonight, Czechia (yes, I call it that). Once they qualified and drew first half, I think about 84 % of the fandom assumed it'd be the opener, as one of few upbeat but generic and harmless in it. And indeed!

But the main question tonight obviously seems to be whether Ukraine wins with AAAAALL TEH POINTS, even to the degree that it was debated on NRK's main daily debate show Dagsnytt 18 yesterday. I've been of the conviction they won't all season, and even though the narrative that they will (not to mention the betting odds) have just seemed to be escalating and piling up the last few days, I think I'm going to stick with that conviction. But then I need to claim something else will win, don't I...

I didn't watch the final dress rehearsal in full (just popped in and out between tanning and swims), so most of this prediction is based on what we saw in the semis, and of course mainly what we've known all along about the entries.

1 Sweden | Does anyone not like it?

2 United Kingdom | It feels sick to predict a UK entry at the top of the scoreboard... It sure wouldn't get there if I got to decide, and I still can't really see what everyone else is seeing, but when so many seem to see it, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. I think he sounds very "thin" on all his MAAAAANs, and I find the song very tedious for most of it, but it comes together decently for the last minute when it gets all golden.

3 Italy | It deserves to win with AAAAALL TEH POINTS because of AAAAALL TEH GOOSEBERRIES, but it's probably not going to, is it? Y'all can just sit there loving UK, and I'll be lying here in a pile of melt from Blanco's Tu-verse.

4 Ukraine | Bold? Nææh. All season I've felt the entry itself would come 8th or so under "normal circumstances", but climbing to 5th or so in the current climate, and I'm sticking with that.

5 Serbia | I think this is bolder, not at all sure it will manage to get this high, but after being quite underwhelmed by it until Thursday, it finally clicked for me in the semi. Don't forget to wash your hands!

6 Poland | Whereas this has never clicked for me. Unless there's a hippo in that river he speaks of, it ain't doing so today either.

7 Spain | A bit rude of her to steal Sam Ryder's outfit, but at least she didn't take all of it. Not much at all, really.

8 Norway | Might get a bit lost so early in the draw, so I considered putting this a bit lower, but I've been thinking 8th pretty much since it was chosen, so if I did change my mind it'd just end up in the 8thest 8th place ever just to rub it in my face, wouldn't it?

9 Moldova | I really really really hope I'm wrong about this, I think it's the worst thing in here now that the hideous Georgian entry has finally left us.

10 Greece

11 Netherlands | S10 was destined to be #10 in the running order and 10th on the night, but now she ended up as #11, that's clearly going to be the result too. I hope she changes her name to Seleven.

12 Finland

13 Czechia | For the first time ever I had actual feelings for this in the semifinal! They weren't very exciting feelings, and mainly thanks to RAI's excellent lighting, but still, I'll take it.

14 Lithuania

15 Armenia | I hope she manages to pull the hole open tonight!

16 Estonia | I must admit I like this a bit more now that Graham Norton apparently despises it. It doesn't have many other selling points, but it feels solid enough as a closer of the show.

17 Australia | Hopefully the juries will find something else loud to vote for. And surely the televoters will?

18 Portugal | It really felt like a vibe in the semifinal, but I think it'll get really lost in the final when it's on so early. Hopefully a bunch of jurors will still remember it though, it should be their job to have a slightly longer attention span than viewers, after all.

19 Azerbaijan

20 Romania | Really happy it made it, as we need some silly in the final! But in this company it really is just that, a brief bit of silly without a chance. Bless his cotton socks and tinfoil (?) trousers.

21 Iceland | I initially thought this could do a bit better (not actually well, but, like, 15th?), thanks to some Nordic support and such, but it'll surely be bottom of the pile for most of the Nordics, and there's quite a bit of other stuff that's bound to get above it in those televotes too.

22 Germany | It's miles above some of their recent efforts, so it should do miles better. Which presumably just means 22nd, sadly, but hey ho, let's go. A third televoting zero in a row is actually not out of the question though, it really would be quite impressive if they manage!

23 Switzerland

24 France | Watch out for random howls!

25 Belgium | The day before the Belgian entry came out, I was silly enough to place a bet on it to win, as based on him they could be on to something. And I think there's a good idea in here somewhere, but it never really materialises. As it is, I think it was lucky to qualify, and he'll be lucky if he manages to avoid ending last.

I'm not feeling at all confident about this prediction, but then again, I felt quite confident about semi 1 and only got 8/10 right, but 9/10 in semi 2 which I thought was very tough, so maybe I'll be spot on? Or maybe Benin wins, with Ukraine last. Looking forward to the shocks and surprises either way!

And if you're not pleased with anything on offer tonight, have this cat instead - have a wonderful evening!