Once more, another early wake up call with many people in Europe definitely prepping either to leave for their respective classes or work of course but the preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest continue and they are pivotal to the overall presentation. Good Morning people and welcome to the second day of  LIVE coverage from this years' music extravaganza which is taking place all the way on the far east of the continent in Baku, Azerbaijan following the victory of the track Running Scared performed by Ell & Nikki leaving Italy and Sweden languishing in the next two positions. One could have noted that through our team and collaborators, we are well equipped to bring you the best possible coverage that we can with our current resources.

Once more, I would like to comment this years' team for escflashmalta.com which features newcomers; Šira Carolyn Bezalel and Patrick Strouk along with others such as Juergen Boernig, Lilian Brunell and Garrett Mulhall who is Head of Operations in Baku. The rehearsal coverage will be as prompt as possible as soon as videos are put up when they are not being reported on location and even faster when people on location are covering them. Yesterday was the beginning of a trip, one which will surely be filled with new experiences for everyone involved through a series of preparations such as rehearsals, press conferences and media requests for example. Just a reminder that Malta is competing in the second semi-final but nevertheless, today will see a number of brilliant tracks take to the stage including Cyprus, Denmark, Russia nd Ireland which are quite popular with the fans it seems. 

San Marino

Well this has to be one of the most anticipated rehearsals of the competition. Valentina Monetta has the funniest entry in the competition but she is really nice and has also recorded a video for us at escflashmalta.com just last week during her stay in Israel. Following a number of run throughs, Valentina took to the stage to perform the song in full actually. This is oh so bad that it is oh so good. The lyrics use that well known Eurovision technique of mentioning as many well knon phrases that translate into any language - so we heard a lot of "Log On", "Uh Oh" etc which you cannot forget or get out of your head. The song is catchy and a euro/tech/funk style to it The backing singers were in tune and supported Valentina. Throughout her rehearsals she sang well and her pronunciation has improved since the Eurovision In Concert show in Amsterdam. The staging and the performance is where we go cheesy BIG TIME and I love it. We got a glimpse of the costumes that they will be wearing. The San Marino national colours are in overdrive with Blue and White being the colours de jour.

They range from a pilots to a sailors to a skimpy cheeky number for Valentina herself. The backdrop is very striking. They have a virtual web connection imagery with Facebook Pictures zooming across. Intersected are Twitter like bubbles with the lyrics of the song. If that wasn't enough Valentina has her own Laptop on stage that she uses to log onto "The Social Network" while her backing singers were sporting a Mobile Phone and an I-Pad. High Tech beyond belief - but throw in a cheesy dance routine that I found myself doing - sorry yes I was dancing again (must be the heat here in Baku). This song is throwing EVERYTHING it has at the entry and it had the audience in floods of laughter. I think we were laughing "with" San Marino and not "at" them. Personally I loved them and would love to see it in the final but one fears that people will not see the irony in the song. Chances of qualifying are tough - but we would love them to though

Video Courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Cyprus

The Mediterranean country comes into this years' Eurovision Song Contest with high expectations having been put at the upper part of the lists when it comes to fans' predictions and being in the first semi-final is also an additional help. The staging for this entry is extremely dark and should be softened a bit unless they wanted to keep the dark element of the preview video in tact. The architectual designs look nice on the backdrop but the focus is completely on Ivi herself. She is standing on top of a platform with four female dancers carrying out an extremely elaborate choreography around her. At the far left end of the stage, there is also a male backing vocal. This performance is seemingly working even on the screens but there is still work to be done.When it comes to the main voice, Ivi is better than expected but she has adjusted the key to her tone at this stage. She manages to stay on beat and does not lose breathe at any point. I think this was a positive rehearsal for Cyprus, much better than that of their counterparts; Greece!

Video Courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Denmark

Denmark comes into the Eurovision Song Contest with two great results behind them and this is one to look out for according to the bookies and despite it's initial appeal, it has falled by the wayside with me but nevertheless, still catches a lot of attention. Soluna is joined on stage by a band which are of course adopting the idea of mimicking themselves playing the instruments. The outfit used by the main performer is the same as the one in the Dansk Melodi Grand Pirx and it is unknown on whether she will be using it for the semi-finals. There is nothing to fault in this entry really because I adore the backdrop being used featuring changes in weather and so forth, actually quite similar to Sognu from France last year. When the fully graphical detail is not shown, bubbles going up into the sky are shown. The vocals are spot on and I believe this is a qualifier based on this rehearsal but it will be interesting to note whether it will appeal to a select audience or whether it will manage to captivate everyone.

Video Courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Russia

Everyone by now knows that the Grannies from Russia are a phenomena. They have a very "cheesy" - so cheesy it might be an Extra Vintage Mature Cheddar - but it is liked by everyone! Starting off in a classic old folk song and then turning into a great pop disco song. The song is a celebration of life and calls for people of all ages to party - and the hall was full of people trying to get a glimpse of The Grannies. They are in demand today and I think will be in their Semi Final too. The staging and the performance are still somewhat similar to what we have seen, in fact the Grannies (like in their National Final) are in traditional Russian attire. Also on the stage is the same stove - YES stove - on the stage. The start of the song is quiet and the stage is dimly lit.

Once the song changes tempo the back drop resembles something like the Star Ship Enterprise going into Warp Speed where you arrive in a map of Europe that is glittering and flashing. They really use the stage and lighting to the maximum. As for the choreography - well there is very little yet there were 2 choreographers on the stage. The song has an endearing charm that people like it more if the Grannies sing or dance out of time and this will ensure that it scores well in the Semi Final. Personally I loved the song and the performance. Others believe that the Juries will take an instant disliking to the song and the novelty factor that it has. Would I change anything about the performance? Not a single thing. This is going straight to the final and I think could have all of Europe going back to Russia next year. Stiff competition for Jedward and Romania. What do you think?

Video Courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Hungary

Another extremely dark setup for this one before they are all well lit in spotlights in order to give them a sense of identity. The backdrop is once more quite generic featuring very modern like designs but then in the refrain, there is a drastic change with pink and purple becoming predominant and showcasing beating hearts in order to comply with the rest of the lyrics. The stage set up is quite simple with the main performer juoined by his band and a female backing performer. The singer who is performing this one very good vocally takes to the catwalk during the bridge and he is the only one who seems to be daring and it is a good way on how to use all of the stage in reality. This is sounding pretty good and might be a qualifer as it has improved leaps and bounds since their initial performance way back in the national final where they had not been my favourites. I have a feeling that the odds will be shortening on this later on.

Video Courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Austria

Honesty is an important virtue and I have to be honest in saying that I was not fond of the Austrian entry at first but nevertheless, this has gone up in my standings just for being exciting and entertaining in the best possible way. The two performers in the group are wearing very similar outfits to the national final and once more, they are joined by three dancers who are making use of poles during the performances. The lighting is very colourful and somewhat reminiscent of last years' Rockefeller Street by Estonia. The ladies are showing the audience their best assets during the performance especially when it fits in compliance of the song. One of the two main performers also takes to the catwalk which is not being used much more by the performers. When performing the name of the song the spotlights are working their way in with the music and this looks good. Austria have a very different song but I am not sure they can qualify this year.

Video Courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Moldova

Moldova are known for bringing on a lot of energy to the Eurovision Song Contest with a traditional sound somewhat being present each year. The young performer has gained a lot of experiences in recent years and it shows on stage. The staging is very well lit, bright and effective showing a dancing girl as the backdrop along with with a number of speakers at times. He is joined on stage by five ladies, all of which are well involved in the choreography but two of which focus on the backing vocal. Pasha is spot on vocally and Moldova may just be the most improved track also in terms of presentation as the big stage has really helped. In the bridge, he sits on one of th edancers and one has to add that it looks very rude indeed but nevertheless, the element is fun and I would definitely bet on this song qualifying just because it is catchy, quirky and just plan enjoyable.

Video Courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Ireland

The rehearsal that many people have been waiting for has arrived as Ireland are the last country to take to the stage. The outfits that they are wearing today are the same ones which were used for the Late Late Show last Friday. The backdrip for this one was always going to be interesting especially if water was used and in fact, splashes of the ocean could easily be seen behind them. On each side of the twins, there are two backing vocalists, a male and a female including former You're A Star winner Leanne Moore. Midway through the performance, just behind the boys, a fountain just sparks splashing out water yet it is all extremely tidy. This is one of the best vocal performances that the boys have ever given and despite being assured of qualification thanks to a strong draw, they are hindered by a strong performance of Moldova just before them. Could this just be a performance that could better their result of last year? I believe so! Well Done Ireland!

 

Video Courtesy of escXtra