Wiwi: Kasey Smith looked like an Egyptian princess in a sumptuous golden gown during her first rehearsal this morning. She was tanned and toned and simply stunning. At the end of the rainbow there isn’t a pot of gold: there is Miss Kasey Smith! I’m glad they removed all the chaos from the national final and have opted for something more pure and simple. The violinist in the bridge works well, and the dancers seem to have given up the caffeine since the NF. The camera angles are not yet final, and I’m hoping they cut this to make it feel a bit punchier. It seemed to drag at times today. But all-in-all I think Ireland can be proud of this—especially the Miss Universe runway walk that Kasey throws during one of the instrumental sections.
Patrick: I’m a huge fan of Can-Linn & Kasey Smith’s song and am thrilled to have finally seen their first rehearsal. First the bad: The background is a bit of a letdown. I really like the waves behind the lattice, but the rest is just meh. Now the good: the overall package looks nice and the Irish dancer makes this “Irish dream” come to life. The traditional sounds work so well with Kasey’s voice, though I do hope she keeps practicing. Wonderful Ireland!
You can read our reviews of all of the rehearsals by clicking here.You can also keep up-to-date on the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.
Featured image: Sander Hesterman (EBU)
For the conditions that we are not getting to see the whole song and the rehearsal is being recorded quite far away from the stage at one angle consistently, it actually looks like a very good rehearsal. It has really come along since the 28th February.The fellas in the kilts (the warriors/dancers) that are fighting over darkness and light are really cool and I love how she throws a Ms. Universe runway walk during the performance. However, I want Kasey to really have fun on stage and perfect those vocals. If she does that, Ireland is guaranteed qualification. Overall, I… Read more »
I was initially underwhelmed by the clip.Albeit 30 seconds of a distant shot with poor sound. On reflection.I love the backdrop.Its beautiful.Gold and Amber with a stunning mixture of slightly Celtic and persian motifs. I love Kasey’s dress. She looks absolutely gorgepous.And I love the neck collar of the dress (which is actually a seperate peice that has been spray painted gold) 🙂 That Hazel Kaneswarren is a creative minx 🙂 Im so glad they havnt gone with an all out Irish theme.Its modern,its chic,its appealing,its colourfull and warm 🙂 And I just worked.The cube is actually in the shape… Read more »
Based on 1st rehearsals, this is my Top 15
1. Austria
2. Romania
3. Israel
4. Ireland
5. Norway
6. Malta
7. Slovenia
8. Greece
9. Switzerland
10. Finland
11. Poland
12. Belarus
13. Lithuania
14. FYR Macedonia
15. Georgia
Please tell me what you think.
Who do you think will qualify from this semi final?
The dancers have more room to move on the larger stage…and Casey sounds great!
Totally agree. Having a big national final does not improve your chances of winning the Eurovision Song Contest.You could have the biggest, bestest, most expensive national final in the world. It does not make a difference to your chances at winning. Rather than spending millions of euro on a national song contest. Ireland instead chooses to spend it’s budget on it’s actual performance at Eurovision. So Deven if you think a big national final will help us pick a better song it wont. And like that person said. Rather than campaigning for a national song contest. Write a song. Compose… Read more »
@ Deven. Does it really matter how or where a song is chosen once it’s a good song? Some of the world’s biggests hit #1 songs are songs that were written and recorded in people’s bedrooms and basements. With no budgets. No international team of famous song writers. No big budget music producers.With very basic recording and production software. A great song doesn’t need a big fancy show to be selected. It makes zero difference. For example, would it matter if Ireland’s Kasey Smith & “Hearbeat” were chosen at a massive national final infront of 20,000 people? No. Would it… Read more »
Can-Linn ft Kasey Smith are amazing & so is the Song Heartbeat!! 10/10 from me. Eurovision.tv really didn’t put any effort into this filming, they made it look/sound crap when it’s actually fantastic live! They even spelt Kasey wrong (It is not Casey) and they didn’t even write the whole song name it’s “Heartbeat” not “Heartb”. They’re being biased, putting so much effort into filming other countries first rehearsals then when Ireland comes around they don’t put in any effort! One rule for us and another rule for everyone else, that’s what it looks like! Great idea @DevenO’Kearney I agree… Read more »
HI Marko T Look, I know RTE are struggling financially. It has been in the papers a lot since 2009. I also understand that RTE are one of the smaller public broadcasters and would find trouble these days to fund the contest should they win and all the rest but you just have to accept the fact that ‘The Late Late Eurosong Special’ and the ‘5 mentor system’ is just not an appropriate way to select our Eurovision entry. I think that my idea of Eirevision or the possible return of ‘The National Song Contest’ is the best way to… Read more »
@ Deven. I don’t mean to be a wet blanet and burst your bubble, but unfortunately we’ll be stuck with the ‘Late Late Show Eurosong Special’ for quite some time. I suggest you watch Eurovision Ireland’s video interview with the (former) head of the Irish delegation Julian Vignoles. Where the questions of a better national final are put forward to him and suggestions of piggybacking shows like ‘The Voice’ or ‘The Hit’ or a simular format to ‘Melodifestivalen’ to chose the Irish act. First thing to understand is that RTE’s whole Eurovision budget must extend from the Irish national selection… Read more »
Hi to RyanIreland and Easpag
Listen, follow me on twitter at @DevenOKearney and check out my petition to RTE please.
@Deven O’Kearney: I was thinking we should do something more along the lines of The Hit, where amateur (and/or professional) songwriters submit songs and talented, already successful acts perform them. The format was entertaining when RTÉ aired it last year and it showed that not only did Ireland have great songwriters, but with the right singers and production were able to produce some top class performances. I think with the five “mentor” system, it’s all very behind closed doors and it’s more about who you know than anything, take for example one of the mentors chose her sister to sing… Read more »
@Deven you could go to Change.org, and see if that suits the type of petition you want to make.
Hi RyanIreland
Cool, where do I go to start an online petition?
@ deven you should start an online petition
Hi RyanIreland
Thanks for supporting my idea of a national final earlier today. I really appreciate it. 😀
@peteralex keep your foul mouth for someone else and your homophobic statements. Greece, I thought you were a modern country 🙁 obviously not!!!!! Grow up
VOTE IRELAND! Ireland is fantastic this year! DONT JUDGE KASEY, SHES GREAT, BLAME EUROVISION.TV! The majority of rehearsals have been videoed by a TV camera which is connected with the mic and the camera is on stage, zoomed up. However, Irelands is recorded on a normal camera, from far away in an unappealing side angle, it doesn’t move, the camera is also not connected to the microphone, we can’t even see any of the different camera angles the way it might be on the night like we see on Aram MP3’s (Armenia) first rehearsal! Eurovision.tv is a disgrace, they’re being… Read more »
Hi Easpag,
I know. I like to do set designs for the National Song Contest, Eurovision Song Contest, Melodifestivalen and Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and listen to music from the Eurovision when I am not studying for my Junior Cert.
@Deven you’re doing your JC this year? Wow, I always pictured you as being like, 20, in college.
Hi Ryanireland I haven’t sent it off to RTE just yet. I have been working at it for seven months between August 2013 and February 2014. I was about to send it off but my laptop broke and I lost all of my data. I will have to start again at working on it in June because I have to focus on my Junior Cert. Once it is finished by August or September of this year I will send it off to RTE. I want to get people who are good at drawing and measurements and are highly interested in… Read more »
In a Pornvision she would be my absolute #1!Weak vocals but so hot woman!Thank God we don’t see the untalented twin elfs Jedward again!Why not a qualified to final?Although not at top ten countries there!Greece is the best by far in second semifinal!
@ deven a great idea, if only the powers that be listened to you 🙁 we have such talent in Ireland it’s a pity.
Wishing Kasey all the best of luck, she’s gonna knock them dead, here’s hoping 🙂
Do you know what I am going to do for RTE for 2015 if this doesn’t make the final. Get DEAD serious about the national final. We need to do away with the Late Late Eurosong. It is not an ideal way of selecting a Eurovision entry. RTE are making Eurovision a joke and whenever I tell people about it, they are just not interested and that they don’t give a rat’s ass. It’s f**king exasperating and to some extent, discouraging. I want to create a national final that will focus heavily on sending the right song and singer, but… Read more »
As much as I love my country and want it to do well, Im afraid that this performance doesnt have the wow factor that it should have had. Maybe this will change by the time the live shows happen. I think though that the performance was very plain. The lighting and the backdrop just dont work. Its enough to qualify and maybe break top 10, but we wont win. RTE are afraid to spend the money, every year there is a debate about the money they spend each year, thats why we stick to the same style of performance as… Read more »
It looks quite promising to be honest.
Terrible
Poor performance
Will struggle to qualify
In fact it won’t qualify
We picked the wrong song
And as for those truly awful dancers…..,.
I think this looks good. I’m assuming the 8bit heart look will continue down onto the floor so it will look like she’s in the middle of a beating heart? Also.. the sound quality hasn’t been great on any of these rehearsal videos , probably because the sound is coming from the camera feed rather than the microphone. So I think we should forgive her voice from not sounding perfect. The bit I’m worried about is the low register part at the beginning of this song. She struggled with that on the Late Late show performance. I hope she can… Read more »
I wish Ireland would win this year.
But Sweden will..
Really happy with how it’s coming along. Her vocals sound a lot better but still need some work. She looks great though. Very happy. Should have no problem qualifying for the final.
Ugh I hate the way we always put six people on stage.. It’s like they think having the maximum number of people will make it look better or something? It’s perfectly good on its own and the dancers make it look very tacky. Would be quite cool to just see Kasey and the girl with the fiddle on stage, because the fiddle makes this performance so much more epic. I wonder is it because the dancers/backup singers etc. get a free holiday out of going to esc the reason they always try to put so many on stage?…
Go Ireland. 🙂 little worried though about the voice, seemed weak in parts. Definite qualifier.