On Monday May 11 acts from eight countries — Moldova, Armenia, Belgium, The Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Estonia and FYR Macedonia — took to the stage for their first rehearsals. We were watching events unfold in the press centre and were privy to all the thrills (Eduard Romanyuta ripping off his shirt, Trijntje Oosterhuis flashing cleavage) and spills (Loïc’s dancers literally falling). Below you can watch our recap of the winners and losers, followed by our instant reactions filmed immediately after each rehearsal. Click on the country to read our rehearsal review. Who won for you?
First Rehearsals: Day 1 Winners and Losers (Review)
Moldova: Eduard Romanyuta — “I Need Your Love”
Armenia: Genealogy — “Face the Shadow”
Belgium: Loïc Nottet — “Rhythm Inside”
The Netherlands: Trijntje Oosterhuis — “Walk Along”
Finland: Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät (PKN) — “Aina mun pitää”
Greece: Maria-Elena Kyriakou — “One Last Breathe”
Estonia: Elina & Stig — “Goodbye to Yesterday”
FYR Macedonia: Daniel Kajmakoski — “Autumn Leaves”
Photo: Thomas Hanses (EBU)
Who was your favourite today? You can vote for as many acts as you like, but you can only vote ONE time.
[polldaddy poll=”8859724″]
The best song: I’m alive-Albania
The best rehearsal was the Greek by far. Amazing clothe amazing voice awesome staging and awesome song. Maria Elena Kyriakou has the best voice in the ESC. Please vote for Greece. All of you that love the Greek song please vote for it!!! I am begging you. Please support Greece. It is one of the best songs Greece has ever sent. SUPPORT your favourite song/voice and not the best economy. GREECE will be able to organise the ESC 2016. This song is the best greek entry ever(WITH THIS OF HELENA). Please vote for greece.
1. Belgium –> PERFECTION!! His voice was unique, the whole presentation was amazing! (I love the way he spins.)
2. Greece –> she was just AMAZING!! Voice, dress, the whole presentation was stunning!
3. Estonia –> I just loooove the song and the singers!! They were amazing!! Their voices have been improved! Go Estonia!
My top 3
1.Greece(great silver sexy dress,fantastic vocals,fantasic lights,an eye that could even cry or explode by pyros,dramatic emotional ballad,fantastic back vocals,white piano,atmosphere and mystery,it turns more fast and dynamic after half song and little gospel)
2.Estonia (Good song,good vocals,60’s feeiling,nice staging with buildings,nice outfit)
3.Belgium(very good vocals,strange but intersting movements,sexy young guy)
Greece was the winner of the first rehearsals. Incredible voice, incredible stage…, nothing more to say. GO GREECE!! 🙂
I think Armenia had by far the best rehearsal. The whole thing just works so well. Other than Armenia, I think Greece was okay, still a borderline not qualifier for me. Estonia was disappointing, but the song is too good not to go through. For now though,
1. Armenia
2. Estonia
3. Greece
4. Belgium
The rest were meh
My top 8 rehearsals of the day: Winners: 1. Greece: Classy, interesting background using the eye feature, perfect vocals 2. Estonia: Nice, yet a little bland at times. The shadows will definitely work, not so sure about the skyscrapers. 3. Armenia: Nice visuals, using everything they can and the outfit and the vocal performance were all good. Ok: 4. Belgium: I think that the pure white is a bit eye tiring, and he did mess up in the choreography, but in a week this will work. 5. Finland: Nothing new, but they did what they have to do with their… Read more »
My top for this rehearsal 1.Greece 2.Armenia 3.Estonia….Also i really dont like this Padraig-guy
Armenia for sure, and days ago I was even not that into their song!!
Besides Armenia, I also like Greece’ performance! My goddess 😀
Elina & Stig seemed to be OK on stage though it’s hard to tell in such short seconds.
Noic and Daniel’s performance need to be improved indeed. I like their song especially the latter, and I still have faith in both of them.
Belgium was for me the best of these rehearsals. I like the dancing.
The winner of the 1st rehearsal:
GREECE
Reasons why ?
Beautiful dressed girl.
Staging & Performing was surprisingly good, that’s all compared to the others.
But during the 1st rehearsals we have not seen any real ESC 2015 winner so far.
Many people might like Greece’s performance because it seemed clean and conservative. It’s not too confusing because there are no gimmicks at least. It could appeal to common European listeners (non ESC fans) by the time they get to see Maria Elena singing on stage. That is, apart from the majority of Greeks.
Armenia looks superb on stage but I’m still not a fan of our song.
Belgium looks hot <3 Estonia looks amazing as ever, <3 and Maria Elena sounds spectacular live! <3
Winners
#1 armenia
#2 estonia
#3 greece
Ok’s
#1 Belgium
#2 Netherlands
Losers
#1 Finland
#2 moldova
#3 Macedonia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7jX3p3rdm4
I’m in shock with so little love shown to Estonia today. Everything was great and i don’t know what kind of show people were expecting them to put on with a song like that. Suddenly Greece and Armenia are the best songs in the universe cause of the staging. Oh well… I’m gonna sleep now. This is beyond me.
Armenia looked and sounded great as far as I can tell, they’re the standout for me. Belgium, Greece and Estonia were ok too. I just cannot get Trijntje’s dress out of my mind, I think I’ve been scarred for life. Honey, you’re 42 and a mother, you’ve seen better years, what the hell were you thinking with that get up? It’s tacky, unflattering everywhere, makes her hips look wider than Russia, and don’t even get me started on the shoes, they cut her off right at the ankle and look like not-so-high-heeled mary jeans. What a disaster. I gues if… Read more »
Armenia was the best today.
Armenia was the best of the best today!
Armenia was the best by far.
From all these probably only Greece is a qualifier. Estonia, Belgium and Armenia still have a chance too.
Greece won the day, no question about it. She looked and sounded fabulous, and the background looked fabulous. HOWEVER … it’s a tad early to be declaring her the winner of the contest. There are lots more Celine-a-likes to go, and you gotta think at least some of them are gonna bring it at least as well as Greece. Armenia done good too. I still think it’s likely to be a mess, but there was ample evidence that it’s not going to be AS MUCH of a mess. I had them not qualifying, but now I’m reconsidering. Finland was just… Read more »
I think we will pull an Anna Vissi that night. No one thought her song was anything special till she performed it that night and blew people away! Maria Elena will do the same.
As William would say, haters gonna hate 🙂
Belgium and Greece were the standouts for me, but I give the edge to Greece. Has a Celine Dion aura to it, well sung! Armenia was fine, but just not a fan of the song. The rest were just ok. Moldova: no comment. 😉
Belgium has the best staging, so monochromatic and the lightings are beautiful. While Finland’s staging is kinda like typical rock concert which is very alternative to Eurovision. Love them both.
Greece has surprised me. I hated the song after it was selected thought it was boring and nothing stood out for me, but after seeing the staging, I have changed my mind. It will qualify. I think Belgium had the best performance though 🙂 Looked good
So…who would “win” the Barbara Dex Award between Daniel and Trijntje?
Biggest looser was Moldova
Biggest winner was Moldova as well, so bad it has to be mentioned twice.
Sorry – four, not five in the Macedonian section
I’d probably rank them as such: 1. Armenia – we’ve been saying for months that it’s either going to be absolutely breathtaking or a complete wreck, and maybe it’ll be the latter at some point, but today was definitely the former in my mind. It also felt more focused than it did in the studio version, partially thanks to the sound balance that includes something of a leading role for one person (Inga). 2. Finland – it was no surprise that they rocked as much as they did onstage; this was a genre built for live performances. I like how… Read more »
WINNERS:
Belgium
Greece! WOW, voice, talent and beauty
OK, BUT I WANNA MORE SHOW
Estonia
acedonia
RANDOM
The Netherlands (someone tell her her real age!! plzz)
Armenia (WTF… are they doing black magic vs Az…?? xD)
HORROR (not a surprise):
Moldova
Finland
Armenia and Greece really turned up (both are nowhere near my top 10, by the way)
the Benelux and Macedonia really lost out though
-Nottet kept tripping over his song (and his dancers)
-The Netherlands’ staging is all wrong for the song
-Macedonia was a hot mess in general
I believe that Belgium and Greece had the best rehearsal/ received the most positive reviews. No one believed in Greece until today. Beautiful background and stage performance. Simple and classy. Belgium gave us a modern, minimalist performance. Awesome sound, certain qualifier and contender for the Top 10 in the final. The Netherlands kinda disappointed almost everyone. Moldova was a big mess, FYR Macedonia has a nice song but the choreography looks out of place and Armenia is too dramatic. Estonia is nothing spectacular and Finland is exactly the same we saw in their national selection. It might be forgettable due… Read more »
@wtf
Everyone has a different taste. I adore Crno i belo, but prefer Autumn leaves. Autumn leaves is something new, modern & fresh + Daniel this year made a history. For the first time eve 3 African-American guys represent my country at Eurovision. I love all creativity about Autumn leaves.
@LeBron
That blond plastic-barbie doll with no voice & charismsa has a forgettable bland & dull ballad. I’ll be happy if she didn’t qualify!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fyrom song is so forgettable, it would be eleventh wonder of “macedonian civilization” if it qualifies, no matter how much fyrom fans like it! You are not voting saule riet, so the laugh will be on you! 🙂
@Saule Riet: No, it’s not. Everyone knows that title belongs to Crno i belo…
@George
Sorry man i’m not that kind of person who sit on the PC and post stupid comments like yours. I know who i’m and deal with it!!!
@ Saule Riet
Yeah. Of course it is.Alexander the Great is listening to it right now in his grave.
”Macedonian” song . You made my night. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Allerlaatste tip: gebruik hele podium, vloer en gebruik ALLEEN zwart wit echte beelden van je clip. Weg met die kleuren, veel te druk. Zang is perfect!!!! Daar gaat het om, jurk moet ingetogen zijn en elegant EN sexy passend bij een elegante sexy zelf verzekerde vrouw… SUCCESS met 2e rehearsal.. gebruik het X
I’m sorry but you are all losers. I will laughing so hard when Daniel will qualify in final and ended in Top.10 in the final. I will defend Autumn leaves because it’s the best Macedonian song ever!!!!!!!
The winners:Greece and Greece. Ok and Belgium.
Losers: Estonia and The Netherlands.
Fyrom and Moldova went as bad as I expected
Despite Moldova and Finland being my bottom 2, I think they had good rehearsals…
Tenslotte gebruik je toch de jurk, kier dan een een glamour bedekking eronder..levert echt meer punten op. De naam van de act zou ik veranderen in:
X-TRAIN (the voice of holland) 😉
Winners: Armenia and Greece
Losers: Netherlands (definitely) and Macedonia
For me Estonia and Belgium won the day. I didn’t care much for the rest.