La Belgique. La Géorgie. L’Australie.
Three countries, three seconds rehearsals and three new reviews from Eurovision 2019.
Reactions to second rehearsals at Eurovision 2019: Belgium, Georgia and Australia
Belgium: Eliot with “Wake Up”
What an improvement. Belgium knocked it out of the park at the second rehearsal. Everything about Eliot’s performance has improved on all fronts. He looks like he’s enjoying himself, he engages so much more with the camera and he moves. The elements now make sense. The screens work to channel and build intensity, the drummers heap on the pressure and Eliot himself channels it all into a powerful performance. In this reviewer’s opinion that is the most improved performance of the day so far.
Eliot – “Wake Up”
Georgia: Oto Nemsadze with “Keep On Going”
When we first saw Georgia’s staging things felt as aggressive as they ever had. There was lightning, a heart-rate monitor, a world on fire and barbed wire flying through the sky.
The second run has tempered that aggression and has channeled it into a more palatable product. Oto’s voice is now the right side of screaming where it is powerful rather than painful. Undoubtedly this is still quite an intimidating stageshow, but the sting in the tail has been removed. It remains full on, but it now offers a more thoughtful performance than previously.
The screens have been softened, transitions are more tame and you have greater sense of narrative than before. This rehearsal may also have put Georgia in contention for qualification.
Oto Nemsadze – “Keep On Going”
Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke with “Zero Gravity”
If the first rehearsal was stratospheric, Australia’s second rehearsal at the Eurovision Song Contest took us far beyond the atmosphere. Kate Miller-Heidke and her backing vocalists have now refined the “nothing holding me down” segment. It has greater kinetic energy, greater purpose and adds to a greater sense of climax. She escapes Earth, accelerates away and we want to follow her. Barnstorming stuff from the Aussies.
Kate Miller-Heidke – “Zero Gravity”
Check out all of our rehearsal news here
Photo Credit: EBU
I am glad that my very early thoughts about the Australian song (right after the release of the studio version I wrote somewhere that this might be a winning song) are now confirmed, because they did a great job staging.
Belgium is a worry for me now: Georgia could be a surprise qualifier, if it does qualify Belgium and probably Serbia won’t either.
Australia’s staging is promising (if it delivers look out at the top 5), usually – this is usually their weakness along with the televote of late.
I’m sorry – Australia’s clip is making me dizzy and nauseaus. Stupid vertigo. I guess I’ll just close my eyes on tuesday and only enjoy the amazing vocals.
I don’t get the portuguese. Conan, change that f*** outfit! Otherwise, that this entry goes from favourite to possible non qualifier JUST because of a dress (otherwise, the performance is exactly the same as in the national selection) tells you how important is staging in Eurovision. I would say: song and performancer is 35%, staging is 65%.
Australia staging looks incredible and compliments the song amazingly well! This is going to be a sensation on SF night!!!
I really don’t like these on-screen CGI effects that Australia is using. Like ESC performances were not already ridiculously over the top… This is supposed to be a live singing contest, not a live recreation of a video clip.
Yeah you’re right, we should have everyone just standing on the stage doing absolutely nothing that is visually interesting for 3 minutes…
Your comment brings zero added value: there’s is a huge spectrum of possibilities between CGI/pyrotechnics and “just standing on the stage doing absolutely nothing that is visually interesting for 3 minutes” (which is not even something I mentioned, so not sure what comment you’re answering). Btw, these ridiculous staging trends are very recent (started around 2012), before that it was a normal live singing contest. And most of the recent winners were alone on stage and/or using very simple staging: Salvador, Jamala, Conchita, “Only Teardrops”, Loreen, “Running Scared”, etc. So these over the top stagings are not even a successful… Read more »
And btw, it’s incredibly disrespectful for artists and live performers to imply that a “normal” concert is not “visually interesting”… I guess you must not see a lot of live music.
Belgium is my 2nd, but I’m not feeling it with the staging. I think it needed something different. It is too static which doesn’t help because the song is also a bit flat. I’m worried about its qualification. Don’t know how the keep messing up with the live performance like the last couple of years. Blanche was my winner that year, but let’s be honest, the live performance was a bit underwhelming even if she placed 4th. Well, Georgia… impressive. I think the Eastern countries will support it, but the Western ones will have a hard time digesting it. Anyway,… Read more »
To all Belgium haters: EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!!
Yummy.
You have to see the 2 minute snippet from Belgium with the right angles with the camera, also the sound is absolutely improved a lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZMkK2EMeqc
Belgium: Apart from the outfit this is good. Could see it qualify
Georgia: Not my cup of tea, I find it to shouty,, but nice staging.
Australia: Less messy than the original staging!
Quick review #4: Belgium – the big triangle over the stage is a cool idea, but overall it just feels kinda disjointed. Eliot is a sweetheart, but the vocals he gave us today are really not enough, they make him sound tired and he’s the one who’s supposed to wake us up! Georgia – really nice – the backing singers are epic, Oto’s giving his best, the pyros add up to the performance’s atmosphere, it’s just a cool staging, Georgia has a real shot at qualifying this year! Australia – pure magic – I suggest even more close-ups and camera… Read more »
Belgium: do you know when you really want to like something but just can’t? The hands choreography needs a lot of work.
Georgia: real powerful stuff the moment when Oto is joined by his backing vocals (we already had the mamas, now we have the papas?). Still don’t know how I feel though, since the most agressive moments aren’t in the snippet.
Australia: Kate is really glowing, visually and vocally. It looks great, my only concern is about the camera angles getting repetitive after a while. The makeover from the national final to the final product is almost perfect.
From a 44 second clip you claim the camera angles are repetitive he’s lacking vocals- my god people art artistic geniuses. No one and I mean no one can make a judgement on how an artist will look and sound on the TV on the night – hey I respect your right to comment but EVERYONE not just you are talking out of their arse if they think that they can judge any artist over a 40sec or so clip . Everyone’s song is 3 mins so I’m under the impression and correct me if I am wrong but you… Read more »
Belgium, NO. Poor lamb. NO.
Georgia surprised me in a good way. Strong pyros this year, Romania, Norway, Georgia.
I am very much impressed with the visuals this year, I sorely missed them last year in Portugal (shame).
Australia – I am not impressed at all with what I saw on the official rehearsal video. I hope it will be better during the shows.
Belgium- you should be NQ as punishment, even though I really like this song, just because you somehow manage to screw things with bad staging!
Georgia- could this be our surprise Q?
Australia- she’s there, star in the sky Q
Isn’ t still a song contest???? year by year the staging seems te become more important than the song… , it used to be the song, later on the dress.. now some great songs are overloaded by the staging… there’s no way back it seems….. what’s next??? circus acts????
Yeah, but this is called CONTEST, sorry, there are others more crafted acts
lol… And what in the word “contest” implies the overuse of pyrotechnics and CGI?
Totally agree with Pepper… I thought ESC performances couldn’t look even more over the top, but now they’re even using these ridiculous CGI effects. This is tacky and tasteless. Next year, why don’t they just broadcast video clips?
And here we have an another Belgium hater.I’m getting so sick and tired of it, so tell me what is it that we ever did wrong to you all?
Nobody here hates Belgium. People like the song and have high expectations for the staging, especially since they didn’t qualify last year due to ___________ (fill in the blanks)
OH please it’s every year the same story, so don’t give me that BS…
The guy who does Netherland’s staging this year?
Why do you take this this so personally ? The song is nice but let’s face it: the staging is kind of mediocre. We’ll be happy to qualify. Luckily it’s not as bad as last year; that was just awful.
I think that this time Australia will get higher points by televoting, because juries don’t like opera vocals. The juries will feel that they are worse than Kate. Mark my words.
I don’t understand the juries not liking opera vocals. Music is music, opera elements bring a modern twist to an old-fashioned/ever-green genre.
I am really impressed by Australia. This was originally the number 14 on my list, but the staging is impressive and makes the song much more credible. Will definitely climb positions in my personal top and sneak into my top 10. Don’t think it will reach my top 5 because I still don’t love the song, but they have done a real good job definitely!
Ohhh belgium
I really like the song and Elliot improved a lot but those handmovents just ain’t it 🙁
Greetings from your northern neighbour
YESSS Georgia’s staging is really good!
Despite the pole dancing does anyone like zero gravity as a song?
no hate, just asking…
I really dislike it as a song and i think it is overrated
Yes! it was my 3rd in Australia Decides but I still like it and I love how unique it is!
Actually no, Zero Gravity as a song is weak.
LOL, that’s not “pole dancing”.
I didn’t like the song the first time I heard but it has grown on me a lot.
it is though, in some sort of way…
But Kate is not dancing, she is swaying from one side to the other. And SINGS at the same time. At that height. Mindblowing. If juries don’t appreciate that, that will be tragic. I wonder what her core workouts looked like. Kate, please made a work-out video, I will buy it.
I wouldn’t listen to this song by choice.
Georgia the dark horse!
Competing with Montenegro for last place..
Kate or Katerine will win the semi. Downvote me lol, but Kate is slaying, slaying, slaying. Without Duncan and Mahmood I would even say, this can win overall, but NL and ITA are strong 🙂
Eliot improved a lot… this message and song has to pass to the final
Eliot seems to lose himself in the middle of all that big production. The song needs more power.
Belguim great song, but he is not a performer. He looks scared on the podium. There is now power.
Happy for Belgium and Georgia. Though I need to see those rehearsal clips to make an idea by myself. Why is the official channel sooo slow?
GO BELGIUM MY NUMBER 2
Aaarrrggghhhh, I am so excited for Belgium. Such a great song and artist – to think the visual staging might be coming together as well is making me very happy!!
He deserves it!
belgica was very good
Belgium*