Bulgaria: Sofi Marinova’s First Rehearsal
William: This morning Bulgaria’s Sofi Marinova skinned a leopard, wrapped herself up in its fur and arrived at Baku’s Crystal Hall Arena ready to wow us. Gypsy club music is…
Portugal: Filipa Sousa’s First Rehearsal
Deban: Beautiful song, but somewhat let down by the staging. (A tiny bit…). There are many fado moments in the song, but the instrumentation isn’t realised visually. This is where Serbia’s…
The Netherlands: Joan Franka’s First Rehearsal
Wiwi: The sight of flames and feathers normally conjures up images of a gay pride event on an Indian reservation. But at Eurovision 2012 it can only mean one thing:…
Belarus: Litesound’s First Rehearsal
Wiwi: What the hell is the lead singer Dmitry wearing, and who told him it was a good idea to use scissors in the dark? There’s a strange sense throughout…
Malta: Kurt Calleja’s First Rehearsal
Deban: So much effort is being made by Kurt and the Gang, but it still reads as bland. The refrain ‘eh eh eh eh eh eh…’ just grates on me!…
F.Y.R. Macedonia: Kaliopi’s First Rehearsal
Deban: It’s no secret: I’m in love with Kaliopi and her song “Crno i belo.” This video interview is one of the reasons why. However, for the sake of our…
Serbia: Zeljko Joksimovic’s First Rehearsal
Deban: Zeljko sets the mood with “Nije Ljubav Stvar,” and by doing so, he inadvertently elevates the overall level of taste present in the second semi final. The instruments feature…
Ireland: Jedward’s First Rehearsal
Wiwi: Jedward’s stage act remains pretty similar to what we saw at the Irish national selection. That’s not a bad thing. It’s as vibrant and energetic as it was then,…
Moldova: Pasha Parfeny’s First Rehearsal
Deban: Pumping up the volume on a kitsch performance, Pasha Parfeny juxtaposes lots of random images to tell his story. It’s typically Moldovan in that he reverses the notion of “less is…
Israel: Izabo’s First Rehearsal
Wiwi: Along with Valentina Monetta, Izabo has the best LED backdrop of the day. The oversized clocks fit perfectly with their song’s story of a man trying to outwit time.…
Hungary: Compact Disco’s First Rehearsal
Deban: Compact Dicso are a silent threat. “The Sound of Our Hearts” offends no one. The staging is very professional. LEDs in varying colours where moving lines were shown, forming beating…
Denmark: Soluna Samay’s First Rehearsal
Deban: There is something rather unsettling about this performance. Firstly, Soluma Samay turned up for rehearsals in what seems to be her outfit for the show. Complete with an ornate…
Austria: The Trackshittaz’s First Rehearsal
Deban: My advice to the Trackshittaz: Ditch the neon sluts, and solidify your own choreography as a duo. Just because you’re allowed to have six performers on stage does not mean you…
Russia: The Buranovskiye Babushki’s First Rehearsal
Wiwi: This morning the Buranovskiye Babushki entered Baku’s Crystal Hall Arena wearing sequined bikini tops and doing back-flips. They were dancing so hard I worried their hips might break! Just…
Cyprus: Ivi Adamou’s First Rehearsal
Vebooboo: Well we’ve been asking the question for some time now regarding Ivi’s ability to sing La La Live. Watching the first rehearsal reminded me that sound editing is an…
San Marino: Valentina Monetta’s First Rehearsal
Wiwi: Oh, oh, uh, oh, oh — it’s Miss Valentina Monetta! The “Social Network” singer took to the stage in Baku this morning for her first rehearsal, and things are…
Romania: Mandinga Films Workout Video for Wiwi Readers
A strong woman often has a strong man behind her. Romania’s Elena Ionescu is lucky enough to have several. The men of Mandinga—that’s Alex, Chupi, Bazooka, and Florin Zach—help Elena…
First Semi-Final Odds: Albania and Israel Into the Final?
When we last checked the odds to win the first semi-final at Eurovision 2012 on April 15, Russia’s Buranovskiye Babushki had moved past Denmark’s Soluna Samay as the favorite to…