Rehearsals: Day 7 - I Think

Even though the press claim that you lose track of time in Baku I also have the same problem to report. Despite being here in Dublin rehearsals have started to morph into one long day. However today we have a lot of excitement to look forward to as the big 5 and Azerbaijan take to the stage for first rehearsals. Anyway how are things shaping up?

Slovenia - This rehearsal seems to have gone well, those who have been listening to the ESCInsight podcast this morning may have heard parts of it in the background. All in all Slovenia should be very pleased with this. However the high number of balkans in this semi-final will be a serious problem.

Croatia - This does not seem to be working perfectly on stage. Somethings are going wrong and now we have two Balkan ballads together. This looks like a non-qualifier unless Nina can bring it all together.

Sweden - Sweden appear to have had a great run through. While some might claim that this is looking messy on stage the performance is broadly the same as the one that won Melodifestivalen and that was fairly amazing.

Georgia - Anri is a good performer and had a really good first rehearsal. Today he seems to have really come across well and looks like a possible qualifier, after being previously written off. Typical Georgia.

Turkey -  Turkey did a full dress rehearsal today and it appeared to be really, really strong, which has changed many peoples attitudes to the song. It all has come together really well. So we should be happy with that. BUT I don't think that the song is that great.

Then there was lunch and then started the Big 5 and Azerbaijan rehearsals.

Germany - Rehearsal Video
Despite having a fairly poor song this year Germany has really come up in terms of the staging and performance of this entry. Having come through Unser Star Fur Baku Roman certainly appears to be a competent performer on stage. Vocally this was impressive and the band style performance looks good and makes up for Roman's fairly static performance - but then again could you really start dancing during a song called "Standing Still"? While the performance is good, if it was surrounded by ballads it could struggle.

France - Rehearsal Video
Auggun took to the stage with five dancers who are used a lot throughout the performance. The performance is done with a wind machine and when you combine this with the dancing it all looks a bit weird. Vocally this was not good given that this shouldn't be a problem for an experienced artist. All in all it looks a bit messy on stage. The backdrop is strange and might be to fast moving to look well on the cameras. We shall see what they change tomorrow but I suspect that not much will change. A disappointing rehearsal but there is still a lot of scope to change this.

Italy - Rehearsal Video
I would say that based on what I am reading on the blogs Italy is definitely the favourite of the press over in Baku. Personally I think it is one of the best out there but I see it as a third to fifth place song rather than a winner. Vocally this is excellent, as rehearsals go this was probably one of the best that we have seen however I do think that backdrop is poor and jars badly with the song. I would be aiming for a more Lena-esque performance if I was producing this song. I also think that there is an argument for this song if you compare it to Lena in 2010. However Lena was a more charismatic singer and for this to do well it needs to have charisma thrown in and I'm just not getting this at the moment. But it still is the second most likely song to win. I'll give it that.

Azerbaijan - Rehearsal Video
After watching Italy this pales in comparison. Azerbaijan have done an awful lot right here. The performance is simple and straight forward. The guy in the background is a bit creepy. Overall though this is fairly bland song. However it is Azerbaijan and they are the host country so this will not do to badly. The bridge sounds dire though. This is solid, a safe bet and should give Azerbaijan a reasonable placing.

Spain - Rehearsal Video
Pastora Soler had a great first rehearsal. However it is not personal enough and it needs to make a much great attempt to connect with the cameras. Vocally though this is jaw droppingly good. I think that the overall performance is great but it reminds me of Niamh Kavanagh's in 2010.

UK - Rehearsal Video
The highly anticipated performance by Engelbert Humperdinck, finally took place today. The rumours about the Strictly Come Dancers in the background were correct. The backdrop was an interesting choice and might be just a little moody for the opener to the competition. Engelbert though is giving a really great performance. Although there is a problem with the last notes it is looking well overall and I think that the UK should be able to just about beat last years result.

A Very Different Song From France

Every week I try to review a song (at least while we are at this stage of the national finals) with Norway and Iceland finished I am trying to expand my listening but for now we turn our attention to the interesting song sent by France to the Eurovision Song Contest.

France internally selected their artist as usual this year [it may be the last year that they can do so]. There was some surprise at the announcement of well known artist Anggun largely because she it a well respected singer in France. Her song was then presented as Echo (You and I) and the song did divide many fans. Some arguing that this is a masterpiece others arguing that this is to odd a song for it to do well at the Eurovision Song Contest. I agree with both sides and here's why.

Firstly the song itself is extremely strong. It has a great voice to sing it and is interesting in the constant whistle and low pitch of Angguns voice. It has some great moments it too. I personally feel it has a slight jazz feel to it. On the down side the song is interesting but lacks a crescendo.  Each verse in the main sounds the same as the one that came before it. While this may seem not to be a problem, another issue with the song is the lack of a hook, so the alternative is putting in a huge stomper of a chorus, which is non existant. Because the song lacks a verbal hook the only hook can be the song's whistle. This is not noticeable or unique enough for it to act as the true hook.

The next issue steams from the song's jazz style [even if it is pop] this leads to it becoming a little too complex for the contest. The first couple of times that I heard it I could not fully see the strange trust of the song. This could be a problem at ESC. If people do not see where the song is going they simply will not enjoy it. I think that the song would do better by starting in the semi-finals to allow people to hear it a few times.

However despite my criticism I still think that there are certain items that could give this song a competitive advantage over other songs. Firstly France does seem to be giving this song quite a lot of promotion. Second Anggun is a very experienced performer and will have a lot of stage presence. Thirdly, it is a very creative song which could lead it to coming in the juries top 5/6 which would be a big boost. Finally Anggun has a lot of fans across Europe particularly in countries neighbouring countries to France.

Verdict: On a personal level I think that this song is, on balance a very good one however there are many reasons why it may not appeal at Eurovision but an equal number to suggest it will. However France has often been to the forefront of the odds in recent years (2009 and 2011) and often comes out worse.

Without considering the song I would not be a big fan of a French win. They are far from the most popular country in Ireland at the moment. (Corportation Tax, Henry's handball, to name a few)

Grade: B

France's reveals song!

So today we heard the 5th Song of ESC 2012. This one comes from France and is sung by the noteworthy Auggun.

All we will say for the moment is that it is very French. (That is not always a good thing)