FINALISTS' REHEARSALS

Earlier today the big 5 plus Israel, the host country, had their second rehearsals. Here's how I think they went...

ISRAEL

Kobi starts on the main stage with five backing singers where there are plenty of choreographed moments. At the end Kobi moves down the runway to finish right to the top.  He is dressed smartly although the faux bow tie is a brave move. There are some lovely camera shots and uses of fade in/out. There seems to be a lot of pryo at the end which distracts you from the singing. His voice sounds ok and still has the very individual styles but doesn’t sound yet like he is in 5^th gear.

FRANCE

Well I did not see this coming. After disastrous staging attempts in the national final they've pulled something genial out of the bag. Bilal is onstage with a much longer blonde wig which is very striking. He has 2 dancers who are phenomenal and totally bring together the song’s meaning. The video backdrop blends in well in the close ups but keeps the feeling of the song in the long shots. The song seems to have been re-orchestrated too and his backing singers give it a lot of much needed lift. Wow.

SPAIN

Miki has 5 backing singers and they are all inside the prop which is the silhouette of a house (think Finders Keepers!). It helps create a feeling of stopping everything for a party but it is a very big prop for such a small gag. The backdrop is really colourful, dynamic and very memorable. Miki sounds great and the backing singers do a great job of adding extra energy to the whole show although I feel this will be usurped as soon as the audience get involved. However I am yet to see what the wicker man adds to this.

ITALY

Mahmood sounds absolutely on point and looks and sounds really comfortable. The backdrop has themes from the music video which helps push the meaning subliminally and also attract those people who may recognise it. He is on stage with 3 dancers who really need to up their game. Although the choreography is fine their timing is out and then it looks a mess. During the chorus there are far too many chops and changes in camera shots, especially during the clap clap parts and the songs seems to lose its power here.

UNITED KINGDOM

This starts off in black and white before moving into full colour at the first chorus. He is also alone on stage and then his backing singers come on when the song builds up nearer the end. Michael is in black whilst his backing singers are in white. He sounds really comfortable. The camerawork is a little bit predictable and the whole thing just comes across and a bit safe and stereotypical. The wide shots at the beginning are quite puzzling and Michael needs to open his eyes  and make more effort in connecting with the camera.

GERMANY

Much more restrained and less aggressive show than their performance in the national final. The backdrop still has the girls’ faces on it but this is not the main focus of the show. The girls use the walkway really well to signal what the song is about. They are less shouty and their faces seem much more smiley and open which is a good sign. They are dressed differently but predominately black.  The whole thing however is quite uneventful and there are no real distinguishing features.