Bulgaria
Now started bulgarian rehearsal. Very extraordinary clothes. But it wouldn't be the Finalist
Comments (3) Posted to Генерална 05/14/2008 Edit
Croatia
Very liked for Entry Sellection performance.
More stage props here with a chair for 75cents and an ancient gramophone which the oldest ever Eurovision performer uses at the end of the song to pretend to "scratch" ala today's DJs.
The lead singer of Kraljevi Ulice is looking most uncomfortable with underarm sweat and a big sore on his lip and I'm not sure if that isn't making him a bit grumpy.
There's a very nice seagull motiff in the background The performance is similar to the Croatian final with 75 cents stealing the spotlight at the start of the song, before the band kick in.
All the time there is veryy nubile young lady doing a semi-gymnastic dance routine.
At the end there's a row stand with bottles which she hits to emphasise the beats in the singalong chorus.
It's very different, quite catchy, and while its's got a limited appeal,
I can see the Balkans and diaspora loving this, and it's certainly in the shake-up for the final.
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Latvia
Latvians pirates a very expensive. But it's very fun. We see their in Final
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Belarus
Ruslan Alekhno is very good belarusian singer. But in this evening his very expressive song Hasta la vista was listen very bored.
It has very extraordinary performance on the scene.
Ruslan has 4 backing dancers on stage with him along with 1 backing singer who is almost out of site at the back of the stage. There are 5 gold baubles with golden lights all over them in the centre of the stage, one large one and 4 smallers ones.
This is a song that not many people are talking about but it was a really good rehearsal and could do well.
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/14/2008 Edit
Czech Republic
Tereza have very excellent performance. We think that she is automation Finalist of the ESC2008. 
She have well vocal, but think that it was because of soundcheck. 
It has 4 girl-dancers and one of DJ. Tereza is very nice looking on the scene.
It's one more best decoration on the scene. But decoration like to Greece.
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/14/2008 Edit
Switzerland
I was thinking that so far this year , we have not had any performer with what has become known as 'Coco-Dance' vocals named after he 2006 Monagasque entry. We have had a few bad sound checks and we have had some singers who's voices are not to everyone's taste. Switzerlands vocal was just terrible. very weak, strained and out of tune in many places. I hoped it would improve with each rehearsal but it really didn't.
The presentation is aso not good. One man at a piano with 4 backing singers/dancers, 2 male and 2 female. There is no real dancing on stage , some walking and lots of hand movements and twirls by the backing singers but it looks like it is really lacking something on stage.
The main stage colour is blue. It loks like the female backing singers will be in charcoal grey glittering dresses, the male backing singers in black with white ties and Paolo will be in a white shirt, black tie and black leather trousers.
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Albania
The backdrop is a red flowing flame effect on black along with flowing hearts of various colours.. Red is also the main colour around the performance area of the stage. She is joined onstage by a drummer and 2 guitarists.
The presentation is very simple and this makes it effective I think. She had sound problems at the start of the rehearsal but that was sorted out. It looks like she will be wearing a black dress with a white collar with a design on the collar, and the musicians in the same design of outsit only they are white with a black collar.
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Lithania rehearsal
Jeronimas is alone onstage. The stage is dark with a bright moon on the backdrop.
He has an extra step on the peformance area which he stands on near the end of the song to make him even taller!!
Vocally, it was very good, a few strained notes but not many. Near the end of the song he falls to his knees and raises his arm into the air. There is also some 'dry-ice' or smoke on stage.
Overall, it was a good rehearsal but whether it will qualify is another matter.
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Плющенко у России, а что если.... / Pluschenko for Russia, and what will be that...
В этом году на конкурсе Евровидение за Россию будет выступать Дима Билан. В его команде много прославленных людей, таких как Евгений Плющенко и Эдвин Мартин. Наша читательница AlexandraRussia задумалась, кто бы мог составить этому тандему "конкуренцию" у других стран.
Итак, представим картину. Украина - на заднем плане боксируют братья Кличко. На выступлении Хорватии Бланка Власич прыгает в высоту. У Германии Шумахер по сцене ездит.
Но в выигрыше оказывается Норвегия! Выйдет Биерндалленн с винтовкой и уж он-то точно не промахнется.
This year, Russia will present on eurovision Eugenie Pluschenko and Edvin Martin with Dima Bilan. Our reader AlexandraRussia think, which famous people could be performance for another countries.
So, for Ukraine we could see next picture: on the back stage brothers Klichko. On the Croatia's performance would jump Blanka Vlasic. When will sing Germany, Michael Schumacher could be racing on the scene.
But winner will be Norway. Because for that country could be performance Ole Bjorndallen and he will push to point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Press-Conference of Charlotte
It was very like. On the press-conference was Charlotte, Sempe, Berkmann and back-vocalistes. Charlotte asked many questions about her private life. She reply very correct and said that She change her surname because she married.
The very fun moment was when San-Marino group Mio Dio came to Press-Conference Hall and guys cried to Charlotte - Charlotte, will you married us? But Charlotte was very smile and reply them - I'm married already. But may be in the future I will be married for you. - :)
After that she sang "Hero", "Bullet" and one song on Beatles.
It was very nice
For photos thanks Indrek Galetin (EBU)
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SENZACIONALNI NASTUP RUSIJE NA PRVOJ PROBI (Stanislava Tekić RTS)
Proba ruskog predstavnika Dime Bilana održana je poslednja danas zbog tehnički složenije scenografije. Zelen-crni motivi sa srebrnim iskrama na led ekranu kao i dim koji je izbijao iz scene dali su posebnu senzualnost celokupnom nastupu.
Na sceni “ Beogradske arene” 20. maja Dimi će se pridružiti najveća klizačka zvezda Jevgenij Plušenko koji će klizati na improvizovanoj ledenoj površini uz deo Dimine pesme “Believe”. Sa njima će se na sceni pojaviti i jedan od najboljih violinista Edvin Marton koji će svirati na Stradivarijusovoj violini neprocenjive vrednosti iz 1697. godine.
U prepunoj sali pres centra, Dima Bilan održao je konferenciju za novinare. Nesvakidašnje interesovanje zavladalo je zbog predstavnika Rusije koji je bio vicešampion takmičenja “Pesme Evrovizije 2006” ali i zbog Jevgenija Plušenka.
Pesma “Believe” govori o snazi volje tri druga i njihovoj želji da pomognu bolesnom dečaku. Taj inzvaredni trio obećao je da će održati koncert u Moskvi po završetku “Pesme Evrovizije” i da će zaista pomoći nekom detetu. Sav prihod od tog koncerta otići će u dobrotvorne svrhe.
Posebno oduševljenje među novinarima nastalo je kada je u salu Edvin Marton uneo instrument na kom je svirao Nikolo Paganini, Stradivarijusova violina. Dima je uz zvuke violine izveo deo pesme “Believe” ali i početne taktove prošlogodišnje pobedničke pesme “Molitva” naše Marije Šerifović.
Opšti je utisak da se Rusija ozbiljno spremila za 53. takmičenje “ Pesma Evrovizije” i da ima veliku šansu da pobedi. Dima, Edvin i Jevgenij su svesni svog kvaliteta ali ih čeka težak posao. Ulazak u finale za njih ne bi bio dovoljan uspeh. “Ako nešto zaista želite to se može ostvariti”, rekao je Dima Bilan. -->
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Ukraine
It was very good. Ani sing very nice.
Ani can sing - something we already knew - but seriously she really CAN sing and it all looks effortless when she is doing it. Lots of mirrors and lighting and heavy choreography and all sorts of things on stage make it visually - well - confusing in a good way really.
Sound check note perfect much like it's predecessors. Oh if only they'd all been like this the last couple of days. There is a glitter ball projected on the backdrop. The backers appear out of a mirrored box which lights up before they come out and do the dance routine. This is looking very ominous indeed. The choreography is the best I've seen this year. Ani manages to appear on top of the box at one point in the space of a second which is no mean feat and we don't actually know how she managed it. She sounds amazing. If this isn't top 5 then there's something seriously wrong. I hadn't rated the song but it's sold so well by all 5 on stage that you come away feeling that it IS a good song.
As has been pointed out on many many occassions that this is Eurovision by numbers - but they all add up in a Carol Vorderman stylee.... She is getting one from the top and 5 from anywhere else and getting 10 points for hitting the target correctly. 
In short, it is visually perfect - vocally excellent and looks amazing. 
This is walking into the final.
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Turkey
The stage floor colour at the start is green and they are using the figures from the Turkish preview video on the backdrop and on the floor surrounding the performance area, which is very efective. They are also going to use pyrotechnics in the performance.
Later in the song the backdrop changes to gold with a cloud effect and then the figures return. Vocals were good and camera shots improved with each rehearsal . they were going to rehears the pyrotechnic version but they ran out of time so we will have to wait until Thursday to see that.
A good solid and strong rehearsal for Turkey.
We think that Turkey will be in Final
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Charlotte Video
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit
Charlotte - Sweden on the scene
Charlotte is very great and excellent. It's the performance of the Winner.
She was very beautiful, she has a universal vocal and hope she will be the Winner of Eurovision Song Contest. The routine is pretty much exactly the same as the Melodifestivalen /Eurovision preview video performance.
Black and white beginning, starting with the microphone. She has 2 female and 2 male backing singers. She has put her 2 steps on stage for her walk at the start of the first chorus and of course, she has the wind machine.
Her vocals were good as was the performance. To me, Iceland made a bigger impact but Charlotte has been here before and could be holding back . It looks like she will be wearing the same dress as Melodifestivalen also.
Comments (0) Posted to Генерална 05/13/2008 Edit