Eurovision 2019 - Semi Final 2

  Shalom and welcome to the second semi final of Eurovision 2019. We have eighteen countries waiting patiently and anxiously to perform, and a mixture of the public televote and juries will decide who makes it to the grand final. So without further ado, lets start the show!

We start with a small recap of the events of the first semi final, and I would tell you what happens next, but I'm being forced to watch yet another advert on You Tube. Two adverts already and I'm 1 minute and 35 seconds in. 

Again, we meet our hosts, Assi, Bar, Lucy and Erez, and it's Lucy who is our best dressed host, in a big sleeved, wide leg trouser suit which looks soooo good on her. There's excitement in the audience as Madonna is announced as being in the grand final. As a guest? Is she representing a county? Who knows?

We start off with the postcard for Armenia of Masada, ooh it looks interesting there. "Walking out" is the song, performed by Srbuk. Its seems to take a while to get going, and even when it does, it doesn't seem to really do anything. I'm finding myself a bit bored, and she also seems a bit lost on her own on the stage. I'm not expecting this one to do well.

Ireland is next, the song is "22"performed by Sarah McTernan. I think the fact the producers put this in second position tells you everything you needed to know. Its so so dull, bland and uninspired. You'd never think this was Ireland, land of seven Eurovision wins, and home to legendary acts like U2 and Enya. And yet, they thought this was good enough to send. Perhaps they took out a big loan to pay for all the hosting duties they had in the 90's and still haven't paid it off. Hence why they send this crap so they don't win and have to pay to host again. But maybe thats just a conspiracy theory. I don't get the milkshake bar either. I think I'm just infuriated by the fact thats 3 minutes of my life I will never get back.

Moldova is next, represented by Anna Odobescu with the song "Stay". It's an improvement on the last song, but don't think that I'm saying its a good song. Its another bland song we've heard and seen before. The sand artist, Kseniya Simonova is a nice touch, its her second time, after being part of the 2011 Ukrainian entry. But it wont's be enough to get this forgettable song to qualify.

Luca Hanni is representing Switzerland, with the song "She got me" and it gives us a good boost in energy, and is performed rather well. The staging is simple yet so effective, akin to a music video with the different angles and cuts. He is giving this performance his all, with some slick choreography, and the vocals are good too.

"That night" is the Latvian entry by Carousel. Its a very laid back, almost intimate performance. It's a pleasant song, but it's not really standing out for me. She has a lovely voice, and I enjoy the song, but I'm worried I'll have forgotten it as soon as we hear the next one, which would be a shame, because it is a rather nice song.

We now go to Romania, represented by Ester Peony with the song "On a Sunday". This is not a pleasant song, its got quite a dark undertone, and it makes me feel uneasy watching it, although I can't put my finger on why. It also feels repetitive, and I'm struggling to understand what she is singing sometimes. At point I thought they were going to rip her jacket off to reveal something nicer, but it was just a tease. As the song finishes, I'm no wiser then when it started.

Lucy & Assi are in the green room, promoting the Eurovision App, before Assi goes to chat to 2014 winner Conchita Wurst. Assi reveals Conchita will be performing in the Grand final with some special guests, which interests me. Lucy is with Luca from Switzerland, who apparently is good at everything. Don't you just hate people like that. We are reminded that Switzerland's last winner was Celine Dion in 1988. Thats before I was born!

Denmark is up next, and it's Leonora with "Love is forever" and thankfully, this is a song that does not last forever, or I may have lost the plot. Its one of those sickly sweet songs above loving everyone and all that crap. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, she climbs upon a giant chair and sings like butter wouldn't melt. She even sings in English, French and Danish, perhaps just to prove she can. It doesn't add much. I hope this doesn't make it, it makes me want to hurl.

John Lundvik with the song "too late for love" is Sweden's entry this year, and we get to see him skating by the I love Tel Aviv sign. I'd like to show you the following pictures, one of the sign, the next one of the most outrageous amount of sea foam from one of the many storms I had to endure in my time in Israel.

You couldn't move for the stuff in the port area when we were on our way to the market and museum of optical illusions. But more about that later. The song is a real contender. Its a punchy almost gospel song, infused with a real power ballad base. He's got the Mama's with him, and thier supreme backing vocals take the song to another level. Its in a similar vein as "Nobody but you" from Austria last year, but "Too late for love" has a contemporary edge to it. The staging with the warm beams over John only add to the power of the performance. By the end of the song we are soaring. This is going to be the one to beat I think.

Paenda is representing Austria this year with the song "Limits". Its practically acapella at times, and never grabs my attention. If you're needing a power nap, now is the time. She spends a lot of the song on a bar stool, before moving about a little. But the song doesn't grab your attention, and I'm currently on eBay looing at stuff to buy when the song picks up. But then it drifts off again, and I go back to looking at Halloween decorations. Whats next?

At least Croatia packs a bit of a punch and grabs your attention, if not just for the terrible staging. Roko is singing "The dream", and I'm not sure if dream or nightmare is best to describe it. The song itself isn't bad, but the staging is just odd. We got from the fiery depths of hell before two angels fly down to collect him. We then switch to Croatian for the crescendo, which I think sounds better. The two angels then fly off, leaving him with a slightly wonky set of wings on his back. I'm sure there's a meaning behind all of this, but I've yet to find it.

Michaela is next, representing Malta with the song "Chameleon". The song is weird, its another one I don't really get, its a blend of music styles and the lyrics, well I don't even know. The chorus just consist of the word Chameleon over and over again. The staging is interesting, takes us home, to a forest, on a beach to the roof of a skyscraper for no apparent reason. "Give me water, I'm a swimmer, give me fire...I'm a fighter" has got to go down as one of the most bizarre lyrics so far this year.

Lithuania is next, with the song "Run with the lions" Performed by Jurij Vaklenko. It start very suddenly, no introduction needed. It's a very run of the mill song, something I feel like I have heard many times before in the charts. It's a very plain performance, with him all in black alone on stage. He performs well, but its not enough to make the song memorable. He's got a similar cheeky sort of vibe as Switzerland's Luca Hanni, but unfortunately, Switzerland's song and performance is better overall.

We are back in the green room with Bar, who tells us she is half Lithuanian. Who knew? Who cared? We are now with Lucy who is chatting with Irelands contestant, Sarah. Her fortune teller told her she would be on a grand stage. I mean, she's on a stage in the semi final. Bar is with John Lundvik from Sweden, who is a runner and has a lot of medals. He wrote the UK entry this year. Sabotage if ever I heard it. He even says Michael Rice is a good singer. We are not going to do well because of our own bad Eurovision song choices, let alone being sabotaged by the Swedes! Assi is telling us about Ilanit, who will be performing in the grand final. Ilanit has a great voice, so I'm looking forward to seeing her perform.

Another previous contestant is Sergey Lazarev, representing Russia with the song "Scream". He looks good in a leather jacket while running around Jerusalem, but you didnt need me to tell you that. He previously came third in 2016, will he do better? Its very different from his previous entry "You're my only one", this is more of a dramatic ballad. This guy can sing, and he performs with a fantastic intensity. The staging is good, with copies of him performing in the background. We even get him singing behind raindrops, which just adds another level to the song. The staging has been well thought through, but I find the song a bit dull. But no doubt, it will do well due to his amazing performance.

Jonida Maliqi is performing "Ktheju Tokes (Return to your land)" for Albania. Its starts with a very strong beat, and an almost off-putting brass background hint. There's a fun piece of almost choral singing before we just into the chorus. Jonida must be a pyromaniac, I'm surprised she and the front row of the audience have any eyebrows left by the end of it, with the amount of fire. Its so bad it's almost like Albania's carbon emissions doubled during the contest. The song is full of drama, and she performs it passionately. The only thing I will say, it feels like she missed the note at the end.

Norway is next, and we have Keiino with the song "Spirit in the sky" This injects a bit of fun into this semi final, where we've had a couple of very dramatic and serious entries. As you listen to the song, you think you know where it's going, but then it throws you a fun curveball. And although it's cheesy, its fun, and I'm quite enjoying it. The three of them harmonise well and give the song a very layered feel to it. This feels like a song that will either do very well, or else come last. The graphics of us flying above the Arctic circle give the song a further feeling of motion, as we have some traditional Sami singing. I think it's good fun, and something that proves its a point of difference with many of the other entries competing this year.

Duncan Laurence is singing for the Netherlands this year. "Arcade" is a Eurovision bread & butter kind of song. But thats where it works. It's very simple, but its done very well. The very dark staging to keep your focus on Duncan, its a nice ballad, which has some lovely soaring vocals. The additional of the light being lowered to the piano is a really good touch, and helps the song elevate itself by changing the mood and increasing the intensity, before leaving, and the wide light beams come behind Duncan, bathing him in light. Expertly staged, and the closing notes work well. This will do well. I like it, while it's not my favourite entry of the year, I appreciate it. You know me though, I love a good pop masterpiece!

Tamara Todevska is representing (North) Macedonia. I put the North in brackets because I don't agree with this enforced distinction of the naming. First of all we had Former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia, which meant the country couldn't shake off it's past and move forward as it's own independent state, and now, perhaps more insultingly, we have to call it North Macedonia, which makes it sounds like a mere extension of Greece. I think it's unfair. I did write a post about it before, so I'll leave it there, but I will be referring to Macedonia, well, as Macedonia. (Maybe we should refer to Greece as South Macedonia? Just a thought!) But anyway, It's Tamara's second go at Eurovision, she was previously part of the 2008 entry, which failed to qualify, but this year, she's pulled out all the stops. A great song, a great performance, a good message, with a nice staging. This could be Macedonia's most successful year yet.

And the final song of the evening is "Truth", performed by Chingz for Azerbaijan. He's dancing in a fountain in a white linen shirt. He's like an eastern and more handsome Mr Darcy. The song has a pair of robots projecting a heart onto him, and already they robots are better than San Marino's last year. He has a really good voice, and performs with conviction. The song has a very futuristic feel to it, and I'm enjoying the performance. Then, he launches into this stunning vibrating note which just grabs my attention and does not let go. 

And that means we've heard all 18 competing entries, and very soon we will be finding out just who will be making it to the grand final. But it's back to Lucy in the greenroom, who tells you what I just said. Our other hosts are back at the main stage, and its time to open the voting lines. Who will you be voting for? Oh wait, we are 5 years behind, you can't vote, but you may still be charged if you try. And now it's time for the first recap of the evening, and I'm trying to decide who should get my 12 points.

We get the first of our interval acts, and it is Shalva band, a popular group in Israel, where all of the members have a disability. They give an amazing performance of the song "A million dreams" The crowd are giving them an amazing reception, and it's well earned. They perform so beautifully, proof that no matter what you are, you can do anything. 

After that fantastic interval performance, which I don't think could ever be beaten, we head back to the green room where Bar has a special guest, who could it be I wonder, there are so many. But it's mentalist Lior Suchard, gets the years contestants to write numbers on clipboards, while Bar stands there like an accessory holding a a rolled up banner. This is god awful. Why couldn't the talented Shalva band perform a second song instead of this crap.

Thankfully, the second recap comes on so we can get rid of the mentalist. Have you decided your favourites yet?

Assi tells us the falafel is burning, thats a fun way to say time is running out. I'm going to remember that and use it one day. Next up Erez appears and pulls out Man Zelmerlow, who seems to turn up in every contest like a bad penny. Of course he won in 2015, as we get reminded every time he appears. And he will also be performing in the grand final. He teases he will be singing Fuego in his own way. But then he says Queen Eleni will be performing "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" that old Eurovision classic. Thats has piqued my curiosity. I don't think I can miss that.

We are back in the green room with Bar who is chatting to Duncan from the Netherlands. Apparently his butt is on the app. Ok. And as quickly as we were in the green room, we are now back with Erez and Assi, and I cant keep up with all this jumping about between places. We get another 3 min homage of the contest, which again is a fun twist, although slightly jarring at times. It's quite fun recognising some of the songs and performer forgotten over time. Some cruelly so, and some maybe for the best.

Bar tells us again Madonna will be performing on Saturday. They are hyping this up, it had better be good. Lucy follows this up by telling us about Eurovision choirs. She makes a terrible acapella joke. And now we get to meet the rest of the automatic qualifiers, Italy United Kingdom and Germany.

We start with Sisters who are representing Germany. They claim to be sisters, but they look nothing alike. As with semi final one, I will be reacting to these performances in the final when they are fully performed. They know the word for sister in Hebrew, so at least we are staying on brand. Italy is next, and we chat to Mahmood, who tells us "Soldi" means money. It's good to know. We get Assi with another creepy photo which again seems to make Mahmood uncomfortable. This had better not happen again. And last and least we have Michael Rice from the UK. Yes, I've never heard of him either. He has his date of birth tattooed on him. Why? He doesn't say. Maybe he forgets it frequently

Lucy keeps mentioning that Kan is the Israeli broadcaster, as if we didnt know that anyway? We get a another video, this time about getting 12 points, with the infamous monument of asking Yugoslavia's votes, only to be told "I don't have it". It still makes me chuckle.

We now get to speak to John Ola Sand, the executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, a man of few words, he thankfully tells us we have a valid vote, and that we can now reveal the qualifiers.

First to qualify is Macedonia! So pleased for Tamara, they've not had much success recently. The Netherlands, Albania, Sweden & Russia all qualify, which I thought they all would. Next to qualify is Azerbaijan and the god awful Danish entry. How on earth did that qualify? Norway also make it through, followed by Switzerland. Our last finalist is Malta which I find interesting. But thats it, we have our 10 qualifiers, and the grand final is now complete! 

Did your favourites make it though? I thought Croatia might make it instead of Malta, but obviously the slightly wonky wings failed him. Lucy once again tells us Kan is the Israeli broadcaster, and they again tell us Madonna will performing in the grand final.

And now, I'm sure you're all excited to see if my votes would change anything. So, here we go!

1 Point is for Croatia

2 Points is for Latvia

3 Points is for Albania

4 Points is for Russia

5 Points is for The Netherlands

6 Points is for Switzerland

7 points is for Azerbaijan

8 points is for Macedonia

10 points is for Norway

and finally, my 12 points go to ...Sweden!

So will that change anything?

Of course not! The only minor change is Macedonia and Sweden switch places, but other than that, nothing changes. Never mind!

And so, with the grand final rapidly approaching, who do you think should win? I'll be joined in the grand final  by James who will also be giving points, so we shall see if that gives us any changes in the overall leader board, and of course, see if that changes any of the results!

Thank you for reading, see you soon, and Layla Tov!