Eurovision 2012: Semifinal 2

Following on from the previous semifinals on Tuesday, we were welcomed back into Baku, Azerbaijan for the second Eurovision semifinal. So far there are 15 acts in the 57th Eurovision final and there are another ten to be added tonight.

Just like my previous entry, I am posting this before the final contest held on Saturday 26th May on BBC1 and showing my personal opinion for each act.

1. Serbia: The track title...'Love is not a thing...' is an interesting title but we will overlook that. There are unique instruments including a bassoon, two violins, a tambourine, a flute and a pianist. Accompanied by some wellington boots, there is a melancholy intro performed on the strings and soothing vocals from the male lead. I like this track.

2. Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia: We begin with a woman singing, with her backing band plunged into darkness...will they remain that way? Her vocals are flawless and very well executed. Towards the middle, the track picks up to a rock song which includes an electric violin and cello. This song really picks up and is defiantly one of my favourite entries. It certainly is a strobe inducing performance. The female lead has similar vocal tones to that of Tarja Turunen of Nightwish. This performance is amazing!

FYR Macedonia

3. The Netherlands: She is on stage in one hell of an Indian head dress...She has too weak a voice to hit some of the high notes and her cockney accent at times is hilarious. Not to mention the cast of  'Of mice and men' to accompany her and take her to a country and western! The song is not hideous, but the performance element and the props are baffling and leave me looking for the meaning to the song. The vocals are fairly up and down and to me, this is not a winning performance. The commentator's comments reflecting mine said that 'If she took off the head dress she looks as though she could be from Liverpool...'


4. Malta: The opening lyrics are...'Hey look at me cant you see that i'm into you...' Well, no I cannot...The song itself leads me to bop my head but I am not drawn into the performance of it all, the foot dance they all do is thrilling though as it the fake DJ jumping about like a rat on acid. This is nothing more than a generic performance from a group of competent artists. I did enjoy the DJ doing a forward roll over another member of the band and dancing at the front though...

Belarus: Litesound 

5. Belarus: The beginning of the track resembles a Queen video and the vocals start off strong, but when the backing singers kick in at the verse it sounds off to me however in the chorus they are singing in harmony. The microphone stands look as though they have been made up from left over car parts...The song is not bad, their appearance is interesting, and with the help of magnetic shoes three of the band bend over backwards and balance spectacularly as part of the performance. At times there are some pretty tacky boy band moves but other than that this is a likable entry.


6. Portugal: The overall song is sung very well but there is not a lot going on with the stage presence. It is a very static performance with the backing singers sauntering in the background and providing a lovely accompaniment to the vocals. The overall song is very nice but not outstanding in its entirety. A finalist hopefully but only just.

Ukraine 

7. Ukraine: The singers dress is made from what looks like old curtain tassels tied together to make a shaggy dress...The Hawaiaan head dress is a mystery and there are some digital jelly babies dancing behind her. Her vocals are similar to that of Heather Small. I enjoy the trumpeters as they pop out from behind the jelly babies to perform and then dance joyously behind her. If you get a chance look closely at her hands as it looks like she has barbed wire wrapped around them...an interesting wardrobe choice. This is an upbeat number but not a favourite of mine. I enjoy the dancing though...At the end there is a giant screen showing what looks like a bad aerobics video  or what would happen if you  poured itching powder on a London commuter queue.


8. Bulgaria: This is a song encorporating ten languages...this isn't playing up to the voters at all. The woman is dressed in badly cut white super hero outfit complete with knee high white boots...and the whole thing appears to be made from Gaffa tape...The vocals are nothing special but the language collaboration is interesting.There are live Catherine wheel fireworks on stage...massive ones! This must be breaching health and safety?


9. Slovenia: I feel like I have walked onto the set of an Elizabethan wedding, the lead woman is wearing an interesting wedding dress that seems to have flowers thrown on it. The vocals are lovely though and the song is great. The second vocalist, acting as a siren encapsulates not only the people on stage but the audience too. I enjoyed this entry. It was defiantly made up of jilted brides though...

Croatia

10. Croatia: The setting for Croatia's entry is a gloomy sky and the vocalist is once again very good and the dress is stunning. The male dancers, dressed in netted tops and skirts are an interesting addition, they look like they should star in God of War goth edition...There are three women in the background that look like extras from Grease and do little but stand in a corner as if put there for being naughty. The lightening effects really helped this performance and it's stunning composition. Near the end the two men were playing with a white curtain...everyone loves a good shroud.


11. Sweden: Do not watch this if you are epileptic...there are enough strobes to give the planets a seizure. The vocals are alright but there is too much reverberation to her vocals and there are some questionable dance moves. You would however think she would have taken off her dressing gown before coming on stage...It looks as though the performance is sponsored by Head and Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo and is defiantly a dance track. I liked this performance though...


12. Georgia: As the first male to represent the country, he has a lot to prove. He has chosen to dress as Altair from Assassins Creed...backed up by the cast of Chicago. Never has a song changed so much in 20 seconds. From a ballad sung in a brothel, to a pimp in a brothel...There is a dancer that has the hair of the woman from Heavenly Sword and is wearing what can only be described as a pair of tights that covers one leg and one arm and joins in the middle. The song is repetitive in an irritating way and is just a show of madness.

Turkey

13. Turkey: A catchy ditty accompanied by cape dancers and a sailor vocalist. The song was going so well until he opened his mouth. Is this what life is like at sea in Turkey? The whole production is amateur and laughable. At one point a fantastic break dance was taking place before he slipped on his own cape. The sailor is then transported into a boat, complete with sail made from the capes of his fellow men. This brings a whole new meaning to four man boat. The boat was a good idea and helped the appeal of the performance.


14. Estonia: Considering I am listening to the Estonian 'Troy Bolton' from High School Musical, the energy is lacking however the vocals are so much better than that of Zac Efron. The female vocals are very quiet and don't seem to add much as he drowns her out most of the time. I do like the performance as a whole due to the amazing vocal ability.

Slovakia's front man

15. Slovakia: A very unusual entry for the Eurovision. Beginning with a screaming man, the lead singer needs to realise that shirts are not his enemy, but his vocals are good and the band is full of energy which the audience seems to respond to. The screamo elements seem well placed and fit in with the overall performance. The band's lead singer is defiantly a feminine man and as the commentator said 'you'd never get a comb through that hair'.


16. Norway: The intro to the song has definite correlations to the intro from 'Satisfaction'...not a bad composition. The song is catchy and definitively a dance track. 'I don't know what I am doing tonight' - lyrics from the entry: We hope you are singing on the Eurovision! I do enjoy this entry though...


17. Bosnia and Herzegovina: The shoulder pads on this entry could rival that of Hilary Devey from Dragons' Den. A nice slow piano number, sung beautifully from this years entrant. It is a nice song but that is where it stays.


18. Lituania: Singing 'Love is Blind' the singer looks like a bejazzled Jordy La Forge from Star Trek with his eye mask...The vocals are nice though. There are some spectacular dance moves including a one handed cartwheel as the tempo picks up and the energy increases. A good overall performance.

Following these performances, the countries voted to send their favourite ten acts through to the Eurovision final. Here are the final ten countries.

Norway

1. Lithuania
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina 
3. Serbia
4. Ukraine
5. Sweden
6. Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia
7. Norway
8. Estonia 
9. Malta
10. Turkey


Such a shame that Slovakia did not get in, I liked how different it was but that's voting for you.

Tune in to BBC1 for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday 26th May at 8pm and show your support for your favourite entry!

Victoria V.L Walker