Last evening, the first semi-final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest was staged at the Wiener Stadhalle in Vienna and, not surprisingly, there were a few shocks among those countries that qualified and those that failed at this point in the competition.
The large stadium setting and the standing, flag-waving, audience have become the all-encompassing blueprint for the modern contest, as has the over-the-top presentation of many of the songs. We all know that Eurovision has developed into a festival of the camp and the kitsch, but this 60th edition looks as if it will be the most camp of them all.
Aside from the all-pervading bearded drag queen, the first semi-final served up, among other things, leather clad male cops in shorts, a similarly leather-clad Georgian Lily Munster/Elvira lookalike and a drag queen alternative - this one more rotund, more Serbian and more ear-piercing.
Some commentators lauded Bojana Stamenov's performance of Beauty Never Lies - mainly because it was more typically "Eurovision" it seems - rather than judging it on the merits of the voice and the staging on the night. Blown around like a tent in a Force 10 gale, Bojana struggled massively at times with the vocals, but thankfully continued her static presentation while her backing crew acted out its strange dance ritual around her.
Considering several factors before the semi-final, Serbia was one of the six nations which it was thought may not qualify, as were both Hungary and Armenia.
Armenia was perhaps the more surprising of the two to make it through to the Grand Final. With the conflicting mix of voices, Face the Shadow has always battled to be a cohesive unit of a song. Genealogy's rendition last night did little to overcome that battle. The vocals were 'off' in several places throughout the performance, so one can only assume that it was the jury votes which saved it from assured oblivion.
Hungary's qualification was more deserved, however. Faced with a less than convincing performance by Denmark and a somewhat forgettable song from Macedonia, Boggie's presentation and vocals were more assured, giving Wars For Nothing a justified boost on the scoreboard.
Surprise of the evening: The qualification of Armenia.
Annoyance of the evening: Three presenters (plus Conchita). One would have been sufficient.
Favorite Moment: Estonia's clever presentation.
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The large stadium setting and the standing, flag-waving, audience have become the all-encompassing blueprint for the modern contest, as has the over-the-top presentation of many of the songs. We all know that Eurovision has developed into a festival of the camp and the kitsch, but this 60th edition looks as if it will be the most camp of them all.
Aside from the all-pervading bearded drag queen, the first semi-final served up, among other things, leather clad male cops in shorts, a similarly leather-clad Georgian Lily Munster/Elvira lookalike and a drag queen alternative - this one more rotund, more Serbian and more ear-piercing.
Some commentators lauded Bojana Stamenov's performance of Beauty Never Lies - mainly because it was more typically "Eurovision" it seems - rather than judging it on the merits of the voice and the staging on the night. Blown around like a tent in a Force 10 gale, Bojana struggled massively at times with the vocals, but thankfully continued her static presentation while her backing crew acted out its strange dance ritual around her.
Considering several factors before the semi-final, Serbia was one of the six nations which it was thought may not qualify, as were both Hungary and Armenia.
Armenia was perhaps the more surprising of the two to make it through to the Grand Final. With the conflicting mix of voices, Face the Shadow has always battled to be a cohesive unit of a song. Genealogy's rendition last night did little to overcome that battle. The vocals were 'off' in several places throughout the performance, so one can only assume that it was the jury votes which saved it from assured oblivion.
Hungary's qualification was more deserved, however. Faced with a less than convincing performance by Denmark and a somewhat forgettable song from Macedonia, Boggie's presentation and vocals were more assured, giving Wars For Nothing a justified boost on the scoreboard.
Surprise of the evening: The qualification of Armenia.
Annoyance of the evening: Three presenters (plus Conchita). One would have been sufficient.
Favorite Moment: Estonia's clever presentation.
Here are the ten songs that will progress to Saturday's final (as announced):
| Country | Song | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | I'm Alive | Elhaida Dani |
| Armenia | Face the Shadow | Genealogy |
| Russia | A Million Voices | Polina Gagarina |
| Romania | De la capăt (All Over Again) | Voltaj |
| Hungary | Wars For Nothing | Boggie |
| Greece | One Last Breath | Maria Elena Kyriakou |
| Estonia | Goodbye to Yesterday | Elina Born & Stig Rästa |
| Georgia | Warrior | Nina Sublatti |
| Serbia | Beauty Never Lies | Bojana Stamenov |
| Belgium | Rhythm Inside | Loïc Nottet |
These are the six countries, and their songs, which failed to make the cut this year:
| Country | Song | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Moldova | I Want Your Love | Eduard Romanyuta |
| The Netherlands | Walk Along | Trijntje Oosterhuis |
| Finland | Aina mun pitää | Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät |
| (FYR) Macedonia | Autumn Leaves | Daniel Kajmakoski |
| Belarus | Time | Uzari & Maimuna |
| Denmark | The Way You Are | Anti Social Media |
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