Odds Review-Rehearsals Day 6: 05/05/22
Iceland began the day and the girls give a solid performance as always. There's still something uninspiring about it all and whilst juries should respect this- there's not a lot to point to the kind of push it should need. It's priced as an awkward one, not quite borderline, not quite a long shot and I'd agree with that.
Another act barely changed from the National final is Norway and this slice of catchy nonsense is appreciated here in the lineup. I'm expected Subwoolfer to be 2nd on the televote and 2-5 with the juries so a top 3 spot here looks good.
Armenia close the show and do a steady enough job with this not to be in any qualification doubt. The execution still isn't 100% and possibly distracts as much as anything. Perhaps someone told the Armenians “Sticky notes don't look like sticky notes on camera, you gotta use toilet roll”.
Finland start semi final 2 with the one issue being the vocals which have been much criticised. This is second rehearsals now so they'll have to “get away with it” more than find a fix at this stage. Beyond that, this is a very competent performance and will have no issue in qualifying.
Israel are next and after a slow start rehearsals season is well underway now with all the typical silliness and over-adjustments with I.M being the first of several outsiders backed in to qualify. Nothing has changed comparatively and this should still be struggling from 2nd.
Serbia follow and are the next sure quifier with a guaranteed c. 40 pts from North Macedonia and Montenegro alone. The staging has some added subtitles which has been a help to other message songs in the past and getting the juries in particular to buy into a “singer's rights” issue would help considerably. It's been highlighted by a couple others today and myself here on Monday but top Balkan is seriously overpriced and the best way to get some return from this.
Azerbaijan does keep you watching for its duration but there are still 14 performances to follow this. Jurors taking notes should really be having this somewhere inside their top 10 in this field with ‘Fade to Black’ a very well rounded package. It would be a surprise were the televote to have it in theirs however and it really feels a coin toss where this ends between 9th/10th or 11th/12th.
Georgia usually bring decent staging and its no exception with Circus Mircus. Despite that the question ‘is it enough?’ really needs to be asked and i’d say no. Outfits and colourful lighting do not transform this into a qualifier and it remains far too easy for any juror to mark it last or close to. The fact that 5 jurors from the UK gave their similar (but better) entry than this 12 points 6 years ago cannot seriously be used to suggest this year's lot and more will do the same.
Malta follow and instead of being over the top in the camp, edginess, or dramatic departments like the rest of the half an overdose of cheese and clichés is provided. It does come across as a bit of a refresher at this stage rather than getting lost in the madness. Personally Emma sounded a little flat in parts but this holds its own better than feared. If it doesn't qualify it will be close.
Achille Lauro does Achille Lauro things. I'll admit with San Marino, the execution is better than expected but that does not wash away his appalling pre rehearsal indicators which would put him in the bottom 3 in the semi. You could make a case for 2.2-2.5 if Italy was voting in the semi but as it stands its another to be pushed in too far when jurors in particular can choose from 4/5 reasons why to put this last.
Big 5 to follow,