Rehearsals, day 1: an overview
Today was the day of the still sun. The latest update is that the water may well be replaced by virtual water on the LED screens. The sun can then rotate again. Today was also the day of the first nine rehearsals. And yes, that included bookmaker favorite Ukraine. We will go through all the performances with you. ALBANIA: What immediately stands out is Ronela’s hair: it’s pink. Furthermore, she is in black with a silver shining bra. She is surrounded by four bare-chested dancers. No fireworks for Albania, but smoke. LATVIA: In multicolored suits, the Latvian group Citi Zēni performs the cheerful “Eat your salad” accompanied by graphics with lots of fruit. The text has been slightly modified. The group still eats veggies, but no longer mention pussy. It is, after all, a family program. LITHUANIA: The jazzy ‘Sentimentai’ is performed by Monika Liu against a purple background. She herself wears a dress covered with silver. At the end of the song, the now infamous waterfall comes into view. Whether that remains the case remains to be seen. SWITZERLAND: After Lithuania, there is another act that is all alone on stage: the Swiss Marius Bear performs in black, with only a spotlight aimed at him. The folks at eurovision.tv were eager to say that Marius is very strong vocally. SLOVENIA: A huge disco ball on stage with the group LPS from Slovenia. The drummer seems to be hiding behind that. The men from Slovenia wear classic sixties tailoring during their performance. UKRAINE: Partly due to the circumstances, Ukraine is the top favorite for the final victory. Kalush Orchestra performs in traditional outfits combined with something indefinable, which most resembles the brushes from a car wash. The graphics are special and use, among other things, the Ukrainian colors blue and yellow. BULGARIA: The guys from Intelligent Music Project are, it seems, in their usual clothes. But they sure rock! Bulgaria is the country that readily uses the pyrotechnics at the end of their performance. NETHERLANDS: The Dutch S10 wears a black suit; she has a bare belly that makes her navel suddenly play a leading role in the act. Lots of smoke and dramatic light, that’s how everyone who has seen something of it describes the act. In any case, it is considered appropriate for the song. MOLDOVA: It is Zdob si Zdub that concludes today’s nine. This is the group’s third time participating. They’ve gone full neon on the lighting and the graphics, AND there are even a couple of little dance routines in the chorus. But there is no striking act, as before with a grandmother and with pointed hats. Maybe the happy Moldovan song doesn’t need that either.
