I get the impression that all of the AKOE bloggers are still assuming that every Eastern country only has to turn up to qualify, and that every Western country needs to work hard to make it. I'm quite certain that If Ukraine were sending What About My Dreams or Popular, they'd say that it would be 'sailing into the final' whereas if Netherlands were sending the Moldovan song with the exact same act/performance, they'd be saying 'it's a no hoper'. If they can nudge themselves out of this frame of mind and take the songs/performances on face value rather than considering the country behind it, their predictions might be a little more realistic.

Have they still not been forced out of it by the fact that they were saying things like Belarus 2009 'sailing through', Iceland 2010 'borderline qualifier', and UK 2009 and Germany 2010 'no hopers'? :manson: EUGH, AKOE is an amazing resource but Keith Mills is a complete fool at times. It would be a lot easier to deal with him if he wasn't so hypocritical as well on his clear East/West bias - haven't Ireland been due to sail into the final/top 10 every sodding year now? I somehow doubt his mauling of Eric will be repeated when Jedward take to the stage.

In what way do you mean that Austria is an upset, going through or missing out? Because it's always been a borderline qualifier and with those vocals I could definitely see her going through to the final regardless of her draw :o

 

Missing out. I just can't see it standing out enough to generate many phone votes. I wouldn't be surprised also if Moldova and Cyprus were to steal places away from the likes of Slovenia, but we'll have to wait and see what sort of show they put on tomorrow.

Dino Merlin makes me cry... so much charm, warmth and love...

 

he sounded great in rehearsal!

Have they still not been forced out of it by the fact that they were saying things like Belarus 2009 'sailing through', Iceland 2010 'borderline qualifier', and UK 2009 and Germany 2010 'no hopers'? :manson: EUGH, AKOE is an amazing resource but Keith Mills is a complete fool at times. It would be a lot easier to deal with him if he wasn't so hypocritical as well on his clear East/West bias - haven't Ireland been due to sail into the final/top 10 every sodding year now? I somehow doubt his mauling of Eric will be repeated when Jedward take to the stage.

 

You'd think so wouldn't you. But I'm sticking by the predictions that I made a week or so ago. It's easy to see something as a qualifier when you're blogging right after they've performed it, but that's without taking into account all other entries and other external factors. I really don't see some of the entries that they're calling to 'sail through' making it past 13th or 14th at best in the semi. And as for Hungary/Norway/Sweden being potential non-qualifiers, well time will tell but I don't see it somehow...the fanboys make up a large enough part of the semi-final audience to get such tracks through to the final these days :heehee:

 

I know some would argue that Selma and Kate Ryan disprove this, but firstly - the juries weren't there to give them a helping hand, and secondly qualifying from a field of 23/25 is much more of an ask than qualifying from a field of 19 where diaspora influence has been taken out of the equation as much as possible. I do wish that they wouldn't keep trying to compare 2011 to 2006, things are completely different!

Missing out. I just can't see it standing out enough to generate many phone votes. I wouldn't be surprised also if Moldova and Cyprus were to steal places away from the likes of Slovenia, but we'll have to wait and see what sort of show they put on tomorrow.

 

Oh. That would be a shame but I don't think it would be too much of an upset, given that she's always been a borderline qualifier. I do hope that Moldova and Cyprus don't make it through over those two though :puke: I'd love another high quality final a la 2009!

Cyprus needs to qualify!

awesome rehearsal today!

Dino was also really good.

for the rest didn't care much tbh.

looking forward to sLOVEnia tomorrow and my homeland rehearsal :P

 

Edited May 3, 201114 yr by ♫ Boyan ♫

Eric Saade sounded crap today, the drums are a total rip-off of Boney M 'Nightflight to Venus'

 

Eric Saade sounded crap today, the drums are a total rip-off of Boney M 'Nightflight to Venus'

 

That's something which has been obvious for the last three months. It was hardly a reason for the rehearsal sounding bad - he sounded no different to how he normally does anyway.

 

That's something which has been obvious for the last three months. It was hardly a reason for the rehearsal sounding bad - he sounded no different to how he normally does anyway.

You misunderstood me, I didn't mean he sounds crap because the drums sounds just like in 'Nightflight to Venus'

 

He sounds crap because the song is a total flop, and he does not sounds as good he does when he sings other songs. Yes I know it's a low quality clip, but some parts of the clip he sung really awful

He sounds crap because the song is a total flop, and he does not sounds as good he does when he sings other songs.

Well, it's wonderful to know you're putting such stock in a bad rehearsal for a prediction he'll fail to qualify when you're effectively saying he can't have a good rehearsal by definition :lol:

 

I'm entirely biased on this matter of course, but I really don't see what people think is going to go in over Sweden, given they only JUST missed out last year with a far less memorable song.

Well, it's wonderful to know you're putting such stock in a bad rehearsal for a prediction he'll fail to qualify when you're effectively saying he can't have a good rehearsal by definition :lol:

 

I'm entirely biased on this matter of course, but I really don't see what people think is going to go in over Sweden, given they only JUST missed out last year with a far less memorable song.

I acually said in the Green Room thread a month ago that I think Eric might not make it to the final

I know! And I'm still asking what on EARTH would make it through over it - like it or not, an event performance has never, ever crashed out at the semi final stage, save for Congratulations. And Popular is nowhere NEAR as divisive as Congratulations...

That's something which has been obvious for the last three months. It was hardly a reason for the rehearsal sounding bad - he sounded no different to how he normally does anyway.

 

It seems to me the only problem there is Eric's backing vocals. Other wise there was no difference between that and MF.

 

Haters gonna Hate.

I'm a fan of 'Popular', but I think Saade's first rehearsal was pretty awful myself... Nowhere NEAR as good as the one I have on my preview DVD, which I'm assuming was the MF performance. Just watching Austria's performance too, no surprise their odds have shortened slightly. Good rehearsal!

The problem with Eric's first performance is that he didn't sing it all/do half the performance. In the final HQ one he sings far more and does the whole routine and it's perfectly fine, just as good as he did it at MF.

Belarus

i kinda like it actually, choreo is a bit lame, but she is a wooden doll so they had to do something that she doesn't look completely awkward doing :lol:

 

love the modern take on dulcimers. her dress is cool. i want one like that too! lol but not as shiny, just the color and pattern haha

but can someone please explain the microphone stands?????

I loved Estonia's rehearsal, and Bulgaria and Slovenia were other stand-outs. I used to think Semi 1 was harder, but now Semi 2 seems harder as nearly all the countries have a chance to qualify. Go GETTER! :wub:

Is today the first rehearsal of the big 5? :o

 

Anyway I have decided that one way or another I'm going to the contest next year. I wonder if I could get accredited as a writer for Buzzjack? :kink:

Is today the first rehearsal of the big 5? :o

 

Anyway I have decided that one way or another I'm going to the contest next year. I wonder if I could get accredited as a writer for Buzzjack? :kink:

 

Hopefully there won't be too far to travel - Paris being the furthest away that it could be is a very nice thought! I'd love to go as an accredited writer for something but I don't know how on earth you'd go about doing that, so when I do eventually go to a contest (and I WILL!), I think I'll just be there as a spectator :lol:

Me too tbh, apart from anything I suck at writing. It's just that I hang about with these uber-Eurofans who might have a blog or something, but half the time don't, and bitch themselves blue in the face if they don't get accreditation :rolleyes: I still think it might be in Bosnia tbh :lol: