Eurovision 2010 - Semi-final 1

Even though the music isn't usually exactly my cup of tea, I can't . There's something so odd about this event: the shameless and exhilarating joy of all the contestants as well as the audience. And thus it begins. I watched all the first semifinal performers on YouTube (and some others as well); let's see if the live performance changes my opinions at all.

Moldova - Yes, Mr Saxonfonist, we know your a guy even without the crotch swinging... I have to wonder how those violins work, though, since they're hollow... Nonetheless, the song sounds to me as a mundane disco/dance song, which tends to equal flowing through my mind without leaving any kind of a mark. A nil-flow...

Russia - I kinda like the vocalist's voice (and pronunciation, of course) but seriously, what would all the song writers do if they were told they can't write a song about love?

Estonia - YEAH! So Depeche Mode and I love it! The video is so amazing, too! Not quite the wardrobe I expected but okay. I really like the alternative song, singing and performance. This is my absolute favourite in this group!

Slovakia - A peculiar Robin Hood-goes-Conan wardrobe... Credit for the language choice, though... Another nil-flow although the language choice keeps this in my mind longer than those sung in English.

Finland - Hmm... I would have wanted to see the English translation of the song.. I wish I could see this through the eyes of one who doesn't understand Finnish or have my cultural bias. Personally I still can't let the dialect connotations go... I doubt this is odd in the positive way enough to get us to the finals. Well, we'll see...

Latvia - Oh fuck, another ballad... Here's a question of my own: why bother writing a song about the mysteries of life and write them off with one line about a diety? Boooooring...

Serbia - Points for the language choice again... that guy is very stereotypical gay man which might be a good thing if he wouldn't be from Serbia.. I doubt the LGBT rights bloom in a country still solving the war crimes from 20 years back.

Bosnia & Herzegovina - Finally some rock aspect to this thing! This I could listen to again, no doubt about it. The lyrics are very well chosen for this part of the world, for the reasons I stated in the previous song. I hope this gets to the finals so we get some musical diversity in there.

Poland - I have a long minus for this... oh, shit, it's the stupid cheating video love song! The intro would be so nice for a power metal song. Again, plus for the bits in Polish but really, you have twenty of these in a dozen. I like the Snow White-ish co-singer, though, apple and all.

Belgium - Oh please kill me... At least it's not a love song about the female love of his life. I'm watching this via web and seriously, if this is the quality with which YLE is planning to make everyone pay.. well, fuck that. This buffers and tilts this about twice a minute with no warning. Hmm, maybe it's the live situation.

Malta - What is it with Malta and love ballads? The only reason I even finished the video was to watch the development of her background dancer in the angel costume. This is so.. Radio Nova!!! And that is not a compliment. And the tilting makes it even worse.

Albania - Yet another love song... The lyrics are such a cliché and the music is another nil-flow. I kinda like her voice but there's only so much that helps. And her gospel background has apparently followed her in the form of the background vocalists. Oh, they're from USA.. well that explains it.

Greece - The intro of the video was so promising.. they've apparently cut that from the live performance. To me this seems like a Greek male Pussycat Dolls: intricate choreography all the band is about the singer whose "friends" seem to contribute to the song only by shouting "hey" and "opa". The only positive thing I can think of is the short inclusion of the weird instrument played by the guy in black.

Portugal - Again, points for not using English... and another love ballad. A Radio Nove nil-flow.

FYR Macedonia - This is quite a medley: a pop A part, a rock B part, a rap sequence, and back to rock. Well, at least it's rock and not in English. The background dancers are such a cliché, though: women dancing in small clothing. But this does have an excellent guitar solo!

Belarus - another fucking ballad, and about another cliché: butterflies as women. So BORING! And as a lepidopterophibic I've heard some very questionable things about the live performance. I do hope it's just a rumour... Apparently an exaggerated truth... plastic wings...

Iceland - When I first heard this, I was ready to boot it. But after the previous I rather listen to this 90's dance song. The song's pretty mundane but you've got to like her voice! Not as immense as that of the vocalist of Infernal but better than others in this semifinal. There was a rather interesting plot to the video, too.

My three votes go to numbers 3 (Estonia), 8 (Bosnia & Herzegovina) and 17 (Iceland). Special non-voting support to Macedonia.

Minusvotes to Belarus, Malta and Belgium. An extra minus for Latvia. And Portugal. Sorry, guys, but I really don't like ballads and songs saying absolutely nothing.

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Semi-Final Qualifiers have been chosen. Two of my favourites got to the finals but unfortunately not Estonia. Those guys could have replaced any of the bloody ballads. Like the remaining countries would have no ballads at all and they should all come from the first semifinals! Bollocks, I say. And now I'm going to go and download my top three and perhaps even Germany if that's downloadable (I admit, I like it, I really do!).