In this article you can find in-depth analysis of the rehearsals of today from the straight qualifiers for the grand final of next week. If you want live updates of everything going on at the press center and beyond, please follow our Live-Blog with all the other news as well!
Only six countries will join us for the last round of regular rehearsals because starting tomorrow, it is time for the actual shows, dress rehearsals and jury finals!
SCHEDULE FOR DAY EIGHT
Please note that these are the local times in Ukraine, which are CET+1
UKRAINE
There’s a slight outfit change from the first rehearsal here, the main singer is now wearing a grey/black dogtooth oversized sleeveless shirt instead of the shirt/jacket combo which he wore in the first rehearsal. Camera angles have been ironed out, plenty of wide angle shots and it’s really coming together. The giant head remains in the centre of the stage with the camera panning out to reveal a giant statue figure coming out of the ground, it’s impressive. The vocals are holding up too, it’s going well for Ukraine this morning.
ITALY
Francesco is back, the camera angles have been fixed, the outfits remain the same, the freestyle gorilla dance is slightly different but it fits well. There is a huge crowd in the arena to watch this rehearsal. The vocals are good, the backing singers are good, it’s all coming together very well. During the final part where Francesco is dancing with the gorilla, they’ve added longer panning close up shots rather than having a switch to a wide camera angle. Backdrop still displays the informal evolution image of monkey-becomes-human.
SPAIN
The boys are back and tbh little has changed from the first rehearsal, it’s still somewhat underwhelming. There is a gimmick half way through involving some surfboards appearing on the LED floor and the guys are pretending to surf, it’s alright and it looks like the band have great chemistry but I’m again unsure of the strength of the performance.
GERMANY
Levina is back in the same futuristic grey/silver top/dress combo which she wore in her first rehearsal. Little has changed about the performance with her lying on the LED floor to open the song and gradually rising as the song goes on. The pyrotechnics at the end are still in place and she manages to hold her own vocally throughout the performance. She looks like Sanna Nielsen.
UNITED KINGDOM
Lucie is an exceptionally strong vocalist and she absolutely nails this rehearsal. The problems she was having in finding the camera and all technical issues have been fixed and now the performance has been completely ironed out. She has also changed her dress, the theme is still gold but she’s gone from having a more of a mustard yellow gold dress to a metallic strappy gold dress, it’s much nicer. The connection to the camera is now in place and I think the TV audience will connect very well with this song.
FRANCE
The French rehearsals have been one long disappointment to be honest. There was so much potential with this entry but Alma stands alone on stage in front of a backdrop of the Paris sky. It’s nice and perfectly pleasant but it fails to make the correct impact that the song deserves. The vocal performance is very good but it’s nothing to behold. She’s wearing the same dress as before, a silver/black short dress and heels.