EUROVISION 2019: DAY 2 REVIEW (FIRST REHEARSALS)

Day 2 of first rehearsals was the day I was most excited for and damn it did not disappoint. Everyone seemed to turn it out today and ranking these is going to be so hard, but let's give it a go. This ranking is mostly based on my initial first impressions on the staging and LED, as well as the vocal performance from what we've seen so far.

8th - Estonia

I really didn't want to put Estonia last, and please understand its kind of just a last place by default because most of the interesting staging elements are hidden from us in this performance and we don't get much in the way of the vision they're going for, therefore I can't really review it properly or rank it higher. Victor is turning it out though and I think the song is still in the running to make it through.

7th - Belgium

Belgium underwhelmed me today because their staging just wasn't the vision I had in mind. I don't think it really suits the song in anyway. Eliot's costume is... a choice and I actually think this would've benefited from just Eliot in a simple oversized black cloak while on-stage backing vocalists stand behind him. It seems like they've maybe tried to make this song seem more epic than it actually is and I don't think that's a good thing.

6th - Georgia

This is exactly what Georgia needed to do and I'm glad that's what they did. Oto has way more stage presence than in Georgian Idol, his backing dancers have more on-stage involvement and the dramatic pyro shooting up throughout intensifies the drama. A real improvement for me and its probably not even in my bottom 10 no more. Good job!

5th - San Marino

There seems to be a mixed response to San Marino's staging but let me remind you how much of an improvement this is on pretty much anything San Marino has sent to the contest in terms of visuals. Serhat has splashed the cash on this stage show and I think it looks really glossy and fun. Its impressive and people are still saying he could qualify so it did the job!

4th - Portugal

This might come as a surprise as Portugal is in my top 3 this year, but because everyone else stepped it up so much this has sadly fell behind. I still adore the song and I'm so happy with how Conan sang today because he didn't add any unnecessary ad-libs like in the national final, but it all felt way more dark, serious and dramatic than it should be. Everyone else after Portugal went for white so I'm glad they changed the costume but as a result something doesn't seem as striking as it could be. Hopefully as we're not seeing the full thing its still up to that standard but from what we've seen I hope they can make improvements and get it back to the level it should be at.

3rd - Greece

Greece was one of the stagings I was really concerned about, but I worry no more. This staging is not static in any way, a narrative is told throughout and some of the shots from the floor LED that are being shared by press sound stunning. They managed to fill the stage and nail every aspect. I can't wait to see this one with the camerawork. I think this could be the winner of the semi-final.

2nd - Iceland

This felt like continual growth from Songvakeppnin. They have their logo as a stage prop now and having the dancers surround it tightens up the performance. The pyro shooting up throughout adds to the ferocity of the performance and vocally there were no issues. Iceland got right what Portugal got wrong here I think. Casual viewers have more emotion to latch onto in Iceland's performance even when they don't understand the concept of the song, whereas Portugal seems to have got even more confusing. Iceland did what they had to do with style and it will be great to see Iceland back in the final because that's where they're headed.

1st - Australia

If you had told me Australia would be at the top of my ranking this morning I'd have laughed in your face but here we are. I tossed and turned as to whether or not to put Australia at number one because in terms of the song it isn't one of my runaway favourites but I simply have no choice. The theory of Australia being overshadowed by Iceland and Portugal has been well and truly buried underground. This truly blew me away when I first saw it and I cannot believe how daring this is. This is a (literal) elevation from Australia Decides and I am in love. Kate executing the song to perfection while being 12 feet up in the air swinging from left to right is just unbelievable. I've seen a leaked image of the augmented reality, which positions Kate and her dancers on top of the earth and I'm still blown away now at how it looks. This entry is that moment that stops everyone in their tracks and gets people talking. Its that moment which people will continue to discuss for years to come. This is the entry I'm most excited to see in its entirety with camera angles and all and any doubts of Australia having a poor televote once more have been thrown out the window. Without getting too carried away this proves that Australia belong in the contest and that they take it way more seriously than even most of our European participants, the true wow moment of the semi-final.

Day 2 of rehearsals is complete! Tomorrow we turn to the first half of the second semi-final.

Follow me on Twitter @ESCTBy for more rehearsal and Eurovision ramblings. See you tomorrow!