Opinion

Well well, this is everything fans imagined it would be and worse. And that coming from someone who actually likes the song.They brought their stairs with them and they are coming down as the song starts. Generally there's lot of going up and down those stairs during the performance. And then there's dancing.The stage goes dark in some parts of the song and the dancers do acrobatics whilst their costumes light up. Pink and purple all over the place. Vocally poorer than previous performances and little chemistry between Alex and Bianca.

"Taken by a stranger" much?Ann Sophie wears a black catsuit and is going all Femme Fatale on us.She looks straight at the camera, she dropped the weird face expressions of the past and she is competent vocally.She is accompanied by four backing singers. There's not much movement and it comes across a bit too static but to be honest i had an issue with her moves in the National Final so that might be an improvement. Backdrop plays with yellow and black. I quite like what i see and hear here, still unsure if it will stand out.

In comparison to Spain, Germany are taking a much simpler approach in their stage acting. And that's for the best really.

Joined by four backing singers, who are behind four big cinema lights Ann-Sophie is confidently bringing black smoke. For the first verse she's actually doing this with her back to the audience, which is slightly strange. I'm assuming that the camera will either zoom around her, or they are going to do something different.

Ann-Sophie is channeling a little bit of Lena, but she's doing it in a very fitting James Bond kind of setting, which of course features mainly golden and black and of course the smoke.

Visually this is looking very stunning and, Germany is going to do a lot better than people actually think it will.

There are too many things going on stage for the Spanish performance. Amanecer wears a hood attached to her red dress at the beginning of the song with the train of the dress covering the shirtless dancer. Later on the dancer pulls the dress to reveal a new silver one ; then she moves around on stage making hand movements. There's also dancing with the dancer and at some point she pushes him to fall on the floor.... Amanecer isn't the strongest singer, especially in comparison to some great vocals this year. I'm afraid this isn't well thought and comes across as weird despite some nice moments. There were a quite a few laughs in the press centre during the performance and cheering (hopefully for all the wrong reasons) at the end of it.

Gosh Spain, where to start...

Let's say Spain have really gone all out on their entry this year. Edurne's visual presentation for Amanecer is very different from what Spain has done before, but there's a lot going on.

Joined by dancer Giuseppe di Bella, the choreography was done by Miryam Benedited and features a glittery cape, a dress change, a windmachine, lifts, and a variety on backdrops.

It's visually a spectacle which could go two ways. It either goes really in Spain's favour or it will go completely against it. I think the main issue Spain is facing is making sure that everything flows rather nicely together.

The second run was definitely an improvement already. Vocally Edurne is strong and she carries her song right through.

Not a bad start Spain, just work a little on the visuals.

The host of this year's country, Austria is up next and they also have a very solid first rehearsal.

When the song starts, the camera is slowly zooming towards Dodo, the Makemakes front leader, who's sitting behind his piano. At this point, the staging is very dark but lightens up with white beams surrounding the stage when the chorus kicks in.

The rest of the song is pretty much in a blue colour, although in the bridge we see the floor turn into flames. At that point, Dodo's standing up from his paino and walking to the front of the stage. Unlike in the nationaln final, Dodo's piano isn't set on fire. Perhaps they are saving that for the dress rehearsals.

Vocally it's very adequately sung, so nothing really to pinpoint there. A very solid home entry for Austria. Completely different from what Conchita offered last year, so a little unsure how that will reflect in the voting.

The Austrians have a good staging for their own entry.It's not that different from their National Final performance.The lead singer wears a hat and a jacket on the piano and nails the vocals.At the end he stands up and walks to the front. The backdrop just like many performances this year is dark black-blue and turns brighter to red towards the end.There's a nice camera shot from above with the floor creating a orange-red sun/flames. I think this performance works, it all depends on the song's appeal to the juries and viewers now.

The day starts with second favorites Italy which are pretty competent considering it's a first rehearsal.The boys appear with black suits and white shirts and they give a performance similar to what we've seen from them before.The backdrop is *very* Italian, full with different statues and columns in a blue-black background which turns orange-golden in the process and purple with stars towards the end (kind of the same concept as "Watch my dance" but...in Italian). Backdrop is a bit cheesy for my taste; however there will be fans for it. They did miss a camera or two but that's what dress rehearsals are for.They got a big applause from the press centre. Personally, i am not ready to say this is a winner.

Well,i think i have to start by saying that i am not the most objective person to review this since i've always thought that it has the best chances for Cyprus to do well since...Lisa Andreas :P
And it's the same concept on stage actually but technology has evolved the last 11 years so the black sky and the stars look more impressive and "full" as they did back then.
People who liked it before will be amazed by this performance,people who didn't will find it boring.I have a feeling this is going high.

uups sorry Iceland and Sweden, unfortunately re-arranging my new flight going home didn't really let me see them but I'm all sane and sorted for Switzerland.

Melanie Rene is just a fabulous star, and she is totally owing that stage. She has big shoes to fill coming right after Sweden, but she does it effortlessly. I love the staging, which has pretty much stayed the same from the first rehearsal.

Perhaps not so much the non qualifier some have said they might be.