Eurovision Song Contest 2024 (Mod warning, see OP updated 10/05 and post #3477 11/05)

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814325#Comment_121814325

The Lasagna performance is very messy. There's way too much going on right from the start - looks like they threw a whole load of ideas at the performance, with no real structure to it.

yerwanthere123

San Marino

https://youtu.be/UpBJ5elfBZA?si=ijTrZc83nMbGUwTb

Emmm best of luck getting back into the final 😬

derb12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814325#Comment_121814325

that Croatian song is a cracker, but that staging was awful. Even the camerawork was all over the place. The only plus is that they left out the doleful section at the very end of the video version!

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814428#Comment_121814428

An absolute disaster of a performance, the vocals are particularly bad. Fans online seem to be forgiving him because he was a backup, but it wasn't like he got the call up at 2pm on Thursday, it's been known for weeks he had been called up.

If this does win Dora, it's going to need a lot of work before it will be ready for Malmö - televoters will forgive a poor vocal, juries won't.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814448#Comment_121814448

I don't think San Marino are going to go very far with this, even if they're in the weaker semi-final.

Very hard luck that Bambi didn't get drawn in the second semi-final - looking at how both semis are lining up, they'd sail through the second semi.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814832#Comment_121814832

Lots of comparisons with Cha Cha Cha of course, but you can see that a lot of thought and effort went into Kaarija's performance - it slowly builds up from having him on stage and then the dancers are finally unveiled. Lasagna's performance just looks messy and chaotic with a crowded stage and all sorts of choreography going on. I do think he would get out of his semi but it's the type of performance that could crash and burn in the final.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815110#Comment_121815110

It really just looks like they decided to throw everything at it. Those kind of performances with too much going on onstage never do well. I honestly don't understand why more performers don't get that - if you have chaos on stage, then people aren't going to go for it.

Libertine07

Baby Lasagna's performance wasn't anywhere near as bad as some fans are making out, I was expecting an absolute car crash based on the comments I was reading.

It does need tightening up and the staging could certainly be improved but there's plenty of time for that. It has massive potential.

That first semi final (especially the first half) is looking extremely competitive. I was confident of Bambie qualifying when first picked but I'm a bit more concerned now.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815721#Comment_121815721

The best things that could happen to Bambi is that Baby Lasagna doesn't get through tonight. While his staging and vocals need work, he'd be almost guaranteed to qualify from Bambi's semi. No other act in the Croatian selection screams "qualifier." I think even Let3 would struggle to qualify - they've lost the shock and novelty value they had last year, and voters rarely go for the same thing two years in a row.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815721#Comment_121815721

I'd see BL competing more with Finland for televotes though.

Bambie is not really a novelty act - more of an arty, musical theatre type performance with added pop and rock elements. I wouldn't be overly fearful of Croatia if they pick Lasagna.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121816799#Comment_121816799

But they're all competing for televotes now in the semi since the EBU abolished the juries.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121816946#Comment_121816946

For sure, but I actually see Finland and Baby Lasagna fishing more for the same type of votes.

Bambie's demographic is slightly different to my mind. People who find No Rules and Lasagna silly might still enjoy Doomsday Blue as a song and a performance. It's not really a novelty song...it's actually quite artistic.

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815721#Comment_121815721

I'm definitely a bit more concerned too. Assuming Croatia pick Baby Lasagna, that'll be five out of nine selected so far that I'd say are definitely qualifying. Right now I'd say Bambie is still in, but if there's another two or three strong songs selected she might be in trouble.

On the flip side, we've yet to see the song with any kind of quality staging, because we obviously can't count what we saw on the Late Late. Here's to hoping there's a great stage show lined up too, cause I think the song is very good.

Libertine07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817149#Comment_121817149

Yep, that's exactly it. It's not about our song having similarities to the others, it's just that we're running out of qualification spots and there are already lots of very strong entries in that semi.

I think Ukraine, Lithuania, Croatia, Poland and Serbia (not chosen yet but have very strong options) are all very likely to qualify and that's just from our half!

Libertine07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817032#Comment_121817032

I see Finland as much more of a joke/novelty entry than Baby Lasagna, the latter being a far better song and a real contender for the win if they stage it right.

I dont think Bambie is a novelty entry, I just think we're in an extremely competitive semi final (again).

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817408#Comment_121817408

It'll be very bad luck if we made a big effort with our entry this year but still didn't qualify as the quality of our semi was just too high.

No idea about Australia yet, but a great qualifying record and they always send something decent (except 2022 in my opinion.) Iceland will likely select Bashar, who will probably get a decent sympathy vote (his song isn't good though.) Azerbaijan haven't revealed anything about their entry yet, but another country with a good qualifying record and they're not afraid to bend the rules to qualify.

It's looking rather worrying. Second semi looks far more open, with only Belgium and Norway so far looking like they're "safe" qualifiers. High expectations for the Austrian and Dutch entries too, but neither has been heard in full yet. Had Bambi been drawn in that semi, I'd be far more comfortable about them qualifying.

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817443#Comment_121817443

Finland is a joke entry and nothing more. Croatia has a message behind it, which saves it from being a novelty/joke entry, but based on that semi performance, it needs a lot of work and doesn't look like a winner yet (I don't know how tonight's performance went.)

yerwanthere123

No mess up in Croatia, it's Baby Lasagna for Eurovision

https://youtu.be/-yb-qUvh1hM?si=uyEbkocwxlD4X08V

Definite top five potential here I think. Mad that it didn't even make the original Croatian shortlist. Kinda makes me wonder what songs RTÉ get and subsequently dismiss.

And I know I've made this point already, but look at the quality of the Croatian national final staging. I mean if Croatia and Lithuania can come up with something decent, why can't we 🥲

Libertine07

Well done Croatia!

He won by a landslide, he got more televote points than the other 15 entries combined.

Winner's performance was really good, probably because he was more relaxed.

Libertine07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817447#Comment_121817447

It would be ridiculously bad luck but unfortunately it's a possibility.

Just have to hope the staging is really spectacular and we don't get a horrible slot in the running order.

Also let's hope Australia picks a dud for a change!

Welsh Megaman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814448#Comment_121814448

Song sounds like a heavier version of ‘What You Waiting For?’ by Gwen Stefani.

Whilst the ‘ecstatic’ response from the crowd put me in mind of when Suede played the Brit Awards. 😆

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817443#Comment_121817443

But Croatia is straying heavily into novelty territory with the staging and styling. It could just as easily be staged as a straightforward rock song with a fella in black leather, but they've deliberately camped it up and made it quite gimmicky.

One big plus in Bambie's favour is that Doomsday Blue is completely unlike anything else in the Contest this year. It samples four or five different genres, keeps changing tempo and might well be the most creative and innovative song of the entire year.

Say Your Number

The chorus of Croatia sounds like Ich Will by Rammstein .

yerwanthere123

Switzerland

https://youtu.be/kiGDvM14Kwg?si=Gjcrax9G2ZLFVVe6

I don't really know what to make of this? I liked the rap bits in the middle, but otherwise this isn't jumping out to me at all

The Netherlands

https://youtu.be/gT2wY0DjYGo?si=JybLqQXL34FP0kkH

Fishing in the same pool of votes as Finland. Think this'll be a big televote hit but the juries will surely destroy it. I quite like it though! 👀

yerwanthere123

Cyprus

https://youtu.be/8q5QozrtEPA?si=HTuyJmKNLBu_FtjN

Feels like the same kind of song we get from Cyprus most years, only great staging will make this stand out. Wouldn't be too worried about this as competition for Bambie.

Libertine07

I love Switzerland except for the rap bit! I think it could do very well.

Really don't like Netherlands but I'm sure it will have its audience.

Cyprus feels like a copy of Israel last year. Fairly generic so hopefully nothing to be too concerned about in our semi. I could see it opening the show.

yerwanthere123

Austria

https://youtu.be/TxwKjq0bTys?si=GB0_tB5SPUJdPnUZ

EDM banger, kind of akin to Halo from a couple of years back. Very difficult to make these songs work on the Eurovision stage, so I wouldn't be surprised by a similar type of result.

UK

https://youtu.be/kQ5CdiGlzVE?si=1d207PNpk9W0xzqD

Olly's long awaited song!

I think it's.. alright. Will probably need to see this in rehearsal week to judge it's chances.

Welsh Megaman

JUST GIVE NETHERLANDS THE TROPHY!!

😀

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121835316#Comment_121835316

Yeah it is.....fine.

I would guess middle of the bunch maybe.

Austria to me screams good tele vote bad jury

supereurope

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121837293#Comment_121837293

Hopefully she can sing better live than Pia Maria two years ago.