Mum watches the rehearsal clips, Part 1

And once again, mother, you are right there, mother, and I'm about to inflict some rehearsal clips on you :)

 

As regular readers will know, my mum does not really understand my Eurovision obsession and is the classic 'casual viewer':

• she can't understand it being an almost all-year-round event.
• she doesn't feel the need to watch the semi-finals but will never miss a grand final.
• every year without fail, she will pronounce at the end of the grand final - "I'm never watching this again, it's a fix!"
• she thinks it's all too serious these days, unlike the 'old' Eurovision filled with funny people in funny costumes - the clip show fodder. 
• she thinks the Eurovision Song Contest is not to be taken seriously. 
• she thinks most of the songs are mediocre/forgettable, and can't understand why we would listen to the songs for months before or after the contest, or why anyone would want to buy the DVD!

On the other hand, my mum does like a lot of what she calls 'foreign music' which I have introduced her to over the years; and she also said that there have been a lot of good singers and good songs which have come out of the contest.  (Cue a little YouTube Johnny Logan viewing session!)

 

Her first thoughts:

 

• She didn't like the stage set at all - the 'scaffolding' and the screens at the back are "just too much" and was unimpressed by the dazzling backdrops which she thought detracted from the songs.

 

• She thought there are too many props gimmicks and I completely agree.  Whether it's Azerbaijan trapeze artists, Ukrainian hamster wheels, Romania's giant Polo mint/CT scan piano, Montenegro's skater and most bizarrely of all, Greece;s trampoline (Rise Up! *boing* Rise Up!*boing* Rise Up! *boing*) there is really no need for any of this.  As mum said, just sing the song.  Or indeed as Father Ted said, "Just play the f****** note!"  She thought these gimmicks/props did the songs more harm than good.
• She thought "Calm After The Storm" was quite pleasant.

• She liked the staging of "Silent Storm".  (It would appear that this year my mum is impressed by songs with "Storm" in the title).  I would certainly agree with her - I think the song's staging is exquisite and classy.
• "Mother".  *rolls eyes* "What the hell is that?"

 

• She liked "Cake To Bake" and said that there's not enough 'fun' songs any more in ESC.
• I then played her the full version of "Cliché Love Song" from the Danish final.  She liked it and thought it would do well.
• I played her the full studio version of "Not Alone" and her view was that it is not a winner.  She liked the first part of the song but felt the second part of the song was too harsh and ruined the song.
• I didn't have time to play "Hunter of Stars" to her, thought I'd wait till the full 2nd rehearsal clip is posted online so that she can have the complete Sebalter-on-stage-in-Copenhagen experience :)))

More to follow...

 

EDIT: sorry, there wasn't any more to follow - there wasn't much time before semi-final 1, and there hasn't been much more time since!  I'm hoping to post my reviews of both semi-finals and the final within the next few days, rather than the usual two month wait :)

 

(photos courtesy of www.eurovision.tv)