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Day 1: San Marino, Belgium and Azerbaijan
Song 5 - San Marino Complice
The five piece bank from San Marino gave a rather understated performance of their song at this morning rehearsals. This allows for a softer sound with the emphasis on the orchestration and gives a chance for the song to develop effectively. Miodio use a balletic female dancer who relates with the lead singer, Nicola Della Valle, during the song to good effect without causing any distracting. The performance is relatively gimmick free, the strong vocal performance from the lead singer is the the selling point of the entry. He greets and uses the camera to full advantage.
Song 6 - Belgium O Julissi
The only song of the year in an entirely made up language, the Belgian representatives took to the stage for their first rehearsal. With the screens showing calligraphic white shapes on black with a base of yellow aroudn the stage. The lead singer seeems a little nervous in the surroundings and the screens show a slightly disjointed view. The song is hottly tipped to do well this year, and the view of traditional musical instruments is welcome reminder of the orchestral days of old. The sound levels are also a little out of synch, with the leaf vocal souding sligthly too deep. By the final run through, the sound was improved and the singer looked clearly happier.
Song 7 - Azerbaijan - Elnur and Samir - Day After Day
Flames are projected on the screen to greet Elnur and Samir onto the stage for certainly the most dramatic performance on day one of the Eurovision Song Contest rehearsals. The musical arrangement of Day After Day has changed to allow Elnur to show the full range of his vocal power throughout the song. The biggest change occurs at the start of the song which is now has a slower and gentler. Both Elnur and Samir give tighter vocal performance than was seen at this year Azerbaijan national final. The theme of devils and angels is continued. The pair are joined by 4 girls on stage, two are dressed with angle wings alongside Elnur and other two are dressed in black and act as servants to the devil (Elnur). Pyrotechnics enhance the vocal contortions delivered by Elnur and Samir.
You can read about this morning's rehearsals from Montenegro, Israel, Estonia and Moldova along with videos here. Videos will be added as soon as they are put online.
Related polls
- Azerbaijan decided: How much do you like Drip drop?
- esctoday.com National Final Awards 2010: Best SONG not to qualify in AZERBAIJAN?
- esctoday.com National Final Awards 2010: Best PERFORMANCE not to qualify in AZERBAIJAN?
- Belgium decided: How much do you like Me and my guitar?
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Just LET you KNOw that EAST EUROPE club WILL vote for Other countries This is what happenning the last years . So many countries so many sure votes . I Hope West countries you will not vote for East europian countries. Remember what happen when EAST EUROPE votes.Even the best songs didn't make it to the final.
DO NOT VOTE This year
RUSSIA
UKRAIN
LITHOUANIA
ESTONIA
GEORGIA
MOLDOVA
ROMANIA
CZECH REPUBLIC
BELARUS
BULGARIA
Hungary
LATVIA
NO one vote for them
San Marino is incredible. Go ahead, guys! 
I like Belgium and Azerbaijan too, btw.
@ Flowergirl; for what I've heard the Serbian organisation won't allow that clip used in the Belgian NF (they do allow Russia to plant a skating-round though) because it doesn't match with the stage and its concept... At least they can manage to use a less static background in black/white no? And why not an explosion near the end of the song (around the time the song halts for a second)? Can't be too difficult with that kind of light-features does it? But then again... it's only Belgium (less important I guess)
As an Irish I must add I did like our own background though.
Wow, it's true. The difference in background between Belgium and Azerbaijan is astonishing!
For Belgium they could just as well have putten a coardboard wall with some lines painted on it as a background. Very static and I don't like it. Plus everyone knows that the Belgian clothes will be in red (and white); so why choose for yellow and purple on the stage; that will give a horrible colour combination.
Can't VRT send the background clip they used during the national final to Serbia?
that's what i'm thinking too , why Belgium gets a so ugly background ? the song is so lovely , they try desperatly to kill the show for Belgium AGAIN
I agree Franck,
Bosnia gets lovely images from houses and chicken, and what does Belgium get ? The most ugly background for such a sweet innocent lovely song. But he everybody hates Belgium, while Bosnia is a neighbour, so bad....
The belgian song is far better than al the rest of the song of 11 may. but belgium deserves a much beter work for the screen projections.
It should be mor in the rythm of the music and when there is the musical stop everything has to be dark and became full of color when soetkin starts to sing again. it can't be that easy . why do the technicians are doing such less work for belgium??? we always have to stand with poor screen projections while other countries get so good projections???
THIS IS DISCRIMINATION!!!
Thanks to all the overdone songs by Azerbijan, Estonia, Israel, Ireland.... I think a simple song like the Belgian entry will stand out even more and will collect lots of votes (Or am I dreaming and taking my wishes for reality ?)
Complice is without question the best song this year. Azerbaijan has by far the absolute worst. Funny how the two debuting countries manage to be so extremely different. Still I'm sure San Marino will get approximately 0 votes and Azerbaijan approximately 1000. That's the way of the Eurovision in 2008. San Marino (or Italy, for that matter) will not bother us with their presence next year, that's for sure.
belgian entry is very very very strong - This could win
azeri entry is too much and i think viewers may be a little sick of over the top performances - certainly in the west anyway
San Marinese song is great but may get forgotten especially coming after Moldova
Auch, it's too much screaming from Azerbaijan and wings are also nothing special anymore.
Day After Day is Good song.
Singers are Best!
Show is not too bad,
maybe it will be ready for 1st final.
Belgium will surprise Europe next tuesday... wait and see. Soetkin is a real singer, the sung is funny and takes you on a ride... a few beauty mistakes for the moment but it looks really good.... Belgium, France and Portugal are my favorites.
A French guy in London
Azerbaijan must win!!!
ESC2009 in Azerbaijan!
Azerbaijan: The one thing I did not like very much was the angels dancing. Those angels look a bit silly. Check it out till minute 1:05.
Good luck to Azerbaijan. You've been my favourites all along and you don't disappoint me now either.
None of these entries are interesting for me
I forgot to say that I was talking about Azerbaijan but I'm sure you would have guessed!
Can't wait to see what Belgium does - in my top 10!!
Vocals so much better from both of them but still I think they aren't perfect. I liked this song first off but bad performances made me think it was an utter mess. I think they need to restrain themselves though, leave the yodeling to the Austrians and Swiss, and concentrate more on the main song and it could be a great performance
Azerbaijan was the best so far....has somekind of Lordi effect ! As it was only the first rehearsal, I guess the final act will be even stronger. No one shows all potential at such an early stage.
Lady Sarantuya, don't be so rude towards the Sammarinese guys! Have you watched the EBU preview show, available at the NOS website? They are so cool, specially Nicola. He looks like a little child, he's the sweetest guy on Earth! 
I wish San Marino the best!
Azerbaijan GO TO NUMBER 1 ! :}
video of our rehearsal -
http://www.esckaz.co(...)zerbaidzhan#comments
and it`s only first rehearsal... ;}
the belgian rehearsal (or 1 minute of it )
http://nl.youtube.co(...)/watch?v=XeUxUK0in7M
Moldova, Azerbaijan and Belgium were the best today.
Not sure about San Marino (I only saw a 5 sec excerpt)
Israel was good, but the performance needs to be improved.
Slovenia was a total disaster.
Montenegro, Estonia and Norway left me totally unimpressed.
Can't wait for tomorrow's rehearsals.
from what i've seen till now, from this semi, azerbaijan has climbed to number 1, but there is still russia, andorra, greece .... and alot of my favs!
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