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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
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Go directly to the reactions
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Recent news about San Marino
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Steve Stevenson,
That is interesting that you haven't included Armenia and Azerbaijan into your list 
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
Good Luck to Azerbaijan!
When I heard this - I just felt there was somу extaordidary problem with the girl's yulissi!!! oh my!!!
VATO should immediately send their military to preventing krokodili penetrating inti Yulissi!!!
Well few can guess the meaning of the song...
My idea was - she she had some problems with yulissi and krokodili...
Maybe a good tampax could hel... in either way
ok san marino- still luvin it 
vocally fantastic, but come on ragazzi the performance is sooo lacking... meh its not like ne1 will vote san marino neways
awwww cute belgium! soo endearing and vocally good!
azerbaijan...... well its still pretty crappy, BUT they have improved big time and is out of my worst songs list lol... performance is great tho
San Marino is incredible. Go ahead, guys!
I like Belgium and Azerbaijan too, btw.
Piss me off Azerbaijan.................... ...
@ 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!!!
episode from one Azeri comedy:
Victim:But you are not like Devil
Devil:Have you ever seen Devil ?
If you want to see Angel and Devil visit -
http://www.blackeyed(...)/eurovision2008.html
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 ?)
Azerbaijan and Israel so far were the best rehearsals of May 11 Good luck to both of them!
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
Inga Inga,
It used to be screaming, now it is singing. I don't know about you, but many people i know (including myself) can't "scream" like that
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.
I like the vocal of Azerbaijan. Guys have really strong voices to perform it live and that was just on the first rehearsal which is the hardest for live performance. I really believe they qualify. What i didn't like are Elnur's wings. They seem to be kind of awckward 
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