Semi Final 1 - 25th May 2010

[Beanie]

I'll check out her rehearsal today and maybe bump her up at the expense of Estonia - hmmmm yeah probably will beat that one. All depends on the jury vote of Germany/Spain/France I think - they are as close to friends as Portugal has in this.

It's really just a stab in the dark though as you could change 6-10 with 11-15 very easily.

[MickeyPaul]

I think it's up there with that other Portugal effort (you know the one). Well, it isn't as good as that but just in relation to the competition this year. I will genuinely be fuming if it doesn't qualify. She's better than Jade Ewan I think and she carried a shit song to a decent place. I know there are tons of variables involved there etc but fuck. She has to make it.

I've bet on it you see.

[Gavster]

I've got to agree with you on the Estonia point Beanie. He's reintroduced the poncing around, and I'll think it'll be at the expense of their qualification. I had high hopes for Estonia, it's a great song, perhaps not very Eurovision, but still different enough to separate it from the pack. The presentation of it just looks very elitist, almost like an Etonian karaoke night... just a bit too eccentric and egotistical.

That's were Serbia is perhaps better positioned; it's different in a good, slight quirky, but positive way.

[Beanie]

Yep, agreed. Happy to keep away from Estonia though, its such a quirky song that it really could finish anywhere.

Have to say I dont remember looking forward to a Eurovision semi as little as this one - nothing at all to get excited about!

[Radoslav]

Well the only thing could be the possibility Slovakia to win it...What do you think about their chances now ?

[Gavster]

Well... I'm relieved I got 8.0 on Belgium and 24.0 on Serbia, it'll make it more interesting! Some are saying that Slovakia has gone backwards a little in these final sessions. We'll see for ourselves later!

[MickeyPaul]

I actually think Slovakia has remained exactly the same throughout. Maybe that's seen as a backward step.

[Beanie]

It has Mickey, same with Croatia, and it definately is seen as a backward step(Slovakia drifted from 40 to 120, Croatia from about 12 to 60!)

Whether it is remains to be seen but I'd rather see an updated stage show, a few tweaks to the song here and there etc.

Nevertheless, I think Slovakia is still bang in there with a chance of winning the semi - I dont buy this 'borderline qualifier' stuff. It is still hugely popular amongst ESC fans(it won almost every semi 1 fan poll pre-contest, and as you say it's not really changed, although a few others have caught up(Belgium.)

Off topic I'll be interested to see what happens if the blogs prove to be innacurate in semi 1 and 2. They have moved the markets so much that if they get it wrong with a number of qualification predictions, will the market correct itself?

[Akebono]

Is there a bookie that offer finish last in the semi market?

[squallsquall]

Originally Posted by Beanie

Off topic I'll be interested to see what happens if the blogs prove to be innacurate in semi 1 and 2. They have moved the markets so much that if they get it wrong with a number of qualification predictions, will the market correct itself?

They were way off last year as well... although I'm not sure if the post-semi movements correlated with their errors.

[Beanie]

Yep - the semi results not being released till after the final doesnt help mind you - no real way to see how right or wrong they are.

For what its worth, my only amendments to my ranking earlier is:

7. Bosnia
8. Belarus
9. Portugal
10. Russia
11. Estonia

Rest the same. I think Russia is going to be incredibly tight, and think that the German/Spanish/French juries will get Porugal over the line.

[Listener]

8th was Bosnia, 7th was Moldova, these were tight...

1st Iceland 2 Belgium 3 Albania 4 Serbia

this was also the order