ROTTERDAM CALLING MAY 12 🇳🇱 Live blog: Lithuania, Slovenia, Russia, Sweden, Australia second rehearsal

The videos of he first of countries will be available here

With EBU extremely delayed in giving the public the monitor footage as promised (and as it happens every year), we move to a short break. This post will now close and in the next set of countries, we will add the uploaded videos by EUROVISION.TV when available and we hope they work faster!

Since there was no rehearsal for Australia, Montaigne gave an online press conference live from her country. Photos uploaded by the EBU, are showing Montaigne in the making of the live on-tape filming.

• There is a change by adding the acapella version of AMEN in the performance.
• The choir is thrilled to be part of Eurovision 2021 even as pre-recorded vocals.
• Ana’s Australian grandmother inspired her and taught her harmonies.
• Head of press says that back home reactions are good.
• Ana says that she is representing herself and her country and wants to make the Slovenians happy.
• She wants to continue her career and in 20 years she wants to have been still an established singer.
• Ana asked how is she relaxing before singing and the singer responded that Darja Svajer told her how to deal with stress. Ana is praying before performing.
• Ana doesn’t know how much proud Slovenians will be if the country qualifies for the final.
• Ana likes The Black Mamba from Portugal
• Her favourite Slovenian entry is that of Darja Svajer and Nusa Derenda.

The first press conference we follow today is that of Slovenia. For Lithuania and all press conference today we will post a new post later on with the on-demand videos as (and if) given by the EBU)

Fully dressed up with his red outfit and playing the digital water behind and aside from him, Tusse gives a powerful performance which is exactly like the one we watched in Melodifestivalen. Is it a qualifier? Yes, but it doesn’t stop here. Don’t be surprised if on May 22nd you see him carrying the trophy in his bags back home! The four dancers seem coherent to his performance while the dancers appearing in the backdrop enhances his performance in the monitors.

Don’t forget, to support up to ten qualifiers for each of the semi-finals in our annual EUROPREDICTION which can be found here…

Tusse, who spoke to oikotimes yesterday, is up next…

Second rehearsals coming in from the official EBU site, which will present us final cuts from the monitor feed and not from the arena…

Manizha presents her pop-folk song with the performance which although seems powerful gives the impressions of a circus although the singer is confident. The huge robotic-moved and colourful dress – with fabric from all over Russia – seems to work for Russia. Still, I am most sure whether this one can qualify although Russia has its satellite nations to vote for them, by default.

Manizha is up next…

With a colourful black hole behind her, Ana begins her powerful performance. Her solo act seems to have one problem: She is so static that the open camera shots actually show the whole thing too empty. Vocally Ana is perfect. The singer moves towards the front of the stage, confident and looking great in white. It sounds weird to have pre-recorded backing vocals with no backing singers on stage. Somehow, too fake.

Ana Soklić is next…

THE ROOP take the stage and their performance is now concrete and coherent. Although it’s the same with the Lithuanian final, it is powerful enough. I am not sure whether it is a good thing to open the first semi-final but definitely, this one will be to the final. It will work fine for them, for sure.

While France is still in the lead for the trophy, the only big change was that of Bulgaria entering the top five last night…