Vital Eurovision Issues 'n stuff with Sims

Recent updates to vitaleurovision.co.cc:

SWEDEN:
*First 8 performers in MF 2009 will be revealed during a special press conference on 18/11/2008 in Stockholm.
* In 28/10/2008 the songs and song writers were revealed, many rumors has being speard around but none were confirmed
* Don't forget that there are also 4 Wild cards part of those 28.

MOLDOVA:
* TRM has just invited all moldovian authors and singers to participate in the National final
* Date: Probobly Febuaray
* Deadline: 20.12.2008
* 20 songs will be selected by the juries to participate in the NF
* the selection period will take 45 days and than TRM will organize a NF that will be brodcasted on TV Moldova 1.
* Voting: Mix of televoting & expert jury
* Rumours says Natalia Gordienko has submitted a song (from Moldova 2006)

MALTA:
* Mistakes & mayhem with the first heat (here)
* Preformence order:
* Audiovision TV Studios in Hamrun - The venue of the NF and Valerie Vella the host
* Qualifiers will be announced after all semis has being held (Sounds fishy to me)

PORTUGAL:
* Festival Da Cancao: In the last week of febuarary or the first wek of March

CYPRUS:
* An audition for all entries will take place on the 13.12.2008 where 7 members of a jury will evaluate the entries.
* 10 songs will go to the national final which will take place in the end of January.
* Voting system: Televoting

DENMARK:
Voting System in the national final - 50:50 Audience-Juries

NETHERLANDS:
* Host: Jack van Gelder
* Songs: 4 to 6
* Voting: 50:50 Audience-Juries

BELARUS:
* Dates: Semi in December, Final in January
* Songs: 15 in the Semi - 5 in the final
* Voting: Juries in the semi, "Televoting" in the final (yea, right.... it's Belarus!)

GREECE:
* Host: Betty & Mathilde Maggira
* Songs: 3 songs
* Voting: 60% Televoting - 40% Juries

LITHUANIA:
* Participants List
* Fomat: Talent show but unlike 2006 for example or this year in Bulgaria it's a talent show but for experinced artists rather than amatuers (which is a big diffrence!)
* Voting: Televoting
* Some interesting people in the list like the solist of Skamp from Lithuania 2001.

UKRAINE:
* Songs: 15 songs
* Voting: Televoting

Eurovision 2009:
The cost of Eurovision 2009

Ok, after the great suffer we went thru in the last heat with all the freaky dresses and singers which most of them didn't know what is singing anyway, we are going this week to the first quarter final which will select who from the 9 songs who qualified to the next round which is this quarter final will have enough power to qualify to the semi final - reports of the first, second and third heats including audio, video and pictures here -
1 2 3 - you can compare the performances from there to here and see for yourself.

3 of those 9 qualifiers will qualify for the semi final.

The Opening

First i just thought the opening act looks like the male host but than it was made obvious that he IS the male host - WOW, didn't know he knows to sing
- and what up with this hairdo ?! his hair looks like a big mess, much like Ruslan Alenho hair in the Eurovision.

Now they are flashing the numbers - this week we have a double challenge cause the mission is to qualify out of 9 songs rather than only 5 and after another few words we went on our ways ... this time without all kinds of crap before the songs - perhaps because we have a lot to make up...

The Songs

This time we see postcard before the song by the performers

NOTE: UNLIKE WHAT IT IS SAID ON SOULSEEK AND OTHER PLACES - THE SINGING WAS LIVE AND =NOT= TAKEN FROM THE HEATS! - DON'T TRUST EVERYTHING OTHER PEOPLE TELL YOU !

Song #1 - Prima Vista / Let's spread love

Well they haven't changed much since the heats - thanks god they got rid of those stupid hats and white "stuff" - it really looked dumb cause obviously Broadway is NOT here. I still think Mario Marinov from the 2nd heat that got 4th was better- even thou he wasn't such a hit as he looks :). The song itself is gummy
somewhat, but i saw on the stage of this national final much worse (who said Ruth?! the living sleeping pill and not to mention a boring slob...)

Oh, another blessed thing with this quarter final is that the hosts don't screw around between the songs - i guess again that it's because in the heats they had only 5 songs so they needed something to feel up the time with so the heats wont be so short...

Song #2 - Perfect Stranger / I Promise

The qualified from the first heat, and they sound like they sing off key totally, which is a big step down from the heats and also the vocals are weaker than in the heats - it wasn't my cup of tea back than and it's not now but at least they sang better in the heat.

Song 3 - Tereza Kolarova / Samo edno more

My Favorite song from the 2nd heat - She has changed dresses and also her backing dancers switched clothes. One blessed point in her performance is that this time the guitarist doesn't think he is in a country style contest - he got rid of the cowboys hat and the altitude, so it's for the better - as for the song - still a good song.

Now we see again the hosts, and the male host Drago thanks god decided to do something with his hair and change the weird clothes he wore earlier - he looks the best here and on the 1st heat - on the 3rd heat he looked very bad. After that we saw a clip about some singer and after showing the televoting numbers once more we go on.

Song 4 - Ruth / Sometimes

Lookie here - it's officially crown "slut of the contest" with the that poor slob trying to shut me down cause he couldn't stand what i said about her (which obviously the Bulgarian audience thought as well since she got last...). Ok the violinists are still there, but she changed her hairdo but she is still wearing that curtain she shoplifted from Ikea. As for the song..... well the
song is still bad and she proved once more that she hasn't lost her touch to put an entire room to sleep - the chocking cat in the background is not absent as well, thanks god there is 3 minutes limit to a song - i don't think a regular person (who is not partly fish and/or canine) couldn't suffer her for more than that...

And also since there are no juries in this round i don't really think she's
standing any chance for anything rather than get back to her day job saying:
"ok your order is 2 hamburgers, chips and a coke - would you like free ice cream with that?" in Sofia's branch of McDonald.

Song 5 - Deyan Dzhenkov / Iman tvoeto ime

Deyan from the infamous 3rd heat is now on stage and he really stood out there between the sleeping pill (see previous song) and Moto who stole Orna and moshe datz clothes (See in 3rd heat Report) - and well unlike the infamous Ruth from the previous song, he shows us you CAN really sing a quiet song without putting an entire room to sleep. all in all nice song, even thou not in my list of big fav.

Song 6 - I Velina / Ready for love

It's I VELINA from the first heat, a very nice song indeed - I remember she was dressed like she was going to the gym in the first heat, this time she also brought some back up instead of singing alone on the stage without any movement going on - it's a clown - she has brought a clown with her - nice idea with the flower. that's actually a very good act, and the song is very nice as well.

Now again the hosts and a video clip about a two i suspect are Elitsa & stoyan which successfully showed us that Bulgaria CAN send top master pieces to Eurovision if it want too.
They managed to put Bulgaria in the final, winning 5th place and winning my EuroSims contest of 2007. In the clip they prove they are still very talented - and in a contrary to a lot of the the bad music we heard from in the heats they prove that actually there ARE some who can make GOOD music in Bulgaria ! i wonder why BNT goes to all this trouble in a first place cause anyway we know that no one from here stand a single chance in to pass the semi against the experienced singers directly qualified for the final.

Song 7 - Iliyan Tsvetanov / Tozi ritam

Now after we were heared some GOOD music - it's back to the crap! - and what a better way to give us a show of crap than the song "Tozi Ritam" which sticks to your brain like old gum after you hear it. This time all in black with a funny looking hat and two back teen back dancers wearing trainings and back weak voices screaming, i thought it was bad song in the heats now we can see that even a bad song can be a lot worse.

Song 8 - Iskra & Misha Iliev / Dokosni me

Now it's the entry from the 2nd heat - The one that looked like Armando Gama who represented Portugal in 1983. They went for a more professional act this time and you can see that there is quite an improvement in this song than how they sang it two weeks ago.
The song is not bad and with this new look it can really consider one of the better songs this night. On the minus side they added some annoying backing voices which really are misplaced.

Song 9 - Venelina Milanova / Neka s pesen

The last entry for this quarter final is from Venelina Milanova which was quite good in the first heat and we can see she put an extra effort into it and it's even looks better and sound better - well done !

Ok, the songs are over, and if not comparing them to Elitsa & Stoyan level i can say some were quite good some mediocre and some really awful.

After a commercial break we come back for the interval act which is "Electric force crew" (this time they wrote it in English) not my cup of tea music but at least it looked like invested in.

After this one is over there is a reprise of all the songs - for the first time since the entire selection started, and we can see everyone who were on stage (well not really ON stage since they didn't look in the reprise like they did on the stage tonight! The reprise is from the heats since they wear what they wore there)

My conclusions with the reprise:
1. Prima vista - looked much better than in the heats, and even thou it's not my personal cup of tea, at least they didn't look dumb with those white hats and ties.

2. Perfect strangers - was much worse than in the heats - they sang off key and gave less of an act this time.

3. Tereza - also had an improvement mainly on the backing singers.

4. Ruth - still stayed a sleeping pill that totally unbearable to hear

5. Deyan also saw quite an improvement from the heats in the act base and in the singing.

6. I Velina REALLY improved ! she's now got an act and looked more into it and passionate - Good entry.

7. Tozi Ritam got worse (YES! i know it was worse before now it got even more)

8. Iskra has a massive Improvement as well - part of the annoying vocals.

9. Venelina was much the same thing - she had quite a good entry in the heats as well, but also could improve it in this quarter final.

Now that the lines are open we are moving to the 2nd interval act:

LONG interview and 2 songs.,which after ALL this we have FINALLY the results.... - Drago holding three envelopes which has the names of the qualifiers for the semi final - and the qualifiers are ...

The Results

And the winners are:

First qualifier:
Deyan Dzhenkov / Iman tvoeto ime

Second qualifier:
Prima Vista / Let's spread love

And the last qualifier who is still going on is.....
Iskra & Misha Iliev / Dokosni me

I was quite surprised that Prima vista got in - they weren't that good if you ask me - as for the other two i can understand that...

Full Results:
Deyan Dzhenkov / Iman tvoeto ime - 24.14%
Prima Vista / Let's spread love - 19.66%
Iskra & Misha Iliev / Dokosni me - 13.46 %

4th Perfect Stranger / I Promise - 12.98 %

5th I Velina / Ready for love - 10.43%

6th Tereza Kolarova / Samo edno more - 9.10%

7th Venelina Milanova / Neka s pesen - 5.45%

8th Iliyan Tsvetanov / Tozi ritam - 2.55%

9th Ruth / Sometimes - 2.23%

* Well, i really hoped that I Velina & Venelina Milanova would qualified since i really liked their entries they really got it good.

* As for the 8th & 9th places i guess the Bulgarian audience isn't made of idiots and can spot when something is just lost - Iliyan who was was mediocre in the 3rd heat got worse in this quarter final and AGAIN we see the Epic failure (which i assume the word for it in Bulgarian is Ruth) landing in her rightful place - the bottom of the chart with all the table on her head.

My Results:
I Velina / Ready for love Points
Venelina Milanova / Neka s pesen Points
Iskra & Misha Iliev / Dokosni me Points

4th Tereza Kolarova / Samo edno more Points

5th Deyan Dzhenkov / Iman tvoeto ime Points

6th Prima Vista / Let's spread love Points

7th Perfect Stranger / I Promise Points

8th Iliyan Tsvetanov / Tozi ritam Point

9th Ruth / Sometimes Points

Ok that was it - on Thursday another heat .... wondering what will come up there.