Eurovision 2023: First Rehearsal of Switzerland!

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Today is the first day of rehearsals, the day when the countries participating in the First Semi Final will take over the stage for their first rehearsal at M&S Bank Arena, in Liverpool!

Next up on stage for their first rehearsal is Switzerland and Remo Forrer with the song “Watergun“.

Who is Remo Forrer?

Remo, after a childhood of playing traditional folk music on the accordion in his little Swiss village of Hemberg, Remo moved onto the piano.

Given time he might have found fame with his accordion skills but it was his singing that landed him victory at The Voice of Switzerland 2020. He also triumphed in the German version of the music game show I Can See Your Voice.

The Rehearsal

Well, this is quite special. “Watergun“ is a heartfelt ballad about the tragedy of war, and a universal call for peace. It’s clear that Remo feels a real connection to these lyrics, and his vocal is beautiful.

Corinne Cumming / EBU

Below you can watch a small clip from the Swiss first rehearsal, once it’s published on TikTok:

@eurovision A heartfelt and haunting call for peace✌️🇨🇭 #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @remoforrer ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Staging-wise, he has four contemporary dancers (one is Ellinea Siampalis, dancer at several numbers in Melodifestivalen, who has Greek roots) and also dances himself, which we weren’t expecting.

Corinne Cumming / EBU

The staging for this was created by Sacha Jean-Baptiste, who was also responsible for Switzerland‘s G’jon’s Tears in 2021 and Marius Bear in 2022.

Corinne Cumming / EBU

Who says you can’t have pyro in a ballad? Remo Forrer is breaking all the rules, with a short interlude of smoke and red fireworks raining down from the roof. All VERY dramatic.

Corinne Cumming / EBU

The second Swiss rehearsal will be held on the 3rd of May, when we will know how the performance will look on screen for the Swiss entry.

Source: eurovision.tv
Photos: Corinne Cumming / EBU

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Eurovision 2023: Croatia’s First Rehearsal!

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The seventh country on the rehearsals schedule is Croatia with the eccentric entry “Mama ŠČ!” of the group Let 3

Everything about Let 3:

Let 3 come from Rijeka, the birthplace of Croatia’s punk scene, where they quickly gained a reputation for merging energetic performances with live art, social commentary, over-the-top theatrics, and outlandish costumes.
Frontman Zoran Prodanović (Prlja) started out in the band Umjetnici Ulice, before joining with bass guitarist Damir Martinović (Mrle) to form Let 2 in 1986 (which eventually evolved into Let 3 when they added a new member).

This established and much-loved group have released 10 albums, one of which, Nečuveno (Unheard), quickly sold out despite the record being completely blank.

In Croatia the band are known for their provocative performances and are no strangers to shocking audiences by performing in the nude… we’ve no doubt Croatian broadcaster HRT are carefully going through the Eurovision rulebook with the boys right now.

The Rehearsal

Let 3 kick off with their trademark extravagant costumes, mind-bending graphics and high fashion hat/dress combos, and then for the final chorus they all strip down to their underwear and wave huge missiles. They have an extensive track record of getting naked on stage, but they’ve kept it classy for a Sunday afternoon. There are also fireworks in the final run-through. Let 3’s performance ends with the missiles emitting a shower of sparks over a group of men dancing in platform heels, vests and underpants. Not sure the Liverpool arena has ever seen anything quite like that.

It feels like a nursery rhyme or a lullaby, but with tractors, kissing and war.

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

 

Below you can watch a small clip from Coratia’s first rehearsal from TikTok:

@eurovision Oh mama! Let 3 have revved up into Liverpool 🚜🇭🇷 #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @Let 3 Mrle ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Croatia takes place on Wednesday 3/5 and we will be able to have a better view of what Let 3 will be presenting on stage.

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Eurovision 2023: Ireland’s First Rehearsal!

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The sixth country of the day to take the stage for their first rehearsal is the queen nation of Eurovision, Ireland, (with their 7 victories), with Wild Youth and their dynamic entry “We Are One”.

Everything about Wild Youth:

Formed in Dublin in 2018, this band of 4 friends combine rock with catchy pop harmonies. Their energetic performances have led to a string of hit songs and – the aim of any pop group – number one hits.
If you haven’t seen them performing on television, you might have caught them supporting megastars on tour; they’ve warmed up crowds for the likes of Niall Horan, Lewis Capaldi, and Zara Larson.

Frontman Conor O’Donohoe serves up passionate vocals and pens most of the band’s songs; David Whelan takes to the keys; Edward Porter riffs on the guitar; and Callum McAdam beats the drums.

Wild Youth won their place to represent Ireland through the Late Late Show, fighting off fierce competition, including an entry from Public Image Ltd.

The Rehearsal

The sequinned masks from the official video are nowhere to be seen – instead it’s Conor in a glam rock gold catsuit with flares. This staging also features our first stairs of the day – a horseshoe arrangement featuring ALL the LEDs. The whole performance looks and sounds fabulous. There are also pyros in the performance, huge jets of them, around the whole stage just before the final chorus. Definitely leading the pyro charge so far.

Even on the first rehearsal, it’s easy to imagine the crowd in the Liverpool Arena singing along to this euphoric chorus.

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Corinne Cumming / EBU 

Below you can watch a small clip from Ireland’s first rehearsal from TikTok:

@eurovision Wild Youth’s first run through was as good as gold ✨🇮🇪 #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @Wild Youth ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Ireland takes place on Wednesday 3/5 and we will be able to have a better view of what Wild Youth will be presenting on stage.

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Eurovision 2023: Portugal’s First Rehearsal!

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The fifth country that takes the stage for the first rehearsal is Portugal, with Mimicat and her song “Ai coração”.

Everything about Mimicat:

Described as having a ‘sassy-badass’ stage presence, Mimicat (otherwise known as Marisa Mena) likes to marry her soulful voice with catchy melodies in the songs she writes.
She’s been singing and recording since the age of 9, but burst onto the scene big time in 2014 with the release of her critically acclaimed debut album “For You”.

This year has a lot in store for the singer-songwriter; as well as heading to Liverpool, she’ll be busting out a new album, which will obviously feature Ai Coração – her Eurovision entry which Mimicat wrote and co-produced with Luís Pereira.

The Rehearsal

The opening piano glissando gives big I Will Survive vibes, but this performance is pure musical theatre fabulousness. The staging has been stripped back from Mimicat’s winning performance at Festival da Canção – still four backing dancers bringing the energy, but no sofas. The theme of the lighting and costumes is RED – Mimicat’s dress is entirely made of red feathers.

Vocally Mimicat sounds incredible – this is a classy cabaret crowd-pleaser and the final note is HUGE.

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Corinne Cumming / EBU

 

Below you can watch a small clip from Portugal’s first rehearsal from TikTok :

@eurovision Bringing the CLASS and SASS 💃 ♥️ #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @Mimicat ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Portugal takes place on Wednesday 3/5 and we will be able to have a better view of what Mimicat will be presenting on stage.

Source: Eurovision.tv

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Austria: Teya and Salena perform at Schönbrunn Palace!

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Last night, under the charity “Austria For Life”, this year’s representatives of the country, Teya and Salena, performed their song “Who the hell is Edgar?” in front of the Schönbrunn Palace.

The theme of the charity show is related to the history of Austria and the country’s road to democracy. Therefore the performers’ outfits and the whole stage presence are inspired by the European Renaissance, which actually seems to fit unexpectedly well with the song.

Watch the performance below:

What do you think the staging of the two girls in Liverpool will be like? Let us know in the comments below!

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Latvia: First rehearsal completed without the special clothing!

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Just a few minutes ago the first rehearsal of Sudden Lights from Latvia, was completed!

But unfortunately, as we were informed by eurovision.tv, the luggages of the band, have yet to arrive to Liverpool, and as of now they are somewhere in Germany.

As it was expected, the Latvian representatives went on to their first rehearsal without the clothing that was specially made for the contest.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the first rehearsals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

Source: eurovision.tv

Eurovision 2023: Latvia’s First Rehearsal!

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The fourth act to take the stage today for their first rehearsal are Sudden Lights. The indie rock band represents Latvia at the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, after winning Supernova 2023 with their song “Aijā”!

Who are the Sudden Lights?

Sudden Lights are a Latvian indie rock band, founded in 2012 in Riga. The band consists of vocalist Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis, drummer Mārtiņš Matīss Zemītis, guitarist Kārlis Matīss Zitmanis, and bassist Kārlis Vārtiņš. The band took part in Supernova 2018 with their song “Just Fine” and placed second. In February 2023, the group won Supernova 2023 with the song “Aijā” and will represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, bringing the Latvian language on the Eurovision stage for the first time since 2004.

The rehearsal

Sudden Lights’s luggage with their stage outfits haven’t yet arrived in Liverpool but there is no reason to worry as they will arrive today.

This performance uses the same style of atmospheric/sudden lighting as we saw at Supernova – it’s exactly the kind of performance that lends itself to a big arena stage. Also lead singer Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis’ melancholy lyrics sound great – there’s a lovely moment of quiet stillness at the end that’s evoking many emotions.

Below you can watch a small clip from Latvia’s first rehearsal from Tik Tok:

@eurovision Lights! Camera! Latvia! 🎸🇱🇻 #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @suddenlights ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

The second rehearsal of Latvia will take place on Wednesday May 3 so we will get a better idea of what we will see from Sudden Lights on stage.

Source: eurovision.tv

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INFE Poll 2023: The results from Slovakia!

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For the seventh consecutive year, the second fan network of the Eurovision Song Contest, the INFE Network, in collaboration with the website EscToday, is conducting the INFE Poll.

Network members in the 21 local fan clubs have already voted for their favorite songs from Eurovision 2023 and via ESCToday, they are announcing their scores.

Here are the results of INFE Slovakia:

  1. Malta – 1 point
  2. Denmark – 2 points
  3. Albania – 3 points
  4. Austria – 4 points
  5. Croatia – 5 points
  6. Finland – 6 points
  7. Slovenia – 7 points
  8. Czechia – 8 points
  9. Norway – 10 points
  10. Sweden – 12 points

Adding INFE Slovakia’s votes, the updated scoreboard stands as follows:

  1. Sweden – 143 points
  2. Finland – 113 points
  3. Norway – 103 points
  4. Italy – 69 points
  5. France – 68 points
  6. Austria – 56 points
  7. Spain – 48 points
  8. Israel – 45 points
  9. Czechia – 42 points
  10. Moldova – 32 points
  11. United Kingdom – 20 points
  12. Armenia – 19 points
  13. Slovenia – 17 points
  14. Croatia – 12 points
  15. Germany – 10 points
  16. Georgia – 10 points
  17. Cyprus – 9 points
  18. Serbia – 8 points
  19. Greece – 8 points
  20. Switzerland – 7 points
  21. Albania – 7 points
  22. Iceland – 5 points
  23. Romania – 4 points
  24. Latvia – 3 points
  25. Denmark – 2 points
  26. Netherlands – 2 points
  27. Estonia – 2 points
  28. Australia – 2 points
  29. Malta – 1 points
  30. San Marino – 1 points
  31. Portugal – 1 points
  32. Belgium – 1 points

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Source: ESC Today

Ireland: Wild Youth performed the revamped version of “We Are One” live for the first time on the Irish TV!

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The Wild Youth band performed the revamped version of “We Are One” live on the Irish television.

This year’s representatives of the Eurovision queen, Ireland, the Wild Youth band, performed for the first time the revamped version of their song “We Are One” with which they are going to participate in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2023 on 9th of May. The performance of the band took place on the RTÉ famous “The Late Late Show”, a few hours before they depart for Liverpool.

In the following video you can watch the live performance of the revamped version.

Ireland is scheduled to perform in the sixth place of the first semi-final on 9th of May, claiming one of the tickets for the grand final on Saturday 13th of May.

In the video below you can also watch the reaction of the Eurovision Fun team to the Irish entry.

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Eurovision 2023: Serbia’s First Rehearsal!

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Next up on stage is Luke Black for his 1st rehearsal on the stage of Liverpool. Luke Black represents Serbia at the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, after winning Pesma za Evroviziju ’23 with his song “Samo mi se spava”!

Who is Luke Black?

Luka Ivanović, known professionally as Luke Black, is a Serbian singer and songwriter. He was born in Čačak on 18 May 1992, started writing lyrics at the age of 12 and later started to compose and produce his own songs. He became the first Serbian artist to be signed under Universal Music Group, through which he released his debut EP Thornes in February 2015. It was followed by Neoslavic (2018) and F23.8 (2023). He is currently based in London.

The rehearsal

Luke gets to the stage to perform his indie/techno number that includes both English and Serbian lyrics. Staging-wise, Luke has brought the huge prop from the Serbian National Finals, that looks like a bed/oyster shell, along with four masked dancers trailing long hoses – we’ve heard a rumour that smoke is going to come out of those, so we’ll update when we see the pyro rehearsal. The pulsing bass and video game graphics and the dark, surreal and hypnotic vibe create a memorable performance.

For the final rehearsal, Luke unleashes smoke from the backpacks worn by their backing dancers, just for the final chorus. It makes the whole thing feel even more apocalyptic. It’s our first pyro of the day.

Below you can watch a small clip from Serbia’s first rehearsal from Tik Tok:

@eurovision Hello? 🦞 Wake up…Luke has arrived! 🇷🇸#Eurovision2023 #eurovision @Luke Black ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

The second rehearsal of Serbia will take place on Wednesday May 3 so we will get a better idea of what we will see from Luke Black on stage.

Source: eurovision.tv

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