Koit Good

May 6, 2017 by Rob

Semi-final 2 2nd rehearsals continue today starting with The Netherlands. Excellent camera work throughout this and clever use of angles to help frame the sisters. The way the song transitions between the girls’ solos and the three of them harmonizing also helps maintain your interest throughout.

The mind has become so addled by day 7 here it sounds like Hungary’s Joci says, ‘Betfair’ during the rap section. He is delivering this with much more conviction compared to 1st rehearsal. This has the authentic ticket but might be one that raises eyebrows among UK traders when seen next Thursday evening, which can sometimes lead to a drift in qualification price in-running.

Anya back in her national final red dress for Denmark, which is probably a wise choice, and she is in excellent voice here. Great sweeping hip sway on the ‘laying down my armour’ lyric and big power note when she kneels, combining effectively with a fire curtain.

This is an improvement for Ireland. It looks lighter up there and the addition of a wind machine also helps make the key change feel more effective. Brendan is solid vocally and you would have to say this has a sporting chance of qualifying, and probably has better prospects than Ireland’s entries in the last 3 years. He has a cherubic face and is maybe fighting over the mum/gran vote with Kristian in this semi.

Valentina is wearing black and white striped leather trousers and sports a cap but her handbag has gone. Her and Jimmie shimmy away together desperately trying to get the party started. It is far too kitsch and as low-rent as a provincial wedding reception disco featuring local DJ-ing outfit ‘Forbidden Fruit’.

Croatia’s Jacques has a passing resemblance to the guy from the GoCompare ads. This may prove as unpalatable to viewers, as it is the worst kind of confected drama up there, combining saccharine and bombastic elements on every level – sonically, lyrically and visually. Jacques also sweating up badly which, for ESC paddock watchers, is never a good sign.

Some screen overlays of lead singer Alexsander have been added to Norway on the ‘kill, kill, kill’. They are missing a trick though by not having all 3 band members behind him wearing the illuminated masks and going the full Daft Punk. This is at least modern and edgy set alongside those songs that surround it but will the juries appreciate this piece of electronica? Latvia poses a similar conundrum in semi 1.

Miruna looks like a yellow butterfly pupae for Switzerland in her ballgown with its vast train. Vocal goes a little haywire as she descends a spiral staircase to engage with the pianist.

All in white, smiling and jigging about on their Everglades Airboat of Ethno Fun, Artem and Ksenia are defiantly mining the feel-good, male/female duet voting seam here, and it might yet strike gold. It’s a joyful burst, war whoops and all, while sort of fusing Morris dancing with Riverdance sh*t. Perhaps easier to connect with for televoters compared to a good few others in this semi.

Bulgaria has been wheeling out the ESC big guns – Bilan, Kirkorov… – to get their high profile endorsement. Will the Russian influence extend further to the voting? Kristian makes some over-placed hand and arm movements and exaggerated facial expressions trying to add performance nuances but never looking entirely natural doing them.

The whole thing looks and feels over-staged and he never sounds comfortable singing in falsetto. In some ways this is all reminiscent of Dami Im last year – trying to pull off something of a con trick – but she had the power notes to impress jurors with. The song is a grower but also has a downbeat feel. On first listen will it cut through enough?

Pulsing red and black imagery is dominant for Lithuania and a globe appears towards the end like a fiery comet. But it feels like the Rain Of Revolution is extinguishing any spark up there.

Cool jacket for Koit – black velvet with silvery braid – and gait, as he makes a catwalk strut onto the stage at song start along a strip of expanding white light. They both give great camera including one textbook brooding stare straight down the camera lens from Koit who is going through the gears here.

They get touchy feely at the end, Koit cupping Laura’s face tenderly. I can’t help but thoroughly enjoy this. It is surrounded by a warm Ready-Brek glow of likeability, almost an Ell & Nikki vibe, but they need to bring their best vocally. The sound mix has been altered to aid Laura’s climax.

Imri’s vocal isn’t secure and he falters in particular on the first big falsetto. With the dancing and movement required in this it’s a tough assignment, and the backing vocalists are not offering him the support he needs. If he gets this right on the big nights to come this will certainly have impact from the pimp slot with some nice choreo and lighting effects, but it’s a big ‘if’ as things stand.

We now only have the Big 5 and hosts Ukraine to see negotiating 2nd rehearsals tomorrow before the big final week commences. Tim will be back tomorrow seeing how hot favourite Italy is shaping up, which trades at 1.73 on Betfair at time of writing. Back or Lay? You decide.