The start of the third day with rehearsals was also the start of the second semifinalists. Yesterday everything that can wrong did go wrong for Chanée & N’evergreen who somehow has managed to convince the press that they are a couple, but one of those couples that just can’t stand each other!
In Denmark 32 days of the year are so-called Thyge Brahe days. He was an astrologer (1546-1601) who was convinced that these 32 days were very unfortunate and that everything that can go wrong will go wrong on such days. The 18th of May is one of them – and yesterday was time for the first Danish rehearsal despite the calendar saying 18th of May. Now, I am not superstitious, but the old man might just have been right as it was just one of those days. The Danes experienced problems with the sound, the light conditions, the smoke and the wind. And as if that was enough the following press conference didn’t go too well either.
Chanée & N’evergreen have managed to confuse the international press here quite a lot. Most of them dismissed Denmark as a potential winner as there is absolutely no chemistry between the two of them on stage. The same press is however also convinced that they are a couple privately – just one of those that actually don’t want each other and is just there for convenience. I think that it comes from a misunderstanding and is trying to clear it up, but I am not managing well. Chanée & N’evergreen was asked at their first press conference if they are in love. They said yes, and the press took it to be understood that they are in love with each other. I however think that they just meant that they are in love – with other people. Trying to convince the other journalists here about it is not quite easy though as they all stick to that Chanée & N’evergreen admitted on the press conference to be in love. I don’t know if this misunderstanding is advantage or not for us. Surely them being in love with each other is a good story, but them being in a relationship where they actually don’t want to be isn’t.
It is hard to judge on these rehearsals who will make it and who won’t. First of all because it is first rehearsal, but also because there is such a difference between how it sounds in the arena and how it comes across on the TV screen’s in the press centre. The ones watching the Israeli rehearsal all reported about how blown away they all were in the arena while the ones watching it on the screens here in the press centre all thought it was kinda pale and a bit boring.
After this day 3 the press more or less believe in three possible winners; Azerbaijan, Armenia and then Israel. Denmark is dropping quite down the list due to their first rehearsal and press conference, but they can please themselves with the fact that the Norwegian participant Didrik Solli-Tangen feels quite sure that it will be Denmark winning. After the Danish rehearsal which he had seen in the arena he came over to talk to the Danish press who were all delighted to experience that we have the support from our Nordic brother.
Another Danish/Norwegian thing is a big banner advertising for the airline Norwegian. The text says: "Fly on the wings of love, fly, baby, fly – reaching the stars above – touching the stars". As the Danes are here to win – 10 years after the Olsen Brothers won in Stockholm this is quite a fun thing to see twice every day as we passes it on the way from the hotel to the press centre and back.
