The second rehearsals start with Armenia and Aram MP3. The Armenian entry, Not Alone, is rated high in the polls. It will be interesting to see how this second rehearsal compares to the first one last Monday when there were a few technical problems.
The first run of the song comes up on the screens of the press centre halfway through. After three days of rehearsals, there are still problems with the said screens as, apart from a sun glare making it difficult to see details at times, some of them switch off unexpectedly every so often.
The presentation starts with Aram centre stage surrounded by the bright blue spotlights encircling him. There is an impression of stars on the dark stage floor that later form part of the backdrop as well. The stage turns into fiery reds and yellows accentuated by white flashes of light and pyrotechnic effects from the edge of the stage in time for the chorus.
Aram is wearing a dark grey coat with shiny (leather looking) lapel over a black top and trousers. He is sporting cropped leather gloves, too. His vocal performance is good, but his voice sounds a tad strained in places and his face looks tense throughout to start with; that improves for the verse parts as the runs progress.
The song closes with a growing yellow spot on the stage floor, a close shot of Aram and a final panoramic shot taken from behind him, standing alone on the stage, towards the audience. This is a good presentation that goes down well in the hall and press centre. With a demanding song, Aram should try to keep his voice in good form for the First Semi Final on Tuesday.
