A week of rehearsals and the show's about to begin

This site has never been a fan of the semi-final process but there is something guiltily pleasant in having a Eurovision Week instead of just a night as the two semis this year mean shows on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Rehearsals started a full week ago and websites official and unofficial have been reporting on them ad nauseam. What we can say is that yet again the presentations will be a sea of over-choreography, fireworks and multicoloured moving backdrops. The latter seem to have become compulsory nowadays even to the point where they spell out the lyric just in case you didn't hear the singers (which seems like something of a cheat).

Talking of general unfairness, there are still some unsavoury aspects of the production (that's apart from the unexpected revival of several pairs of leather trousers on a Eurovision stage): The composer of the home Serbian entry is co-host of the contest and will somehow (in an astonishing display of naivety by the European Broadcasting Union) be expected to be impartial as the votes are (or aren't) flowing in. Also the decision to hold the draw for the qualified finalists off-camera makes no sense at all and smacks of potential fixing, especially given other events in rehearsal week.

After dress rehearsals the organizers have actually moved a commercial break solely in order to pacify the Russian delegation. The Russian entry has ridiculous props including a mini-ice rink and a ladder and these were just too much to clear the stage before the next song, but after a hissy-fit from the Ruskies the ad-break is now after their song leaving Greece isolated by itself at the end of the line-up.

Despite these drawbacks, which now seem done and dusted, time to sit back and enjoy our week of the year. Whichever song you're supporting, here's to a fantastic Belgrade 2008!

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