HUNGARY : A-Dal Heat 1 – Join Us for our LIVE BLOG at 20:25 CET with our Guest Writer

By eurovisionireland on January 24, 2015 • ( Leave a comment )

A-Dal Heat 1. Photo : Eurovision Ireland

Hungary – Join us tonight at 20:25 CET for our LIVE rolling blog of the first heat of A-Dal 2015.

10 acts will compete for a place in the Semi Finals. You can watch the show live here at 20:25 CET and just refresh our page here to get the views, comments and strangely unique points of view from Mr Phil Colclough of On Europe who you will know from us here at Eurovision Ireland. Expect lots of puns about CHEESE!

The 10 Acts Tonight

Bori Magyar – ‘Lead me to heaven’
Balázs Farkas-Jenser – ‘Liar’
Gabi Szűcs – ‘Úgysem felejtesz el’
Passed – ‘Mesmerize’
Bogi Dallos – ‘World of violence’
Karmapolis – ‘Time is now’
Gergő Szakács – ‘Ősz utca’
Timi Antal – ‘Woke up this way’
Vera Tóth – ‘Gyémánt’
MDC – ‘Maniac’

The results will be a combination of a Jury and Audience Vote where 5 entries will progress to the Semi Finals. The a sixth act will be solely picked by the tele-vote.

The jury members are Rákay Philip, Magdi Rúzsa (Hungary 2007), Csiszár Jenő and Pierrot.

So sit back and get ready for Dr. Phil to give you his spin on tonight’s Hungarian first heat of A-Dal 2015 – JUST REFRESH THE PAGE for the upto date comments – at your own risk!

ROLLING BLOG

Thank you Garrett – lovely to be back in my second home. Think of me as that lodger that you invited to stay for a bit, but now can’t get rid of – yup thats me alright!
And what is it about cheese puns? – I’ve never been so insulted in all my life ( well I have but thats another story) E-Dam well knows me better than that….
Anyhow, anyone know how this works? – no? – not even the smartie pants at the back of the class? – oh well, best make it up as I go along again *as usual* – I’ve put my predictions already in as they vote immediately after the songs so feel free to point and laugh why don’t you, and join us back here at 2020CET for the fun and frolics!

Well after watching the weather forecast I am waiting with baited breath, I wonder what’s going to occur after the Reklama…. such is the life of an ESC Journalist!!

And here we go with the Eurovision Vignette and a look back at last year’s A Dal, it is looking more like the MF every year though, and a look at Kallay Saunders’ performance and some of the last few years. They really are building this up!

Presenters now on stage looking good and in charge, get used to them though Europe as you’ll be seeing them for the next five weekends after tonight. The Male one, though, needs some styling och consulting tips or some make up or sleep. They then go on and present tonight’s singers and, in the fullness of time, the Jury ( which G has named above)

For the record, while the jury are twittering on in Hungarian, the Jury usually score 1-10 points immediately after the song has sung, plus a viewers Jury on their App, therefore the max score for a song will be 50 and their trusty IPADs are back, lets hope they have been briefed as to how to use the app to show their votes this year shall we?

And we’re off! – They’ve changed the order on us ( *****) – So:

Song 1 : Bori Magyar – ‘Lead me to heaven’

Stronger in recorded version to be honest and she sounds as though she has lost some of the notes and is trying too hard to get on the correct notes, Her look is also slightly troubling as is the way this whole song is presented, which has now made me doubt the predictions below. Minimalist choreography isn’t helping this song and its a complete mish mash of things, unlike the recorded version on the A Dal website, this has plummeted down in my estimation. A bad start and will be lucky to score well.

Song 2 : Balázs Farkas-Jenser – ‘Liar’

This is altogether better, a complex song sung by a good looking lad that is totally comfy with the song he is singing and he is believable, something that the first song didn’t have in any shape of form (reflecting in the score). Though I think, again, there is something missing from this song. There is no space for the “big note” or any reorchestration and is relying solely on his voice which he finally lets go in the final part of the song. This should finish well inside the top 5 but, again, a let down from the original song. Maybe that will come in the next round. Audience reaction is good and, yeah, its a good song and will score significantly higher than Lead me to heaven. Expect to see it in the next phase. How far can this go? – don’t know..

Song 3 : Gabi Szűcs – ‘Úgysem felejtesz el’

First song in the local language and, physically, reminds me a bit of the Belgian woman from O Julissi… ( if aged badly). this has improved out of the recorded version but it seems to be a very mid 80’s song both in feel and in terms of choreography with heavy shoulder pouting not helping the look. Dated rather than retro I am thinking and this isn’t helped with a shouty key-change and some very bad choreography. Personally, the worst of the three that have gone so far but will it score less than 29 points? – I’m thinking it should as it just leaves me very very uninspired. – Clearly, though I know nothing as it’s rocketed into a joint lead!!!

And now, a quick word from the Green Room….. probably needed as I really didn’t get how Gabi was the joint best song so far. I’m supposed to know something about this contest…..

Song 4 : Passed – ‘Mesmerize’

Roy Delaney of Eurovision Apocalypse likes this song, however to me it really is just a woman that is singing one note and, at times, she has trouble with that one. The introduction of a Harpist really doesn’t help despite the cracking head movements she has. I do think, however, that the title is more to do with making you fall to sleep than hypnotised by her charms. The beats, inevitably, get dropped in the middle 8, but you can drive a Coca-Cola truck replete with Father Christmas through the hole in the talent and the songwriting here. One note does not a tune make though, after the last song, what the heck do I know because the jury have gone mad for it and indeed it’s your winner so far (!!!!)

Song 5 : Bogi Dallos – ‘World of violence’

So after two songs that came as a complete surprise, this one is doing exactly what it says on the title. It’s a pained song about the state of the world with considerably more than 6 on stage. it’s a very dark lyric but that didn’t stop Kallay last year, but this is no Running let me tell you. It’s earnest, yes, and she is performing it as well as she can. I’d put it 4th with less than the 37 points that currently occupy second place. Great use of strings though and a schalger key-change. Don’t think it’s gonna help though. – though one person on the jury scored it 10!! – I’m struggling with these Juries.

Song 6: Karmapolis – ‘Time is now’

Well after that performance by the Jurors, I’m now not sure where to place this song. It’s a song of the electric mode rather than the eclectic mode of the jurors It’s very well performed with the minimalist choreography but I thought it was a bit overshadowed by the songs that came later in the draw but now, knowing that the jury seem to like, they might well give this “8” across the board. It sounds a bit repetitive though, but thats not a bad thing because you only have 3 minutes to ply your wares at this contest. I think this might get in now but only cos of the jurors. It has no ending either, it just stops and to me thats always a mistake! 37 points and that qualifies “Passed” ( as they can only finish 5th now)

Another quick Green Room break…. and another opportunity for me to regather my thoughts, although most of them are blue and pointed at the Jury!

Song 7 : Gergő Szakács – ‘Ősz utca’

As the jurors seem to like off key singing, Gergo seems to fit the bill. He slid upto some of the notes in the beginning section of the song, and no mr Cameraman, no more shots of stunned looking backing singers, it scares the children! – Back to the song though, this has potential definitely, but the Hungarian language always seems too wordy, shoehorn that into this kind of song and it just doesn’t seem to flow. It’s not the worst song we have heard this evening that’s for sure, but it is clearly in a key too high for him, either that or he is nervous, but I still think it will qualify ( well I did before the jurors started messing with the contest) but I was thinking more like by the televote rather than as of right. A score higher than 38 qualifies this song, but only 33 means that Violence of the World has qualified as of right.

Song 8 : Timi Antal – ‘Woke up this way’

Rawk chick with bright red hair comes on and wakes up the juror. Well that’s what I would hope. Timi is doing her best to sing this rock song but, as with so many other singers tonight, she seems a tad out of tune which makes me think that the mix and monitoring is not quite right, rather than the poor tuning of the singers. She’s being greedy with two drum kits though. Not my type of song usually but its one of the stronger ones in this field and, I hope, should slam the door down of the next phase. It has lots of potential if they get the mix right in her ears. Promising… Needs 38 to qualify… scores 33 and can’t qualify as of right from the jury now.

Song 9 : Vera Tóth – ‘Gyémánt’

Well I currently have 0 qualifiers through as of right yet so lets hope Vera can actually help me here. A Sultry ballad sung by Chiara… no, sorry, Vera Duckworth, yes thats right. There is lots of emoting on stage here and this is, having done and said all, a quality song sung by someone that oozes confidence and wearing the Wolf Kati winning shade of blue, what could possibly go wrong?! – Best song of the night I think, but will the jury give it the 38 points she needs?!? Yes they do – 39 of them means I get one through.

Could be an interesting situation here. If Song 10 scores 38+, It’s in and we have 3 songs tying for one place If it scores less than that, then 3 songs are tied for 2 places in the Semi Finals.

Song 10 – MDC – ‘Maniac’

So the show finishes with the good looking boy band singing the formulaic song that has been written for them, it seems. This is not a bad thing but Softengine did this kind of thing much better. I would say that they are clearly there to appeal to the girly voters but I think it might not have much purchase with the jury. The song itself is a tad light but it may have a constituency but I think this tough crowd and jury are not it. I fear it won’t score the 38 needed, and it didn’t – It scored 31.

So a Three way tie for 2 places. How are they going to resolve this??

Clearly the Jury need to decide which 2 are going through – they are having a conflab…..
They have decided that Karapolis and Gabi Szűcs Have also qualified (somehow!!)

However, all is not lost for the other 5 – The televote will qualify one more song out of the five remaining and, while the Hungarian public try to bring some sence into it, there is an Interval act featuring Zoohacker and a woman! – Stay tuned for the Televoting results!

And the Televote qualifies…… Timi Antal!!

So there we have it, 6 qualifiers, a bonkers jury and it’s time to break out the Whiskey… from me here at Guest Writer Towers, goodnight and i’m gonna get blind drunk and try and injure the Jury!!