Here we are again with your weekly shot of Melodifestivalen!

You know the drill – follow our LIVE BLOG here for some fun and predictions on what we make of the songs in this, the final heat of Melfest. Just REFRESH the page to get our thoughts on the main issues of the day like – like who had the best hair? What on earth is Gina wearing? and who was out of tune/in tune?!!

HOW TO WATCH

The show starts at 20:00 CET SHARP! (That’s 19:00 if you’re joining us from Ireland, Iceland, the UK or Burkina Faso!!!)

You can watch the extravaganza using the LINK HERE

LIVE BLOG – 20:00 CET – REFRESH THE PAGE FOR UPDATES

Well hello everyone, Lisa-Jayne here again live blogging my way through the final heat of this years Melodifestivalen. I’m excited to be here again and am hoping I’ll be able to get some better screen captures for you this time (I have new technology to employ tonight – basically I’ve borrowed an iPad!!)

Tonight we are in the town of Gavle on the east coast of Sweden about 15o km north of Stockholm, basically people it’s right cold up there at the moment! We are in the Gavlerinken Arena, which is better known as the home of the Brynas IF Ice Hockey Team. (Look at the detail we go to Ladies and Gentlemen to ensure you are fully furnished with essential information!) Actually, this is the second time Melfest has graced this arena, as it was the venue for the fourth heat in the 2007 Melfest where singer Sarah Dawn Finer qualified for the final, I mention than because she’s back here tonight joining Gina as our guest host for the evening.

Here we go with a quick recap…now the titles. Can I just give a nod to whoever has done the graphics work on this year’s Melfest – I love them!!

And here’s Sarah & Gina with Australia’s Tonight Again from 2015 – in Swedish!!

Another little side note, am loving Sarah’s gold bodycon dress, sparkling like a Christmas bauble – just my kind of thing, you can never have too much glitter and sparkle at Eurovision!!

Eclipse – Runaways

To look at the rehearsal clip – CLICK HERE

Where would we be in life without a few long haired, leather-clad, rock boys? Now I am partial to a bit of rock from time to time and this does not disappoint. Love the song, love the staging, love the pyrotechnics – yep, this one definitely does it for me..

Dolly Style – Rollercoaster

To look at the rehearsal clip – CLICK HERE

Really? Sweden, no, just no!! I’m sure they are sweet girls but the vocals were a bit dodgy and I just don’t get the ‘look’, the wigs look like the cheap party wigs you get from the dollar store! If they were going for the Japanese manga styling, they missed the target – time to watch a bit more of Jamie-Lee from Germany for how to do it properly…still, they looked like they were having fun!

Martin Stenmarcks – Du tar mig tillbaks

To look at the rehearsal clip – CLICK HERE

Not bad Martin, it reminded me a lot of Whiter Shade of Pale by Parochial Harem (or Annie Lennox, which is the version I am way more familiar with) not exactly outstanding, but a very good performance of a nice little song, possibly not strong enough to make it through.

Linda Bengtzing – Killer Girl

To look at the rehearsal clip – CLICK HERE

Well I think this title of the song is pretty accurate – Linda looks fierce (in the best sense) and the song is fast, furious and fierce too. Proof that nothing is ever really new, this looks inspired by Madonna’s Material World, which in turn was inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend with the dancing men in tuxes!! Is it strong enough to make the grade – not sure…

Franz – If I Were Sorry

To look at the rehearsal clip – CLICK HERE

Good looking boy with a good song – what’s not to love? In case you can’t tell I’ve not had a chance to see all these acts before hand so am enjoying them live tonight for the first time. I like this soft little pop song and I love the simplicity of the staging with the point light wall behind – yes I like this, I think it will qualify…

Panetoz – Håll om mig hårt

To look at the rehearsal clip – CLICK HERE

Oh this is a huge crowd pleaser and I suspect is going straight through to the final – you have to love a band who pop out into the audience and they looked great on the little stage and the audience loved them. me too, actually – good song and good vocals, great performance and super energy – well done Panetoz, good show!!

Molly Sanden – Youniverse

To look at the rehearsal clip – CLICK HERE

Oh this is great, I did think when I saw Molly heading on to the stage ‘here we go another young woman in a white dress, whatever’, but no I was wrong, Molly was vocally on point tonight, I love the song and I’ll be very disappointed if she doesn’t go through to the final – excellent job Molly, the song, vocals, staging and performance were (for me at least) the best of the night.

PREDICTIONS

I predict:

Through to the final will be Molly & Panetoz

Andra Chanson I think will be Eclipse & Franz

Let’s see… the voting it open, get texting Sweden!!!

#MagicMic Award

My magic mic award has to go to Molly Sanden, for quite simply the most on point vocal and utterly brilliant performance of a great song.

RESULTS

Just before we do the results, a big shout out to the little boy leading the choir for looking totally unimpressed with everything that was going on around him!!

Direct To Final

1st through tonight is Molly with Youniverse (Hallelujah, I’m so happy!!) and also through to the final in two weeks time is Franz (good choice!)

Andra Chanson

1st into next week’s Andra Chanson is Dolly Style (why, Sweden, why?!) and second in are Pantetoz

Thanks for joining me from wherever you were tonight – next week is Andra Chanson and as always we’ll be here with a live blog as the show is running – enjoy the rest of your evening folks, we’ll see you soon right here at Eurovision Ireland – GOODNIGHT EUROPE!!!!

Author : Lisa-Jayne Lewis

Source : Eurovision Ireland