#NORWAY: Live Blog of MGP Semi-final 1 from 19.50 CET

21.17 – Thanks for following our blog tonight. Do you agree with the result? Should one of the other three songs qualified? Tell us what you think. And goodnight

21.15 – So Frode beats Trollfest and Eline to make it through to the next stage. He did well.

21.14 – Results time. Eline or Frode? Eline or Frode? It’s FRODE!!!

21.07 – Frode on now, with his metal gates and duelling drummers.

21.03 – It’s likely the performances we see now are the live recordings of what we saw earlier. So you’ll know how they work.

21.00 – Onto the Gold duel. And back to Eline.

20.57 – Intermission time, and we get the clip of a MGP from yester year. The late Sverre Kjelsberg appears to feature. And whiteboards. Isn’t technology wonderful? And Åse Kleveland.

20.54 – Elsie Bay – Death of us

Elsie gives us a ballad which has dry ice for effect. Oh, how I’ve missed the CO2. It’s a heartfelt if slightly downbeat number. Maybe putting across the angst of every teenager out there. And in a departure, we see a backdrop of musical instruments and chairs piled up with no-one playing them. The final chorus is pretty good and quite powerful. Elsie will be back in a future week.

20.50 – We also see one of the pre-qualified songs that has already made it further in the competition. Tonight it’s Elsie Bay singing Death of us.

20.48 – So Eline will battle Frode on the Gold duel! Who saw that coming?

20.47 – Trollfest or Frode? Trollfest or Frode? It’s FRODE!!!

20.46 – On come Trollfest and Frode to the stage.

20.43 – Duel Two then. Trollfest or Frode? Two very different songs for sure.

20.42 – Frode is backstage now. He thinks it went OK.

20.41 – Song Four – Frode – Black flowers

We keep an upbeat vibe. Frode’s gimmick is two drummers. With two large drumkits of course. He’s also behind – yes, behind – a gate that eventually opens for him. He sings dressed in black – to suit the song. It’s a challenging song in places but again has a decent hook, even if it’s slightly repetitive. And he might want to engage a tad more with the camera. Not a bad effort though.

20.36 – Frode is next. Can he compete with heavy metallists dressed as tropical birds?

20.35 – We briefly go to a rock café with many people dressed just like them. It’s a pleasure to see.

20.34 – Song Three – Trollfest – Dance like a pink flamingo

We have more pink. And something that is definitely of the metal genre, although which sub-genre is open to question. Sometimes, you get songs that, however you try to describe them, you can’t do them justice. There are flames, a kickass hook of a chorus, choreography with guitars. And just a general sense of bonkersness that does the contest no harm at all. Very very good.

20.29 – Time to meet Trollfest, the first act in the second duel. Are you keeping up?

20.25 – A quick break now, talking to people on the streets. And they’re being sung at. What japes!

20.24 – Eline or Mira? Eline or Mira? It’s ELINE!!!!

20.23 – Both duellists are on stage now.

20.19 – So, time to vote on the first duel. Who will it be?

20.18 – Some backstage chat with Mira now, and the seems relieved.

20.17 – Song Two – Mira Craig – We still here

We have pink and feathers. And something very upbeat. There are eastern overtones to the beat which may well draw you in. The dancers add something it, and there’s enough for the non-English speaker to hang on to too. It’s very good, and could well win this first duel. But I’ve got a 50/50 chance of getting it right, right?

20.13 – Onto Mira now, and she seems a very happy soul.

20.11 – We get some backstage from Eline. She seems happy.

20.09 – Song One – Eline Noelia – Ecstasy

Her song starts nice and slowly, but you suspect it might kick in with a beat. It does, but not quite in the way you expect. It seems a bit more ‘industrial’ as it hits the chorus. And then, the second verse happens. There are dancers, which add a little to the performance on the triangular staging. It’s OK, but only the first song and it must have been nerve-wracking for her.

20.04 Eline has a lot to say for herself in her postcard.

20.01 And it’s on to song One. From Eline Noelia. We see her laughing and reacting to her draw.

20.00 Our hosts

19.58 It’s a full house in the audience. It’s good to see. Or is it careful editing?

19.57 Tonight’s four duellers get introduced. Mira Craig, Elina Noelia, Frode Vassel and Trollfest

19.55 We get a montage of MGP 2021, which was won by TIX.

19.53 And it’s starting! Which sings will win tonight’s duels?

Norway is deciding! Well, they will on 19 February. In the meantime, glory on the first Semi-final of MGP 2022. Who will make it forward and who will fall by the wayside?

To keep up with the latest action, click on Refresh and see what we at Eurovision Ireland have to say about what we see. And tell us if you agree.

Author: John Stanton

Source: Eurovision Ireland, NRK Norway