And that completes the middle section of today’s rehearsals – join us here for the second set of run-throughs from Russia through to Georgia!

BELARUS
After the first run-through, I asked our desk if they could answer a simple question: “What is time like? Clue: The information was hinted at during the past three minutes.”

Nick’s answer: “Time is like chicken.”
Felix’s answer: “Time is like a brown box lying on the floor.”
Roger’s answer: “Tiden är som ett timglas i din hand, där sekunder och minuter blir till år.”

Nobody won the prize (a slice of quite seedy melon). Meanwhile, Belarus is thundering away on our screeens, and it’s all largely unchanged – conventional performance, conventional song. Maimuna’s bow looks quite frayed. So does Uzari’s hair.

Is it a qualifier? Borderline, but just about on the right side of the border, I think. It’s obviously a bit basic as a song, but the performance is very very competent and the chorus is incredibly insistent. In a semi-final like this, that might already be enough.

HUNGARY
I was reasonably sure that this would be unchanged from Monday, so I took the opportunity to (finally) go into the arena for the first two run-throughs, since this is the kind of song that ought to really suit the acoustics of a live venue. And indeed it does.

Back in the press centre for the final take, and it’s all looking very assured – basically, this is TV-ready now.

Towards the end, Boggie and the Boggettes take some small choreographed steps towards the front of the stage, like something out of a production of Les Misérables by people with limited motor functions. Riverdance it ain’t, but at least it adds a hint of movement to something that would otherwise risk being static.

Is it qualifying? I really hope so, for various reasons, not all of them financial. Instinctively I’m going to say yes.

SERBIA
Well, Bojana’s hair is certainly better today. Which isn’t to necessarily say it’s good. Just better. (It’s still frizzy, but its main direction is “up” rather than “across”.)

I’ve worked out what she looks like! It’s the Dora trophy from Croatian finals past!

Same performance concept as on Monday, flags and masks included – although they’re trying out some colourful flags today, which are a huge improvement on the KKK-tastic originals. For some reason the camera cuts to a long shot when the capes come off the backing singers – I’d expect them to want to make that a central element of the performance (I mean, everything else about it is über-cheesetastic), so maybe that’ll be changed next time round.

Why are the producers playing a whole bunch of fake cheering at the tempo change? As if a Eurovision audience would go crazy for such a cheap trick.

One of the backing singers just took a selfie (or, as Melodifestivalen has taught us, a “groupie”) at the end of the performance. They’re not going to steal the Israeli trick, are they…?

Is it qualifying? One would hope so, if only to give Saturday night a bit of a kick up the arse. It all depends on whether the audience decides this is enjoyable rubbish or just plain rubbish rubbish.

MACEDONIA
Danijel is still wearing his “flasher at your local park” jacket, appropriately enough for the leafy background motif.

As previously, the boys emerge behind Danijel during the first verse before engaging in some awkward steps. The second run is, we assume, aimed at getting the vocal balance right, since there’s a member of the production crew on stage and everyone is static.

Of course, it could be that they’re reconsidering the steps even at this late stage: You can see Danijel looking at his feet every time he has to move, and we’re not talking very complicated moves here. He’s clearly not particularly comfortable with the physical side of the performance, in any case – which is a shame, because the vocals are sitting a bit better today. The blend with the Not-Blackstreet backing singers sounds more natural now, giving the pre-chorus and chorus a good dose of power.

Third run-through and they’re back to the steps, so it was just a vocal balance issue before. You can sort of tell that Danijel came through a talent show format. This is his contribution to “perform with your musical heroes” week – and the X Factor is distinctly missing.

Is it qualifying? One of the most contemporary songs in the contest, and certainly one of the strongest choruses, is being punctured by an inappropriate staging and performance. Is it a slow puncture or a total collapse? I fear it may be the latter.

ESTONIA
So now we see what they were working on the other day. Three run-throughs of this and everything is making a lot more sense. Stig’s silhouette extends behind him, while Elina’s is in front of her when her “door” opens at the back of the stage. She then walks slowly to the front of the stage in a really nice shot over Stig’s shoulder, with the singers coming in and out of focus in turn. And then, magically, her silhouette is behind her instead! It’s as if the laws of physics don’t actually apply to this performance, which: surely not.

They then sing the song very much to each other, something I think makes the narrative of the lyric a whole lot more logical and “graspable” for the viewer. Good.

The one slightly risky move, I suppose, is that the last 30 seconds is all Elina – the “door” closes to darkness on Stig, leaving Elina alone to finish the song. No big finish with the two of them, but then that’s true to the aforementioned narrative, so credit to them for being consistent.

If there’s a weakness it’s still the vocals, with Stig a bit harsh in his lower register and Elina a bit shrill at the higher end of hers, but when they come together to harmonise at the end, their voices work really nicely together. Which explains why they’ve added the harmonies!

Is it qualifying? Well, duh. Should squeeze into the top 3 in the semi, after which anything is possible. It feels like a “lower top 10” kind of entry, but its realness – both musically and narratively – is something that juries in particular will appreciate, so there’s upside potential for something more.

Introduction
Back from a very pleasant TV interview all about Airbnb and apartment-dwelling during the ESC weeks. Armed with a supermarket haul of sliced melon, couscous salad and a sandwich, it’s time to see what the rehearsals from Estonia, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary and Belarus will bring us. I’m predicting a pleasing mixture of sobriety and ridiculousness.

in and out of focus, her @ end, silhouette switches from front to back – hence messing around