It’s Jury Final day at Junior Eurovision, and the endgame is in sight. Over half of the total points for tomorrow’s show will be allocated tonight, meaning everybody needs to be bringing their A-game. This also means that the early afternoon dress rehearsal is the last real chance to fix any issues and ensure that the jurors see the best possible version of the competing songs. Consequently, the press centre quickly becomes packed with various delegation members glued to the live feed while muttering nervously to each other and emitting the occasional howl of exasperation.
At this point the kids themselves all know what they’re doing, so the real attention in these rehearsals is directed towards technical concerns. If you’ve watched any of my colleague Ewan’s Every Song a Story video blogs, you’ll know that a misjudged camera angle can make or break a performance, and with many of the contestants incorporating the animated backing screen into their stage shows, the framing and timing of certain shots is more important than ever.
Audio mixing is another bone of contention. Ireland aren’t satisfied with the way Aimee’s vocals are coming through on TV, while Macedonia’s backing track is too low, leaving their singers sounding exposed and abrasive. It’s an interesting insight into the many factors that go into putting a show like this together. The average viewer might not consciously pick up on any of these technicals, but they’ll still factor into their overall perception of the performance, so it’s easy to see why the delegates are so anxious that everything goes smoothly.
The Macedonian rehearsals are plagued with sound problems.
Photo: junioreurovision.tv
Having so far watched everything unfold from the press centre, I decide to take advantage of some spare tickets to watch the Jury Final in the hall. Clearly mindful of recent events in Europe, security around Arena Armeec is almost overbearingly tight. Armoured police vans practically encircle the venue, while three separate check points must be successfully navigated before you’re finally permitted to take your seat. I begin to suspect that the security staff might actually outnumber the punters, a suspicion that’s borne out when the show starts to an audience of barely a third of the Arena’s capacity. Still, tomorrow is a sell-out, so like the show itself, this heavy-handed display is very much a dry run.
Despite the indifferent turnout, the show itself runs pretty smoothly. Hostess Poli Genova runs proceedings with the borderline maniacal enthusiasm levels familiar to veteran kids TV presenters, while we get our first glimpse of the interval acts – which include ping-pong playing beatboxers, LED-clad interpretive dancers and, inevitably, multiple showcases for Bulgaria’s child star/national deity Krisia Todorova.
ESC veteran Poli Genova’s “Where’s my dress?” sketch is destined to go down in Eurovision history.
Photo: junioreurovision.tv
Watching all of the songs in performance order, with all of the technicals in place – theoretically at least – helps solidify some of the front runners. Malta, Belarus and Armenia all do very well indeed, with Ireland, Serbia and Australia also delivering strong performances. The only hiccup comes when Macedonia’s microphones fail at the beginning of their performances. To their credit, the girls resist the urge to do a ‘Bandido‘ and continue unfazed, although ongoing sound problems mean they’re granted an extra chance to perform at the end.
Opinions on who’ll actually win tomorrow remain mixed, but I’m planting my flag on team Malta. Destiny has gotten better and better with each performance, nailing the demanding vocal routine while delivering radiant energy and hitting her camera marks every single time. Coming between two fairly weak entries in San Marino and Albania towards the final stretch of songs, it would be a big surprise to see this hugely likeable song and performance land outside the top three.
Destiny from Malta continues to build momentum during the Jury final.
Photo: junioreurovision.tv
With the show kicking off at a less than child-friendly 8.30pm Bulgarian time (EET), it’s close to midnight by the time we finally pack up and get out of the press centre. Fortunately we manage to slip onto a bus carrying the Italian, Irish and Serbian delegates back to the hotel. The mood is generally positive, with most of the issues raised this afternoon smoothed out and the kids in high spirits despite the lateness of the hour.
As we trudge wearily into the hotel, we’re confronted by an enormous crowd of Armenian fans waving their flags and singing the praises of little Mika. The Dutch fanbase has also apparently arrived en-masse, with the hotel bar transformed into a sea of garish orange hats and jackets.
At this point, all I’ve eaten today has been a suspiciously discoloured Bulgarian sausage way back at lunchtime, and with the hotel having long since stopped serving food, post-show drinks are abandoned in favour of a team run to McDonalds. It may not be the cultural highlight of the trip, but at this point it’s a welcome conclusion to our penultimate day in the Eurovision bubble.