Euroviisut, semi 2 - a sigh of relief

Paradise Oskar, Milana Misic and Father McKenzie made their way into the grand final of Euroviisut 2011. Thank heavens. It is good to get a reciept that Finns can tell what is quality and what is not.

I predicted Jimi Constantine rather than Milana in the top three, but boy - did I change my mind during the live show!

Apart from Paradise Oskar, no act really sparkled and most of them seemed to suffer from the Too Peaceful A Place Syndrome.

Let me explain: the Tohloppi TV Centre in Tampere is a very nice place. Calm. Peaceful. Low tempo. Friendly atmosphere. And no nerve. Nothing to build on, no climax to work with.

Under such circumstances, it is so easy to lose focus and exaggerate your performance. Father McKenzie's singer did, Soma Manuchar did and Jimi Constantine... Well, what didn't Jimi do?

In short: I can't remember any singer making such a disgraceful impression on an Euroviisut stage. Ever. Even if Soma Manuchar really gave him a run for the money in her body stocking outfit.

Ironically, the least experienced performer gave by far the best performance of the night. Paradise Oskar sang well (if a bit nervously at first), looked relaxed and gave an overall very positive impression. If he ditches the stool for the final and stands up instead, he could go very far.

Father McKenzie gave a somewhat frantic impression and need help with their stage act urgently, but a strong chorus is always a good thing. Milana Misic seemed a bit lost and nervous, which is odd for as experienced a singer, but her dignity was probably a valuable asset as well. Especially coming after Jimi.

Jimi Constantine has been working hard all winter: appearing on tv shows, doing gigs all over the country, guesting loads of radio shows. Three minutes of awful television was all it took to reduce the hard work to ruins.

A good lesson for everyone: A pop star should play hard to get. Not hard to want.