Okay, I've seen the pics from Montenegro, Czech Rep., Belgium and Belarus ... I am sooooooooo tempted to watch the videos, but I'm trying to resist !!

The stage looks great, and one of the best stages in a while, however it looks over crowded with all the lights and screens etc. and it looks really dark to me, maybe it's just for the first few songs, it may be better on TV

Montenegro
Everything about it screams Slovenia 2008 in a bad way, just terrible and will probs not make the final.

Czech Rep.
Looks the best so far, and could see this being a surprise finalist, but URGH that stupid costume !!

Belgium
Just looks too standard and stiff and meh to make any impact, unlike Czech Rep.

Belarus
VERY STRANGE, the stage looks so empty and dark and just the 3 people on stage look strange, the guitarist looks out of place and the weird woman in a morrisons bag is just "wtf - it has nothing to do with the song" moment , but I suppose this is the country that brought us the big white things and the huge light up balls ...

Things look bad so far ....

For me, Belarus was the best so far. Montenegro was very average, Czech R. was ok but he still looks like a clown and Belgium wasn't bad but I hate the song that much that I can't be objective.
I think the only sure qualifier so far is Belarus.

Mina, have you seen the videos ?? and should I !?!?! omg I'm sooo tempted to do so this year, my brain is telling me don't though

Yes, I saw the videos..I'm sure if you hear Petr, you'll change your opinion about Belarus. He had the best vocals today.

But the staging looks soooo empty and weird ... Sweden from the reviews looks a bit dodgy too, but I haven't seen any pictures yet, which is what I judge mainly

I've decided to watch the rehearsals anyway cos I by the time the final comes round i'll have seen basically all the perfomormances in the semis anyway

Montenegro: Its a shame the routine is so crap because they could have done so much more with this song. I think it would be more effective if they just had Andrea on stage on her own, rather than having one lonely dancer. They should either gone for all or nothing, 5 dancers, or no dancers. Andreas vocals seem strong though

Czech Republic: *Shock horror* I actually enjoyed the performance. You're certainly not gonna forget it in a hurry and the lighting/images they use a great. As Mark said this could be a surprise qualifier!!

Belarus: Everybody is making this out to be worse than it actually is! The lighting is really quite cool and although that white sheet thing isn't neccesary, it is memorable. Its a shame that they feel the need to put a prop on stage because the song can really make an impression on its own, but I don't think the prop takes anything away from it, it just doesn't add to the performance. Petr's vocals seem good and his accent has improved a bzzzilllion times since the Belarusian NF. I really really hope it qualifies but I think it'll be touch & go.

Belgium: Excellent!! The performance is strong and the backing singers are AWESOME!! The lighting is good and the vocals aren't bad, maybe this'll do better than alot of people think

OMG !! Stop saying you have all seen the rehearsals, I really don't wanna spoil ESC, but now with Sweden, I desprately wanna see them ... omg !! argh !!

Malena was amazing, pure magic. And the woman has a great body

Oh my, I saw the pics for Sweden - It looks really bland, the dress is awful and not evena good Ishtar awful, the green lights don't suit the song at all, and would expect something more "magical" like narnia ... pfft. a big let down ... from pics that is ...

Btw (I don't want to tempt you Mark BUT) all the rehearsals are being uploaded here: http://www.youtube.com/akoe09

ROFLROFLROFLROFL Jonny - I know - I think I *might* watch them, consider this year is gonna be crap anyway - Okay I've decided I have ... coz it is a crap year, if it isn't that good when I watch ESC this year, I know not to watch them next year, when it should be better ... It couldn't possibly get worse ... could it...

Sweden: OMG ITS GONNA BE AWESOME!!! My worries about the vocals are gone, the staging is parfait and the lighting is exactly the same as at MF which is exactly what I was hoping for!! For me this is easily a qualifier because if the public dont vote it in i'm pretty sure the jury will.

(Btw Mark maybe you could try doing the same, i'm only going to watch each rehearsal ONCE, and no more I want to get a good idea of the performances but not spoil the magic on the night!)

Finally you saw the light about Sweden
And I'm sure the public will vote for it, too...this will sooooooo stand out in the 1st semi.

lol well although I don't like the song very much, i've always said that I find the MF performance of it magical I was worried that it would lose alot of that magic when performed at ESC, like the Ark & Charlotte did, but my worries are all gone!

Okay ...

Montenegro: Sound is much more better than before, I actually enjoyed this song for once, the lighting and sounding and surprisingly vocals were good. But I hate the man in it, annoying and pointless, just the average eurovision dance routine would have sailed this into the final, maybe just scrape in now

Czech Rep Erm ... bad, but a good bad that it could make the final, If I was in charge, I would make it - really gypsy, like Poland 2005, but with a modern twist, instead of making him look like a wannabe-frog-rybak looking like a total asshole

Belgium Best so far !! The song really gets your attention from the beginning, the lighting is the best, really good, the backing singers are just IMMENSE !! I love them !! and Patrick is good too, and it is really energetic, either this or Czech Rep. will make the final, and atm. I reckon it is Belgium, all I can say is - GOOOOO BELGIUM !! - Do it for all the times you have been robbed + for Ishtar !!

BelarusThe song does make an impact, but the performance is lacking still, reminds me of a good version of Belarus 2008, the strange plastic bag isn't that bad, just the fake gituarist, at least have a band or something so it looks real ...

SwedenSorry to say this, just like last year, REALLY cold. I get nothing from it, vocals improved, everything else gone down... It has no impact at all, the bad choreography still there, and the ice things just look cheap and tacky, for the first time this year, I really can see Sweden missing the final ...

Can't wait for Armenia !

Armenia: SUPERB!!! The dance routine is great, the vocals are strong (as expected), the lighting totally suits the song and overall i'm pretty sure this'll be in the top 10

Armenia: Incredible !! The vocals are amazing ( first time for Armenia ) the lighting is just "immense" and the dancing is good too !! Defo finalist, defo top 10, probs in top 5, we might be dancing the jan jan in Yereven 2010 !! - It certainly as the wow-effect ... and I can't wait to see the clothes !!

heres my opinion (not that it counts for much lmao)

Montengro

hmmmm it sounded ok..... tho i feel now that they will not qualify unless Andrea pulls it out of the bag on the night.

Czech Republic

ewwwwwww this is sooo bad its gonna sail through into the final but this is still awful!!! *pukes*

Belarus

i personally don't like this song, and the live performance is lacking something tho the woman trying the fight her way through the white sheet is rather interesting lmao

Belgium

its certainly happy and lively and the backing singers are immense!!!
this got just sneak into the final

Sweden

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOW this is gonna be soooooooo amazing!!! goooooo malena!!!

Armenia

WOOOOOOOW! this is a top ten for sure

Andorra: It started great !! until they did a Ramon 2004, Susanne should just stay at the mic with her gituar, and the dancers should just stay at a mic at the back with a few side steppings, but it looks bad what they did, once again an Andorran song is ruined by the performance, good singing and great lights though

My favs so far:
1. Armenia
2. Belgium
3. Belarus
4. Montenegro
5. Czech Republic
6. Sweden
7. Andorra

Andorra YAYAYAYAYAY!! Very strong I liked it! The lighting was great, and the vocals were good, I think this could qualify now