The last semi-final

...was in Malmö last night. The opening bit of the show was quite funny, with an opening montage from Eurovision in the 70's. The hosts Gina and Danny were in "traditional" Swedish dress. They started with the typical awkward English-language banter between the hosts, the joke being that Malmö will be hosting the Eurovision final itself in May. The real host, Petra Mede, came on and put the kids in their place. Maybe you had to be there, but I got a kick out of it.

Onto the music. Ulrik Munther (whom I mentioned last year) has tightened up his act with "Tell The World I'm Here". I thought it was a good song, with a simple and effective staging in front of a big screen of stars.

The other act was Ralf Gyllenhammar, with "Bed On Fire". This one was a little odd. Ralf looks like a heavy-metal drummer with a neck tattoo and aggressive facial hair. And he sang alone on a piano (which went up in flames mid-way through the song). The funny part was his excitement when he won. Ralf was thrilled! He threw little Ulrik up in the air and in general acted like the happiest Melodifestival winner ever. Kind of endearing for someone who looks like one of Lisbeth Salander's friends.

Next week is the "second chance" round, where two of the lucky losers get picked for the final. The field seems pretty thin this year. Maybe one of the songs will grow on me, we'll see.