The Euro fever begins - Eurovision Semi Final One

Eurovision 2009 – the reckoning

I’ve been watching the Eurovision Song Contest for probably 15 years now, and I’ve held a party for friends to celebrate the final every year for the past nine years. There has, admittedly, been a lot of alcohol involved but I’ve picked up a unique appreciation i.e. strange obsession with Eurovision. Here’s my low-down on the songs this year for tomorrow's semi final - the first of two televised semi finals before the grand final on Saturday.

Country: Montenegro
Artist: Andrea Demirovic
Song title: Just Get Out of My Life
Language: English
The reckoning: Disco-tastic! Funky and retro – a fun track. Hopefully this will good far in Moscow with its catchy, fresh beat.

Country: Czech Republic
Artist: Gipsy.cz
Song title: Aven Romale (Come on, gypsies)
Language: English and Czech
The reckoning: At first glance the band look like a Czech Goldie Looking Chain. This is a song with great humour but will the whole of Europe get it? It’ll be a huge hit or massive miss in the competition.

Country: Belgium
Artist: Copycat
Song title: Copycat
Language: English
The reckoning: Rockabilly? At Eurovision? Dreadful rock and roll references but enjoyable. Not entirely convinced Europe will be down with it, but who knows?

Country: Belarus
Artist: Petr Elfimov
Song title: Eyes That Never Lie
Language: English
The reckoning: Very Bon Jovi this. Apparently Petr is a bit of a star. Not my favourite but could well be popular with the voters!

Country: Sweden
Artist: Malena Ernman
Song title: La Voix
Language: English and French
The reckoning: Another banging dance tune. Malena has a surprisingly deep voice and range, dinging in both pop and operatic style. Could be popular.

Country: Armenia
Artist: Inga & Anush
Song title: Jan Jan
Language: Armenian
The reckoning: A dramatic, theatrical performance accompanied by traditional instruments and beat. Strong vocally, but perhaps forgettable.

Country: Andorra
Artist: Susanne Georgi
Song title: La Teva Decisió (Get A Life)
Language: Catalan and English
The reckoning: Bubblegum sweet, Alisha’s Attic-esque. Listenable, foot-tappingly funky, but not a convincing Euro-athem.

Country: Switzerland
Artist: Lovebugs
Song title: The Highest Heights
Language: English
The reckoning: U2-style rock – and as it turns out, yes, a U2 member was involved. Technically good, but that counts for little in this competition!

Country: Turkey
Artist: Hadise
Song title: Düm Tek Tek
Language: English
The reckoning: Bellydance, with the emphasis on dance. A fusion of old and new and her hips don’t lie – I’d love something like this to win.

Country: Israel
Artist: Noa & Mira Awad
Song title: There Must Be Another Way
Language: English
The reckoning: A political sentiment perhaps? Gentle lilting pop. Melodic and uplifting despite the title. May find itself overshadowed by showier acts, but pleasant from Israel.

Country: Bulgaria
Artist: Krassimir Avramov
Song title: Illusion
Language: English
The reckoning: Fast-paced, dramatic dance with atmosphere. Perhaps not memorable enough but sure to get the crowd on their feet.

Country: Iceland
Artist: Yohanna
Song title: Is It True?
Language: English
The reckoning: Iceland’s entry last year was my favourite of the competition, but this year’s song didn’t blow me away. Johanna handles the vocals with ease, but it’s a tough year.

Country: F.Y.R. Macedonia
Artist: Next Time
Song title: Neshto Shto Ke Ostane (something will remain)
Language: Macedonian
The reckoning: Heavy rock, inspired by ACDC. Mad hair and rock – could be a popular combination as the popularity of this genre grows in Europe.

Country: Romania
Artist: Elena
Song title: The Balkan Girls
Language: English
The reckoning: At first it appears to be a straight-up, high octane Romanian party tune. However it then becomes slower and sadly, a bit disappointing with dire rhyming couplets.

Country: Finland
Artist: Waldo's People
Song title: Lose Control
Language: English
The reckoning: Billed as ‘ultimate dance’, it’s a bit Scooter for me but remains a good party track which is bound to get the house jumping on the night.

Country: Portugal
Artist: Flor-de-lis
Song title: Todas As Ruas Do Amor (All the streets of love)
Language: Portuguese
The reckoning: This tune showcases Portugal’s traditional instruments and is delivered with passion. Good fun but may find itself overpowered.

Country: Malta
Artist: Chiara
Song title: What If We
Language: English
The reckoning: A bit slow to start, but overall, Chiara performs a strong, uplifting ballad: a classic Eurovision entry from a songstress who’s been here before.

Country: Bosnia & Herzegovina
Artist: Regina
Song title: Bistra Voda (Clear water)
Language: Bosnian
The reckoning: Look like The Killers, sound like Gogol Bordello have been toned down for the Queen’s ears. Traditional guitar, soft beats and inexplicably, marching women with red flags in the video. Very Soviet.

Tomorrow: the reckoning for semi final two here along with live tweeting @charlie_elise. Plus, the Big Five - including the UK - who get a free ticket to the grand final every year as the countries which contribute the most money towards the contest.