escXtra are live from Kyiv for day three of rehearsals ahead of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest! The countries rehearsing today, in chronological order, are Serbia, Austria, F.Y.R. Macedonia, Malta, Romania, The Netherlands, Hungary, Denmark and Ireland. Furthermore, read our handy guide for a more detailed look at this contest’s rehearsal schedule.
In addition, for our immediate reactions to every single rehearsal, you can follow our live stream from the press centre at the International Exhibition Center by visiting our YouTube channel.
The latest artist to rehearse is Brendan Murray from Ireland. We have just watched his first run through of Dying to Try live on screen and here is our initial reaction.
Summary in a sentence
We’re not quite sure what the purpose of the hot air balloon is but Brendan’s giving the performance everything he has.
Staging
Brendan begins his performance on a platform as some sort of water graphics rush beneath him on the LED floor. Red lights appear from the second verse onwards. Later in the performance the platform seems to slightly raise as a hot air balloon appears above it. The wind machine is on full power! Brendan also likes his “armography” in true X Factor style.
Vocals
Brendan hits all the notes although his vocal tone may be an acquired taste. The backing vocals are powerful in recreating the wall of sound from the studio version.
Costumes
He was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers.
Watch the rehearsal!
As the first rehearsals are closed to the press, only the official Eurovision website has access to film the performances. Therefore, as soon as these videos get uploaded we will edit in the video here!
This was the last rehearsal for today. Remember to tune in to our live stream from the press centre for instant reactions to each rehearsal.
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