Day 4: MELOVIN sets the stage on fire in “dangerous” performance for Ukraine – REVIEW

ESCXTRA are live from Lisbon for day 4 of rehearsals ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018! The countries rehearsing today, in chronological order, are Georgia, Poland, Malta, Hungary, Latvia, Sweden, Montenegro, Slovenia and Ukraine.

We’re streaming live from the press centre

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 Altice Arena by visiting our YouTube channel.
The final artist to rehearse today is MELOVIN for Ukraine. We have just watched their first run through of Under The Ladder live on screen and here is our initial reaction.

Staging

MELOVIN’s on-stage prop is a “two-level gigantic piano” which hides him at the very beginning of the staging. The piano is lit up in red and MELOVIN is buried inside the piano which opens up for the first pre-chorus. He is then lifted up by the contraption within the piano. MELOVIN is joined by four backing singers to the left.
For the second verse, MELOVIN walks down the stairs and takes centre stage. The camera shots here are fast and swirling, reminiscent of those used in the Ukrainian national final. He takes his jacket off for the middle eight and goes back up to the piano to play. By the end of the performance, the stairs leading up to piano are set on fire while MELOVIN is still playing the piano on top of the podium.
The Ukrainian delegation tell us that “if the button of operation is pressed a half second earlier or later there is a chance for MELOVIN to damage himself seriously. And let’s not forget about the fire need to be released exactly when the singer starts playing the piano.”
 

Vocals

MELOVIN’s vocals are very strong, and he is supported well by his backing vocalists.

Costumes

He is dressed like Dracula… without the fangs! You know what we mean!

Watch the rehearsal!

That’s the end of today’s rehearsals! Stay tuned for the results of day 4 of the Daily Press Poll. If you want to know what to expect tomorrow, check out our rehearsal schedule here. Meanwhile, remember to tune in to our live stream from the press centre for instant reactions to each rehearsal.