ESCXTRA.com are live for day 8 of rehearsals ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 taking place at the Pala Olimpico in Turin, Italy!
It’s time for the second rehearsals for the Big Five, the countries already qualified for the Grand Final! The countries rehearsing today, in chronological order, are France, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain and Germany. Remember: The Big Five will also draw their halves today!
The latest artist to rehearse is Sam Ryder from the United Kingdom who is performing the song ”Space Man”.
Follow every rehearsal live
Below, you’ll see our written review of each rehearsal. If you want more, you can follow our live stream where our team will be reacting live to every single rehearsal as it happens! Furthermore, read our handy guide for a more detailed look at this contest’s rehearsal schedule.
Rehearsal review
Stage presentation
Sam Ryder is standing on a white, lit platform surrounded by diamond and light encrusted industrial structures – three of them. The stage is totally flooded with dry ice. The performance is light and bright, and Sam smiles consistently and he feels very comfortable on stage. Camerawork supporting this performance is swift, effective and ensures Sam is the centre of attention.
Ahead of the final chorus, the industrial structures are collapsed onto stage, into a different shape but still looking incredible. The lighting goes golden across the stage and structures and… Sam has been handed an electric guitar! They’ve added an electric guitar solo to the final chorus and he really, truly sells it down the camera.
Costumes and styling
Sam is dressed in an embroidered, diamond-encrusted bodysuit covered in solar system imagery.
Vocal quality
There are no backing vocals on this track – live or pre-recorded – and for good reason: Sam Ryder ad libs fully and totally across the whole three minutes of this song and it’s so easy for him, he’s so comfortable performing the socks off his entry.
Overall impression
Whatever it is that you expected to see from the United Kingdom, discard it. Any expectations from the last few years are incorrect. This is a new approach to the Eurovision Song Contest by the BBC.
This entry is incredibly classy with smart camerawork, clever props, beautiful lighting… and a performer who looks truly at home on the Eurovision stage. We expect to see the odds on the United Kingdom be shortened by bookmakers over the coming hours as this looks an extremely competitive entry that has the potential to perform very well with jurors and Sam himself could charm televoters across the continent.
Watch the rehearsal
Stay tuned for our reviews for the rest of today’s rehearsals at the Pala Olimpico. If you want to know what to expect from the rest of the day, check out our rehearsal schedule. Meanwhile, remember to tune in to our live stream for instant reactions to every rehearsal!
