With some technical difficulties, there was no sound in the first run through of the North Macedonian entry. Instead, I was left with the visual performance alone, which was truly stunning. The nation has left things incredibly simple this year, focusing on lighting primarily. The stage is very dark, and all you really see is Vasil which creates an intimate atmosphere. There is a light that comes from Vasil’s heart, and that begins the visual lightshow. As the song progresses, the lights become more prominent, and it really does a good job at highlighting the highs and lows of the song.
In the final run through, the audio was back, and it was underwhelming. For such a stunning staging, I felt the performance was let down by hit or miss vocals. The bigger notes weren’t nailed, and for a song such as this, it is incredibly important that we hear the full power of his voice. There is certainly room to improve here.
As for the outfit, Vasil wears a black suit, and allegedly a silver vest, according to the Eurovision website. I didn’t see a silver vest, although there is a big watermark over the performances!
Follow our liveblog of today’s rehearsals here