MAY 11

WELCOME TO THE 10TH EDITION OF THE EUROVISION DIARY!

Tráthnóna dear Ireland, and the rest of the world!

Another day in Paradise! Weather is still nice, even though it’s a bit cold in the mornings. But considering that being one of the biggest problems here, life is pretty awesome! We are happy as my wife at a shoe store!

Today we started rehearsals for the hosts of the show!

After that, it was time for rehearsals of the Interval act for Semi-Final 1. I can’t tell you what it is about, but it involves a lot of trolls, salmon, oil rigs and fjords! Imagine that!

Alabama????? I thought that was a state in the US, where they are REALLY good banjo players! I think I will send the runner out to buy a globe or world map for the graphic guy!

Pyro boxes being prepared for installation on the stage.

I’m just gonna put a small amount of machines this year, Markku said…………..

Riedel, whom we will do a full report on tomorrow, had a guided tour for their clients. Look how happy they are!

Martin, in position, ready to move some trusses!

Room by room, we are getting closer to being completely done with this extensive set up. Here is the press centre, with capacity for 538 journalists working at the same time.

And the press conference room is not far behind from being done.

Venue dressing has started, and there are banners and flags all over the place!

Are we healthy or what? Soon there will be more bicycles here than in Amsterdam.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEV! I can’t believe it! He is turning 27 AGAIN!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaww! My Lighting FOH sweethearts Rachel Ann and Lauren! So pretty, and also the only two that smells nice up there!

Poor Henry! This fine young man is our computer support (which is kind of scary since he HATES Apple products….) It was his birthday yesterday too, and the poor thing had WAY too much cake!

Here are two fine gentlemen that I’m sure you remember! Pavlo Grytsak and Per Sundin! Per has 5 Eurovisions in his CV, as Lighting Designer, one of them was 2005, when Pavlo was the Executive Producer. RIght now, they are working with the Azerbaijan song, and were in London for a meeting yesterday when I caught them on Skype. Needless to say, they are VERY excited about the upcoming rehearsals and shows, but also a bit nervous, since they didn’t know that the mighty state of Alabama was in the contest!

You worked too long with events when:

1* Nightrider is a perfectly normal and comfortable way to travel.

2* You get REALLY upset if there is no bathrobe in your room.

3* You know why they place phones in the corridors on all floors at most hotels.