Tim: We watched the Melodifestivalen final together, Tom, and while the winner was dire (silly Swedes), there were a lot of highlights, so let’s have a few this week. We both had our favourites, and here’s mine, just clinching it ahead of a couple of others.
Tim: Ooh, we’ve got a lot of things going on here. Hand controlled lighting first seen on these pages a couple of years back, but it’s all GREEN with LASERS so it’s automatically better – think my favourite and weirdest movement is at 0:57 when he pulls an imaginary very heavy lever inwards before releasing the beams WIDE OPEN.
Tom: I called this “Discount Måns Zelmerlöw”.
Tim: Zelmerlïte, then.
Tom: Because it’s the same structure, the same down-the-lens look, the same scripted movements and interaction with the set design. He’s even got Måns’ lean with the green lasers.
Tim: You’re not far wrong, I suppose. But speaking of green, David takes inspiration for this performance from, of all possible places, the widely panned 2011 Green Lantern film.
Tom: Wait, what? Really?
Tim: Yes – he says, “I love these movies because they are easy to absorb. It’s quite nice and important to have a background story to the number.” I’ve no idea how that works — I’ve never watched it and have no immediate plans to.
Tom: Don’t.
Tim: Duly noted — but there are parts of this performance I love. There’s the aforementioned gestured lasers, and then the walk forwards through the middle eight, with the fist bump and the hugging reinforcing that message. It’s BANGING and UPBEAT and there’s a big YEAAAAAAAHHHH moment, it’s ALL GREAT.
Tom: And unfortunately, it was done better last year. It is banging and upbeat, yes, but it’s just dialled the cheese a bit too high.