Live Coverage of Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2019. LIVE from Machievelihe, Britonisea with your hosts Elias Auvergne-Lancey and Ella Estelle.
Click here to vote
It was time for the moment that everybody has been waiting for - the Grand Final of Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2019! For Britons, it had been a two-week break since they last saw Vha Mehlodhivestoile on their screens, while countries around the world opted to show the Battle Stages a week on delay in order to not clash with the WorldVision Song Contest. Despite the hype for the WorldVision Song Contest around the world, many people in Britonisea were watching Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2019 instead of WorldVision - with the nation performing the worst it has done since the 65th WorldVision Song Contest (but performed much better than the nation expected to place) - seven editions ago. With 9.90 million watching Vha Mehlodhivestoile compared to WorldVision 72’s 8.78 million, Vha Mehlodhivestoile scored their highest rating for a Battle Stage so far, with it being over 1.6 million more watching than the year before. The viewership increase was possibly because of the exciting deadlock after the Darkmanian Jury revealed their points and, of course, the general disapproval of Eva Almast representing Britonisea once again (thank God she did well then!)…
From 25 songs, we are left with a total of 10 songs which will compete for the chance to represent Britonisea at the WorldVision Song Contest (alongside receiving a grand total of 150,000 BPS in their pocket) or the chance to represent Britonisea at the World Hit Festival (with a sum of 50,000 BPS). Both amounts were eye-watering, especially the winning amount, which could definitely push an artist’s career forward and clear most of their worries for the year. The question on everyone’s lips was...who was going to get it? The 2019 Grand Final has provided more confusion that any Grand Final in the past. In 2016, it was clear that it was the battle of the queens - Mini Surrey North and Rigas Jengiz. In 2017 it was clear that it was the battle of the kings - Dean Boyst and Mehkl Maddox Ajax (with Etela Tomac’s rising to the top too) and in 2018, anybody would have guessed the top four. This year, however, every song has a chance of winning. The Britonish Public is totally divided on their favourite songs. Even the International Jurors themselves have not expressed unity in their favourite songs. This was set to be the most exciting Grand Final yet!
Tonight, we were in the Gyron Arena in Machievelihe. It was the first time that Vha Mehlodhivestoile came to Machievelihe. The Gyron Arena was responsible for hosting the 57th WorldVision Song Contest which saw Togonistan win the contest with 135 points - 30 points clear of Britonisea’s second place Mello Cinde. 26,000 people packed into the Gyron Arena for what is expected to be a fun and exciting evening, celebrating Britonish culture. It was 20:00 Britonish Time. For the final time this year, Vha Mehlodhivestoile’s tune played as the arena plunged into darkness and millions of screens around the Multiverse showed Vha Mehlodhivestoile’s indent.
Taron Woods - "Cy Ecouto Teuten Vokse (I Can Hear Your Voice)"
Tune : Nassi - "Rêves de gamin (Official Video)"
Music: Taron Woods Lyrics: Taron Woods
As per tradition, the winner from the year before would open the Grand Final. Indeed in 2017, it was Mini Surrey-North who did this and in 2018 it was Mehkl Maddox Ajax. As a way to carry on this tradition, it was the turn of Taron Woods to do the same. Taron Woods’ song, “Cy Ecouto Teuten Vokse” remains as the last Britonish WorldVision Song Contest entry to have won. The song is also still in the top 100 - despite it being a whole year and two weeks since his win. Gaining platinum in all the countries in ABEN as well as doing well around the multiverse, Taron’s song is a highly favourtised Vha Mehlodhivestoile winner. Taron has released the song in multiple languages. Of course, the main version of “Cy Ecouto Teuten Vokse” is English and Britonish, but a separate English, Britonisea and French version has been made - all of which being popular in the different areas of Britonisea where those languages are spoken widely.
Taron Woods stood at the back of the stage ready for the song to begin.The audience cheered with excitement before eventually dying down - eager for the performing from the reigning champions. As the song started, the lights went crazy in the arena, flickering on and off. It was a long shot, the first camera shot of the performance, really capturing the sheer size of the stadium and the stage that was built. Right before he was about to sing, there was a sound which suddenly got louder. The lights responded by going faster but by the time Taron sang his first syllable, a single spotlight focused on the man. He turned around and started his performance....
Na nootais penseux boute teis
A daus œ daus desde levté hue
Aspeche teis von visé - on
Ma corghv livité en œ en
Knowledgré vhav cy conmte reqouile
Vhav cy hacte in pluste speakear
Zy sitete œ tellulote que desite speakear!
During that last verse, he delighted the public to the language which is starting to get a nod in the Britonish music industry after its recent success. Taron had hoped that he would sing the song fully in Britonish, but under the circumstances he was faced with, he decided that he would sing in both Britonish and English - the best of both worlds, he guessed. He slowly moved forwards as he started singing, with the camera also slowly retrograding. He looked deep in to the microphone and he sang along to the backing track of his song. The staging was the single spot light at the start before he began to sing the next verse.
In the minor pause between the two verses, giving him a chance to breathe, the two dancers - who were with him during the World Hit performance - appeared on the stage, each side of him. They came up behind him as though they were on the floor and they slowly curved their bodies upwards. As he sang, "teiston", there was a sudden change in the colours that featured on the huge screen behind him, with it turning to red and grey distorted waves - giving his performance a quite electric vibe to it. Some of these effects were also added to the camera itself, with the viewers at home, or watching on the huge screens around the arena, being treated to the camera changing from normal colourisation to black-and-white, red monochrome scale before switching right back to the normal colour. At the time, he was still moving forwards, with his two dancers walking side ways, switching sides with one another.
Per teiston schepreux mon nombre
Teuten vokse os que ecouto
Ton teis v'iñe cellueux et?
Ou tam eis beux devilte opet?
Conmte hue, ger a et - rachteé hue!
Oe speakete cluzir a ma yir
Speak louder, raise your voice to me,
Let your voice be heard.
The English section of the whole song had finally come up, and the relief on Taron's face as he started to sing in English was one that you could capture. As he did start to sing in English, he raised his arm right behind his ear - in a cusp position - slowly leaning towards the camera as he sang "Speak louder". The two dancers that were behind him also followed the same action as Taron, putting their hands behind their ears. The camera focused on them, but as the chorus came up, the camera quickly zoomed in on the three men on the stage. The audience suddenly cheered very loudly as the chorus was coming up.
There was a shot facing directly downwards on the three men that were on the stage. The two dancers, who were slightly behind Taron, both put their nearest hand to Taron on his shoulder, behind moving around in a circle. As the chorus proceeded, the camera from the top got closer and closer. There were some projections on the stage floor that were shown as the camera gained ground on the stage floor. Taron focused his attention on the large crowd before the very explosive dance break that was about to come up.
I once saw my path clear,
Now I cannot think straight.
Don't know where I'm going,
Could you tell me my path?
Cuz of you my hands start to shake,
And my heart is about to break.
Per tandemme cy ecouto teuten vokse!
The Britonish line which is the title of the song, "Cy Ecouto Teuten Vokse", was sang loudly in to the microphone by the Briton. After he sang it, the stage quickly went dark. The camera quickly shot to a wide angle of the stage. In the very small, quick lead up in to the dance break. The white lights in the arena all flickered on and off (similar to the start of Sweden 2012). That wide shot slowly moved from the right side of the left side before another camera followed under it, quickly zooming in to Taron Woods and his two dancers. The stage's huge LED wall was bursting out colours, flickering red and grey at each bang of the bass in the background.
Taron was bopping side-to-side during the dance break which the dancers copied, though very exaggeratedly. This only lasted for around 8 before the dancers slowly jumped out of the position that they were in, behind Taron, before picking up the pace of their dancing, street dancing, though showing that they were dancing in emotional pain, owing to the lyrics that were being sung. The camera, during this bit, would change every four seconds, zooming in and out on the action, coming from far away and near by. Right before the verse coming up started, the camera on the dolly track was the last one used and stopped as the dance break did. All you could see, if you were watching at home, was Taron standing on the stage from a lower angle.
The dancers came back in to shot as there was a midshot, which slowly moved out. The staging had drastically calmed down from how it once was, with it only showing one plain colour - a dark rouge. As the verse was sung, the dancers slowly moved forwards with one hand on the elbow of the other arm. The free hand on each of the dancer was clicking along to the music.
Can’t you believe what I’ve become?
It’s been years since you left me here,
I told you that I’d reach the top –
A promise that I have kept dear.
I do believe that it was you,
Deep down inside me, helping me.
So what is it that you think you need to tell me?
The LED did not really change during the course of that verse, and that might be because this performance isn't that much focused on the LEDs performance. Taron stopped smiling as he started to sing this verse as be started to feel the pain in the lyrics he was singing. Relating back to the lyrics, he would do certain actions like, "you" was pointing towards the camera, whereas "inside" he held his hand towards his chest. The dancers had also reached Taron by the time the verse was half way through.
During this bit, coming up, Taron got down on the floor with very rigid movements. He firstly got down with one knee on the stage floor, and the other one up (so marriage proposal stance), before proceeding to get down by putting both his knees on the stage floor. The dancers followed his movements a few seconds behind him, doing this in canon. There was a camera shot of the top of the stage, similar to the shot earlier on in the performance. The projection showed a picture of pictures, though the face on these pictures were not clearly identifiable. This was the case for both dancers who were all on their knees around the centre of the stage.
I’ve worked tirelessly night and day,
To keep my mind and all thoughts sane.
“Distracted my mind from failure,”
A saying that you’d used to say.
Now you’re telling me I’m wrong,
Tell me why you’ve waited so long!
Perhaps it was a mistake you came to speak to me.
Taron jumped up, pointing straight in to a steadicam as it swept it's way across the stage. He then ran, looking up in to the large arena lights - still singing. He said the last bit of that verse as though he was angry at somebody, at something. The lights twinkled behind him, though this was hardly noticeable for those watching the television or screens around the arena.
I once saw my path clear,
Now I cannot think straight.
Don't know where I'm going,
Can you tell me my path?
Cuz of you my hands start to shake,
And my heart is about to break.
Per tandemme cy ecouto teuten vokse!
Taron Woods was quite exhausted by this point, but he knew that it was all worth-it, and so he carried on singing to the best of his ability. He sang the Britonish line was again before raising his hands high up in to the air, spinning on the spot. There was a camera that circled around Taron, going in the opposite direction, making it look as though he was going faster than he was actually going. The dancers then disappeared leaving Taron on the stage by himself.
The bridge section had finally come. He stopped spinning before looking straight in to the camera with passion. A steadicam came on the stage and zoomed it's way up towards Taron.
So here we are – you’ve got your chance to speak.
Cuz I’ve waited, I really want to know.
Please tell me what I am doing wrong, tell me.
Don’t be scared to disappoint me as I won't be sad.
The final bit was here, one last push. He looked out in to the audience, with a smile slowly growing on his face. The dancers quickly made there way back on to the stage mimicking the movements that Taron was doing.
I once saw my path clear,
Now I cannot think straight.
Don't know where I'm going,
Could you tell me my path?
Cuz of you my hands start to shake,
And my heart is about to break.
Per tandemme cy ecouto teuten vokse!
(Ahhh teuten vokse, I can hear your voice)
Taron let out a huge “THANK YOUUUUU!” before the Britonish audience erupted in noise, cheering for their man. Taron Woods was adored in Britonisea and he could certainly feel the love tonight, drying his damp eyes from the emotion he felt from the welcoming Machievelihian audience. A camera soared across the 26,000 people in the arena as Taron Woods walked away from the stage - we would have an interview with Taron Woods during the interval act. Suddenly as Taron walked off of the stage, a remake of Togonistan’s winning song from the 57th WorldVision Song Contest, Tremendous - “My Life” played. The tune was very familiar to Machievelihans, with a huge cheer being heard over the song. It was time for the Parade of Acts. The Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2019 stage was dark but as soon as the lone piano started to play, we started to see black and white videos of the 10 acts of the Grand Final of Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2019. 22 seconds into the song, everything flashed white. Dancers swanned on from every corner of the stage. A shot from the end corner of the stage showed everything happening. For the second time, the tone of the song changed. There was a voiceover (01:03)…
NOW. PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE, YOUR VHA MEHLODHIVESTOILE 2019 FINALISTS!"
As the song hit 01:37, the 10 finalists of Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2019 started to come on the stage via the catwalks. First, it was Laila Khan who stepped up on the left catwalk. A steadicam focused on Laila as she smiled into it and passed it. We then went over to the right catwalk, with automatic finalists - Giselles - walking towards the Steadicam, they both walked past the camera - waving in to it. We then cut back to the left catwalk - it was the turn for Alyxhia Willis to strut her stuff. She blew a kiss into the camera. The audience cheered loudly for the woman who represented us at WorldVision Song Contest 67. Next up on the right...Jun-iči Hoch & Ekkehard Liinamaa...who were both still buzzing about their qualification from the very intense second battle. The audience cheered for the boys as Daria Calic stepped on to the catwalk on the left again. The audience cheered loudly for her as she proudly walked past the steadicam and looked into it with readiness to slay the stage. The camera cut back to the right, it was time for act number six to walk on the stage - Autumn. Their rocky vibe stays with them even when they’re not singing. They made angry ready-for-war faces at the camera before walking past them. The only male soloist of the Grand Final, George Alleyne jumped up on the stage as the camera shot to the left again. George smirked towards the camera before flexing. The audience cheered loudly as he passed the steadicam, walking with confidence. Next on the stage to the right was act number eight, Zoe Wilkinson - the youngest tonight. She walked on the stage twirling her hair. She was chewing a piece of gum which she blew. The cameras then cut to the left of the stage as the penultimate act of the evening walked on the stage - it was Stacy Lekker. She smiled into the camera as she walked past it. For her, her eyes was on the prize. We cut, for the final time, to the last participant of the evening. Rochelle Fox’s make-up looked fierce. She sassily walked on the stage, looking into the camera - she didn’t smile, she only showed the audience her poker face. At around 02:25, the voiceover came back again;
The powerful duo walked on the stage from the main section on the main stage. A camera showed the both of them walking. As the camera zoomed out, the finalists for this year’s Grand Final were all stood in a line. There was a space in the middle of the finalists for Elias Auvergne Lancey and Ella Estelle to walk through and both of them did. The ten acts all stood in a still pose as the lights flashed dramatically. The pyros around them were going crazy. The music calmed down quickly before the two stood slightly in front of the acts.
Elias Auvergne-Lancey: That was the real deal - a much needed revamp for opening such a fantastic show such as this one!
The audience cheered loudly and proudly for Elias Auvergne-Lancey and Ella Estelle as they looked at each other. A camera from a far shot the arena cheering before we returned to a clsoer shot.
Elias Auvergne-Lancey: And I am Elias Auvergne-Lancey and we will be bringing you through the evening. It is going to be a fantastic evening of music and it all starts now.
Ella Estelle: Tell the audience why!
Elias Auvergne-Lancey: Because...the VOTE IS NOW OPEN!
The cameras zoomed out as the arena lit up. The audience responded to the opening of the votes emphatically. The below picture showed up on the screen. The acts all walked off of the stage at this point.
The Grand Final Voting is Open: Tonight, ten acts will be fighting for the chance to represent Britonisea at the WorldVision Song Contest 73 or World Hit Festival 45. The hosts were about to go through all the regulations that everyone is now used to.
Elias Auvergne-Lancey: You guys are probably used to me saying this, but I am about to say it once more for you. You can vote via the Mehlodhivestoile 2019 app, or you can vote by calling 0141 2340 22 and the number of when your act is performing. You can also vote by texting "WIN" by texting 623 22 and then the number of your favourite act. For example, if you wanted to vote for act 1, it's 0141 2340 2201. Calls and texts cost 20p plus a service charge which is dependent on your provider.
Ella Estere Ask for the bill-payers permission, y’all! You don’t want to get into trouble with anybody. We live in a society where it’s all about consent! Also, please remember that one telephone vote or text vote is equal to four app votes. You heard me right! You might be spending more to send a text or call us up - but they’re much more valuable!
Elias Auvergne-Lancey: On the app, you will gain 20 free votes that you can start to use now. You have a favourite song that you just can’t wait to vote for? Go ahead! The lines are already open. You can vote during the song if you want to as well. To measure a song’s popularity during the song, look at the number at the bottom of the screen and the brighter it gets, the more people are voting for it.
The audience applauds as the above screen fizzled away showing the two hosts on the screens again.
Elias Auvergne-Lancey: Right now, actually. The first act to perform tonight is Laila Khan with her song “End of the Road”!
The camera zoomed in on Laila Khan who was getting her equipment on her backstage. She looked up at the screen…
BOTH: LET VHA MEHLODHIVESTOILE 2019 BEGIN!
The cameras focused on Laila Khan before we delved into her postcard...