Les Fatals Picards take the psychedelic day into a mellower, bitter sweet evening.

The mood is mellowing now, but Les Fatals Picards continue the summer theme – even the retro summer theme. But now it's late Summer evening … maybe the last warm bittersweet nights of August on a Vespa in France with that backpacking girl … or boy … you are saying goodbye too.

The band seems to be experimenting with backgrounds. On the sound check they sing with a blue, white and red static background which is somehow very … French. They change it up for the first run through to a background reminiscent of a lava lamp married to a tesla coil filmed up close. Somehow the effect is still very relaxing, and it complements the band's romantic style.

For the next two run throughs the French delegation experiments with various interesting clip art files which are projected behind the stage. They seem to settle on an animated flower power theme, which to our mind seems slightly too frenetic for the the group's already freneticly mellow song.

The group is dressed retro "dress-up" style; Ivan stands out as a singer should in black (velvet?) pants and a hot pink smoking jacket. He's wearing something on his shoulder – whether it's a faux fox, a dead crow, part of a feather boa or something else – we're not sure. Hopefully someone will ask in the press conference coming up.

The vocals are tight, but get slightly iffy on the later takes, but our opinion is that is because they are concentrating on getting the show elements right for this first rehearsal. We feel sure that those problems won't continue. The group's frantic actions on stage draw laughter every time from the assembled spectators.

Now that Les Picards seem to have settled on the "fower power" background, we can see it creates a very retro television talk show feel — The Beatles on Ed Sullivan or something. But we must say the calmer backgrounds used at first set a better mood for us, and created a more distinct contrast with the retro glam act that comes immediately before this one.

And there is no motor scooter on stage.

Press Conference

Head of the French delegation stated that the song is not in English but it is just Franglais (English and French). They wanted the song to be in no language in the beginning but later on changed it to some words which in still has no meaning, they said. „We always mix humor and songs but this is written for the Eurovision Song Contest.”

They also said that for them the Eurovision Song Contest has changed a bit because now they can sing their entry for the Contest at rock festivals. And this is good for them because they are a rockband. After they won they said they cried. "Was it sadness or happiness, we don’t know.”

The name of the band comes from a stone they found in the rain and there was a name on it and they used it. "Picard is a region in France which is somewhere where there is nothing.”

They concluded that they believe they will win the Contest or at least be in the TOP 5. "If France wins then everyone at the press conference will get a free ticket to Disneyland. But don’t bring the children, it’ll be too expensive!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya_k0qBSgYw