In the first rehearsal the glass failed to break due to a misalignment of the explosive charges. In this rehearsal the glass broke successfully when the team placed a metal plate behind the charge to hold it in place. Eric and the Swedish delegation now believe that the glass will break reliably during the big performance, but if it doesn't, Eric says: “I'm gonna be so angry that I'm gonna go over there and kick it down!”
The acrobatic performance moves also pose a vocal challenge. To avoid sounding winded while singing, Eric has prepared by doing “a lot of training with my physical trainer. It's hard - especially when you have to do it three times in a row when we do our rehearsals. I have some words picked out to breathe on, so you've got to be smart.”
Eric also answered some critics who have accused him of copying choreographical elements - and the breaking glass stunt - from the Russian Alexej Vorobjov' Eurovision performance. “Listen - this glass thing - I didn't take this from him. I didn't even know him. Maybe he thinks he's some international star, but no, he's just some guy from Russia.” Eric actually got the idea elsewhere. His choreographer also claims that the dance steps are only superficially similar.
Eric believes that a good visual show is equally important to a good vocal delivery: “A good performance should make a great song even better.”
At the press conference immediately following his second rehearsal, Eric was also presented with a surprise award for reaching No. 1 in the Lithuanian music charts.
