I will be here from 19.30 CET to blog UMK+ and then UMK 2013 the final. Various polls and Spotify listenings and such show that it's still an open race: Diandra? Mikael? Krista? Arion? Or even Great Wide North? Stay tuned!
19.30 Here we go. The UMK+ from backstage of Barona Arena in Espoo has started. Yesterday's and today's snowing has made the surrounding pure and white but inside the atmosphere is surely far from frosty! Let's see if there's something interesting happening backstage....
Meiju Suvas is interviewed and she recalls her Euroviisut participation in 1983.... How time flies! Then we have Mikael Konttinen talking about his ladies....
Next Pernilla, the reigning UMK queen. Apparentlly some new music is coming from her. And she wants Mikael Saari to win...Then we move into the arena and green room and Elina and her girls get to sing a new version of Ring, ring with new lurics and we move on to Arion.... And yes, the green room is in the middle of the audience. This is a new Eurovision standard it seems. Next Krista and her Team Ding Dong is interviewed. And then Last Panda. Guys are pretty excited about the sold out Arena and Henry has grown mustache! Diandra has downloaded her look (thank heavens for that!) and Mikael Saari says he's not nervous at all and Great Wide North's guys are also having a good time. And they're not afraid of big stage. Lucy Was driving may turn into Lucifer Was Driving if they get to Malmö 2013: more pyros!
And finally we meet the presenters Anne and Ile.... they confirm there will be UMK 2014.
And next we meet some of Mikael's ladies, Hanna, Suvi and Kaisa. Kaisa's favorite is Arion, Suvi says Last Panda and Hanna likes Mikael.
20.00 And here starts the real thing!Ha ha, it starts with Bomfunk MC's Freestyler and the artists in metro! But it's played by a superband made of the judges! Then the artists are introduced and walk to the greenroom. The stage looks pretty cool!
The judges Toni Wirtanen, Aija Puurtinen, Tomi Saarinen and Redrama are introduced and then the presenters are on stage and also international viewers are welcomed! After talk with the judges, voting instructions it's business. First on stage will be Arion with their heavy metal's Justin Bieber in lead vocals....
Arion - Lost
Very well staged this time using the whiole stage and catwalk. Vocally good. Lightnings in the background in the blue lit stage. And the singer Viljami controlled his facial expressions as well. Very good indeed! Toni loved it and predicts them a long career if they only want it. Aija thinks they looked confident and like they really enjoyed it. She loved it, too. Tomi thinks they have perfected the raw material they had and predicts a bright future. Redrama agrees with the others and thinks their song is clearly one of the bests here. The judges love them = high points coming from them. He praises especially Viljami who didn't looks shy or insecure anymore. I agree.
Elina Orkoneva - He's not my man
Hot red for Elina and her group with black starry backdrop. Vocally flawless and with the divine Motown vibe. Great stuff. Aija says Elina's musical style has no best before date and only gets better with time and thinks Elina has gotten better every performance. She likes. Tomi agrees with Aija and thinks Elina really nailed it. Redrama thinks Elina and her band have improved the most since the first jury performance. Toni has also learned to like the song and thinks Elina has improved a lot, and is much more interesting now. Sometimes it's a question of a hip movement only... lol.
Lucy Was Driving - Dancing all around the universe
Marching men in the backdrop for Lucys and it fitted in nicely. Some off key singing once again. Tomi thinks they looked the best so far as they should. And there have been so many bands like them around so they may not fit in perfectly, but all goes around and around and one day they will be fashionable again! Redrama wouldn't send to ESC. Toni agrees with Redrama but thinks they have won already as they have gained fans as they were voted to the final by fans last week. Aija thinks their song works better on big stage than in Circus the previous weeks. Mixed comments then.
Krista Siegfrids - Marry me
Hearts in the backdrop for Krista and again new dress and tuned down make up and hair. Redrama is speechless. But he likes her and loves her song. He thinks Krista should go to ESC! She could win. It's good that she awakes strong emotions and opinions. Toni also talks how some love Krista, some hate her but he thinks it's only good. He thinks she would be more loved than hated in Eurovision in various countries. Aija likes her tuned down look as Lady Krista and thinks it worked well. Tomi says it would be best for Finns and worst for Swedes if we send Krista to show how it's done in Sweden! Ok, the jury will vote for her! :-)
Now we have a visit to greenroom with Arion boys and Krista. The boys say they are not nervous at all and Krista is overjoyed for her performance and says everyone can see she has made compromises to please them, just look at her face!
19.30 Here we go. The UMK+ from backstage of Barona Arena in Espoo has started. Yesterday's and today's snowing has made the surrounding pure and white but inside the atmosphere is surely far from frosty! Let's see if there's something interesting happening backstage....
Very well staged this time using the whiole stage and catwalk. Vocally good. Lightnings in the background in the blue lit stage. And the singer Viljami controlled his facial expressions as well. Very good indeed! Toni loved it and predicts them a long career if they only want it. Aija thinks they looked confident and like they really enjoyed it. She loved it, too. Tomi thinks they have perfected the raw material they had and predicts a bright future. Redrama agrees with the others and thinks their song is clearly one of the bests here. The judges love them = high points coming from them. He praises especially Viljami who didn't looks shy or insecure anymore. I agree.
Hot red for Elina and her group with black starry backdrop. Vocally flawless and with the divine Motown vibe. Great stuff. Aija says Elina's musical style has no best before date and only gets better with time and thinks Elina has gotten better every performance. She likes. Tomi agrees with Aija and thinks Elina really nailed it. Redrama thinks Elina and her band have improved the most since the first jury performance. Toni has also learned to like the song and thinks Elina has improved a lot, and is much more interesting now. Sometimes it's a question of a hip movement only... lol.
Marching men in the backdrop for Lucys and it fitted in nicely. Some off key singing once again. Tomi thinks they looked the best so far as they should. And there have been so many bands like them around so they may not fit in perfectly, but all goes around and around and one day they will be fashionable again! Redrama wouldn't send to ESC. Toni agrees with Redrama but thinks they have won already as they have gained fans as they were voted to the final by fans last week. Aija thinks their song works better on big stage than in Circus the previous weeks. Mixed comments then.
Hearts in the backdrop for Krista and again new dress and tuned down make up and hair. Redrama is speechless. But he likes her and loves her song. He thinks Krista should go to ESC! She could win. It's good that she awakes strong emotions and opinions. Toni also talks how some love Krista, some hate her but he thinks it's only good. He thinks she would be more loved than hated in Eurovision in various countries. Aija likes her tuned down look as Lady Krista and thinks it worked well. Tomi says it would be best for Finns and worst for Swedes if we send Krista to show how it's done in Sweden! Ok, the jury will vote for her! :-)
Now we have a visit to greenroom with Arion boys and Krista. The boys say they are not nervous at all and Krista is overjoyed for her performance and says everyone can see she has made compromises to please them, just look at her face!
Very psychedelic backdrop and pyros even from guitarists hats. Vocally good and huge applause from the audience. Toni likes them and thinks they have really worked hard for it. he thinks they have gained a lot of fans. Aija liked the pyrohat and talks about her fancy hat. Good luck. Tomi isn't so impressed and thinks there are thousends of bands like them. Apparently the best was Henry's moustache. Redrama seems to be bored with the song already. Ok, very low points coming from them...
Mikael has been causing cold shivers to judges and tv-audience in previous performances and after a rather shaky start collected himself here. Simple backdrop and smoke, pianist and strings. Vocally far from perfect I'm afraid but apparently he's been suffering from a flu this week. Very emotional and touching anyways. Huge applause anyways. Aija thinks he crosses over all genres, has qualities and deepness in his voice a la Sam Cooke and Cat Stevens and she loves the way his voice go with the melody. Tomi recalls his first perfomance and the infamous pullover. He had dounts taking him to top-12 but is now very happy he is here. Redrama says they have praised him already enough and thinks he's not pretending to be anything artistic, he is what he is. Toni got cold shivers once again and keeps praising him... Hmm, yet none of them says he should do Eurovision until Toni says he thinks MIkael might win this before the night is over... We will see, televotes will decide.
Colorful screen in the behind where "the sun is coming out" for the boys. Vocallu perfect as always, huge applause and simple and good performance. Tomi thinks they were awesome and says he will vote tonight in a way that he gives max votes to the one he wants to see in ESC. He's not sure these guys are the one but they are great. Redrama agrees and praises their brotherhood thing. Toni praises their playing, their song and says he has found himself playing their song himself. he wants to see them in stadium gig next time infront of 30.000 people. Aija says she has been singing this song these weeks and thinks this was their best performance yet. She loves them.
Totally reworked performance and look for Diandra (she was heavily critizised for the previous one) and for some reason Egyptian motives in the backdrop. Two dancers and three backing singers. Redrama thinks she was the best yet so far and gives her advice "don't listen to people who try to make you something you're not". Toni says the song's got much better and he likes it already. And tonight it really worked. How such a young sweet girl can do such performance? Aija praises her vocals and thinks this contest has done a lot of good for Diandra, she's almost the international superstar she is going to be. Tomi doesn't want to give her advice but he wrote her a poem.... Well, the judges didn't mention anything about her Eurovision chances.... are they going full pot to Krista?
That's it. Time for a recap and voting instructions.
Guests:
Well now, that was rather uninspired and boring to tell the truth. The song is so bad not even a performance like this can save it.....
Another recap and then the jury gives it's votes.... Toni gives 10 to Mikael and GWn, Aija idem, Tomi and Redrama gave 10 to Krista. In total: Krista, Mikael and GWN 38, Arion 35, Diandra only 32, Elina 30, LWD 25 and Last Panda 24 ... televote will be crucial! Here comes the last recap and the voting will be over shortly! This blogger once again wonders what's the point with this juryvote? They should clearly put the songs in order and not give the same points to everyone..... Can we have a change to that in 2014, please? This is meaningless... (I'll post the full table asap)
And then the top -3: Krista, Mikael and Diandra..... 3rd is..... Diandra! The winner is... KRISTA!!!
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