LIVE: Euroviisut 2011 - Semifinal 3

Live from Tohloppi studios in Tampere the third and last Euroviisut 2011 semifinal. Get ready for a black and white evening with a hint of red! Also YLE's wildcard to the final in two weeks time will be revealed along with the three qualifiers. Come back for live blogging at 20 CET and watch the webcast here.

The show has just stared again and Tom and Jaana are on stage welcoming the audience and explaining the prodecure. Tom has a wild hair tonight and Jaana a wild dress: turquoise leopard! Hmm....
Hanna Pakarinen presents the first act tonight.

EVELIINA MÄÄTTÄ - DANCING IN THE DARK

First of the black acts tonight, lighten up with some neoncolors designed by Teuvo Loman. Very 1980's act in everyway, she sings ok, the choreography's nice enough but most likely the neon vampire act won't get people voting her and she will follow the fate of other dance acts this year and won't qualify. We will see.
Anneli Saaristo presents the next act.

SAMI HINTSANEN - TÄÄLTÄ MAAILMAAN

He is wearing a casual shirt and worn jeans and looks like he forgot this is live TV and not the rehearsal. That aside he sings very well, strong and tender at the same time making good eye contact with the cameras but then he's a professional TV show host. He also has one of Waldo's People's backing singers with him. Hmm... me thinks he will qualify after all with the granny vote. And after all it is Antti Kleemola ballad.
Katri Helena aka The Cougar is presenting the next royal act.

TOMMI SOIDINMÄKI - SEIS!

Tommi sounds and looks very good in his black and blue outfit and hair. Well presented in look and staging and the song's a perfect Eurovision standard by Petri Laaksonen but is the time of these kind of songs over? And it's not Sata salamaa, Eläköön elämä or Oot voimani mun unfortunately. Still, a sure qualifier for the final. Biggest applaude tonight so far. And as he is a tango king he has a real tango queen with him on stage, Jenna Bågeberg. And two dancers.
Markku Aro presents the next one.

SAARA AALTO - BLESSED WITH LOVE

She's a real Eurovision fan and at it for the fourth time but for the first time as solist. And with a self penned song and she qualified from the open internet selection. Big vocals from her and her backing singers, too, and this song has a lot of fans but I wouldn't be surprised if it won't make it to the final after all (wildcard?). A ballad without a memorable hook but some high notes and Saara's somewhat strange facials at times... We'll see! Ami Aspelund presents the last act for tonight.....

STALA & SO - PAMELA

Ex-Lordi Stala and his glamrock group set the stage on glitter fire with boas and it's very good! He succees where Jimi Constantine went all wrong. The song's a insanely catchy 1980's glamrock song with strong chorus and even if vocally he isn't the best of singers he can make it up with the show factor. Me likes. This must qualify.

Therem it is. Time for the recap.And then we remember a bit Helsinki 2007 Eurovision..... Did you know Hanna Pakarinen's act was supposed to include rain at some point but they had to skip it for the lack of time. Erik Saade and Melodifestivalen, where did you get the idea?? :-) And now time for the dreadful "humour act" (read: toilet break...)

Now it's time for the famous lightbump. Green or red? First Sami Hintsanen.... green! Next Eveliina Määttä... red! Stala & So next.... green! Then Saara Aalto.... green! Tommi Soidinmäki is out!? Must be the lyrics that put me off the song as well....

Time for the wildcard......It is Eveliina Määttä??? Now I'm puzzled....