Live: Maltese Semi-final

Tonight Malta’s one and only semi-final kicks off the selection, ahead of tomorrow night’s final decision to see who will win the ticket to Vienna next May. With 3 former Eurovision participants in the lineup, the show is 20 contestants deep and stacked to be a fair night of music.

From the initial 48 songs shortlisted, the 20 best made the final cut and after tonight, only 14 will remain to battle it out Saturday night. Gianluca Bezzina (2013) as part of L-Awha, Glen Vella (2011), and Ludwig Galea (2004) as part of Trilogy return to try their luck. Will one of them be the favorite again?

Join us here at ESC Daily for a live feed of the show and watch along, here, via TVM – the broadcast begins at 20:5o CET.

The lineup this evening is as follows:

1 Lyndsay Pace – Home
2 Iona Dalli – Could Have Been Me
3 Franklin – Still Here
4 Christabelle – Rush
5 Jessika – Fandango
6 Chris Grech – Closed Doors
7 Karen DeBattista – 12, Baker Street
8 Daniel Testa – Something In The Way
9 Glen Vella – Breakaway
10 Raquel – Stop Haunting Me
11 Domenique – Take Me As I Am
12 Lawrence Gray – The One That You Love
13 Deborah C – It’s OK
14 Danica Muscat – Close Your Eyes
15 Corazon – Secretly
16 L-Ahwa – Beautiful To Me
17 Amber – Warrior
18 Trilogy – Chasing a Dream
19 Dominic – Once In A While
20 Ekklesia Sisters – Love and Let Go

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And we’re Live!  Welcome to the show.

Just one week after the Junior contest, we are using the same shipyard setting and stage for tonight and tomorrow night’s shows.

After a sticky streaming from TVM, we get underway with a group performance from all the contestants, and Federica from Junior ESC gives an incredible performance for an eleven-year-old.

Our hosts are introduced and the official rules explained as usual.

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 1 Lyndsay Pace – Home

First up is Lyndsay Pace with a soft pop ballad. The range of the song is not that wide, which could possibly be a disadvantage for the quiet composition, considering the rest of the competition. But the vocals are clean and clear and the performance isn’t bad. It’s a sweet start to the show.

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2 Iona Dalli  – Could Have Been Me

Unfortunately Iona is off key, perhaps due to nerves, but she gives a fair effort regardless. Her catchy song, Could Have Been Me has attitude but could stand a hint more to make it a true front-runner. The crowd gives a good reception, so who knows.

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3 Franklin – Still Here

The first young man to take the stage tonight, it’s Franklin with a song written by Alexander Rybak. Bound to be good right? And indeed it is – a solid piano melody and a fair vocal from Franklin hold up the arrangement. It’s another soft pop ballad tonight. Will it be strong enough?

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4 Christabelle – Rush

“Oh no, here we go” the first up-tempo dance number of the evening. Finally something with a sharp direction in the midst of quiet compositions so far. Christabellle is accompanied by 4 female dancers, all outfitted in leather – the first choreographed performance. Rush is reminiscent of so many Euroclub songs, that it’s bound to have a positive result.

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It’s a pretty long commercial break, folks. Sit tight.

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5 Jessika – Fandango

We return with some fancy harp picking and another up-tempo dance tune. It’s more low key than the previous, as Jessika sings in a lower register and the music doesn’t have as much reverb. 2 girls and 2 guys join her on stage, but the performance will have to be tweaked if she has her sights on the top spot.

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6 Chris Grech – Closed Doors

Chris brought a band – and it makes a good impression on stage, though he stands apart on the catwalk. His vocal is gritty but soars, the first of the night to be so strong. Let’s call Closed Doors the rock-ballad of the evening. Chances are, we will see him again tomorrow in the final.

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7 Karen DeBattista – 12, Baker Street

Not to be confused with 221B Baker Street, Karen DeBattista brings an indie-folk flavor to the mix. Reliant on percussion, strings, and a saxophone – why not? – 12 Baker Street is sultry and reminiscent compared to the others. It drones on a tad bit long in the end, but a fair song.

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8 Daniel Testa – Something In The Way

Another good song, Something In They Way has the quality to move. The vocals showcase a small amount of flair to fit the jazzy brass (1 trumpet and 2 sax players) on stage. It’s a structured arrangement and a stronger one of the evening, so let’s see what happens!

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We’re stuck in another round of commercials. Looks like every 4 or 5 songs. But Oreo cookie adds never old – or do they?

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9 Glen Vella – Breakaway

“All the bad girls, bad boys”, our first former Eurovision contestant tonight, Glen Vella from 2011. Did you vote for him in Dussedorf? Well, the same amount of flair has gone into entry this season. It’s an electronic dance tune with a catchy hook, but it may lack the fire to be the best.

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10 Raquel – Stop Haunting Me

Pinpointing the middle of the show, Raquel hits the stage with a pink fohawk and an Ellie Goulding type composition. My personal favorite this evening, it seems to be a huge fan favorite as well. She is the most professional so far, though she stands solo center stage. The melody is bubbly and the lyrics simple, vocals are soft but resonate around the room. Raquel is a strong contender.

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11 Domenique – Take Me As I Am

Another solo woman, center stage, Domenique quickly elevates her entry into a typical ballad with electronic embellishments. It would suit the Eurovision stage well, to be honest, though it’s a little dated; however, her vocal is shaky and just off key at best in low register and on high notes.

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12 Lawrence Gray – The One That You Love

Mr. Gray sits at the piano and multi-tasks between lovely chords and a strong vocal. Small cheers from the audience every time he momentarily pauses for breath. This ballad of his builds nicely into a climax that does not fully hit the roof, keeping the composition in perspective. Another very professional performance in the second half of the lineup this evening.

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But first: more adds, woo! And so it goes.

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13 Deborah C – It’s OK

With 7 more on the roster, Deborah shakes things up a bit with another acoustic, folk-ish number. A pair of guitar players flank her left and a couple percussion/backing vocals to her right. The message is relatable to a wide audience, saying ‘things don’t always go you way, but it’ll be okay’. Once again, a good arrangement and composition. Vocals could be a bit bolder, however.

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14 Danica Muscat – Close Your Eyes

The second typical ballad we’ve heard, fitting for the ESC stage, but this one’s not outdated. Danica takes on the audience alone with warm, metallic lighting. Her vocals are open with clarity. Nothing is overdone; it’s well balanced and executed nicely.

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15 Corazon – Secretly

A tad Spanish with classical guitar picking in the style, Secretly begins with a vocal piercing the stagnant venue and builds into a steady melody. A more up-tempo pop ballad for sure, there is not a whole lot of direction. From the strong opening lines, the ending does not do the song justice.

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16 L-Ahwa – Beautiful To Me

And here’s the guy we all fell in love with back in 2013! It’s Gianluca Bezzina with a similar group arrangement and classic carefree sound. There’s just something fresh on stage whenever he’s around with a love song. Beautiful To Me is not as strong as his last entry, Tomorrow, but it’s a valiant effort. We’d be surprised to see any real complaints.

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More adds? You got it.

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17 Amber – Warrior

A warrior on stage, Amber takes a hard swing at the competition. Another suitable song for Eurovision, her vocals soar with a certain confidence. She’s a bit reminiscent of Margaret Berger, with the same attitude and presence in song. It’s a strong composition and another fan favorite this season.

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18 Trilogy – Chasing a Dream

Finally, we reach the third former contestant – Ludwig Galea, as part of this trio. It’s not the best of the night, by far; a little off kilter with harmonies and each solo. The general reception is give or take, as it’s a bit clichéd at this point.

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19 Dominic – Once In A While

It’s a colorful group performance from Dominic, as we’ve almost come to a close. He’s enthusiastic out there and puts on a fair show, the vocals are decent and the tune is upbeat. The crowd has really gotten into this one, but is it the composition or the tension building towards voting an results?

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20 Ekklesia Sisters – Love and Let Go

As the saying goes, save the nuns for last – or, wait… Nevertheless, the group of nuns are our final contestants this evening. They are no Russian grannies, that’s for sure. But the novelty/gimmick of their act and appearance have caused a stir in favoritism among some. We’ll have to wait and see.

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And that’s a wrap for the singing! Now begins the televote.

Quick recap and we’ll bring you the results as they come in. Stay tuned!

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In the meantime, the hosts banter awkwardly, more adds, we take a peek into the greenroom, and snoop on the house audience. Oh, and a rather long rendition of Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

We’ve got to be halfway there… A rather large dance group has taken the stage whilst we wait. Patiently.

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Results time!

We’ll be saying goodbye to 6 contestants tonight, so that 14 remain for tomorrow’s final.

Those 14 who qualified are:

Chris Grech – Closed Doors

Glen Vella – Breakaway

Jessika – Fandango

Trilogy – Chasing a Dream

Christabelle – Rush

Franklin – Still Here

Lawrence Gray –The One That You Love

Karen DeBattista – 12, Baker Street

Daniel Testa – Something In The Way

Dominic – Once In A While

L-Ahwa – Beautiful To Me

Amber – Warrior

Deborah C – It’s OK

Ekklesia Sisters – Love and Let Go

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Did your favorites make the cut? Let us know, and thank you for joining us during tonight’s broadcast. Don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow night to see who wins MESC2014!