#SANREMO 2014 TERZA SERATA - LIVE BLOGGING

Flop or not, I'll be blogging live from 9pm CET as usual. Tonight for the first time all the Big together, and the remaining newcomers to be sorted out. Do #JoinMe!

20.47 I'm ready. As soon as Sanremo is ready.

20.55 The festival starts with a homage to Claudio Abbado, who joined the heavenly orchestra exactly one month ago.  And we continue with the philharmonic orchestra of La Fenice, directed by Diego Matheuz and some Mozart.
21.05 Fazio sends a thought to Ucraine. It's worth remembering all isn't flowers and songs at this moment. Quick explanation of the voting tonight, it's only televote and the result weights 25% in the final result. Only that it won't be revealed us tonight, it seems.We also get to see and hear snippets of all Big songs tonight. Bling! And the televote is open!
21.13 Enter Lucianina! In simple black outfit tonight.

21.14 We start with Renzo Rubino and his Ora.  I like this song. He's kinda adorable and the song has its catchy moments and there are some good lines in the lyrics as well. I give 7.

21.19 Giusy Ferreri follows with Ti porto a cena con me. New dress for Giusy tonight. Among the writers is Roberto Casalino, co-author of L'Essenziale and you can hear it in style. Giusy does a great job and I guess this will become one of my favorites this year. I give a strong 8.

21.30 We are back after advertising and Luciana announced we are only ten minutes delayed at the monent, hooray! Next artist is Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc with Pedala.  Gone are the t-shirts and look of a teenager and he's in grey suit and sober eyewear tonight. This is a fun song. Maybe not a Sanremo winner but this will play on radios all summer, I think. I give a 7+.

21.36 Next is Raphael Gualazzi & The Bloody Beetroots with Liberi o no. I don't know what has happened to Raphael in these short years he did Eurovision and his first Sanremo. The shy guy now really comes across the Tv-screen like a superstar. Beetroot is masked as always and the gospel choir rocks. Very different song for Sanremo and it will be interesting to see how far it goes. I give a 7-. I preferred the other one really....

21.44 Cristiano De Andrè next with Il cielo è vuoto.  Dramatic and great arrangement, but still not quite my cup of tea. I give a 5. he clearly preferred his other song but now says he is very fond of this one, too..... Of course.

21.51 We return from break  and find Luciana with her monologue about beauty, the theme of this festival. First she wonders how come they selected her and Fazio as the presenters of beauty as beauty they have very little... And the words come like a roller coaster with fireworks..... even a vaffanculo escapes and she excuses RAI's bosses...She moves on to more serious themes and collects applauses and indeed, brava Luciana! Important things.

She is followed by a handicapped dancer Dergin Tokmak it seems.... Great stuff....

22.10 Oh dear lord. Someone interrupts again the show from the audience it seems shouting them to stop talking, this is a music festival, music! ... oh no, all organized this time. An accapella group materializes from all parts of the audience, a flash mob! LOL. Good move! All end up on stage with their medley and audience likes it. No wonder.

22.17 Back to business with Francesco Sarcina and his Nel tuo sorriso. This does nothing to me. I kinda like the beginning but then it's lost for me. 5- from me.And a selfie with Bebbe Vessicchio in the end. Not elegant at all.

22.23 Perturbazione and L'Unica next.  This one I like more and more. As soon as I have some time I will go check their back catalogue as this band's a new one for me but I'm hooked. They have also released a fantastic video for this one. Here. At this point I give 8+. Apparently the Sanremo watching televoters won't be very kind to them but who knows?

22.29 And we move on with Francesco Renga and Vivendo adesso.  Oh well, I have never liked his way of singing that much. This song written by Elisa whom I adore isn't bad but he ruins it for me. Can't give more than 6,5.

22.34 Next Riccardo Sinigallia and Prima di andare via. I adore the rhythm of this one. Lovely little song. He looks so miserable singing it I wished he'd smile a little like he suggests in the song but no. Top marks so far, 8,5.

22.45 Time to celebrate the 60 years of television in Italy with Renzo Arbore.  Remembering his long and succesful career in TV, some singing and a tribute to Napoletan Roberto Murolo. But it's all so long. Too long.... Zzzzz.....

23.24 Finally we go on. Next Noemi with Bagnati dal sole. What is she wearing tonight?! Black long dress, hair down and no weird stuff to distract us. good. Oh hang on, it's Moran Mazor all over again! The song feels more powerful tonight and she's more relaxed, like most everyone tonight. Much better than before. Am I starting to like this one? Yep, so it seems. I give 7+

23.30 Fast to next one, Antonella Ruggiero with Da lontano. Black japanese style outfit for her tonight. The song is beautiful, atmospheric and her voice crystal clear and amazing as always. Audience keep applauding when she pauses. Not exactly one of the favorites but who knows? She could push to the top-3 once again. At this point I give an 8.

23.38 Next Arisa with Controvento. A short silvery dress for her and very, very red lips. A bit  forced performance like she wasn't very comfortable on stage or something. The song has lovely moments but for me something's not right. Huge applause anyways. People like her.  Now I give a 7,5, could go up or down.

23.43 And then Ron and Sing in the rain. Considering what's in the charts in Europe and in the national finals of Eurovision, this may be the most international song in Sanremo this year; folksy guitar driven acoustic whistler song. Quite catchy and pleasant. Didn't expect much but one of my favourites. 8+ at this point.

23.48 Here comes the last Big one. Giuliano Palma and his Cosi lontano co-written by Nina Zilli.  Purple suit and sunglasses tonight. Nice song but one can't help thinking how this would sound if Nina sung it herself... I give 6,5.
23.56 TV-news after advertising break. Still have guests to come before we get to the newcomers semifinal. I think this should change, who's wacthing anymore? Not many, as the flopped ratings suggest. Is it fair for the newcomers? No.

Oh it's Luca Parmitano. The first Italian astronaut. He has just returned from space where he spent 166 days and even did a space walk.... Now I must admit this was quite interesting and caputing moment!

00.10 And now Damien Rice with Cannonball. Yawn. Oh and The Blower's daughter, too.... I think I need a little night snack. Or is it breakfast time already?
00.21 Stop to televote, Bling! And then ... pubblicità!

00.23 Here we go finally with the newcomers. We start with Rocco Hunt and Nu juorno buono. Hmm, why am I thinking of Frankie Hi-Nrg? This could be his son imitating his father, or something. A reggae rap with bits sung in dialect, rather nice though. Makes me think of Almamegretta, too, which is never a bad thing. Big applause from the audience. This should qualify and who knows...?

00.30 Veronica De Simone with Nuvole che passano next. Traditional old fashioned Sanremo ballad but surely better than Bianca's effort last night in every way. Somehow I kinda enjoyed this. Much more than I thought. Isn't the hour or is this good for real?

00.35 And then The Niro and 1969. He's apparently the biggest name here, with a career already of some sort. I'm not very impressed, the song's a bit messy and vocally he didn't impress either. But then what do I know?

Last but not least Vadim and La modernità. Very nervous performanc eit seems, but then he has been waiting for this moment propably all his life, and especially the last four hours. One of the weirdest performances I have seen in Sanremo. Ever.
Nah, I would sent to the final the first two, Rocco and Veronica.
00.46 Pubblicità and then the results of the Big televote, that they are going to tell us anyways!
00.54 Here are the results, that count of 25% for the final result, only televote: 1. Renga 2. Arisa 3. Rubino 4. Perturbazione 5.Gualazzi 6. De Andrè 7. Ferreri 8. Ruggiero 9. Noemi 10. Sinigallia 11. Sarcina 12. Palma 13. Ron and 14. Frankie
And the newcmers that go to final are Rocco Hunt and The Niro. Oh well, I got 3/4 of the newcomers right :-) As for the Big good to see Perturbazione that high, and Rubino is a surprise, but a good one! I thought Ferreri, Ruggiero and Ron would be higher....
Another four hours and more spent infront of this screen.... Buona notte, mondo!