Finland’s hotly tipped Eurovision performance features flames, a valuable violin and a safety plan

Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland execute the τραγούδι ‘Liekinheitin’ during the archetypal semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest successful Vienna, Austria, Tuesday. [AP]

VIENNA – At the Eurovision Song Contest, performers get three minutes to marque a large impression.

Grabbing viewers’ attraction arsenic 1 of 25 acts competing successful speedy succession successful Saturday’s expansive last successful Vienna means pulling retired each the stops, some musically and visually.

In the lawsuit of this year’s favorites to win, the Finnish duo of popular vocalist Pete Parkkonen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius, that involves jets of flame, a valuable 18th-century violin and a team of “ninjas” working to avert disaster.

The pair’s τραγούδι “Liekinheitin,” oregon “Flamethrower,” is simply a favourite with some fans and betting markets with its melding of popular and classical influences – and its spectacular staging.

Here’s what it takes to make the eye-catching performance.

Permission to play

Parkkonen and Lampenius dub their sound “new popular with a classical touch.” Their τραγούδι of burning emotion is an detonation of vigor successful which Parkkonen’s passionate vocals enactment arsenic counterpoint to Lampenius’ frenetic fiddling.

The Finnish delegation had to unafraid special support for Lampenius to play live. Eurovision rules state that pb vocals indispensable beryllium performed live, but instruments are prerecorded, to assistance speed changeovers betwixt songs.

Lampenius says “Flamethrower” was “written arsenic a duet,” and some performers request to beryllium unrecorded for it to work.

“It’s a woman and a man, it’s a pistillate voice and a antheral voice. So I bash each my lyrics done my violin, by playing, and you (Parkkonen) are singing it with words. But we are talking. We are (equally) arsenic important, some of us.”

The brace were not definite when they arrived successful Vienna that Eurovision organizers would let the request. They were lone fixed last support aft performing successful beforehand of an assemblage successful a unrecorded rehearsal.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, said contention rules let that “live audio seizure of instruments whitethorn exceptionally beryllium permitted where artistically justified.”

Lampenius had brought two violins conscionable successful lawsuit – a treasured Gagliano made successful 1781 so unrecorded show would “sound perfect,” and a cheaper instrumentality to use if she had to trust connected playback. That would region immoderate hazard to the Gagliano from the slightly hazardous staging.

Practice makes perfect

Lampenius and Parkkonen accidental they person been rehearsing for this infinitesimal since November. They won Finland’s nationalist enactment contention for Eurovision successful February and accidental by present they person performed the τραγούδι hundreds of times.

It is important to get it right. The show builds to a climax that sees jets of occurrence spurt from a stage connected which Lampenius, fanned by a leafage blower and wearing a flowing dress, is playing her precious violin.

Lampenius concedes it’s “a spot scary when you think of it.”

But she says she is unafraid successful the cognition she has black-clad stagehands who telephone themselves “ninjas” connected manus to support her formal distant from the flames – an indispensable portion of the show that goes unseen by viewers watching astatine home.

“They’re moving with maine – archetypal 1 feline carrying my formal when I’m running, then the different 1 catching maine during my run,” she said. “And helium helps maine besides when I leap up connected the stage and bash the pirouette.”

For the striking last airs successful which Lampenius perches atop chairs successful precocious heels, violin aloft, Parkkonen combines singing with his relation arsenic a information spotter, there to drawback her if she topples over.

“That’s my work,” the vocalist said. [AP]

Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland execute the τραγούδι ‘Liekinheitin’ during the formal rehearsal for the archetypal semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest successful Vienna, Austria, Monday. [AP]