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FINLAND: #UMK2017 REVIEW: MY FIRST BAND - PARADISE

76,5/120
My First Band is a five member band from Helsinki (Antti Koivula in vocals, Heikki Puhakainen in keyboards and backing vocals, Juho Vehmanen in bass and backing vocals, Heikki Kytölä in drums and backing vocals and Mikko Virta in guitars and backing vocals).  They have been at it already for 15 years and the band included pop fanatic with old soul, rock God lookalike, world traveller stuck in the 80's, a model type and one that's interested in synthezisers and sex. According themselves. Stuck together. They have toured abroad and even had a hit with Don't break my corazon there. Full time tru professionals playing now the #UMK2017 card. After all, they have been asked to do so for years now and they think it's cool and are very happy to be in the Finnish final this year.
When the songs were published the tabloid polls had them on top of the list. They also won the YLE's #UMK17 preview show on New Year's eve when Jaana Pelkonen, Eini and Saara Aalto's sister Suvi ranked the songs.

If they are also your faves, please vote in my poll, or for real here

With our interntional jury* My First Band scored fifth place and 76,5 points, This was 3M's favorite and only Robert ("Nothing special") and Francisco didn't warm up to it that much, all the other placed it on higher side of the result table. Valentina liked "this funky dance and the singer's voice". Jack has a feeling they could actually win and wouldn't be too disappointed if they did, and he loves the chorus. "Radio friendly and could attract votes in Eurovision". Marco thought it was a bit old fashioned but with a modern sound and get s a bit repetitive after awhile. 3K couldn't quite get over the lyrics....
This blogger likes the feel of the song, it's relaxed, full of summer in paradise. The lyrics can be interpreted in whichever way you want to,  I go for the palmtrees on the beach, but that aside it's a nice laidback song, catchy, excellent singer and band. But is it strong and immediate enough for Eurovision? Maybe not. However this would be an entry to be proud of,

Current ranking:
5. My First Band - Paradise 76,5

*Valentina (SanMarino), Jack (UK), Michele (Sweden/Italy), Markus (Germany/UK), Marco (Italy), Francisco (Spain/Venezuela), 3M (Malta), Robert (Netherlands), 3K (Finland) and Blogilkar (Finland). Most jurors have years of experience inside and outside Eurovision as artist, producer and delegation members. Some are just active fans while 3K are a group of teenagers, non-Eurovision fans who follow it as randomly as any normal people, :-) 
All of us gave votes from 0-10 to each entry, so the maximum votes is 120. 

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