Who are Let 3? Meet Croatia's Eurovision 2023 entry
The punk band are taking to the Liverpool stage to represent Croatia in Eurovision 2023.
There's nothing Eurovision loves more than eccentric acts – and a delegation that is bringing all the quirkiness to Liverpool this year is Croatia, thanks to the band Let 3.
The punk band from Rijeka will be performing their song Mama ŠČ in tonight's (Tuesday 9th May) semi-final in the hopes of being the first Croatian act in six years to make it to the Grand Final.
Hosted by BGT's Alesha Dixon, Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, tonight's semi-final will see the likes of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Israel, Portugal and 10 other acts compete for the chance to perform in the final alongside Ukraine and the Big Four – including the UK's Mae Muller. But will Let 3 make their mark with their anti-war song?
Here's everything you need to know about Let 3 ahead of their Eurovision debut tonight.
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Who are Croatia's Eurovision 2023 entry Let 3?
Instagram: @let_3
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Twitter: @Let3Mrle
Let 3 are a Croatian rock band who first formed in the 1980s and have since picked up several Croatian music awards.
The band is currently made up of five artists: singer and bass guitarist Damir Martinović, singer Zoran Prodanović, drummer Ivan Bojčić, guitarist Dražen Baljak, and guitarist Matej Zec.
Let 3 are known for their provocative and sometimes controversial performances, with the band being fined kn 350 (£40) for performing naked at an open-air concert in 2006 despite arguing that they weren't completely naked due to the corks in their anuses.
The band usually take a political stance with their music, supporting women's and LGBT rights, and they have released 10 albums since 1989, including Živi Kurac (Live c**k), Nečuveno (Unheard-of), Živa pička (Live c**t) and Angela Merkel sere (Angela Merkel s**ts).
They competed in Dora 2023 – Croatia's competition to determine which act would represent them in Eurovision – back in December, beating 17 contestants and winning with a total of 279 points.
What have Let 3 said about representing Croatia at Eurovision 2023?
Let 3 have posted on Instagram numerous times in the run-up to Eurovision, however the group made their debut on the BBC Eurovision page with a video of them fishing in Rijeka.
"Hi, we are Let 3. And this is our beautiful home town, Rijeka. Today, we're going fishing," frontman Zoran Prodanović says in the clip.
"We are so proud and happy and excited to be in Liverpool. Let 3 and Mama ŠČ love you people – we protect you with the power of our love," he added in a TikTok video for the Eurovision page.
They'll be performing in the first semi-final tonight (Tuesday 9th May) alongside Norway, Malta, Serbia, Portugal and other acts.
What is Croatia’s Eurovision 2023 song called?
Let 3 is representing Croatia with their song Mama ŠČ, written by band members Damir Martinović and Zoran Prodanović.
In an interview with Croatian magazine Index, Martinović said that the ŠČ in the song's title features in the "oldest alphabet", adding: "When armageddon occurs on earth, when armageddon calms down, the rocket will return and bring the first alphabet again."
"The theme is war, the song is anti-war, it was created last summer while I was working on a play in Split. It came to that wartime moment that we should make a war opera and Mama ŠČ is one of the songs from the war opera," he said.
In another interview, Martinović revealed that the song is also a criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: "We want to send a message to those who think that the planet is their toy and manage everyone like puppets, and at the moment Putin is a prominent model of that style, so it was our turn to dedicate a song to him."
Where did Croatia come in Eurovision 2022?
Croatia took part in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2022, with Mia Dimšić performing her song Guilty Pleasure.
Unfortunately however, Dimšić did not qualify for a place in the Grand Final, narrowly missing out on a place after coming in 11th with 75 points.
Croatia first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 and has since qualified for the final 18 times, the last time being in 2017 with Jacques Houdek, who came in 13th place in the final with his song 'My Friend'.
When is Eurovision 2023?
The Eurovision 2023 Song Contest kicks off with the semi-finals tonight (Tuesday 9th May), before the second show on Thursday 11th May.
Meanwhile, the Grand Final is set to take place on Saturday 13th May, with the remaining acts battling it out to become the 2023 champions.
You can watch all the action at home on BBC One and iPlayer, with the show being hosted by BGT's Alesha Dixon, Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina.
The Eurovision Song Contest will begin on Tuesday 9th May 2023. Listen to all of last year's Eurovision songs on TIDAL, while the full album of tracks is available on CD and vinyl now.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision here. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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