They won the Eurovision 2015 televote before embarking on a 33-date North American tour.

And last Friday Il Volo — that’s Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble — brought their L’Amore Si Muove // Grande Amore Tour to the London Palladium.

Chaos erupted the moment a mob of fans spotted them heading to their gig…and naturally wiwibloggs was there to film it.

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The crowd of screaming fans included young girls and old women, conveying just how deeply the trio cuts across demographics.

“That’s the most beautiful thing,” Gianluca says during our interview. “What we wanted to do from the beginning is bring this kind of music to all ages, people from five years old to 92.”

Ignazio, who was still chewing on his dinner when he joined us on the couch, believes their music has a universal quality.

“I think music is for everyone and the people who come to the concert don’t just come for the show, but also for the voices. It’s not just for the show, for the big production of the concert, it’s for the music, the bel canto.”

Naturally we had to talk about Eurovision and the fact they won the televote, but didn’t take home the trophy.

“To win the televote is the most important thing,” Piero says. “The televote are the people who buy the album and come to your shows.”

Should the rules be changed then?

“I think Eurovision should be 80% televote and 20% the rest,” Piero says. “I think the one who has to win is the one who people like.”

 

“Who does the televote is the one who buys the album and comes to the show. I cannot tell you it should be 100% [televote] because of the politics, but it should be 80% and everyone should know the truth about everything that happens.”

When asked about Russia’s Sergey Lazarev winning the televote this year, but not winning overall, Gianluca had encouraging words for the “You Are The Only One” singer.

“That means he’s going to sell more than everyone probably,” he says.

Gianluca also had positive things to say about Italy’s Eurovision 2016 starlet Francesca Michilien.

“We are friends of Francesca and she is our friend,” he says, making it clear that her 16th place finish doesn’t matter. “The most important thing is to have fun and share music and she did. And we’re proud of her.”

Mr Ginoble adds that singers “shouldn’t sing about politics,” suggesting he wasn’t a fan of the winning number from Ukraine.

So who won in his mind?

“Justin Timberlake was the best of the night.”

Read more Italy Eurovision news here

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The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

@EugeneESCUK

Stenomialo na peis ton kolo sou pou ehei ftasei mehri na min po pou… Paliohontrouliaka, mas ta’his zalisi me ta statistika sou kai to poso adikes ine i kritikes epitropes… Vouvali, ante kane kamia dieta!

@Plum

Ai re axesto tomari, pou den xeris oute na grapsis to onoma sou kala kala kai milas ki apo pano! Apovrasma tis kinonias!

Plum
Plum
7 years ago

And wasn’t it clear that the juries left nothing undone this year to push Australia win since EBU didn’t feel like going either to Russia or to Ukraine in 2017. But what happenned – happened thanks televoting.
People, wake up, please.

Plum
Plum
7 years ago

@EugeneESCUK
I’m applauding you standing=))
And I hope the Btightest Falling Star will never give any answer to you since he has nothing essential to say.

ESC84
ESC84
7 years ago

It is not fair to say someone is not entitled to say things about Eurovision.

1. Any Eurovision participants have rights to speak about the contest, and IL VOLO won the televotes. Eurovision participants has the biggest mouth in this because they prepare and compete in the contest. They
2. Any viewers who watch the result and vote, they spend their time and money in ESC
3. Any juries who vote
4. EBU member
5. Any viewers who watch but don’ t vote, from the competing countries
6. Any viewers who watch, from rest of the world

The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

@Someone

“The televoters SPEND their money on who they want to win”.

Well, they also spend it on voting for their country from abroad and this is worse than what the juries do.

Someone
Someone
7 years ago

@Charles That is YOUR opinion. The televoters SPEND their money on who they want to win and the judges? Well, they talk to each other in order to manipulate everything because they know they can ruin anyone’s position if they agree with each other.
Taste is subjective… everyone has different opinions… except the judges they all agree with each other on the rankings so they can manipulate it!!

The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

@Charles

I agree with you. I think that Italy won the televote last year just because they performed last. And of course people always adore a love ballad sung in Italian…

Krinos
Krinos
7 years ago

I don’t want the juries to be completely eliminated, but the televote winner should always win the trophy. I think the televote top three should keep their placings no matter what, but for that to always be true, the juries pretty much have to go. If worse comes to worse (which, it seemingly has, after Sergey lost), then I would support the juries being eliminated. But I do like this voting system for the most part… Maybe if the televote winner doesn’t win that year’s contest’s jury’s votes (that is a lot of possessives) should all become null and void… Read more »

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

@The Brightest Falling Star: I hope I don’t have to write anything similar about Sergey ever … he has lost with grace and understood the rules of the game … Il Volo are, again, three kids who need to grow and learn a lot more about life … after all they didn’t sell s*** in Europe after the 2015 competition … and I am still asking … who the hell was voting at home to give them such a massive televoting win and did not buy the song after that? What a paradox …

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

@Someone: Juries may have too much power, but televoters have way too much ego and no taste ,,, how to sort those 2 all at once?

Someone
Someone
7 years ago

Judges have definitely TOO much power in my opinion. Every year we discover the same voting pattern within judges. I mentioned that Norway had suspicious and similar votes but sadly no one cares about it and focuses on countries that have had voting scandals like Armenia and so on…
5 people can easily bring someone down and raise someone up and they can also discuss who to vote for beforehand. If you let random people from the streets vote from each country the votes definitely would not be similar… I am not suggesting this but its just the truth.

Sebastian
Sebastian
7 years ago

How would you feel if you win the people vote and then lose. It not fair for the people who vote. Eurovision is nothing without the people. So it seems like it rigged with bias and politics. An you wonder why people are sour. Eurovision listen to the people who vote in your contest

ESC84
ESC84
7 years ago

@EugeneESCUK
Thank you for your analysis.
Though it would be crazy if you look into the jury result but never thought it reveals so much.

The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

@oooops

Still though, Spain would have done much better last year. And maybe this year too, who knows?

oooops
oooops
7 years ago

It wasn’t exactly that system, while in my dream system, both the lastplaced/your country and the next-to-last-placed/lastplaced get 0 points. Now I am done calculating score in Semi 1 under my dream system. 1. Russia 541 points(=) 2. Armenia 467 points(=) 3. Malta 428 points(=) 4. Hungary 422 points (=) 5. The Netherlands 400 points (=) 6. Czech Republic 387 points (+3) Biggest Jump together with Estonia 7. Cyprus 382 points (+1(Instead of minus one, lol)) 8. Azerbaijan 371 points (-2) 9. Austria 366 points (-2) 10. Croatia 356 points(=) 11. B&H 248 points (=) 12. Iceland 247 points (+2)… Read more »

The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

@Pavel

I definitely agree with you.

@OR

Because she is from Israel, right?

The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

@oooops

You can see it here:
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?p=78220055
Actually I made a mistake, Spain would have finished 10th!

oooops
oooops
7 years ago

@The Brightest Falling Star, how did you get that information? Did you calculate?

Iberian
Iberian
7 years ago

Well said (or written), Pavel, I totally agree with you.

OR
OR
7 years ago

@Pavel
Dana international deserved to won in 1998

Pavel
Pavel
7 years ago

The minor placings in the ESC is not so important perhaps, but choosing the winner is. If you look at the facts over the last 13 years when we had 100% televote figures available, does diaspora actually affect the WINNER? The answer is NO. +++++++++++++++++++ European nationalists love Russia, european extreme left loves Russia, they adore Syria politics, they consider him to be a strong leader so there is a certain degree of affection with Russia in terms of common people. During the last 13 contest we had three victories Serbia 2007 (neighbour vote gave it the edge over Verka,… Read more »

Deisi
Deisi
7 years ago

When I talked to Il Volo in New Orleans back in March they told me they were too busy to watch this year’s Eurovision. ????

karminowe.usta
karminowe.usta
7 years ago

A propos diaspora I think people vote to songs which like. I never vote for songs which isn`t catchy because it has been written by Polish.

karminowe.usta
karminowe.usta
7 years ago

@V
Il Volo, Sergey Lazarev… Who will be the next victim of jury?

In my opinion next victims of jury would be even represent Poland and Russia because their policy is controversial. Western Europe dislikes Beata Szydlo and Putin. It`s not justified because Eurovision is song contest. In 2015 Il Volvo should have been won. In 2016 Europe loved Sergey Lazarev.

karminowe.usta
karminowe.usta
7 years ago

I totally agree with Il Volo. Televoters should have bigger power because ordinary people are justified. People come to concerts and buy records so their opinion is the most important.

I agree with statement about politics. Eurovision is song contest not political event so Jamala shouldn`t have been won in this year. Her song is very good but break Eurovision rules.

Plum
Plum
7 years ago

@EugeneESCUK
I cannot help but agree with you.

Ern
Ern
7 years ago

No, keep it 50/50.

However, the way juries are selected and vote should change.

The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

@Charles

I can’t believe I’m saying that but I agree with you! Well done 🙂

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

Il Di….ops Il Volo need to learn one thing: in life we can’t always win everything and learning to lose gracefully is a sign of humility … and being a sore loser after 1 year just shows that instead of the operatic singers who should showcase maturity of spirit … you’re nothing but a spoil brat who still hasn’t left mama’s skirt for real … So instead of crying over the past … these 3 should focus on being better people and better professionals … because true talent knows humility better than anybody else and true talent accepts the rules… Read more »

Héctor
Héctor
7 years ago

I think he said that because they would have won with the 80% of televoting. The one who receives the most points from the televote isn’t necessary the best or the one who is going to sell the most. This year Russia won the televote because its diaspora and its overrated staging, nothing more. About Il Volo, they won it because their song and their staging were Italian cliche-made, we all know people lose his sh*t when it comes the Italian thing… Anyway, all the contestants know the voting is 50/50 when they compete, so they lost the global score… Read more »

OR
OR
7 years ago

@OffTopic
Really ? can you send me a link? thanks 🙂

Österikke
Österikke
7 years ago

Semifinals: 50%/50% vote (ranking style)
Grand Final: 100% televote

The Brightest Falling Star
The Brightest Falling Star
7 years ago

It’s obvious that Piero said that just because they won with the televote. Can’t people be objective these days? Is it so difficult? And I don’t want to make you sad Piero, but if you hadn’t performed last you wouldn’t have won with the televote. @OR They talk only about Italy just like you talk only about Israel 😉 You make me laugh. You blame them for that while you are doing exactly the same! @Vinia19 While the televote always votes in a non-political way, right? That’s why Russia always gets 12 televote points from Belarus 😉 @oooops With the… Read more »

OffTopic
OffTopic
7 years ago

This is off topic, but Dana International performed Diva at UK’s Big Brother Bit On the Side yesterday. Wasn’t sure whether or not you were going to an article on it or knew that it happened, just providing information :).

MK
MK
7 years ago

I have a feeling that Raphael Gualazzi might be in favour of 80% jury vote…

The system that secures your favourite (or, in this case, yourself) victory is always the best one, I guess.

Max :)
Max :)
7 years ago

@Ruud “With this system, Ukraine would’ve still won. Didn’t calculate it, but it would be quite obvious”

Maybe you should have calculated it then because you’re wrong! :p

The result would have been

Russia 315
Ukraine 300
Australia 217

Iberian
Iberian
7 years ago

The juries were introduced to balance out the annoying effect of block vote, diaspora vote and politics vote. It’s good the juries are there. I have always hated the public voting, Il Volo and Sergay were – in my opinion – awful and oh so evident televote winners; I was so happy the juries changed the final results. On the interview; so sorry to say this, but now I know why I’ve disliked Il Volo in Eurovision, I don’t like their attitude. The best act 2016 was Timberlake? They’d vote China? Or maybe I just don’t get their humor. Next,… Read more »

Ruud
7 years ago

With this system, Ukraine would’ve still won. Didn’t calculate it, but it would be quite obvious since Russia came 5 with juries

fikri
fikri
7 years ago

SHADE.

mad-professor
mad-professor
7 years ago

The problem with the televote is block voting and diasporas. The juries, for the most part, don’t share that as you can see when countries like the UK give Georgia 12 points. There needs to be a healthy balance, but it’d be better if countries who aren’t in the final weren’t allowed to vote.

Ben Rafter
Ben Rafter
7 years ago

If Ukraine had won the televote and won overall you would all be saying it should be 100% jury… i think they should keep the current system but 20 jury members instead of a measly 5.

OR
OR
7 years ago

leave the voting system as it is!!! otherwise countries like Israel, Czech Republic, Ireland, the UK And more does not will climb to the finals ever!!
but Heavy regulation must be run on judges to make sure they voting with out politics consideration… maybe the EBU should exacerbate the Criteria and supervise judges more.

OR
OR
7 years ago

One of them eat in front of William face almost the all interview !! he is just disgusting, And is it so hard for them to say good words about other states performances except Italy??

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

No. Keep it the way it is (50-50), or go back to the way it was before 1997. Czech Republic and Israel (both of which sent songs worthy of the Grand Final) would have never qualified without the jury; and Malta, Croatia, Serbia and Georgia would have found themselves riding the razor’s edge without the 50-50 split system.

Max :)
Max :)
7 years ago

He is spot on, twice in a row now, the millions of people who pay money to have their say have been over ruled by 200 “so called” professionals, most of whom are has beens or past contestants.

The person with the most votes should be the winner that is simple. But the EBU likes juries as it means they can get the result they want. It’s all about sending a message, and the past 3 years the message has been, lets bash Russia.

Plum
Plum
7 years ago

@Azaad,

I wonder what would you say about your prize if you were an artist cynically underrated by the juries.

Tony
Tony
7 years ago

They were my winners in 2015 and I really like them, but am I the only one bothered by the correlation they always make with winning the televote and selling albums and tickets. That is somehow true but they always mention the monetary aspects of being liked and winning the televote and that puts me off.

Azaad
Azaad
7 years ago

It does sound like complaining, if Gabriela or the Makemakes say the televote needs to increase, I’ll listen then. I actually think the new voting system should have been in place last year, under which they came second, but I’m tired of the artists bitching about their results. You still got a respectable place and mass publicity from Eurovision, that’s your prize.

oooops
oooops
7 years ago

My dream system: It is almost like the one Hilda Heick used. For example in semifinal one/two, only the 18th/your own country and the 17th get 0 points from every country’s jury and televote. The 16th place gets 1 point, 15th 2 points and so on up to 16 points. In the final, it is the same, just that they start with points at 24th place and so on up to 24 points. Plus increased number of jury members(5 is obviously too little), 100% jury/televote for countries with invalid jury/televote(like San Marino, their televote is just calculated from other countries,… Read more »

Vinia19
Vinia19
7 years ago

Juries are voting politically
It should be 100% televoting