The Busker are banking on another passionate live performance to defy the odds in the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final tonight, after bookmakers gave them just 33 per cent chance of qualifying to the final.

And if they do, they have less than a one per cent chance of taking the Eurovision trophy home, according to an aggregate list of betting odds.

“We know we’re not the favourites and we’re in a very difficult semi-final,” said David ‘Dav. Jr’ Meilak, a member of the three-man band.

But they believe the passion they will put into their live performance could change things. 

“Our performances show that the song is coming from the heart,” Dav. Jr said.

The frontman wrote the lyrics to Dance (Our Own Party) with the trio co-writing the music. 

They are now hoping for a repeat of their Malta Eurovision Song Contest journey. 

“We started as underdogs in Malta and we hope the same narrative is repeated in Europe.”

Band members Dav. Jr, Jean Paul Borg and Sean Meachen were speaking from a bus in Liverpool on their way to Liverpool Arena for final rehearsals on Monday.

Their performance will be broadcast live to millions across the world in tonight’s first semi-final. According to betting statistics, Malta’s song will place 12th out of 15 entries. Only 10 will go through.

In a change to the system, the semi-final qualifiers tonight and Thursday will be determined by a 100 per cent public vote. Viewers can vote up to 20 times for the same or different countries. 

A combination of jury and public voting will determine the final outcome on Saturday. 

The last few weeks of the trio’s lives have included a mix of rehearsals, media interviews and travelling to different countries as they promote their song across Europe. 

People reacted “really well” to their song at Eurovision pre-parties, Dav. Jr said.  

As they performed in Warsaw, Tel Aviv and Madrid, Eurovision fans started following The Busker.   

“A lot of people became fans after hearing the song live,” he said. “People started talking about it on social media.”

Unlike Malta’s recent Eurovision submissions, The Busker will be performing the same song that won them the Malta contest in February.  

We started as underdogs in Malta and we hope the same narrative is repeated in Europe

Last year’s winner, Emma Muscat, performed I Am What I Am on the European stage despite having won locally with a different song, Out of Sight. 

Malta’s two previous Eurovision representatives, Destiny Chukunyere and Michela Pace, earned their spot after winning the first and second editions of X Factor Malta. 

Their songs, Je Me Casse and Chameleon, were written by teams of international writers and producers.  

Things were kept closer to home this year.

“We used Maltese designers, producers and choreographers,” Dav. Jr said, adding that vocal coach Maria Abdilla and choreographer Cheryl Lofreda of Concept of Movement have been a great help.  

Creative director Steven Levy Vella helped bring to life their stage design ideas, promising a colourful performance full of props and artwork. 

The Busker hope to communicate their message to all through their stage design. 

“We want the storytelling of the song to come through for those who don’t have English as their first or second language,” Dav. Jr said. 

Sweden favourite to win

Sweden’s Loreen is firm favourite to win this year’s contest with a 39 per cent chance of clinching the Eurovision crown.

Finland’s entry Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä is second with a 24 per cent chance of winning, according to Eurovisionworld.com. 

Other entries’ chances are within single digits. France and Ukraine are third and fourth in the odds chart with a seven per cent chance, according to bookmakers.

Loreen will be performing for Sweden for a second time this year. She won the contest with her song Euphoria in 2012.

The Swedish singer will be hoping for a repeat with her submission for 2023, Tattoo.