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De Toppers: We want to win!
Exclusive interview with De Toppers
De toppers' press conference was held at the Amstel hotel, one of Amsterdam’s most luxury hotels. Gerard Joling, Gordon and René Froger arrived on jetskis, where the entire Dutch press was waiting for them.
After their sensational entrance, the press conference could begin. The national final will take place on February 1st and will be hosted by Jack van Gelder. Depending on the quality of the submitted songs, De Toppers will sing 4 or 6 songs. There will be a televoting and a jury to choose which should represent The Netherlands.
Everybody can submit a song for De Toppers until November 23rd. René Froger told the press about their preference for a song in English instead of Dutch. Also fashion designers are invited to submit a design for the guys’ outfits in Moscow.
Right after the national final, Dutch broadcaster TROS will start a docu-soap called ‘De Toppers – On their way to Moscow’.
Exclusive Interview with De Toppers
We’ve never had so much speculation about possible Eurovision representatives like this year; Petra berger, Jody Bernal, Anouk and of course De Toppers. For how long did you know already that you were the ones who got the green card from NOS?
Gordon: 'Somewhere in July I think. I was on holidays in Greece when I got the news. At first René and I decided not to tell Gerard about it, because we were afraid he might leak it to the press.'
Gerard: 'Yeah, right! May I remind you that you were the one who couldn’t keep his mouth shut! Let me point this out right away: actually I think I’m too old for Eurovision. Someone younger should do it. For me it will be all about having fun: nothing more, nothing less.'
René Froger: 'I think we have a good chance of winning. We have so many years of experience in this business. I’m pretty convinced we will put The Netherlands on The 'Eurovision-map' again.'
A lot of Eurovision fans weren’t too happy when NOS brought the news out about your participation. The concept of De Toppers would be too Dutch and most of the fans were expecting Anouk.
Gordon: 'Yes, I read the reactions at www.esctoday.com and some Dutch websites. I think all these frustrated fans should wait for the song first. After that, they can judge us. Trust me, we take this seriously and we really want to come up with a very good song!'
Gerard: 'Anouk is a great singer and I think she might have done really well at The Eurovision Song Contest.'
Gordon: 'Actually, I think Anouk shouldn’t take part at The Eurovision Song Contest. She has way more to loose than we have. Our concerts will be sold out anyway, even if we become last.'
René: 'Our concept might be typically Dutch indeed, but we’re proud of it. However, we’ve been called a carnaval-trio as well, but we deserve way more credits than that qualification. We’re working very hard and we take our jobs very seriously!'
Gordon: 'We’d never take part if we didn’t believe in it. We want to make the Dutch people proud, so our goal is to win the contest. Lets face it: the Eurovision Song Contest lost its credibility in The Netherlands - at least people will watch it again in 2009!'
What can we expect from you in Moscow?
Gerard: 'Exactly the same as what you expect from us in The Netherlands. What you see is what you get, so loads of glitter and glamour.'
Gordon: 'And drama of course!'
Gerard: 'I took part once before already, so I know there will be lots of parties where we have to show up. These parties are an excellent occasion to get yourself known to the international press. And besides that, it’s all about having fun of course!'
Will you do a promo tour as well?
Gerard: 'Well, our schedules have to permit it of course. We all have very busy agendas.'
Gordon: 'But it might be a good idea to visit some of the participating countries. Russia, France, Germany and Belgium should be possible.'
Gerard: 'Of course, there will be our docusoap about our preparations for Moscow. I think we already have material for 3 episodes just by the recordings of today. It will be hilarious!'
Did Cornald Maas congratulate you with your forthcoming particiapation?
Gordon: 'Actually, yes! You’re referring to the national final of 2003 of course, when he asked the people to vote for Esther Hart instead of me. I was so upset at the time! But we’re on speaking terms again.'
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Go directly to the reactions
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if you get points for a country rather than a song, you have an unfair advantage over other countries and something should be done about it
Isn't that why EBU brings juries back to ESC? To do something about it?
That is a cheap argument to discard diaspora voting. I have heard these arguments of 'the song got votes from all over europe, so everyone liked it' so many times and it just misses the point,
THE POINT BEING
that it is an unfair advantage that some countries have and others haven't. Noone means to say that Greece (for instance) should have no points, but if you get points for a country rather than a song, you have an unfair advantage over other countries and something should be done about it.
i am a bit fes up and a bit ungruy with Holland: first they made sucha big fuss of getting together a list of possible good participants..we heard names like anouk, glenn grace..and now NOS appoints this kind of aged schlager trio...i mean i agree with some people..what kind if song could someone write for this group other than "we are the winnres"-Lithuania 2006??? oh my go!! in some months we will have once more the same old boring and incorrect discussions here about the eastern conxspiracy againsts West in the ESC..The truth is..they do not seriously try this hard..not all of the western countries, but some of them..
filipe ramos, you can't mention Azerbaijan. They only took part for 1 year (till now). That's not enough to set a pattern, don't you think? One way or another, I think they deserved a spot in the final.
To continue something You (Mina) had continued... Just for information a composer for this year Portugal song is from Croatia, Andrej Babic (allso for Slovenia last year and some years ago for Bosnia and Hercegovina...) so a talks about exYuRUVision is a total shi_! God song is a god song! OK a little neighbour votes are always wellcomed... Scandinavia together, exYu (just fresh from their civil wars and in love in ESC), exIntervision countries !
But for the Holland.. this is a bad way to select a god song... I do not have inspiration to wrote a song for thise De Toppers... maybe something like Estonias song this year Crazy radio... but hope they will score the same result... Not god for Holland, not god at all! and again all so called western eurovision countries please do not complain about youre results, send some god songs (like Portugal this year) and then freely coment the results.. Portugal should have been winner, and is a moral winner!
By all!
Mina, I totally agree with you in every single word.
When somebody doesn't like song, then he/she says that it done well only becouse of diaspora. How patethic.
@filipe ramos
Portugal didn't beat YuRuvision at the semis. Portugal just send us good song (which isn't that often in last 10 years) and allmost all countries voted for it in semifinal.
Greece, Armenia, Turkey, Serbia, Russia and further coutries will always be in the final because of diaspora, even if they send terrible songs (Greece and Russia) or performances(Armenia, Bosnia and Azerbaijan)
Apparently you haven't even looked at the scoreboard of this year's semis or you would have seen that all these countries got votes by almost all the other countries and that's how they went to the final.
Unless of course, the 12 pts Greece (to speak about my country) got from Azerbaijan and San Marino in the semi, the 7 pts from Spain, the 8 pts from Slovenia and Bosnia, the 10 pts from Ireland were all because of our diaspora.
I would really like to know how many Greeks live in San Marino or Azerbaijan or Slovenia etc.
But ofcourse if YOU find a song terrible, then noone else can like it..it MUST be diaspora..and who cares about the facts that show clearly that the Greek song was liked and voted by every single country in the first semi.
I was loosing the hope to Portugal get a place in the final this year ... but hallelujah ... Portugal won against the YuRuVision.
Greece, Armenia, Turkey, Serbia, Russia and further coutries will always be in the final because of diaspora, even if they send terrible songs (Greece and Russia) or performances(Armenia, Bosnia and Azerbaijan). They are so lucky because it is Eurovision (or YuRuVision in fact), because if it was WorldVision (as it is in fact ... Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and further more are in my map what I call Asia) France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, UK and Italy ... I would like to see who would get all the points . Points from Africa and America all go to these countries!!! Let's divide ESC in 2 ... The countries that joined the ESC before 1992 in one ESC and the other contest with all countries that joined the ESC after 1992
Really, the effects of diaspora voting are stronger in the final than in the semis. And this year will be juries also in the final so I expect fairer results than last years.
However, the results of 2008 semifinals were quite satisfactory in comparison with 2006 and 2007.
in fact, with the current semi system even Russia isn't guaranteed a place in the final
That's true. Noone is guaranteed a place in the final. Noone has neighbours or diaspora EVERYWHERE in Europe. Even with 5 neighbours in the same semi, and even if they all give you 12 points (which is rarely the case), you still can't be sure you'll be in the final if others don't vote for you. The 9th country in the 1st semi this year had exactly 72 points (not counting the 10th country because that one can change and it did change by juries)...the 9th country in the 2nd semi had 67 points..so yes, noone can be sure about anything.
Now I'm really curious to know what these guys will come up with. Good luck to them 
I listened to Gerard's "Het is nog niet voorbij" and I think it's got that Euroband sound. I prefer the original version though. "Io senza te" is my personal favourite from 1981.
I think the whole point of this is to make Eurovision popular in The Netherlands again. So even if De Toppers turn up in Moscow flaunting themselves around like Sylvia Night, they'll be doing their job. It's all about a good song, a great show, and having lots of fun organising it, and if they get a good result for the Netherlands, great!
"Fact is that with the 2 semis, everyone has a chance."
Agreed Mina, in fact, even with the current semi system even Russia isn't guarenteed a place in the final 
Lets assume that Russia sent an appauling song one year, that nobody would vote for apart from their neighbours. With the new system they would only have 3 ex-USSR countries in their semi. So that means that yes, they would be guarenteed about 28-30 points, although that isn't enough to qualify.
Seems like I was wrong. EBU did say that juries will only be in the final..my mistake.
But anyway, with 2 semis everyone has a chance. So, saying after all the Eastern Europeans, the neighbour votes and the diaspora done their homework, there is exactly 1 position free in the final is wrong. It's just an excuse actually.
First of all, there are 2 countries who can go through by jury vote...one in each semi.
Second, how did Finland, Israel, Portugal, Norway, Denmark go to the final? And before you say oh, the scandinavians have neighbours, let me remind you that Sweden has neighbours too but if it wasn't for the juries, they would stay in the semi.
Soooooooooo, forget the excuse 'there are no free positions in the final'...sure there are, for the songs people like.
Unless Andorra (who gave 12 pts to Finland in the semi) is Finland's neighbour, Andorra again who gave 10 pts to Norway is Norway's neighbour, too, Hungary gave 12 pts to Denmark because they have Danish diaspora, Portugal gave 8 pts to Denmark because they are neighbours and Iceland gave 10 pts to Portugal because of the Portuguese diaspora.
Fact is that with the 2 semis, everyone has a chance.
Well Mina, that's all the info we got for the moment. Semi's will remain they are and the final will be with a jury. Or not ? You tell just before that you hate glamour and glitter, but Kalomoira is ok, and so is Sakis.... Both highlights of glamour and glitter.... That's what I say.
I think they will have something like Peo Margine De Lume. =)
Mina, sweetheart, glamour and glitter..... KALOMOIRA ?????
And second thing there wil only be juries in the final .....
So I think I can stay on my horse, jihaaaaaaaaaaaaa
marc,
sweetheart, for the 10th (or is it 100th?) time, what gave you the idea that if I decided on the greek eurovision entry and the outfit, I would send Kalomoira and if I did, I would make her wear that glittery thing??? I hated that outfit (the 2nd one).
I wish people didn't reply with 'Kalomoira-Greece-Sakis' to every comment I make, as if I am the one responsible for the songs we send and the artists' styling.
Second, the EBU hasn't confirmed yet that there will be juries only in the final...correct me if I'm wrong but I think they still haven't made up their mind about that?
Buh they remind me of the English turtle this year, Too optimism for nothing.
However, i hope the Netherlands to qualify!!
Mina, sweetheart, glamour and glitter..... KALOMOIRA ?????
And second thing there wil only be juries in the final .....
So I think I can stay on my horse, jihaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Netherlands good luck! they will need it!
Bulls in a China shop.
They have accepted to participate and want to win without having a song... OK...
Good luck, though. I want the Netherlands to do well!
I like their interview. I like it much more than Anouk's when she had said something like 'I know we won't do well'. They have a positive attitude and that's always a plus for me.
Of course they must believe they have a good chance of winning or why go at all?
The glamour and glitter part made me cringe though..it's what I usually hate in ESC..lol..but hey, it's their style and they should stay faithful to it.
And to the pessimistic ones...it's Eurovision so you never know. The Olsen Brothers didn't exactly look like typical Eurovision winners either.
marc,
in case you forgot, there will also be juries this year and we still don't know the percentage..so, hold your horses 
The "Olsen Brothers" effect?
Actually, "Het is nog niet voorbij" is a cover of Peter, Sue and Marc's "Io senza te" which got 4th place in the 1981 Dublin contest.
I dont think Netherland will be winner.
lol wel we're defnetly not gona win, and realy unest i just hope there song wil be something like Gerard Joling's Het Is Nog Niet Voorbij ( i know its a cover but the music is just great or like Vanavond Gaat Het Gebeuren,
But i wil like ESC anyway, there're always some bad songs, good songs and even better acts so,
i maybe do not always like there're music but i defently like the drama, kitsch and show arround it they wil give the best of it
Plus they brought back the attention on ESC In The Netherlands
but do i belive in them? as beliving in a place to the final?
atm Nope i think you defenetly need more then just feathers and a dramaqueen attitude, but who know its stil Eurovision
The last time I was so unhappy with the Dutch song or performer was in 1981: Linda Williams - Het is een wonder. But this will definately be worse. It is very hard for me to think of anything positive about those three. Let's wait for the song, and if they will sing in Dutch, that would be at least something nice.
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