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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
8:53 AM 20th September 2021
arts

Interviewing The Vengaboys

 
If, at the start of the millennium, you turned on your TV on a Saturday morning, chances are you would have seen The Vengaboys on shows such as CD:UK.

The Dutch act had a string of Top Ten hits in the UK such as We Like To Party, We’re Going To Ibiza and Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!

Fresh from appearing at the Bedale Festival at the end of August the group have just released a single entitled 1999.

I spoke to The Vengaboys about the new single and their visit to Yorkshire.

How was the lockdown for you?

Robin: It was a complete and total nightmare, we love to party and to make people happy and do our job so really we couldn’t wait to be out there again. In fact the visit to the Bedale Festival in August was one of our first performances back, the show was amazing and the audience were great too.
Kim: The Bedale Festival was like a big family day out, a lot of people printed T Shirts with “We Like To Party” on them, there were people of all ages there and it felt so good to be back.

You have a new single out entitled 1999, was that a good year for you?

Kim: It was - the new single celebrates that, the song is actually a cover but it has that unique Vengaboys sound so that you know who it is instantly. There is a video too to go with the song which you and the fans need to check out.

Why do you think that the Vengaboys are still popular?

Donny: I think we grew up with the fans and they are still here, we want to be here forever and we bring happiness - that is something that will never die. People need happiness and fun in their lives and that, I think is the reason why we are still so popular, we bring joy to the people and the people bring joy to us.

You sing about going to Ibiza, have you been there yet this year?

Kim: We were meant to be going over there last year but because of Covid we couldn’t do it so we are going back in October.

Do you miss the times of Saturday morning TV pop shows in the UK?

Kim: We were just chatting amongst ourselves before we spoke to you that back in the day coming over to do CD:UK in London was our life - at least four times a year we released a single. We are from Holland but we practically lived in London and would regularly appear on shows such as The Big Breakfast, Top of the Pops but since CD:U.K. doesn’t exist anymore Ant and Dec are always in the jungle!

Besides the UK and Holland which other countries are your favourites?

Kim: We like to go back to Spain because that is where it all started out for us really and of course Ibiza. All the Mediterranean countries seem to be good places too, but then again there are also the Scandinavian countries. We can’t forget America too as we toured with some of the biggest artists at that time such as Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera which was an amazing time for us.

Did you enjoy the UK tour you did with Steps in 2017?

Kim: We did, we supported them on the tour.
Robin: No, they supported us!
Kim: It was good because we are both from the same era and share the same fans, I can remember bumping into the members of Steps many times at TV studios, touring with them was such a ball as they are all really nice people.

When you were growing up who did you listen to?

Donny: Groups like Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block.
Kim: Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, George Michael.

After such a long time away from performing, has it been difficult to learn the dance routines again?

Kim: I would love to say no but to be honest we had to rehearse until we dropped, we are not 20 years old anymore! The travelling is a lot harder now, especially when you are in a 40+ body, but when you are back on stage it just feels like 1999 - I am still that girl.

I hear that Robin is a big Christmas fan?

Robin: You are right, in fact I start singing Christmas songs in August - I wish it was Christmas all year long, though it would be very expensive as you might have to buy Christmas presents every day! We do get some strange presents given to us though - at the Bedale Festival someone threw a bra at me on stage though perhaps it was intended for one of the female members of the group.