Re: Romania 2011 - Hotel FM - Change
Interview with David B.
David, many congratulations to you and Hotel FM on winning the Romanian National Final. We look forward to seeing you at the many Eurovision parties in Duesseldorf!
The fact that the Romanian National Final was on New Year’s Eve and lasted over 5 hours gives the impression that Eurovision is really big in Romania right now. Is that a fair assumption?
Yes for Romania, Eurovision is starting to get to be a very big thing as they have received some great positions in the final over the last decade. Last year 3rd place in Norway
What was the atmosphere like on the night and how has the song been received in the country since your win?
The atmosphere was out of this world, especially considering it was New Year’s Eve, it added a special twist to the start of the new year. The song is going down very well here but I’m sure it will go down better in europe and England as it’s an English style song.
How did you celebrate your victory?
Well i celebrated our victory with Champagne and most of the night i was kind of lost in space... confused and in shock..
Having listened to all the songs in the final, it seemed like quite a strong contest. How confident were you of coming away as winners?
Well to be honest i thought Destincto would win or Directia 5 as they had a strong promotion and Directia 5 are famous here for 15 years. so i can’t say i was so confident of winning, but one thing i was confident about was that i knew we were the best whether or not we had a big name.
Can you tell us a bit about Hotel FM. How and when did Hotel FM form?
Hotel FM was put together by Gabriel Baruta ( composer of - Change) and was formed well before i arrived in Romania. I heard Gabi was looking for a new singer and he heard about me singing in Oradea in small places. He invited me over to check out my voice, he liked me from the beginning, and things went on from there. The band split up after a period of time due to the drummer and bass player moving to Bucharest.. then last year Gabi made a song for Eurovision which in the end i came to sing and i finished in 1st place in the preselection but was banned because of using my British name and so was forced to go by the name Hotel FM which is a romanian band name.. We finished in 4th place in the final.. and again this year we decided to try again and we succeeded.
The song has quite a British nostalgic feel to it. Did you provide input into the songwriting or can you tell us a bit about the songwriters?
Well yes, the song was made in 1 day and on the idea to sound British. The idea came from Gabriel Baruta but i sat with him working on the song, giving my ideas and input on how to make it sound as English as possible. This is what we will be working on in the future, to make songs in an english style similar to THE FEELING, KEANE, COLDPLAY but with a twist of me in it..
Are there plans to release the song on CD in Romania/Europe?
Yes of course we would like to put it on CD with some more of Hotel FM's songs in the future, we are currently having discussions about record labels, but i would like to sign with an English record label if its possible.. but it all depends on who gives the best offer i suppose!!
Have you followed Eurovision in the past and what are your views on the different song styles that are performed each year? Do you have any favourite songs from recent years?
I used to follow the Eurovision when i was younger but as i got older used most of my concentration on other things fighting for my career and learning. and of course before my time i know there was the song from Abba, Waterloo which my mother loved very much.. myself i cant exactly say.. there was 1 i loved she/he was a transexual i cant remember exactly what song it was but i liked it a lot!!
How do you intend to prepare for Germany 2011? Will there be a European tour and would London be included in your travel plans?
We intend to do a tour of Europe and to make a promotion video in preparation for Germany, also working much more on the stage performance and song, and of course with England being my hometown, it is certain that i want to visit during the tour and i hope someone in the meantime gives us an invitation to make a press conference in London to help in promotion as i am a true Brit. But up to now we received only from Durham City which is near my home town. But for me it’s still very very good that we were offered.
Do you envisage any changes to the performance on the big Eurovision stage? And will the smart bow-tie be staying or going? lol
Well i have my ideas, but we have to discuss with TVR what they think is the best for us first and swap ideas to give us the best chance in the final.
I liked the bow tie and shirt idea as it was very English again with a twist of cabaret feel to it which i know Germans and English people like.
With Romania having a string of recent successful results at Eurovision, most notably last year with a 3rd place, do you feel any pressure to equal this success? What would success look like for you? Can Romania win it?
Well i always believe in myself and my singing, but there is always a bit of pressure as we want to get a good place for Romania, and i hope to bring back the trophy, if not the trophy then a good place within the top 3 with the help from my fellow Englishmen.
Who would you say are your main musical influences?
My main musical influence was Michael Jackson, and now my favourite band is MUSE with their new album ‘The resistance’. But i love very much Coldplay, Snow Patrol, The Feeling, Keane
What do you miss most about the UK, seeing as you live in Romania now?
I miss everything about the UK and i hope i will get an offer to come and work back in the UK in the near future. 4 years in Romania has been great but home is home and i miss the English accent and food and music...
And what do you like most about Romania?
I love Romania. It’s a beautiful country with some absolutely wonderful places to visit and i would recommend anybody to come for a holiday here. Especially at Brasov in the mountains.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions David. We shall be following your preparations for Eurovision on your Facebook page and wish Hotel FM much success in Germany and will be flying the British flag for you!
http://www.myeurovision.co.uk/
And other interview,with Hotel FM
http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/16448?rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook
