She’s best known to Eurovision fans as one half of The Netherlands’ runner-up duo The Common Linnets.

But this year Ilse DeLange is back on the scene as a mentor for Eurovision top favourite Duncan Laurence.

And just because she isn’t centre stage doesn’t mean she keeps her opinions to herself.

Ilse has revealed her dissatisfaction with the way the first rehearsal of the Dutch went. She told news broadcaster NOS:

“You hope that you will see at least 80% of the final result of your staging plan during a first rehearsal, but that percentage was much lower.”

The Dutch songstress recalls that there were several creative differences between the Dutch direction and the way the Israeli team brought the song alive. The Dutch had namely requested that the song would be performed in the dark, not showing much of the stage, which according to DeLange, seemed to upset the local producers who were proud of the stage they had built.

However, the delegation are keen to stress that there were no clashes. It was simply that their idea of the staging didn’t match the way in which the team in Israel interpreted it.

The only prop the Dutch delegation wanted to use was a bright lamp, which would hang slightly above Duncan’s piano. Due to safety restrictions, they could not bring their own lamp. However, when they saw the lamp the organisation had manufactured, they decided to express their dissatisfaction. Ilse recalls:

“During the first rehearsal it looked like a plastic, white ball to us, and was also hanging in the wrong spot.”

As a result, the Dutch delegation asked if they could get a lamp from Belgium. That request was at first denied, but after expressing their dissatisfaction again, they Dutch got their lamp delivered.

That lamp arrived on Friday, but it was too late to be tested on Saturday, and hence we saw the lamp on a glass box for that rehearsal. The additional technical rehearsal on Sunday was used to install the new lamp.

With that development, lampgate seems to be solved for now.

Ilse DeLange assured the Dutch media that she is very trusting. And she said that if the lamp still does not work, they will simply remove it, because it’s all about the song.

Nonetheless, the Eurovision 2014 runner-up says that she thinks the stage is awesome.

Are you curious to see the final product of the Dutch staging efforts? Let us know in the comments below!

Read all Netherlands news here

Picture: ANP

61 Comments
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moramento
moramento
4 years ago

“seemed to upset the local producers who were proud of the stage they had built” I guess that’s where the wide shots come in

Michael
Michael
4 years ago
Reply to  moramento

Have you seen the jury show clips? Almost all the wideshots are gone now.

Lol
Lol
4 years ago

This song needs some (dragon or wild) fire to light it up and make it stand out enough to win the show not a cheap lamp.

Matija
Matija
4 years ago
Reply to  Lol

Agree

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago

This story, as so many others, proclaim that the Eurovision 2019 in Israel is now officially the worst since many many years in terms of production, organisation and camara direction (thankfully not musically). And that shows that Eurovision 2018 was much better and that RTP did a wonderful job, as did all the other countries before them. But of course, we have the LEDs and that compensates for everything…

Joshua
Joshua
4 years ago
Reply to  Tilo

I’ve tried to say this a million times, but everyone constantly laughs it all off…

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  Joshua

Thank you! I will say that forever. And actually that was the exact same thing in 1999…

Johan
Johan
4 years ago
Reply to  Tilo

can you stop being a drama queen? nobody cares about what you think

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  Johan

Much less about your unpolite outburst. Maybe in Israel you are not allowed to have full freedom of expression but in the most of part of Europe we have, fortunately.

Michael
Michael
4 years ago
Reply to  Tilo

Literally no one is limiting your free speech. They’re correctly pointing out that you’re being a drama queen over nothing.

?romi oren??
?romi oren??
4 years ago
Reply to  Tilo

??? have you ever read a book? Watched the news? We are not allowed to have full freedom of speech ????? I’m dead here …ha. go to read or study something please for your own good.

?romi oren??
?romi oren??
4 years ago
Reply to  Tilo

Oh my god shut up…… you speak like you had any part in the Eurovision.

Lol
Lol
4 years ago

There are more delegations complaining About the Israeli production team! They are not very profesional

?romi oren??
?romi oren??
4 years ago
Reply to  Lol

???????? you wish honey

Talentina Monetta
Talentina Monetta
4 years ago

“…seemed to upset the local producers who were proud of the stage they had built.” – This explains the wide shots then!

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago

Yes and it is ridiculous.

Matija
Matija
4 years ago

The lamp looks cheap, and the white box is stained.

Otto
Otto
4 years ago
Reply to  Matija

Thanks for your sharp analysis, send them some window cleaner. 😉

Stende
Stende
4 years ago
Reply to  Matija

The box has marks of greasy hands. It’s really disgusting

stommie
stommie
4 years ago
Reply to  Stende

If you had read the article you would have known that the glass box was only there for this rehearsal as a placeholder to put the lamp in place. During the actual performance the lamp will hang.

Dennis
Dennis
4 years ago
Reply to  Stende

Did you read the article? “…it was too late to be tested on Saturday, and hence we saw the lamp on a glass box for that rehearsal”

John
John
4 years ago

ESC 2019 may have technical issues, but in this particular case I think The Netherlands exaggerates with that stupid lamp. It’s not needed, but if they really wanted, the first one looked fine and was probably less heavy. Is just weird to focus on that, and not on that fake piano that is too small for the tall Duncan. I don’t have a good feeling about this act.

Otto
Otto
4 years ago
Reply to  John

I think they can decide for themselves how they want this performance too look..

soso
soso
4 years ago
Reply to  Otto

They should also vote for themselves then.

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  John

It’s not just the lamp, it’s the whole concept that is messed up because of the local production team that doesn’t know how to be humble.

Rob
Rob
4 years ago

I reckon they’ve got something on their sleeve. Minimalistic, but a powerful impact. Because, even though it’s all about the song, the staging needs to be right. I hope they will do just that. #teamduncan: make the most of it! But don’t underestimate Azerbaijan and Australia, and also Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Iceland, Switzerland and Italy. I told it from the start: Azerbaijan and Australia might surprise us. (See odds.) Sweden, for me, is too ‘90s ESC. It’s a strong contender. However, if Sweden wins, it’ll be same old same old. It’s about time new, original songs needed to top the… Read more »

Héctor
Héctor
4 years ago

Israel seems to be the worst host over the last years in terms of technical production.

esc1234
esc1234
4 years ago

this comes to show that portugal had a great show last year….

Female
Female
4 years ago
Reply to  esc1234

I couldn’t more agree with you.. somehow I prefer last year’s staging

Susane
Susane
4 years ago
Reply to  esc1234

Agree, Lisbon and Kyiv had so much better production

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  esc1234

Absolutely. I don’t find the stage so extraordinary, really ordinary

Paul
Paul
4 years ago

The organization is a total disgrace this year! So many countries not getting what they asked for.. Look at Portugal, they didn’t get ANY of the things they asked for, not even a basic thing like the right microphone with soundtrack that was previously chosen was there and this was for 2nd (!!!) rehearsal…just to give an example. All artists deserve RESPECT.

Leo
Leo
4 years ago

Excuses, excuses, excuses …

Sebastian
Sebastian
4 years ago
Reply to  Leo

Agree

Otto
Otto
4 years ago
Reply to  Leo

There are no excuses, they just express that they are not happy with the production and fixing the issues themselves.

Fatima
Fatima
4 years ago

Was it a good idea to go public with complaints about the Israeli organisers?

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
4 years ago

Perhaps she could have asked Valentina Monetta for her lamp? 😛
Jokes aside, I’m glad they were all able to work together to sort it out in time.

Sebastian
Sebastian
4 years ago

An unnecessary drama for unnecessary lamp.
They draw attention in the wrong way. #sorrynotsorry

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  Sebastian

It’s not just the lamp, it’s the whole concept that is not in place.

Lara
Lara
4 years ago
Reply to  Tilo

You mean cheap lamp & fake piano is not in place, come people…

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  Lara

It’s the camara shots, the right place for the lamps and it shape. It’s actually quite a lot, because it would be easy to handle and they weren’t capable of doing so.

Marc
Marc
4 years ago

The rules should be the same for everyone.

mark dowd
mark dowd
4 years ago

After all the panic of last week and changing odds for France and Azerbaijan, what is striking is the solid market stability in the Netherlands. Despite these teething problems it has only eased slightly and is today now narrowing again to around 9-4. It suggests a confidence in the song and the voice and attributing perhaps minor importance to “lampgate.” If the Thursday semi goes well, I can see Netherlands being 5-4 or evens by Friday……especially with a 2nd half draw.

Waaaa
Waaaa
4 years ago

No the delegations should do whatever THEY want and not adjust themself just cuz the production crew want to show off that stage

pastel de nata
pastel de nata
4 years ago
Reply to  Waaaa

I agree, last year Sweden brought those tube lights and no stage was even showed, they knew what they wanted and did it their way, so why not for others?

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  pastel de nata

Exactly. The same goes for Germany last year.

Waaaa
Waaaa
4 years ago

Sooo basically the team in Israel is ruining a lot for most of the delegations….
but their own barely had

And being proud of the stage should NOT be more important then the wishes of the participants

NickC
NickC
4 years ago
Reply to  Waaaa

I do not remember this many problems with any of the hosts in recent memory.. I am sure we will hear a lot of complaints after the final

Waaaa
Waaaa
4 years ago
Reply to  Waaaa

But their own barely had any wideshots *

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
4 years ago

Quote: “not showing much of the stage, which according to DeLange, seemed to upset the local producers who were proud of the stage they had built”. Oh yes, we see how proud you are in almost every rehearsal #wideshot

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  ESCFan2009

Shut your mouth already #neversatisfiedescfans

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

@Ana: That was disrespectful, and you know it.

Adam
Adam
4 years ago

“Lampgate” – another piece of Eurovision 2019 drama

Frisian esc
4 years ago
Reply to  Adam

And now we also have a madonna gate xD

Whisker
Whisker
4 years ago

That’s disappointing. Plus, Ilse DeLange is one classy lady <3

Grftn
Grftn
4 years ago

There seems to have a lot of problems with Israeli implementing the staging this year, 3 acts asked for an additional rehearsal. Plus the numerous wide shots, Israeli seem really proud of their stage and want to show it all the time ahah. Anyway, hope things will be fine for tomorrow

Jonas
Jonas
4 years ago
Reply to  Grftn

It’s not really “their” stage, though…it was designed by the regular in-house set designer, a German. Also wide shots are common every year.

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  Grftn

Right, because last year there were no endless whining about those f*cking wide shots. Every year the same whining

Tilo
Tilo
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

No there wasn’t. This is year is miserable and some countries might just fail because of the Isareli stubberness and unprofessionalism

Nicolas
Nicolas
4 years ago
Reply to  Grftn

faces pixelated, how great.

loveee
loveee
4 years ago

No lamp and No piano.