The lawsuit between carnival band De Kapotte Kachels and ABBA will take place on June 17. The Swedish pop group believes that the carnival song Dikke Pens is too similar to their song Take a Chance on Me. Dikke Pens from De Kapotte Kachels was the winner of the carnival song competition Choose your Kraker.
In mid-March, Dikke Pens was suddenly no longer available on the popular music platform Spotify. ABBA wants the carnival shit not to return there either.
The Swedish pop group thinks that Dikke Pens is too similar to Take a Chance on Me. The Kapotte Kachels don’t understand the fuss about the parody. “That should always be allowed in the Netherlands. We wrote a completely different text, did not use a sample and were humorous,” says band member Sander Ottens.
The people from Brabant raised 25,000 euros through crowdfunding as starting capital for a lawsuit and sent ABBA a summons. “We first had to explain why we think we are right.”
Ultimately, 25 A4 pages were sent to the judge and ABBA’s lawyer. “In it we explain why we find ourselves incredibly funny and demand that the song be put back online.”
The Swedish group had ten days to respond and could still settle. “That was an option that remained open for us.” But that didn’t happen. That is why the Kapotte Kachels and the lawyers of the Swedish pop group will meet in court in Utrecht on June 17.
Drink coffee
The song ‘Dikke pens (Clap Your Pens)’ was chosen by many tens of thousands of Brabanders as Choose your Cracker of 2025. The song is, with a bold wink, an indictment against all influencers who only share ‘perfect’ photos on social media.
Sander doesn’t understand why Dikke Pens was singled out, while there are many songs online that resemble Take a Chance on Me. “We suspect that if we don’t get Björn and Benny in the credits had mentioned, it had not come to that. They’re missing out on money,” he jokes.
“I hope to one day have coffee with an ABBA member and be able to ask: why us? I’m genuinely curious.”