Playing at Pinkpop did not come as a complete surprise for 22-year-old Cem. At first he hoped to join Foo Fighters, who closed the festival. During the long wait, he also decided to write an appeal for Yungblud in the ‘golden circle’. “I had a feeling it could happen. Funnily enough, my singing coach said this on Friday too, so I was mentally prepared for it.”
After his performance, Cem addressed tens of thousands of people and thanked his mother Rischa. “I love you mom!” he shouted, which Yungblud repeated. Cem owes it to her that they were there together with his nephew and aunt. “We weren’t actually going to go. In the end she told me that she had bought day tickets for Foo Fighters after all. So I really wanted to put her in the spotlight.”
Many positive reactions to the performance
Cem has not yet completely recovered from the performance and the festival. “That’s because of the short night. We drove back straight away at night and I didn’t get to bed until around 5:30 am,” he explains. “Because of school deadlines and the radio calling me this morning, I had to get up early again.”
And his phone? It has now ‘exploded’ from all the positive reactions to his performance. “Even people I haven’t spoken to in years sent messages and photos. From TV, but also from the field where acquaintances were standing,” says Cem. “My mother may have had even more texts because she knows a lot of people in Hoorn and vice versa.”
“My roommate and I also saw many nice comments on the internet,” he continues. “A few thought it was a premeditated plan between me and Yungblud. But that was definitely not the case!”
