Bearforce 1

Bearforce 1
Origin Netherlands
Genres Pop, Dance
Years active 2006-2009
Labels C+R Records
Members
Robert Brown (2006-2009)
Yuri (2006-2009)
Ian Turnel (2006-2008)
Peter Johansson (2006-2008)
Konstantinos Zouganelis (2008-2009)
Peter Gerrist (2008-2009)
Eddi (2007-2008)[1]

Bearforce 1 was a gay dance music band from the Netherlands, known mainly for a YouTube hit video, "Bearforce 1." Founded in 2006 and promoting an image as bears (that is, hairy gay men),[2] they released three singles accompanied by YouTube videos, they invited comparisons to the Village People[3] and scored hits in the Netherlands before breaking up in 2009.

Contents

History

Bearforce 1 was founded by three Dutchmen (Ian Turnel, Peter Johansson, and Yuri) and an Irishman (Robert Brown),[1] led by actor and producer Roeland Fernhout.[4] Their eponymous single "Bearforce 1," a medley of dance songs accompanied by a video clip in which the four bears dance and lip-sync, was a YouTube phenomenon[1][5] and ended as #20 on LOGO TV's Ultimate Queer Videos Countdown.[6] Praise by Perez Hilton[1] led to a tour in the United States[1][4] and attention in the US media--The Washington Post wrote of the band, "Finally, there's a boy band for older, hairy gay men."[7]

They released a second single, "Christmas is here," in 2007, also accompanied by a popular YouTube video (shot in the snow in Austria, in which the four men danced in red boxers, tank tops, ski outfits, and Santa Claus suits),[8] The song entered the Single Top 100 at #7.[9] In December 2007 they played a series of concerts in Ahoy Rotterdam with Gerard Joling,[10] and in 2008 they played at the first same-sex marriage ceremony to take place at the Tilburg Pink Monday fair.[11] A third single, "Shake That Thing," was again praised by Perez Hilton.[12]

The same year, Johansson and was replaced by Peter Gerrist. On Saturday 3 January 2009, Andrew Lloyd Webber and record company executive Colin Barlow dismissed an attempt by Bearforce 1 to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 on BBC1's Your Country Needs You as "hopeless". The band broke up in late 2009.

In 2011 the group came to light in Chicago, Illinois on the Boers and Bernstein show on WSCR AM sports radio station. A conversation was being held about the NFL's Chicago Bears traveling to London, England to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "Bear Force One" was the familiar name of the team jet internally and among the press, apparently unaware of the connotation in Europe. Producer Matt Abbatacola instructed Bernstein to "google" "Bear Force One". As a result the band has found its way back into mainstream media to at least some degree, and Dan Bernstein has hinted that the station will be doing something as a tribute to the band for the upcoming 2011 holiday season.

Discography

Singles

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Bearforce 1 vindt reservebeer". De Pers. 7 October 2007. http://www.depers.nl/entertainment/109925/Bearforce-1-vindt-reservebeer.html. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  2. ^ "Muzikale hoogte- en dieptepunten van 2007". Trouw. 6 January 2008. http://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/article1750796.ece. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  3. ^ "Editie Orange Babies trekt 8000 bezoekers". NRC Handelsblad. 16 September 2007. http://vorige.nrc.nl/anp/kunst/article1839029.ece/Editie_Orange_Babies_trekt_8000_bezoekers. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  4. ^ a b "Bearforce 1 heeft grootse plannen voor 2008". RTL Nederland. http://www.rtl.nl/%28/actueel/rtlboulevard/nieuws/%29/components/actueel/rtlboulevard/nieuwsfeed/2008/week01/novum_01_01_2008_0196.xml. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  5. ^ "Bearforce 1: Una Banda de Gais 'Osos' triunfa con un video en Internet". Diario Cordoba. 7 October 2007. http://www.diariocordoba.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=354563. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  6. ^ The Click List: Ultimate Queer Videos: Videos | Logo Online
  7. ^ "Five Click-Worthy Videos on the Web". The Washington Post. 26 August 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082300945.html. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  8. ^ "Bearforce 1 is klaar voor een harige kerst". Spits (newspaper). 13 November 2007. http://www.spitsnet.nl/nieuws.php/47/7743/online/Bearforce_1_is_klaar_voor_een_harige_kerst.html. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  9. ^ "Bearforce 1 scoort kersthit van het jaar". Nu.nl. 21 December 2007. http://www.nu.nl/muziek/1365109/bearforce-1-scoort-kersthit-van-het-jaar.html. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  10. ^ "Bearforce1 met Gerard Joling in Ahoy". Trouw. 3 December 2007. http://www.trouw.nl/cultuur/article1520088.ece. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  11. ^ "Allereerste homohuwelijk op de kermis". Blik op Nieuws. 22 July 2008. http://www.blikopnieuws.nl/bericht/79677. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  12. ^ "Perez Hilton looft nieuwe clip Bearforce 1". NU.nl. 20 June 2008. http://www.nu.nl/achterklap/1621421/perez-hilton-looft-nieuwe-clip-bearforce-1.html. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 

External links