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An interview with Ruffus

The band called Ruffus hails from Estonia.  It took part in the Estonian preliminaries under the

name of Claire’s Birthday, but the band soon split up and changed its name.  The guitarist left, and

a new percussionist was found.  At the Eurovision Song Contest, however, the original members will

be on stage. In late March Ruffus were in Riga to perform at the LNT Music Awards and to play

a concert at the “Cita Opera” nightclub.  The group will perform a song called “Eighties Coming 

Back” at the Eurovision finals.  Vaiko Eplik, the band’s leader, wrote and composed the piece.

Armands Baranovskis
07.04.2003
 
 

ESCWEB:  What encouraged you to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest?
Vaiko (soloist and guitarist):  The band was about to fall apart, we didn’t have any money, but bands that took part in the national finals were paid pretty good money.  That’s why we decided to submit our song.  Claire’s Birthday collapsed shortly thereafter, but we decided that if we had been chosen, then we will have to play.  That will be our farewell gift.  It’s actually an ironic situation, but that’s life.

ESCWEB:  What made the band break up?
Vaiko:  Well, I could spend a lot of time in talking about the fact that everything has its specific time, that there are cycles in life, that things happen in the way that they have to happen, that everything is aimed at growth and so on.  If we want to avoid such foolishness, however, then let me just say that it’s a secret.  Actually the thing is that I was tired of the “Brit-pop” label that was constantly being applied to us.

ESCWEB:  So your style is changing?
Vaiko:  Of course.  Our performance in Rīga was based on an almost completely new programme.

ESCWEB:  Are you happy with the new band?
Vaiko:  Sure. Otherwise there wouldn’t have been any point to changing things around, right?  We all want to develop, not to deteriorate.

ESCWEB:  How do you write your songs?
Ivo (bass guitar):  At each rehearsal we usually come up with three to five songs, but many of them are performed only once.

ESCWEB:  And how often do you rehearse?
Siim(keyboard):  Every Saturday for five years now.  Count it up – it’s a pretty impressive number.

ESCWEB:  What do you think of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Vaiko:  In truth, I don’t think much of this contest.  The contest itself isn’t to blame, it’s the songs.  Many people have asked me why I’m performing at the Eurovision Song Contest when I’ve spoken so harshly about I tin the past.  The answer is simple – I want my country to be represented with a good song.  A few years ago Tallinn was declared to be “a paradise for gays” in a foreign newspaper, and that was just because there were a lot of guys walking around with leather jackets and shaved heads.  I want my country to be represented properly.  If the Eurovision Song Contest, after all, is such a shoddy affair, then why shouldn’t we try to improve the quality a bit by taking part?

ESCWEB:  Many experts have suggested that your song is the best one in musical terms, but it’s not quite right for the Eurovision format.  What do you think?
Vaiko:  I guess it’s true, but we did win the Estonian finals.  I think that it’s a stereotype that the Eurovision Song Contest should have only simple and pop-based songs.  I don’t know why everyone thinks so.  Prāta Vētra (the Latvian band which took 3rd place at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000 with “My Star”) didn’t have a song that was in the Eurovision style, but they didn’t do badly at all, did they?

 
 

Press Conference of Estonian band Ruffus  

On Tuesday, 20th May, the press conference of Estonian band Ruffus and the delegation of the country was held at the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 Press centre.   

At the press conference, Estonian delegation was represented by the singer Vaiko Eplik and the head of delegation Juhan Paadam.

Vaiko loves Riga and he has had a great time here. He is especially fond of the fact that he can smoke in almost every restaurant in Riga. This morning he had a small car accident because of Press Conference of Estonian band Ruffus heavy traffic jams.

The band Ruffus used to be called Claire’s Birthday and they have been popular with that name in Estonia for five years. They changed the name because there are some changes about to take place in the staff. They believe that keeping the name wouldn’t be honest towards Claire’s Birthday’s fans. Still, they have come to Eurovision with the old line-up and it is like a farewell to those members that are going to leave. The former members of the group are forming a new band called Firm and are still looking for new participants.

The name Ruffus Vaiko Eplik found at some housewife’s website whose favourite cat is called Ruffus. The cat has even got his own room. Vaiko thought it was a very suitable name for the band.

When asked why there were no girls in the band, Vaiko replied that in the very beginning they used to have a bassist, but she left the band. Vaiko reassures that they are not a boys band but a real rock ’n’ roll  band.

As Vaiko has grown up in the USSR, he hasn’t watched Eurovision as a child. Since Estonia started to take part in it seven years ago, he is always following Estonia’s achievements. Vaiko admits he is not a Eurovision fan, but this year his favourites are Norwegian and Austrian entries. Russian group’s t.A.T.u. song he considers the most contemporary in the whole contest.

Ruffus is going to perform a song “Eighties Coming Back”. The eighties for Vaiko associate with his childhood and brings back nostalgic memories. When asked if he likes the music of the eighties, he responded that he finds music of the 70-ties and 90-ties more special. Yet, he believes, the 80-ties are coming back in music little by little. To Vaiko, the best rock band in the world is “Queen of the Stone Age”.

Juhan Paadam was last year’s ESC managing producer and this year he consults Latvia. He advised Latvian colleagues to attract the best specialists in order to have the best outcome for the contest.

As last three years Estonia has been one of the first five at the Eurovision, Vaiko hopes this year they could manage to be among the first ten.