The best mopping band in the whole world,
here's Kleintje Pils.
Kleintje Pils is good fun.
It's an old Dutch tradition
and they've been around the world.
They create the vibe, the people.
Just like tulips, cheese and clogs
they're a part of Dutch culture.
(GROUPIES)
(SASSENHEIM, NETHERLANDS KLEINTJE PILS PRACTICE)
Good evening, guys. It's great you all made it.
We're Kleintje Pils.
We've been a mopping band for over 40 years.
We travel all over along with the speed skaters.
It's folk music, like a brass band,
but we play very accessible tunes, party tunes.
We play at embassies, Holland publicity appearances
and many sports events.
We want to entertain the audience with our music
and show them that our Dutch thing works
all around the world.
Next weekend, we're performing in Thialf,
the national long-distance skating cup.
There will be some great skating.
There are three tracks I want to rehearse for this.
The Frisian Anthem. Ruud.
We started out in 1975 as a very small band.
There were only five of us and we needed a name.
At the bar we would ask for a little beer.
Kleintje Pils.
A little glass is a "kleintje", it's beer.
We liked beer and we were little guys
so we decided this would be a fitting name.
One time we were asked to join a carnival club.
Carnival is when everybody gets dressed up
and goes from pub to pub.
If they're joined by a band like ours,
it's called mopping, so a mopping band.
When you're mopping you go back and forth.
It's also how you walk when you're drunk.
By now, it has a double meaning
as we perform during speed skating as well.
Now people think mopping bands play during the mopping break.
Guys, this is wrong. The modulation didn't go well.
- You were late. - Jos says we were too late.
- You were too late. - Perhaps?
In 1986, there finally was an Elfstedentocht
(11 Cities Tour) again.
You could compare it to the Tour de France
but in one Dutch province.
The entire day, our music was broadcast live on TV.
From then on, the name Kleintje Pils
was established in the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands,
speed skating is the most important sport we have.
- Representing Netherlands. - The Netherlands...
Representing Netherlands...
It's really amazing.
By now, we've visited 32 different countries.
33 countries.
- 39, 40? - I'd say 50 or 60 countries.
So that's Australia, China, Brazil,
Surinam, America, Canada, the whole world.
In the end it's about the skating,
and we love contributing to that.
- Nice, guys. - Perfect.
Let's have a cappuccino, or a little beer.
(SASSENHEIM, NETHERLANDS DAY OF NATIONAL SKATING CUP)
Load up and let's go.
Did you have an early night? Can we roll now?
The Dutch love skating.
As soon as it freezes,
you can get on the ice and that's fantastic.
I wanted to go yesterday, but I wasn't sure.
If in doubt, then go.
- Can you hear the ice? - Awesome.
We're going to Thialf now, the Dutch skating temple,
to make some party music.
Not many athletes have gone to the Olympic Games
eight or nine times.
But we have.
Some bands stop after 20 years,
but we're still going strong after 40 years.
(HEERENVEEN, NETHERLANDS THIALF SPEED SKATING ARENA)
What we think of it?
I like the taste of beer and I like how they play.
They've put Holland on the map, and its supporters.
Everywhere where the Dutch skate,
they know our world-famous mopping band Kleintje Pils.
It will be a fantastic weekend.
When the races start, we make sure we're at hand.
We're told when the mopping breaks will be.
Later on is the medal ceremony.
We'll see whether we'll use a DJ or you.
Some of us love watching the speed skating competitions.
We get a sign that we're on.
Each performance has to be so good
that it's an invitation for a next gig.
Here in Heerenveen,
there is a delegation for the Olympics in Korea.
And it would be great if they decide
that they want us over there as well.
The best mopping band in the whole world,
here's Kleintje Pils.
Then all hell breaks loose.
Here, we always select the tunes people can sing along to.
We quickly switch from one song to another.
Sometimes we don't finish a tune
because something happens in the audience
we want to react to.
The great thing about Kleintje Pils is that during my career
they were present at all the races.
They bring something extra to
that typical speed skating atmosphere.
It's an old Dutch tradition
and they're present most of the time.
They always get things going.
We never imagined when we were 14 or 15
that we'd still be together after 40 years.
It's all about speed skating.
This is the most awesome thing there is.
We managed to make whole audiences in areas
sing Dutch songs.
And you do it with your buddies.
It's more than a boy's dream.