While striding across the Los Angeles sands way back in 1990, David Hasselhoff unexpectedly stepped into one of the most successful television shows in the world.
Though Baywatch ended back in 2001, there will forever be salt water in the man’s veins: for proof, look no further than his role in cult favourite Sharknado 4, or his cameo in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Evidently The Hoff and the ocean are inseparable.
It’s entirely fitting then that Captain Hasselhoff has been announced as the headline act for the It’s The Ship! festival, a massive floating celebration of EDM that must be seen to be believed. With the full lineup including over sixty artists, ranging from Peking Duck to Knife Party, attending the event will certainly be one hell of a way to make your friends jealous.
“It’s party ’til you drop!” Hasselhoff says. “I’ve been on one of these cruises before when it went from Stockholm to Helsinki. And it was crazy, it just went nuts! This insane party. And it’s fun for me, because I don’t drink any more, so I can still watch everyone get completely hammered and go crazy, and then wake up and feel great! So I say, ‘Good morning, it’s Captain Hoff! If you’re as hungover as I am, you wouldn’t be because I don’t drink! But if I did, I’d meet you guys in the hot tub!’ Basically, you’d better come with your party hat or your workout hat, because you’re going to find me at the gym or you’re going to find me onstage.
“There’s like 17 bars, and at first they wanted me to have a meet-and-greet in the hot tub. But I said guys, you know…” he laughs. “I can’t go to a hot tub. It gets really intense after people have a few drinks. I like to be part of the action, but not completely inside the action, because it gets a little too out of hand.”
Even a cursory glance at the 2016 It’s The Ship! promo suggests Hasselhoff isn’t kidding; the 1000-foot Mariner Of The Seas liner looks ready to host one of the wildest parties ever to set sail. Yet it won’t all be debauchery and crazy times; one of the most unexpected but colourful additions to the experience is the sheer variety of activities available beyond just dancing the night away – though given Hasselhoff’s own musical success, don’t be surprised if you find him crooning Rat Pack numbers at the bar.
“There’s a casino, rock climbing, a basketball court,” he says. “I mean, it has an ice skating rink: how crazy is that! A mini golf course! So come prepared. To be honest, I can’t [wait to] perform. I said, ‘Put me on the ship and I’ll take on the rest.’ I’m not going to just sit in the hot tub, I’m going to be onstage; I am going to answer questions and take pictures.
“A long time ago I was wanting to do a thing called DJ Hoff,” he continues. “We have a song that has about 24 million streams, ‘True Survivor’, and I got to go into the studio with the guys who, believe it or not, actually created that crazy song I did years ago, ‘Hooked On A Feeling’, that probably has the world’s worst video. But it became [popular] a while ago now because it’s so camp. And these guys produced Cher, Celine Dion, and we’re going to remix ‘True Survivor’ and slip it onstage, see what we can do. We have a captive audience there, so we know that we’re going to do well! They can’t get away! They’re going to go Hoffcrazy, it’ll be Hoffelicious, they’ll party their arse Hoff!”
Many people will know Hasselhoff’s musical abilities from his time atop the Berlin Wall, but he has long made forays into musical theatre and pop. Despite the fact that his career is proving distinctly self-referential these days, it’s music that keeps pushing him forward.
“It’s the emotion of it,” he muses. “I just know that I worked really, really hard on my voice, especially on Broadway. It clicked, then. It’s a challenge to hit those keys, but also to act through your music. I start off a lot of my shows now with [1997 Broadway classic] ‘This Is The Moment’. It just really effects people; really moves them.
“That’s kind of where I’m at. I come from the old school. I played a heavy metal concert to a hundred thousand people called Nova Rock, it’s all online, and it’s insane! I thought they’d all want to leave, but they all wanted to hear songs that they grew up with. It’s just a way of connecting with your fans in a fun way. I really don’t know what I’m getting into on this one. All I know is, I know how to create havoc, and I know where the exit is.” He laughs. “That’s the most important thing. No matter where I go, I need an exit, even in Australia.”
Your captain forIt’s The Ship! is DavidHasselhoff, sailingFriday November 4 – Monday November 7, from Singapore.
