Gerard Joling lost and found pimped microphone

The popular singer, who finished 9th at the 1998 contest in Dublin, lost his precious posession after his last new year's concert at the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam. When I went off the stage, I gave all my sound equipment to a technician. He put the microphone on a flight case and that's the last time anyone saw my microphone. I feel really bad, thinking that someone has my microphone on the chimney as we speak," Joling said to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The microphone, which he received as a present, is almost completely decorated with expensive Swarovski christals and carries the initials GJ. Joling: "Whoever returns my microphone gets a EUR 2,000 reward... I hope that indicates how bad I feel about it."

A few months ago, Gerard Joling claimed to have been asked to represent the Netherlands at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. When broadcaster NOS denied the claim, Joling publically turned down the request. In a statement, NOS said that they had spoken with his management to find out if the extravagant singer was interested to go, but that they had not received any official response. Late 2007, it appeared that NOS selected Hind to represent the country in Belgrade, and that Joling was only one of the several artists who were invited to consider the opportunity.

Update 13:10: Earlier today, the singer found his microphone on a Dutch auction website for EUR 3,000. "I couldn't believe it when I found out, someone just stole my microphone. I will find out who did this," the angry singer replied.