Music That Changed My Life

My musical life has gone full circle so my 20/20 can only be Pip Blom!

It’s so special to relive my own musical past through my children, Pip and Tender (and great band mate Darek and before that the brilliant Gini who is now having a busy and lovely time with baby Lizzy). They are doing it with more success than I have ever had and have been (modest) professional musicians for years now, but the similarities are striking. How incredible the experiences are, how much you learn that will benefit you for the rest of your life. You don’t fully realize that when you’re young, but I try to share that with them now, with fatherly wisdoms like: “Enjoy it, because after this, you won’t have another job where hundreds of people applaud for you every day!” :-)

What did I learn back then that I now see in them as well:

• Music is about making friends for life. In bands, with labels, at venues, with the audience. I made friends in England, America, and of course the Netherlands. I see the same thing happening with Pip and her mates.
• Music teaches you invaluable social skills. Every day you meet new people at different venues, and together you have to create a great night. You learn a lot about collaboration that way.
• Music is about scraping by, at least in the early years. You won’t be earning as much as your friends who graduated. But then again, they haven’t played SXSW, Sziget, Best Kept Secret, or Glastonbury.
• Music is adventure, both in exploring new countries and regions, and musically as well. It’s wonderful to see how Pip hasn’t forgotten the guitars but is also exploring new territory with electronics and samplers.
• Music is uncertainty in an unpredictable world. Every record could be your last. If you keep doing the same thing, it’s often not good enough according to some, but if you try something different, the reactions are a gamble too. Still, you have to follow your own path. Always be proud of that.

With Eton Crop, we released our album It’s My Dog, Maestro on the Grunt Grunt A Go Go label. When Pip posted her first demos online, that was reason enough for Pete and Dave from the then sleeping label to revive Grunt Grunt A Go Go to release Pip’s first single. 

Another full circle moment and another proof that music creates lifelong friendships. And that's my main point of 20 Artists That Changed My Life.

Thanks Pete and Dave and everyone else that was a part of all those great decades!

>>> Play some Pip Blom

I was born in Wormer, a small village north of Amsterdam, where my father worked at Van Gelder Papierfabrieken (a paper factory). This place has always been special to me for two reasons: one of the best Dutch bands, The Ex, is from Wormer, and their frontman Terrie still lives in the formerly squatted director’s villa of Van Gelder. In the ’80s, Eton Crop regularly played with The Ex, and we still see each other at various occassions. It springs to mind that our love for the classics of Chic was a bit too much for the Ex in those days :-) 

One of my favorite albums (singles box really) by The Ex is Dignity of Labour, when G.W. Sok was still doing the vocals, because it tells the story of Van Gelder Papierfabrieken and the now defunct Wormer paper industry. It was even recorded in the remains of the factory.

Overall, I admire The Ex because they’ve always reinvented themselves musically. This is partly due to new, fresh musicians alongside long-time member Terrie, but also because of their influences from jazz and African music. After a few years of hiatus, the band started performing again with mostly new material, and the reviews have been raving.

>>> Listen to 27 Pasports by The Ex

In 1994, I spent a few months in London sharing the house with my great friend Lesley Fraser and working for the Dutch radio station VPRO, interviewing artists and making reports on various scenes and festivals. During that time, I heard about a club night called Heavenly Sunday Social, held every Sunday from around 6 to 9 PM in a small pub in central London. It only lasted about 13 weeks and I managed to attend 5 or 6 of the evenings.

Why was it so short-lived? What started as a small gathering (with a max capacity of 300 people), organized by the people behind the Heavenly label, quickly became the talk of the town. At the end, 1,000 people were trying to get in. It just couldn’t sustain that kind of demand.

What made it so special? It was the mix of band members (Pulp, Primal Scream, I seem to remember :-) ) spinning their favorite records, with the same “headline” act every week: the Dust Brothers. They later had to change their name to the Chemical Brothers. This was the early era of Tom and Ed, playing their loud, chaotic beats mixed with acid basslines and hypnotic themes.

This was a total new sound, a total new energy. Each week was different, each week was more wild than the last. 

The Heavenly Sunday Social remains one of the most unforgettable experiences of my musical life!

>>> Read this great article about the short story of the Heavenly Sunday Social

>>> Listen to the Chemical Brothers

There are countless underrated artists in the world—musicians who deserved far more success. That Petrol Emotion is one of them. With two ex-Undertones (Damian and Sean O’Neill), a few old friends from Derry, and American-in-London Steve Mack, they crafted a brilliant mix of pop and rock, occasionally infused with dance influences. Sure, they sold out the club circuit, but their exceptional songs deserved wider recognition. Sadly, their name has faded a little, except among die-hard fans. Of course we're not alone, but there should be more!

In my house That Petrol Emotion remain legends!

I enjoy the poppy power of It's A Good Thing and Mouth Crazy immensely, but I can't stop listening to the sweetness of Natural Kind Of Joy and A Million Miles Away as well!

All albums are great, but the first one remains the most special!

>>> Play That Petrol Emotion

Whenever I can, I still go see The Undertones—whether in the Netherlands or abroad. Last year, I caught their timeless, punk-infused perfect pop in their hometown of Derry, which is always a special place to visit. It’s the kind of town where you can grab a coffee and bump into guitarist and vocalist Damian O'Neill. And there’s nothing quite like hearing the incredible stories of Derry’s past from Mickey Rooney, a longtime friend of the band, and have a pint together afterwards. Mickey and Eton Crop go way back too—he used to book our gigs in London during the ’80s.

The Undertones deliver my kind of perfect pop, with rich backing vocals and dueling guitars. Last year we had the honor of supporting them with Eton Crop in Deventer—a memorable night for the Croppers!

>>> Play the Undertones