‘A drummer who writes. Or a writer who drums.’
In February 1979, I played my first gig with a proper rock band. Since then, the tally has reached over 2,000 performances, both at home and abroad.
Eight years later, in November 1987, I wrote my first articles for a regional newspaper—a review of a Herman Brood concert and an interview with Flavium, a band that was the pride of the Dutch blues scene at the time. Hundreds of interviews and articles followed.
Drumming, teaching drums, writing stories—this has been my life for nearly as long as I can remember.
As a drummer, I’ve played in many bands—around fifty, by my count. Some were long-term commitments, others were one-off or short-term projects. It started with (hard) rock, followed by blues, pop, funk, soul, and all-round cover material. There’s very little I haven’t played.
As for names? In my home region—Zutphen/Achterhoek—I played in renowned bands like Poundcake, Vangouw, Blackbury Accident, and the Top 40 outfit Superfly.
On a national and European level, I’ve worked with acts including The Veldman Brothers, the Leif de Leeuw Band, The Etta James Experience, and the blues bands of American musicians Sonny Hunt and Tony Spinner—the latter of whom spent years as a guitarist and vocalist for Toto.
From 2020 to 2023, I toured theaters across the Netherlands with the Cry Me A River Band, first with a Joe Cocker tribute, and subsequently with a 1970s-themed show titled Heroes of the 70’s.
Heroes of the 70’s
These days, I play in the Eric Clapton tribute band Claptunes, as well as in Gewoon De Dijk. With the latter, we pay homage to the Dutch band De Dijk—and, in my case, specifically to their fantastic drummer, Antonie Broek. In addition, together with my friends Stef and Marcel, I put together the theater program ‘Nooit Genoeg’ (‘Never Enough’). In a small, intimate setting, we perform songs from the long history of pop music, sharing the stories behind them as we go.
I also teach drums at the Popcollege in Zutphen.
As a (music) journalist, I work—or have worked—for various newspapers and magazines. It’s not limited to music publications; I write about other topics with just as much pleasure and interest, though music is a natural fit given my background.
For magazines like Soundz and Slagwerkkrant, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing and meeting many (rock) bands and artists.
Meat Loaf
Who, exactly? Wow—more than I ever dared to dream. Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, Meat Loaf, Queen, Metallica, Rammstein, Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, Toto, Golden Earring, De Dijk…
It’s been an amazing experience. But crafting stories with and about young, ambitious bands is just as rewarding.
The same goes for non-music-related pieces—for instance, features on companies like Bol.com or the magnificent Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam. Or interviews with figures like Elco Brinkman (in his role as chairman of the construction industry association Bouwend Nederland), author Jan Siebelink (discussing his book Knielen op een bed violen), and Anita Witzier (on her vision for a sustainable society).
In March 2019, I published a collection of stories titled Dan kan je mooi je nieuwe trui aan (‘Well, then you can wear your new sweater’). It contains nearly sixty stories, drawn primarily from my life in music.
‘Han is a drumming writer. Or a writing drummer.’
That’s how Slagwerkkrant described me in an article about the book.
I couldn’t put it better myself. Discography:
The Veldman Brothers – Refuel
Tony Spinner Band – Rollin’ & Tumblin’
Tony Spinner Band – Live in Europe
Tony Spinner Band – Culemborg Blues (official bootleg)
Sonny Hunt & The Dirty White Boys – Hitting The Noot
Sonny Hunt & The Dirty White Boys – The Nashville Blues Sessions
Vangouw – Passion Rules
Blackbury Accident – Too Late To Hide
