From a young age Maurits was already drumming on everything. The choice to start drumming was therefore quickly made. Because his brother used to play the guitar fanatically, there was always a guitar nearby in the de Vries household. When it was too late to drum, he therefore picked up the guitar. Maurits turns out to be an enthusiastic autodidact. The first recordings with a borrowed Tascam tape recorder are made and soon the first bands are a fact. From that moment on he has played in many bands, both as a drummer and guitarist.
In Worldwide Ponyride (pop/rock) Maurits was a guitarist. Here he really got a taste for playing live. Large stages, small stages, plugged and unplugged… everything came along. Various radio stations were visited and several band competitions were won.
Through Rock Nation he climbed back on stage as a drummer. In this national talent scout by Edwin Jansen (AT Productions) and Dennis Weening, in which the search for the new rock band of the Netherlands was conducted, Maurits was ultimately one of the drumming finalists.
Apart from various projects that resulted from this, he started drumming in Davenport (punk/pop). Through hard work, they were soon invited as guests at 3FM and played shows with The Deaf and the Heideroosjes, among others.
With The Hot Stewards, however, no venue was safe. The 80s disco numbers transformed into tight rock songs combined with a hyperactive band ensured that every show was a party! Some highlights: a sold-out Paradiso, Parkfeest, Bevrijdingsfestival R’dam and the sold-out Farewell Shows.
When the band stopped, Maurits had more time for his solo project Heroes and Ghosts. Free of genres and free of all boundaries, he still writes music for this from the heart.
In addition, he also started roading more for various bands. For example, he did a European tour as a backliner with Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering, The Gentle Storm, VUUR).
He also did more and more session work. For example, he was asked to drum for PollyAnna’s album Indigo, later named ‘the sound of 2015’ by Giel Beelen at De Wereld Draait Door.
He regularly fulfills the role of ‘hired gun’ for, among others, the friends of Musest (Muse tribute), the various Sing-a-long parties and other performances. With Tim Vantol’s folk rock, Maurits currently plays all over Europe and with House of Rock – where 90’s house classics are converted into rocking medleys – festivals such as Paaspop, Zwarte Cross and Festyland are flattened.
