Concert and festivalgoers know Robert Theys as the man behind the drums for The Catsmokes and Smokestack Charlie. However, many don’t realize that Robert has a 60-year musical career.
Robert was born on November 11, 1951, and has been involved in music in all its forms for six decades.
His musical career began at age 10, playing double bass and electric bass. Four years later, at 14, in 1965, he joined The Black Tigers, and a few years after that, he played with How Can It Be.
In 1968, things suddenly took off. He was a member of Vulgus, and in 1971, they participated in the talent competition organized by Jazz Bilzen, which they won.
Robert also experienced compulsory military service, and in 1972, he was sent to Siegen, Germany. After completing his training there, he was still able to play bass in the carabiniers orchestra. Coincidence or not, the drummer from Irish Coffee, who had a hit with “Masterpiece” at the time, also played in that orchestra. He was the one who encouraged Robert to play drums.
In 1973, his military service was over and he returned to Vulgus, but this time as a drummer. A fun anecdote is that he was the first Belgian drummer at Rock Werchter in 1975, exactly 50 years ago.
Robert, however, had different interests and then went on to do something completely different. In 1979, electro pop was doing well, which led him to join the group IO. With that group, he recorded one single, “Take Take Take,” which aired on Radio Rijswijck every Saturday for weeks.
From 1989 to 1994, he organized the now-defunct Rockschot festival with Mark Stockmans. There, they managed to secure a number of big names, including John Mayall, Red Devils, Herman Brood, and Omar and The Howlers. During that period, he played with Sez You, a successful cover band that also featured Gerrit and Jan from The Catsmokes. And as if that wasn’t enough, he also joined the Leuven-based band Laser, with whom they did a lot of studio work.
The Catsmokes formed in 2002. The goal was to play Blues Peer once, which they succeeded in 2011. The Catsmokes have been, and continue to be, a guarantee for successful performances.
For a benefit, and with the intention of it being a one-time performance, they formed The One Time Blues Band together with Den Huibbe. However, it didn’t stop at “One Time,” as more gigs followed due to their success.
Tribute bands are now a fixture on stage. That’s why Robert, along with his daughter Valerie, formed the band Real Men in 2022 for a Joe Jackson tribute.
In 2024, he, Den Huibbe, and Raffe formed Smokestack Charlie, a band that also boasts the excellent performances of Geneviève Dartevelle and Willy Voordeckers.
For the past two years, he has also collaborated with Walter Coolen on the Jam in Swing Wespelaar. He has also toured with international artists such as Lil’ Mo, Gene Taylor, CC Jerome, and Earl Jackson.
