Heideroosjes (pronounced: hi-duh-rose-yes,
HR in short), are a Dutch
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band from
Horst aan de Maas. The band are known for their energetic shows and songs with lyrics mostly in
Dutch and
English, and a few songs in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
and
Limburgish
Limburgish ( or ; ; also Limburgian, Limburgic or Limburgan) refers to a group of South Low Franconian Variety (linguistics), varieties spoken in Belgium and the Netherlands, characterized by their distance to, and limited participation ...
(a dialect spoken in the Dutch province of
Limburg). The band, formed in 1989, consisted of Marco Roelofs (vocals/guitar), Frank Kleuskens (guitar), Fred Houben (bass) and Igor Hobus (percussion). This lineup has not changed.
Heideroosjes played nearly 1500 shows in Europe, the United States, Japan and South Africa.
History
1989–1999
After releasing two albums on their self-founded label Fairytale Records Heideroosjes got its nationwide breakthrough in 1995 by opening the prestigious
Pinkpop festival in The Netherlands. In 1998 the band signed a worldwide record deal with the world's biggest punk label,
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. A large portion of the record label, known as Hellcat Records, is owned by Tim Armstrong, frontman of the punk rock band Rancid. Several ...
, based in Hollywood (CA).
In 1999, the band made its first TV appearance in the United States when talk-show host
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman Springer (February 13, 1944 – April 27, 2023) was a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, lawyer, and politician. He was best known for hosting the controversial tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' from 1991 to 2 ...
played some live footage of their song "Jerry Rules In The Land Of The Free". In this song, taken from their album ''Schizo'', Heideroosjes voiced their opinion on (semi-reality) TV shows like ''
The Jerry Springer Show
''Jerry Springer'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Jerry Springer. The show ran for twenty-seven seasons from September 30, 1991, to July 26, 2018, in which it broadcast 3,891 episodes. It was taped at the NB ...
''.
Heideroosjes toured (mainly) Europe with familiar bands like
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Garden Grove, California, in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dexter Holland, Bryan "Dexter" Holland, ...
,
Pennywise,
The Misfits,
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilities and ...
and
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Buddy Schaub (trombone), Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone) and Matt Yonker ...
.
2000–2010
In 2004, the Heideroosjes tour bus was involved in a serious accident. Three roadies were wounded, and one roadie was seriously injured. The band cancelled their tour but continued a few weeks later. Later that year, Heideroosjes received the Dutch Edison award for their single "Damclub Hooligan" (from their album ''SINema''). In March 2004 the band appeared for the first time live in the US when they played at the
SXSW
South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
Festival in Austin, Texas. A rave review in ''
The Austin Chronicle
''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...
'' said "Now that was a lesson in rock 'n roll. They blew the other bands right of the front door".
In November and December 2005 Heideroosjes did an Ode to the Ramones tour in the Netherlands and Belgium. During this tour they only played covers from their heroes: The
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
.
In 2006, Heideroosjes made international news by making a song with the mayor of
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...
, Gerd Leers. In this song, called "Dope man", they mock the Dutch soft drug policy, which in their eyes is hypocritical. A few weeks later the Dutch minister of Justice,
Piet Hein Donner, recorded a rap song with rapper Meester G responding to "Dope man" by defending his soft drug policy. Later that year Heideroosjes record their eighth album with Los Angeles-based producer Cameron Webb, who worked with bands like
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
,
Ignite,
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. It consists of Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), Jonny Wickersham (guitar), Brent Harding (bass), David Hidalgo Jr. (drums), and David Kalish (keyboards).
Emerg ...
and
Silverstein. Motörhead singer
Lemmy
Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was a British musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the metal band Motörhead, of which he ...
features on the song "My Funeral". Even as Ignite lead singer
Zoli Teglas sings in the song "Forgotten Continent".
After years of touring the world including Japan, South Africa, and former Yugoslavia, Heideroosjes started a new phase in their career. In 2008 the band did a 100-show counting comedy tour called "Manie Manie". In this show the music seemed less important and there was more focus on stories, acting and comedy. According to the band "they wanted to try something different. Just because the combination of punk and theater is such a contrast."
In 2009 Heideroosjes celebrated 20 years touring with no line-up changes; the anniversary was marked by a
double album
A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...
and an extensive tour through Europe.
After a 'sabbatical year' in 2010 the band returned to touring and announced a new album for 2011. In September of that year Heideroosjes announced that the new studio album, ''Cease-Fire'', would be their last one. "After this album and the tour, we're gonna quit" the band said. The main reason for the split, according to the band members, was "We still love to play and being on stage. But we are fed up with all the business that comes along with being in a professional band. We had a great time and traveled all over the world. We lived our dreams. And we believe it's better to burn out than to fade away". The farewell tour contained shows at the
Lowlands Festival and the
Sziget Festival
Sziget Festival (, ) is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. It is held every August in northern Budapest, Hungary, on Óbudai-sziget ("Old Buda Island"), a leafy 108-hectare (266-acre) island on the Danube. More than 1,0 ...
in Hungary (2012). At the end of September 2012 Heideroosjes waved goodbye with two sold-out shows in Holland (Melkweg-Amsterdam) and two sold-out shows in Belgium (AB-Brussels).
2019
In 2019, the Heideroosjes played 5 shows as support for the German band
Wizo and scheduled several other concerts and shows on festivals in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
2025
In February 2025 bassist Fred Houben was arrested and jailed in a case related to pornographic images of children. Subsequently, the band released a statement he was no longer part of the band.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Music videos
* "2020, De Tering!"
* "A Bag Full of Stories"
* "Billy Broke a Bottle (Again)"
* "Break the Public Peace"
* "Damclub Hooligan"
* "Da's Toch Dope Man!"
* "De Wereld Draait Door"
* "Doe Maar Net Alsof Je Neus Bloedt"
* "Huilie huilie"
* "Ik Wil Niks!"
* "Iedereen is Gek (Behalve Jij)"
* "Lekker Belangrijk!"
* "My Funeral"
* "Scapegoat Revolution"
* "Weg van de Meeste Weerstand"
* "Würst & Käse"
Videos and DVDs
* DVD: "Manie! Manie!" 2010 (comedy show )
* DVD: ''Bag Full of Stories'' 2004 (live videos and documentary)
* DVD: ''A Year in the Life of...'' 2006 (3 live concerts, a Punkmovie from the Heideroosjes in America and a parody on a Dutch talk show called ''Jensen!'')
* VHS: 12,5 Year Anniversary Concert VHS 2002 (live concert, shot on the 8 of June 2002 @ Paradiso, Amsterdam)
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Dutch punk rock groups
Musical groups established in 1989
Dutch comedy rock musical groups
Dutch-language musical groups
Musical groups from Limburg (Netherlands)
Horst aan de Maas