FAVORITE PLACES
Miami South Beach, Prague, Haamstede, Hong Kong
FAVORITE BANDS
Sister Hazel, Dimmu Borgir.
FAVORITE VENUES TO PLAY
013 Tilburg
FAVORITE QUOTES
'Fuck me until I bleed' - guess who..
FAVORITE FOOD
Beef stew, my homemade chili, Chinese, fries
FAVORITE DESTINE SONG
Probably 'In The End'. It's hard to pick one, but I love lying in my bed just listening to this song. There is so much going on,
there is so much to hear. Every instrument has its place and every time I hear new details I remember playing in the studio.
FAVORITE DESTINE LYRIC
'As long as hope live inside'. I like to believe that there is always something positive, even in the darkest days. To remind
myself of everything beautiful in the world, I have this lyric tattooed on my chest. Every breath I take crosses positivity before
it reaches my lungs.
FAVORITE DESTINE SONG TO PLAY LIVE
Stars
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO SHOOT
Thousand Miles. I was driving home from a management meeting in Tilburg, I was listening to Thousand Miles and all of a sudden I
got the idea in my head for the video. I contacted everyone I needed to make the video and on the shooting days, I saw the idea
in my head turn into a video I am super proud of. It still gives me the chills when I see it. It is everything I hoped for.
FAVORITE BOARD GAME
Risk (you wouldn't believe how many hours in the bus I spent playing Risk on my iPhone..!), Axis & Allies (it's like Risk but more
complex)
WHAT'S A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU?
I can't really handle stuff like Red Bull. Like a four-year old I turn into a bouncing ball and sleeping becomes absolutely impossible. The only one in our team who enjoys me drinking energy drinks is Tom, and sometimes Robin. The rest strictly forbids me to come anywhere near it..
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
The Dirt (Motley Crue biography). That is pretty much the only book I fully read.. I think I am not patient enough for reading.
I like creating stuff better. That goes from a good meal to a 100 minute documentary about our life, and everything in between.
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FAVORITE MOVIES
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The Big Lebowski
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As It Is In Heaven
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Law Abiding Citizen
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IF YOU GOT LOCKED UP WITH ONE CREW MEMBER IN A ROOM FOR THREE DAYS, WHO WOULD YOU WANT IT TO BE AND WHY?
Goofus. I talk to Goofus about my ideas for videos. If he doesn't like it, I don't even have to tell the others. If I would be
locked up with him in a room for three days, we would probably get out of there with a bunch of cool ideas for new music videos.
Besides that I never get tired of hanging out with him and talk about everything and nothing.
FOR WHAT COULD SOMEONE WAKE YOU UP ANYTIME?
When I can specify that someone it would be sex. If just a random someone probably a party with my friends, or very good news.
IN WHAT WAY DID YOU GROW THE MOST AS A MUSICIAN THE PAST FEW YEARS?
Mainly as a songwriter. I don't have as much time as I want to write music, but I love it.
DUMBEST QUESTION SOMEONE HAS EVER ASKED YOU?
There are a whole lot of dumb replies I get on my tweets. I like to put ridiculous things on Twitter, and there are still people
taking that seriously. That is sometimes very funny.
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LAURENS ABOUT THE DESTINE CREW
Chris | Sound Engineer
Soundchecks with Chris are a delight. Especially checking drums, he is the master of big American sounding drums. I always sit next to him in our bus, and I am very attached to my own spot. More than once I find myself waking up on his shoulder or vice versa. Very romantic!
Viktor ‘Banus’ | Light Engineer & Merch Guy
Extraordinary good singer and a very lovable person. Banus has been one of my close buddies for years and years and he was the first one in our crew. You can always call him when you want to have a few drinks and he is crowned to be the keeper of the good vibe in our team. When you're in Team Banus, you are very certain to get hammered and have a great evening with very little sleep. I love waking Banus up when he is asleep in the bus, it's like waking a very cranky dangerous beast. Banus has developed himself from merch guy selling one or two stickers per evening to one of the best light engineers in the Netherlands working on the country's biggest stages. He has been a reliable force in our team and every night with him is unforgettable.
Bart ‘Goofus’ | Light Engineer & Merch Guy
Goofus is one of the most positive people I have ever met. He is genuinely nice to everybody and is always there to help us out when there is something to do. I remember one night in England when all of a sudden Goofus was dancing on the bar of a club with a super hot stripper. He is a super good skateboarder and loves adventure. He helps me out with the production of our videos and adds creativity wherever he can.
Gert-Jan ‘DJ Wild’ | Tour Manager & Monitor Engineer
You have people that don't like being away from home too much. Then you have people that don't really care about being at home too much and like to be on the road and go out to experience stuff that the world has to offer. And then there is DJ Wild, touring beast in the purest form. This guys is made for touring and his ideal situation is being on the road for 10 months a year, being home the other 2 months. He works hard and has become an extremely good and friendly tourmanager. Even though it can be a crazy circus in our travel party, everybody listens to Wild. Loves Bad Religion, hates germs.
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FAVORITE ALBUMS
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Sister Hazel - Chasing Daylight
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Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon
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Blessed By A Broken Heart - Feel The Power
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WHAT MUSICAL EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE?
Nord Electro 3 on stage. For writing songs I use my midi keyboard, Hubrecht's Fujigen telecaster and my Fender acoustic guitar.
BEST TOUR EXPERIENCE
Everywhere we go, I always want to go outside and explore new surroundings. My partner in crime is Robin, he always joins me to
experience new things. We take a bus, train or whatever and try to see as much as we can before we have to get back to the venue.
We have seen some amazing things. One day in the heart of winter we were in Prague. We were walking across a big square with bonfires,
people singing, candles, horses and sleighs, free hot wine and chestnuts. We were freezing, but found ourselves in a 200 year old
fairytale in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Incredible.
WORST MOMENT ON STAGE
I was going wild on stage and bumped into my keyboard. It fell off the stand and I nearly fell off stage too.. Luckily Jim was there to save me. You can see this happening on our DVD 'FOOTPRINTS: a year in the life'.
HARDEST THING OF BEING IN A BAND
Being away from home and missing my girl, friends and family. That is really the only thing because touring is the best thing
in the world.
BAND MEMBER NOT TO SHARE A HOTEL ROOM WITH AND WHY?
Tom. When he's drunk, he pees in your suitcase. Happened more than once!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY AND WHY?
When you do what you love, every day is a holiday. And that is exactly what I do.
WEIRDEST DREAM
I dream a lot of crazy things. Most of the things I dream about will get you imprisoned so I don't feel very comfortable revealing
that here.
BEST GIFT FROM A FAN
Vodka or other hard liquor.
SMALL OR BIG SHOWS?
I love huge shows and tiny ones. Anything in between will do too :)
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LAURENS ABOUT ROBIN:
Robin is one of the best songwriters I have ever met. He is very gifted and has a discipline like no other. Since the day I met him,
we started working for what we believe in and we still do that. All that work took us and our friends around the world. I remember him
waking me up to talk about something he had on his chest, sitting in my window and leaving me about three hours later. When things get completely
out of hand and even Tom backs out, I always find my companion in Robin. Loves sleeping, loves partying, loves getting lost in unknown
cities, loves to experience new things. And I love him being one of my best friends.
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LAURENS ABOUT HUBRECHT:
I can't remember doing anything significant without Hubrecht. When he joined my first band years ago, him and I never split. We work like
a super hero duo. We both have our good sides that we can always depend on. Even if you would put a gun to my head, I couldn't tell you
one single thing I hate about him. We started with nothing, living in a student house that could fall apart every second. Now we look at
each other when we are playing on one of the biggest festivals in Indonesia and just laugh. This is what happens when you put the right
people together with the same goal. I can always depend on him in every situation. That includes drinking.
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LAURENS ABOUT JORDY:
I have known Jordy for many years. Since our first bands played together he is one of my buddies. I have always admired his drumming
and I always wanted him to be in one of my bands one day. And guess what:) He is a very kind, modest and thankful guy. He enjoys
all the steps we make. He has a positive vibe surrounding him and he is always friendly. He is smiling constantly and when he is around,
everything is more fun. That is a unique characteristic I cherish in a friend.
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LAURENS ABOUT TOM:
Always willing to help me out when I am stuck. It is no secret that he is on the same page as I am when it comes to drinking, being
naked and making the world a crazier place. I remember going on 'adventure night' in Florida, and ending up drinking with a few
rednecks with guns on the table. You just never know what happens when you go out with him. Day after day he surprises me. He works
hard, laughs even harder, and parties so hard he gets himself hurt frequently.
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WHAT ADVISE CAN YOU GIVE STARTING KEYBOARD PLAYERS WHO WANT TO BE LIKE YOU?
Besides playing my parts in the songs I love to lose myself completely in the music. When you feel every note you and your band mates play, playing shows is the best thing in the world. Playing keyboards is as cool as you make it, so work hard, practice a lot and rock out as hard as your body allows you to!
WHAT IS THE FIRST SONG YOU LEARNED TO PLAY ON THE PIANO/KEYBOARD?
I learned playing keys on an accordion. I played that instrument for about eight years before I started playing drums, guitar and piano. I used to play a lot of classical and gypsy music. I think the first real song I played was 'Music' by John Miles.
WHICH TATTOO DESCRIBES YOU THE BEST?
Probably one of the simplest tatts I have. It's the words 'I love it' on my lower left arm. I think that stands perfectly for my opinion on life and making the best of every given day. I got that tattoo in London when we were on tour and I still smile when I read it. It's a good reminder to enjoy every day and not to take things too seriously.
WHAT QUALITY YOU GAINED FROM BEING A DRUMMER DOES STILL HAVE VALUE TODAY?
In our band, every member can play each other's instrument. That comes in very handy when we are rehearsing or writing songs
WHAT IS THE WORST JOKE YOU EVER MADE?
I never ever make bad jokes. That is Tom's department.
WHAT PROGRAM DO YOU USE TO EDIT VIDEO?
I used Adobe Premiere for the first three seasons, for the Footprints movie I used Final Cut Pro.
WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER CAUGHT ON CAMERA AND PEOPLE NEVER GOT TO SEE?
Me hitting Tom on his bare bum with a plastic rod. He started bleeding so we put some vodka-lime on it. After that we had to go to the doctor.
I wanted to put that in DestineTV but some of the guys didn't think that was a good idea. I still have the edited footage on my computer...
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Wesel, Eselrock
Oosterhout, Parkfeest
London, Club Face Down @ Scala