I was born and raised in the musically boring area of Leiden. Don’t go there if you’re looking for rock ‘n’ roll, because you ain’t gonna get much.
As a little boy I always played soccer with my buddies after school. I really thought I was talented and that i would become
a soccer star in Italy some day.
At 11 I discovered there was more: playing music.
My sister played piano, and when she practiced i would sneak up behind her so I could see the chords, and play everything by heart when she was gone. After annoying her one too many times, I decided to take my own lessons.
If piano was a “cool” thing to do I wasn’t too sure, but I wanted to play something, so I went with it.
At 14 though, I figured fuck it, grew my hair, swapped Bach and Clementi for Pantera and Slayer, and got a paperboy job to save money for my first guitar.
It was a white Stratocaster (they sold the last black one earlier that day) and it’s going to be worth a gazillion dollars after I die because I’m in Jaya the Cat.
By the way, for my guitar and amp together I had to pay 666 bucks!
Because there weren’t too many musicians in hi school, I never got the chance to join a real band before 18. When I did, it was -of course- a metal band, Insane Reality. According to many, we were the local Slayer (\m/) which was true enough I think. We used to cocoon in the basement and write a shitload of riffs but we never got on stage much, so eventually I quit the band.

After high school i went to the conservatory where I met people with short hair who didn’t listen to heavy metal. This was new, and I started to discover other music styles through my fellow students. I spent 5 years on that school, learning fancy chords and sophisticated music theory and shit.
All very interesting, but more and more I felt I wanted to play from the heart, not from the brain.
Also, I think it sucks to be a competing, individual musician. I want to kick ass in a band! So I graduated, got the hell out of there and never played a single jazz chord ever again.
During my student time I toured around with various bands. Somewhere along the way I met Jay (Jaya’s gayboardist), who played bass for Jaya back then.
He wanted to try me out for a Jaya show that summer, and man, from the first Jaya practice on I felt free!
I remember Geoff telling me to please not play so many solos, but I couldn’t help my excitement.
Anyhow, we did the show and it was awesome, playing this new funky punky ass music for a horny summer crowd, throwing beers around and looking at hot chicks. Things were finally starting to work out for me.
That fall Wealthy Beggar (my main band then) ceased to exist. I never really got the chance to get bored, because the next week Jaya the Cat asked me to join them on tour to Austria.
Gradually I started doing more shows with them, and the next thing I knew was I was in the band.
From then on you know how things went, if you have ever seen us.

Hobbies:
Eating, drinking, Nintendo-ing, air-drumming, air-guitaring, air-any instrument really, cracking Jordi jokes, playing/writing/listening to music, swimming, bathing.

Favorite bands:
A bunch more than just Pantera and Slayer of course, but I’m too lazy to really think about it right now. Especially since it’s 3a.m. as we speak. Ask me in a myspace message if you really want to know. I’ll write back if you’re hot!

Favorite song:
I just heard “Fight test” by Flaming Lips. I’ll love that song forever.

Favorite Jaya song:
State of Emergency! That riff is bigger than your mom’s …. Well, I really like that riff.

Funniest tour story:
Somebody once tried to steal our van while Steven was getting laid in it, haha. Meanwhile Yanko was being beaten up behind it. It was an interesting night.

Coolest place to tour:
Corsica!

Equipment I use:
Willy’s Koch guitar rig
Diezel VH4 / Marshall cab
Gibson LP / Fender tele
Cry Baby wah
Boss phaser, EQ, DD6
Carl Martin Tremo’vibe