BIOGRAFIE

BIOGRAPHY

Derek & Vis met in a band called Derek & the Dirt. This rock&roll-band recorded 4 albums for EMI-Belgium and they had a huge radio-hit with the song "Oh by the way". (1989-1993) Then Vis and Derek both appeared in another band called WEEZ! (one album: OK Charles- 1994).

Now, they are a two-men band, living in Ghent , Belgium, Europe.

Derek is a singer-songwriter who sings and plays the guitar and harmonicas.

Vis plays the piano, organ, accordeon and other keyboards.

January 96, they released their first efforts on a CD "No Chorus Please". A rather dark record that's perfect for the cold winters in Northern Europe. It gathers six tracks recorded on the road and live-recordings in a studio, mostly improvisations. No singles released.

Second album 'I like fish" came out january 1997 and was their first full-album.

The track DISGUISE was a single that got a lot of airplay in Belgium. The second single LOUISE also did the job. The album sold rather well and was also released in Switserland. They did a tour throughout Europe (Spain, The Netherlands, Switserland, Czeck Republic). One of the tracks is in French (Jules), all others in English.

Their next album, september99, Cabaret Sauvignon was completely in French. Their single Petit Lapin is the greatest hit they had up to now.

September 2000, MAKIN' WATER , their latest cd with all English songs, was released in Belgium and The Netherlands. The track Candle Burning was again a major radio-hit in Belgium.

Derek wrote his first book in Dutch BLIJ MET EEN BEETJE ZON, and Vis released his first solo-album, an instrumental one called MON PARADIS under his real name Yves Meersschaert. Both the book and the album are available on this site, see SHOPPING.

They still play as a duo, but are also doing gigs with a four-man-band.
SMAGMAN plays the drums, BOBOTSKI plays the bass, and next to the kind of best-off- repertoire, they're already working on and trying out new songs.

Please check out their music on this website, you'll get a better idea then.

As off september 22 they were touring with the famous Belgian writer Herman Brusselmans, in a theatre-show called "Dood Verveling Vrouwen" (Death, Boredom, Women). In this show they compared the work of Brusselmans with the proze and poetry of Charles Bukowski. The reading was in Dutch, but there were a lot of songs in the show and these were all in English, new Derek & Vis-songs but also songs written and performed by Tony, who just finished his first album "Love Like Porn".

Derek & Vis keep up with the annual tradition of touring in the Czeck Republic, together with Bruno, Tony and Boy (PILGRIM). 2001 they will also be playing France, Spain and Portugal. More details later.