-- Dutch Belgian Rockumentary gets shredded! --
11/03/2020
Stijn Daneels
Interview
written and conducted by Stijn “Metal Shredder” Daneels.
In July
2019 I got into contact with Evy Wilbers, the brains behind the Dutch Belgian
Rockumentary initiative. She invited me over to her home to have her first
video interview (watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/DutchBelgianRockumentary/videos/2294703740618072/). Evy and I remained in touch with
each other and in January 25, 2020 I went to see her boyfriend Vincent Weynen
perform with his band 10Rogue in the Crossover Music Pub in Ghent and of course,
Evy was there too, asking me to get her shredded! Which I of course did!
I talked
with Evy about the origins of her Dutch Belgian Rockumentary project, some of
her favorite Belgian & Dutch bands, her special-effects makeup hobby and
finally both Evy and I offer advice to every aspiring music journalist!
BMS: Hello Evy! Great to meet you here! Tell me, how did you start your Dutch Belgian Rockumentary project?
Evy: I’ve
been a lifelong rock- and metal fan but I’ve never seen a page or platform exclusively
dedicated to Benelux rock & metal. So I’ve decided to create this Dutch
Belgian Rockumentary to fulfill that need with such features like a YouTube
playlist and self-made videos wherein I interview Belgian and Dutch rock and
metal artists and other influential people from the scene.
BMS: Yeah and that’s what makes you different from my own Belgian Metal Shredder brand.
Evy:
Exactly, while you still put a lot of focus on Benelux rock & metal you
also include bands from other countries (particularly from lesser-known music
scenes like those in Venezuela, Botswana, Columbia and Zimbabwe) and you also
venture into a lot more extreme metal subgenres.
BMS:
Indeed, in my case I focus my efforts on 50% Belgian rock & metal and 50% rock
& metal from every other country in the world. So, what are some of your
favorite Benelux rock & metal bands?
Evy: I’m a
huge 10Rogue fan, not just because their guitarist Vince is my boyfriend but I
absolutely love the band’s raw, no-nonsense attitude, catchy lyrics and sweet
guitar solos. I also love Vince’s internet band Project: Pangaea (a classic
metal sound with Vince on guitar and bass and the Brazilian singer Luis Wasques
providing the operatic vocals). Other favorites of mine are Rebel’s End, King
Hiss and Channel Zero. And I’m also a huge fan of the Dutch metal band
Splinterbomb, I dig that band’s old-school groove metal style a lot.
BMS: Ah,
King Hiss, also a big favorite of mine, be sure to check out vocalist Jan
Coudron’s other band called Carneia, it’s post-metal at its finest and Jan’s
howling vocals fit perfectly to that band’s nightmarish atmosphere.
Evy: Ah, I
haven’t heard of Carneia yet, I’ll check it out soon! Thanks, Metal Shredder!
BMS: Don’t mention it, Rockumentary girl! So, what are your main ambitions with Dutch Belgian Rockumentary?
Evy: Aside
from expanding our video content (obviously) we’re also looking to sell some
merchandise but our biggest goal is to organize our proper event, featuring
exclusively Belgian and Dutch rock and metal acts! And as you’ve already seen
in the beginning of this article, we’ve now got a sweet, custom-made logo!
BMS: Yeah, and it looks great! And I’ll be sure to put my own Shredder claws in such an awesome event as well! So, what are your other activities beside the Dutch Belgian Rockumentary?
Evy: I’ve
recently become tour manager for the aforementioned Dutch groove metal act
Splinterbomb, I also play bass and do some songwriting myself and finally, I’ve
earned a press job for Alcatraz Metal Fest. This year me and my camera crew
will be going around the Alcatraz backstage area to do video-interviews with
all the Belgian metal bands on this year’s lineup!
Evy: And my
main non-music activity is special effects makeup. Iris, a friend of mine,
frequently comes over to model for the makeup. Recently I’ve created large fake
cuts on her writs to raise suicide awareness and for Halloween I’ve gave her a gory
zipper-face makeup look.
BMS: Yeah,
I saw the pictures of your makeup work! Pretty realistic, scary and impressive work!
Now, going back to interviews, which Belgian and Dutch bands would you love to
interview on film?
Evy:
Definitely Channel Zero! Also I’d love to talk with Within Temptation and
America’s Dropkick Murphys!
BMS: As for me, I’d love to get Aborted’s founding father Sven De Caluwé on my shredder table as well as Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth’s Belgian drummer). As for Dutch metal artists I’d love to shred Mark Jansen to talk about both MaYaN and Epica, and finally Within Temptation as well. And Germany’s Metal Queen Doro Pesch herself!
Evy: Great
choices, Shredder-man!
BMS: Thank you! So, while your Dutch Belgian Rockumentary project has only started a year ago, I do have to congratulate you on the progress you’ve made thus far! Can you share with us any lessons you’ve learned on your music journalism journey thus far?
Evy: Always
do your research when you write about a band because everyone loves a reporter
who does his/her homework! In addition, start your career by frequently going
to your local events and focusing on unsigned bands. Those bands in particular
love the exposure you give them, no matter how small said exposure is. Also
those unknown acts offer you the perfect opportunity to learn how to conduct a
smooth, proper interview and they’re also much more willing to put you into
contact with other bands. You’d be surprised to see how many underground acts exist
in Belgium and the Netherlands alone and how quickly bands jump on the
opportunity to get their music reviewed, played on a radio channel or streamed
through Facebook Live.
BMS: And I’ve also got some advice myself for all you aspiring music reporters out there! Remember that this is pretty much a fulltime job by itself, especially if you want to gain some recognition and views/readers/listeners, etc. So be prepared to spend many hours behind your computer or smartphone writing articles, editing audio or video and of course, go to as many underground gigs as you can. Also use all the social media means at your disposal, have your own website, create a Facebook, Twitter & Instagram page, record live footage for Facebook Live & YouTube and of course, make some Spotify playlists! Your contributions, no matter how big or small, will certainly be appreciated!
Evy: It was
great to see you again, Metal Shredder! Let’s keep up the good work!
