Kees Schipper & Staffing + Belly Hole Freak

Let yourself be overwhelmed by the boundless one-man band; Belly Hole Freak! Together with the enchanting blues sounds of Schipper & Bemanning, this will be an evening full of captivating blues that penetrate deep into your soul.

Kees Schipper & Bemanning
With nearly 60 years of stage experience, captain Kees Schipper celebrates blues rock with distinctive compositions and respectful interpretations of blues gems. With his dynamic guitar playing, smoky blues voice and a touch of humour, this Zeeland native manages to get many a musical heart beating at full speed.

For each project, he seeks out the best musical crew. Together with Silvester van Rijckevorsel (drums), Eric Wels (bass) and Pieter van Bogaert (Hammond & piano), he has now assembled the perfect All Star team. In terms of influences and style, they sail on the course of 1970s English blues rock bands such as The Free, Fleetwood Mac, and Led Zeppelin.

Modern blues rock like Joe Bonamassa and the classical sounds of the 1930s also provide the wind in their sails. With great success, Schipper & Bemanning tour around international festivals and stages. As founder of music centre Popcorner, the precursor of Poppodium Phoenix, Kees Schipper now proudly plays a home game! Let yourself be touched by the sounds of these top musicians.

Belly Hole Freak (One Man Band)
The roots of Belly Hole Freak lie in the most rural, raw, and gritty blues. He delivers an instinctive and deeply seasoned sound, enriched with various colours, rhythms, and boogie tones, rhythm & blues, country and bluegrass, mixed with a more solid Hard Rock Blues sound. His live performances are energetic and infused with an unmistakable Rock-'n-Roll attitude.

Among his influences are artists such as Howlin’ Wolf, Captain Beefheart, Robert Johnson, and Tom Waits, to name just a few. Energy, introspection, the subconscious, and spirituality are among his main sources of inspiration.

His music is a channel for surreal communication, a free language, sometimes with invented words, but with a profound meaning that manifests itself in an expressive interpretation. For Belly Hole Freak, this is the way to feel and live the blues— a way to break out of the mould, experience full freedom, and give voice to the soul.

BHF is Massimiliano "Belly" on guitar, vocals, handmade foot percussion, hi-hat, cymbals, cowbell, tambourine, kazoo, and ankle bells. All instruments are played simultaneously in his one-man shows.

Whether you're a seasoned blues lover or just looking forward to an evening of musical energy and soulfulness, you must not miss this.