Interview with Jeroen Haamers of Batmobile
April 15, 2014 (reposted from January)
In 1983, brothers Jeroen and Eric Haamers and schoolmate Johnny Zuidhof tried their luck at starting a Rockabilly band. More than thirty years later, the trio is still together making the music that they love. Having recorded eleven full length albums, been included in eight compilations, shared a split record with Peter Pan Speedrock, and been honored with an album of covers of their own songs, Batmobile is one of the most beloved, influential and longest-lived groups in the Rockabilly/Psychobilly genres. What is equally impressive about the band is that they can easily play to a crowd of Teds one night, and turn around the next night and perform for a club full of Psychos the next.
After returning home to Holland from their recent tour in Japan, I got in touch with their singer and guitarist Jeroen to ask him a few questions about the group.
You guys formed Batmobile 1983 and have been performing almost nonstop, except for the hiatus between 2000 and 2003. Thirty-one (give or take) years as a band without a line-up change is phenomenal! It's almost unheard of. What would you attribute to this success?
Jeroen - I think because we're brothers (Eric and I) and best friends and we have a respect for each other in a way that we can't imagine Batmobile without any one of us, are major factors. Also the fact that we keep things in our own hands and not let others decide anything for us, helps a lot.
After returning home to Holland from their recent tour in Japan, I got in touch with their singer and guitarist Jeroen to ask him a few questions about the group.
You guys formed Batmobile 1983 and have been performing almost nonstop, except for the hiatus between 2000 and 2003. Thirty-one (give or take) years as a band without a line-up change is phenomenal! It's almost unheard of. What would you attribute to this success?
Jeroen - I think because we're brothers (Eric and I) and best friends and we have a respect for each other in a way that we can't imagine Batmobile without any one of us, are major factors. Also the fact that we keep things in our own hands and not let others decide anything for us, helps a lot.
Aside from Elvis, what were some of your biggest musical influences?
Jeroen - Old rockabilly (like Johnny Burnette, Chuck Berry and such), music from our youth (like Sweet and Mud) and music that makes one go BANG (like Ramones and Motorhead). For me personally I love Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys and Dion and the Belmonts too.
Batmobile started out as a Rockabilly band. Was it a conscious effort to move more towards a Psychobilly sound, or was it a natural progression?
Jeroen - No it wasn't conscious at all. We still think we're a rockabilly band. Only when we started to release our own material and with the way we do our live shows, we didn't fit in the traditional definition of rockabilly. But I'd say we play with the same intention Elvis and Johnny Burnette did 60 years ago, only 30 years later.
Jeroen - Old rockabilly (like Johnny Burnette, Chuck Berry and such), music from our youth (like Sweet and Mud) and music that makes one go BANG (like Ramones and Motorhead). For me personally I love Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys and Dion and the Belmonts too.
Batmobile started out as a Rockabilly band. Was it a conscious effort to move more towards a Psychobilly sound, or was it a natural progression?
Jeroen - No it wasn't conscious at all. We still think we're a rockabilly band. Only when we started to release our own material and with the way we do our live shows, we didn't fit in the traditional definition of rockabilly. But I'd say we play with the same intention Elvis and Johnny Burnette did 60 years ago, only 30 years later.
You guys covered Motorhead's Ace of Spades, Sweet's Ballroom Blitz, and even Del Shannon's Runaway - do you have any other cover songs that you pull out on tour that audiences may not have heard Batmobile play on an album?
Jeroen - Sometimes we play the weirdest songs, during our last shows before our break in 2000 we did our so called Jukebox tour, we let the audience decide which songs we'd play. Which led to playing songs like Do You Wanna Dance and Una Paloma Blanca. These days I like to do songs in our encores like Hurt, Early Mornin' Rain or Solitary Man.
What kind of music do you like to listen to when not making music of your own?
Jeroen - Elvis mainly, but like I said, I love Beach Boys and Dion too. But also music by Paul Weller stuff or the Housemartins.
Batmobile tours internationally, and you just recently came off tour in Japan - how was the reception there?
Jeroen - It's been the 7th time over there and Japan is always one hell of a blast. This time was no different. The Japanese audience is just great!
Jeroen - Sometimes we play the weirdest songs, during our last shows before our break in 2000 we did our so called Jukebox tour, we let the audience decide which songs we'd play. Which led to playing songs like Do You Wanna Dance and Una Paloma Blanca. These days I like to do songs in our encores like Hurt, Early Mornin' Rain or Solitary Man.
What kind of music do you like to listen to when not making music of your own?
Jeroen - Elvis mainly, but like I said, I love Beach Boys and Dion too. But also music by Paul Weller stuff or the Housemartins.
Batmobile tours internationally, and you just recently came off tour in Japan - how was the reception there?
Jeroen - It's been the 7th time over there and Japan is always one hell of a blast. This time was no different. The Japanese audience is just great!
Aside from language, obviously, what are some of the differences you find in Japan's Psychobilly/Rockabilly scene that set it apart from what you're used to seeing in Europe? Any spot-on similarities?
Jeroen - I don't think there are that many differences, there are good bands and mediocre bands. To name a few I love are Spike and Monsters a GoGo.
Do you have a favorite venue to play, at home or abroad?
Jeroen - Wow that's a tough one. We have played in so many great venues, like the Henry Fonda in Hollywood, Club Citta in Kawasaki, the KlubFoot in London, the Arena in Rotterdam, Nighttown in Tilburg, The Casino in St. Niklaas.....the list goes on and on!
What other stand-out groups have you played with? Are there any groups that you especially enjoy sharing the stage with?
Jeroen - We did a tour with the Blue Cats in Japan in 1993, which was just one hell of a tour. They were one of the reasons for us to start off with Batmobile, so we were realy excited to play with them. Recently we shared the stage with The Sharks (litterally) which was bloody awesome too. Besides those 2 we've played with numerous excellent bands, like The Sonics in LA, which was pretty amazing too. Would love to play with Motorhead someday though!
With songs like Transylvanian Express, Demon Party, Zombie Riot and Bat Attack, I get the feeling that a good amount of your music is inspired by horror of one form or another. Since this is a Horror website, I have to ask, do you dig horror films? Do you have a favorite horror film?
Jeroen - I'm not a connaisseur (spelling?), but I do love my share of The Shining, Birds and Psycho to name my personal top 3
What are in the plans for Batmobile's future that we can look forward to?
Jeroen - Now we plan a few shows in Russia, before those we will be performing on National TV here in Holland and we're doing a big festival in Rotterdam for our friends from Barbershop Schorem in Rotterdam. Also we have all kind of great shows planned up until 2015, so there's always good stuff to look forward to. We still have a silent plan to work on new material someday if we ever have some more free time. Maybe in a next life. Cheers!
Jeroen - I don't think there are that many differences, there are good bands and mediocre bands. To name a few I love are Spike and Monsters a GoGo.
Do you have a favorite venue to play, at home or abroad?
Jeroen - Wow that's a tough one. We have played in so many great venues, like the Henry Fonda in Hollywood, Club Citta in Kawasaki, the KlubFoot in London, the Arena in Rotterdam, Nighttown in Tilburg, The Casino in St. Niklaas.....the list goes on and on!
What other stand-out groups have you played with? Are there any groups that you especially enjoy sharing the stage with?
Jeroen - We did a tour with the Blue Cats in Japan in 1993, which was just one hell of a tour. They were one of the reasons for us to start off with Batmobile, so we were realy excited to play with them. Recently we shared the stage with The Sharks (litterally) which was bloody awesome too. Besides those 2 we've played with numerous excellent bands, like The Sonics in LA, which was pretty amazing too. Would love to play with Motorhead someday though!
With songs like Transylvanian Express, Demon Party, Zombie Riot and Bat Attack, I get the feeling that a good amount of your music is inspired by horror of one form or another. Since this is a Horror website, I have to ask, do you dig horror films? Do you have a favorite horror film?
Jeroen - I'm not a connaisseur (spelling?), but I do love my share of The Shining, Birds and Psycho to name my personal top 3
What are in the plans for Batmobile's future that we can look forward to?
Jeroen - Now we plan a few shows in Russia, before those we will be performing on National TV here in Holland and we're doing a big festival in Rotterdam for our friends from Barbershop Schorem in Rotterdam. Also we have all kind of great shows planned up until 2015, so there's always good stuff to look forward to. We still have a silent plan to work on new material someday if we ever have some more free time. Maybe in a next life. Cheers!