Featured Artist – De Bakfietsband

The Bakfietsband is a band in a bakfiets. Back in the 90’s some things were of great importance: Since a street band in Amsterdam could not play for more than half an hour in the same spot, and only acoustic music was allowed, the boys of De Bakfietsband had to make a few adaptations to their plans to conquer the world. All the instruments were put on one bike. The players inside the bak (box) of the fiets (bike) – Jochem van Tol, Oscar Jan Hoogland and Harald Austbø – had to go on a diet, as did Jappe Groenendijk, who was biking as well but on a very different diet. The double bass was shrunk down to a 3/4 cello, the tenor sax to an alto, and the bass drum to snare drum without snare. The biggest challenge was the piano. They got rid of the high notes and the bass notes and cut straight through the metal frame of the instrument as well as the tuning block. After 19 different saws they were through. To stop the piano from imploding when tuning the strings back up, they transposed the keyboard up one whole tone and tuned the strings down a whole tone. Easy – right? Off they went. Off to hit the streets of Amsterdam and off to the islands in the north. People called it theatre or madness. By now they’re on to their second bakfiets (one got stolen) and a second piano (one got rotten) and – oh yes – The Bakfietsband is a hip-hop group now.