The Napoleons

Kick out the jams...:

The Napoleons were formed after a so-called "MOE-evening" at "De Koornbeurs", a local venue in Delft (and the band's fave hangout). Those "MOE"-happenings are organized once a year; the whole idea is that (instead of having boring jam-session evenings) musicians, would-be musicians, and non-musicians are put together in a couple of one-off bands. They must play one original, one selected cover, plus one 'free choice' cover song - and originality is appreciated over virtuoso craftmanship. Besides, this way things don't end in "Blues In A" for umpteen minutes...

Where it all began...

One of those bands had Eric Danno on cowbell (!) and Vox organ, Rixk Heidt on drums, Joke Visschedijk on bass - and four or five others. The "MOE" isn't really a contest but there is a jury (who can be bribed: they usually end up punch drunk) and they decide who's the winner of the evening, and those winners usually are challenged to play a whole concert in the 'introduction week' of Delft's University of Technology. (A privilege most of these bands skip!) In 1997, May 8th to be precise, the MOE was 'won' by the band featuring Joke, Rixk and Eric...

And then there were three:

"Now the idea of a trio was something I had in mind for a long time," says Eric, "to work out a couple of ideas that didn't fit in with the Ace-Tones anymore. Like playing with only my two Vox LS40 speakers for the vocals. And doing some songs left on the shelf... and yeah, doing lead vocals and guitar solos - things I'm not really good at, to be honest..." With Rixk on drums and Joke on bass, the Napoleons were formed in July 1997; they claimed to be the heirs of the "MOE"-winning band, and played their first gig in the 'introduction week', on Tuesday, August 1997.

Downstairs at the Koornbeurs - a cool 'beat cave'

We're talking primitive here

Proud to be primitive

Whereas most bands lean on 'a very tight drummer' or 'a guitarist who can play Steve Vai licks', the Napoleons never claimed to be virtuoso musicians. In an interview with a local magazine, Joke pointed out: "We're not a good band, really. We make plenty of mistakes... but we have lots of fun, and people pick up on that, rather than counting the false notes!"
With no fixed plan, the band made some recordings with, let's say, modest equipment in their rehearsal room. Eric had done this before, recording the Ace-Tones' two EPs and even recording/producing "Maybe Tomorrow", the debut LP of Rotterdam garage-beat band The Perverts who had asked Eric to try and get that authetic 'just press record'-sound.

Dutch courage

Having worked on some of those Napoleons recordings, at three in the morning, the plan arose to release four songs as an EP. "I said I might give Fred and Toody a call, to ask if they would like to release it on Tombstone like they had done the Ace-Tones," says Eric, "so with plenty of beers down and only one or two to go before total oblivion, I got Toody on the phone; I explained and she said 'Oh! Yeah! Sure!'. Next thing I know is I'm saying 'so, er, how about doing a split single, like, with Dead Moon and the Napoleons,' and Toody again goes 'Yeah! Hey! Why not?', so then I took another firm sip of Heineken and suggested playing eachother's songs - since we had recorded Fred's song 'Frustration' he and Toody had recorded with Louis Samora under the name The Desperate Edge... so Toody says 'Sure! Cool! Send us a tape!'... and I'm going ballistic!"

Music too tough to die!

Strollin' and strippin'

The first two gigs (both at the Koornbeurs) spread the word, and the Napoleons were invited to play at De Blauwe Aanslag (a squatted venue in The Hague), Catena (in Leiden) and the so-called IO-festival, a huge happening indeed.
For the Catena gig, the band asked Nicoline to accompany a classic strip tune called 'The Stroll' (one that Eric had played with Rudi and Rob) with a striptease act. She did - and she did it in a way that the band could have played the Dutch National Anthem without anyone noticing! The strip act was repeated very successfully at the IO-festival, but it's not a standard part of the show. "It was meant as a surprise act, and the moment you expect it to happen it's no surprise any longer..."

Shape of things to come

With an EP out on Tombstone (released June '98), a split EP with Dr.Reverb (also on Tombstone, fall '02) and a steady stream of contributions to compilaton albums (see discography), the Napoleons aren't slowing down. New songs are being written, others are being nicked from shady compilation LPs, and some of these are being recorded. They may end up on more EPs, singles, who knows...? There are even serious plans to release a full album (that already has been recorded and mastered)...

Whatever happens, this page will be updated when necessary...
meanwhile you can visit the OFFICIAL NAPOLEONS WEBSITE as well

"Avec nous le déluge!"

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