De Dijk’s lyrics have always been meaningful, but on Sunday evening, at thevery last performance of the Amsterdam band, lines such as “I can’t do italone” and “A man doesn’t know what he’s missing”, are heard by singer Huubvan der Lubbe, pronounced with played nonchalance, extra appropriate.
The last concert ever is given where it started: at the end of 1981, assupport act for singer Raymond van het Groenewoud, in Paradiso. The groupwould play there often afterwards, tonight for the 83rd time. After a long,sold-out farewell tour, the farewell is now celebrated with a room full offriends, family, colleagues, employees, and fans in decades-old Dijk shirts.
Here we say goodbye to a band that in 41 years has grown into the most stable,diligently working, reliable and dearest group in the country, which alwaysfollowed its own course and stole the show with humor and musicality. And withcamaraderie, because the core of De Dijk is still the same as in 1981.
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Melancholy undertone
With the eight band members on stage, this evening shows both sadness and joy,but, it seems, mostly fun. With his words between the songs, Huub van derLubbe refrains from emotion, although there is a melancholic undertone when hetalks about his love for the audience: “It felt good, it felt mutual.” This isevident, for example during ‘Seventh Heaven’ where men and women stretch theirarms towards the stage as if for an embrace.
Meanwhile, careful music is being played. Guitar solos merge nicely with theaccordion or the saxophone, as in the brooding ‘Onderuit’, there is anirresistible swell in ‘Als Het Golft’, there is excitement in ‘Dansen Op DeVulkaan’. There is a tribute to Solomon Burke, with ‘Hou Me Vast’, formerguitarist JB Meijers will play a number of songs. Up to and including the lastsong, the music is paramount.
What will be De Dijk’s legacy? In addition to the example of idiosyncrasy, thegroup has helped to integrate Dutch as a pop language – together with DoeMaar. Through the endless merry-go-round of concerts and ever new LPs, thenative language was ingrained in the collective consciousness. With De Dijkthe words are unadorned and effective, Van der Lubbe always chooses thestriking sound.
Exuberance and comfort
For the fans, De Dijk is “simply the best”, says a man. Another recalls how DeDijk was “always there”: “I went to see them when I was having a hard time orwhen things were going well. They took me through all levels of my life.” Withdramatic facial expressions, attendees sing along to the lines: “Slowly we’regoing down” and “It’s raining in the streets/ There’s no one in town.”
After two and a half hours of introspection, exuberance and comfort, theclosing number follows in a darkened hall: ‘Mag Het Licht Uit’. After that, nogroup hug or bow, the band members walk off as on a normal evening.
Their legacy also lies in the musical elan. Hoempa, boogie, waltz, rock, soul,heartthrob – Huub van der Lubbe, Hans van der Lubbe, Pim Kops, Nico Arzbach,Antonie Broek, Jelle Broek, Roland Brunt and Peter van Soest have made ittheir own. In their dreams they will still play songs like ‘Niemand In DeStad’, ‘Bloedend Hart’ and ‘Wat Een Vrouw’. And in ours.