Derek & the Dirt were a rockband with Derek as the singer-songwriter.
Their first album (Derek & the Dirt CNR 1989) was a success, especially the first single 'Oh by the way'. Lots of airplay on all Belgian radiostations and a concert on Marktrock Leuven made them sign a contract for 3 albums with EMI. In the early ninetees, Derek & the Dirt were considered one of the better livebands, they played in every hall and on numerous festivals. Their LP/CD's were produced by Thé Lau (The Scene), Paul Despieghelaere (singer-songwriter of 'The Machines' and then already producer of a lot of bands such as 'The Romans') and Patrick Riguelle, people who are still successful artists/producers.

Derek & the Dirt is where Derek met Yves Meersschaert. He joined the band in 1993 on piano and Hammond-organ, but soon after they met, the band split up in 1994. Derek, Yves and Pim Wolf (the guitarman of the Dirt), recorded a new album in a band called WEEZ!, but radio and press didn't pick it up really. A lot of time to hang out, and Derek and Yves started playing in bars, just the two of them.
1996 they released a first mini-album 'No Chorus Please' as Derek & Vis.
(Vis was Yves' nickname since he was a kid). They created their own label ONOMA which got also distributed in Switserland by RecRec. They played a small tour in Switserland.

Derek & Vis released their first full-cd 'I Like Fish' on their own ONOMA-label in 1997. They had a radio-hit in Belgium with the song 'Disguise'. A lot of their music also got picked up by producers of tv-programs on Belgian national television such as the still daily running Man Bijt Hond.

Their 3rd cd was in French: 'Cabaret Sauvignon' (Via Records 1999) and it brought them an even bigger radiohit 'Petit Lapin'. A lot of fine and reknown musicians such as Koen De Cauter (clarinet and django accoustic guitar) and Philippe de Chaffoy (violin) appeared on it.
Derek & Vis set up their own theatre-show Cabaret Sauvignon and appeared in other theatre-productions with Kommil Foo (comic duo), Warre Borghmans (actor), Herman Brusselmans (writer), Koen Stassijns (poet).

Although the French repertoire was a success, Derek & Vis recorded their 4th album in English: 'Making Water' (Culture Records 2000), showing the brighter and the other side of Derek &Vis.

In the late ninetees the two of them played in hundreds of music clubs and caves and beachbars all over Europe, and especially in the Czeck Republic and Spain and Portugal. Most of the time as a duo, but eventually also with a hobby-band called Pilgrim (mini-album 'Friends Kiss' ONOMA 1999).

Derek also started writing stuff in Dutch, prose and poetry and stories.
On stage, he sometimes reads from his books “Blij met een beetje zon” and “16” in between songs.
Derek & Vis played an adieu-tour in december 2001, they're not retiring, they just put the duo in the ice-box for a while.
 
His first solo-album "The Palace of Love" was a rock&roll-cd. (May 2002 - LC Music- LCM100024)
He got a big hand there from people like Lange Polle Van Bruystegem and BJ Scott.

His second album "Night Nurse" (Onoma 2003) contains rather jazzy, laid-back songs. It's a live-studio-recording. What you hear is what was played that take. Yves Meersschaert (alias Vis) produced the album and played piano, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes. The rest of the gang: Marcus Weymaere (drums), Mario Vermandel (bass and upright bass), Nils De Caster (lapsteel and mandolin), Bruno Deneckere (electric 1962 Guild on Fender Bandmaster,backing vocals)

Third album “The Waiting Room” (Onoma 2005) is a solo album, one voice, one acoustic guitar, thirteen songs,
folky and bluesy.

Fourth album “In the Red River” (Onoma 2006) is again a live-studio recording. Same band who played on Night Nurse, except for Frederik Heirman (trombone). The exceptional artwork for the cd is by Diederik Declercq.

The next album to come out in May 2008 is in French: “ça va mon ami”.
Album produced by Yves Meersschaert. Mixed by Pim Wolf.
Recorded with Marcus Weymaere (drums), Mario Vermandel (bass), Marty Townsend (guitars), Yves Meersschaert (piano, organ, keyboards, accordeon), Bart Maris (trumpet), Bj Scott (backings), Radio Candip (backings)

For more details on Derek & Vis please visit www.derek-vis.com.

Discography:

  • Derek & the Dirt :
  • lp- cd Derek & the Dirt (CNR)1989
  • lp- cd Love's Exaltation (EMI)1991
  • cd Fourplay - the acoustic live album (EMI)1993
  • cd Insanity (EMI)1993
  • Weez! :
  • cd O.K. Charles (Tempo-EMI)1994
  • Derek & Vis :
  • cd No Chorus Please (ONOMA)1996
  • cd I Like Fish (ONOMA)1997
  • cd Cabaret Sauvignon (VIA-records)1999
  • cd Making Water (Culture Records)2000
  • Derek :
  • cd The Palace of Love (LC Music)2002
  • cd Night Nurse (Onoma/Distrisound)2003
  • cd The Waiting Room ( Onoma)2005
  • cd In the Red River (Onoma) 2006


Bibliography:

  • Derek : 'Blij met een beetje zon' – 2001 - stories and poems
  • Derek : ‘16’ stories, poems and pictures, drawings (by Jo Clauwaert)
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