It was 1997 and we
were in a van coming back from a No Doubt concert, belting out some numbers -
little did we know then that we had the makings of a ska ‘crossover’ band.
Starting out with three girls on vocals plus guitar, soon bass, drums, keyboard,
sax, two trumpets and trombone were added and before we knew it we had a
11-piece band and were complete. A flying V on stage is not generally regarded
as standard apparel in a ska band, but once we start playing it also becomes
clear that we are not easily classified as typical. Whilst strongly rooted in
ska (with a predisposition towards Jamaican ska), other styles such as metal,
reggae and rock have also found their way into the mix. Comparisons have been
drawn between ourselves and the Dance Hall Crashers, as well as the early No
Doubt (back when they still played ska).
Positive reviews got us off on the right foot
”with ten people on stage there is
a party on stage as well as in the audience” (LiveXS, a review after their 3rd
gig),
“Venus Hill,
the most fun ska band in Amsterdam” (Camel gig list), and by ‘99 we were gigging
2 or 3 times a month. Taking on band competitions and “playing for beer” in
order to gain some exposure was short-lived, as soon we found ourselves playing
to a full house with record liquor sales. Further rewards came eventually in the
form of television and radio appearances, with highlights being VARA ‘ff wat
anders’ in 2000 and the finals of the BUZZ AWARDS on radio 3fm in 2002.
From here on things started snowballing, providing us the opportunity to
play larger venues and both national and international festivals. 2004 heralded
our 100th appearance as headliner of a skafestival at the Melkweg. A couple of
memorable highlights have been:
headliner on one of the main stages at Lowlands (one of the biggest
festivals in Holland’).
Heineken Skank Party (Melkweg/Milkyway) with the Stars of Ska formed
by (ex) members of legendary Skabands like The Specials, The Beat and The
Selecter.
The
International Ska Reggae Festival Skankin@Skarn..Vaals).
Playing with: Badmanners
(Patronaat)
the
Skalatones (Effenaar)
Dr Ring Ding and the Senior All Stars (Ekko)
And lots of other large Festivals
like Maasboulevard, Atmosphere Open Air, Paasrock, City A- Live and Acces 2
Amsterdam of which the following review:
“I was immediately captivated by
the Amsterdam-based band. The band plays an irreverent, personal interpretation
of the tried and true ska sound. With three lead vocalists out front, Venus Hill
had a bit of the Supremes in their skank. The horn section alternated hot licks
and silly dance routines while the rhythm section nailed down a steady beat. The
bloom is off the ska rose here in the States but Venus Hill reminded me just how
much fun this sort of music can be. Venus Hill are a fun band. I found it
impossible to watch this band and not be energized by the obvious joy these
people find in playing music.” (Bob Pomeroy - U.S.A - http://
columns.ink19.com/tof/upallnight).
Releases since our demo in ‘99 have
included our debut album “Whatever!” (April ‘02 at the Melkweg) and the single
“Venus Hill” (2004). July 2005 will see the inclusion of 3 Venus Hill numbers on
“4 of a kind” (a split-CD recorded together with German bands ‘The Skatoons’,
‘The Baboonz’ and the Italian band ‘Club 99’), to be released by German-based
Mad Butcher Records on both CD and vinyl(!). International exposure has been
boosted by appearances on compilations CD’s released in France, Russia,
Czechoslovakia and Germany - the last of which led to our 2003 tour of Germany.
In August 2005 we were back on tour in Germany and together with a number of
upcoming shows closer to home, this gave us the opportunity to present new
material, which we are very excited about. 2006 will also see us back in the
studio recording a new album! If you’d like to hear the sounds of Venus Hill at
a venue near you then we’d love to hear from you!
