The Dike

De Dijk was a band that successfully combined rock, soul and blues for over four decades and did so in Dutch.

De Dijk was founded in 1981 by musicians—including Huub (vocals) and Hans (bass) van der Lubbe—who had previously been active in Stampei. With that band, they had also created Dutch-language pop music, albeit without great success. The relaunch as De Dijk proved successful because, in the early 1980s, the acceptance of the Dutch language in pop music had become much greater—partly thanks to the immense success of bands like Doe Maar. A self-titled debut album, featuring the single Bloedend Hart (Bloody Heart), was released in 1982. Nooit Meer Tarzan (Never Again Tarzan) was released a year later but made little impact.

After a period of silence, their third album, Elke Dag Een Nieuwe Hoed (Every Day a New Hat), followed in 1985, featuring the Dutch pop hit Binnen Zonder Kloppen (Inside Without Knocking). Once again, things went quiet around the band, but two years later, they really started to gain momentum. "Awake in a Strange World" was enthusiastically received by both the press and the public, and "Mag Het Licht Uit" (Mag The Light Out) yielded their first De Dijk hit. The band's sound was then fully crystallized. De Dijk distinguished themselves from all other Dutch-language bands thanks to a rugged mix of soul, rock, and blues, enhanced by a robust brass section. Huub van der Lubbe's lyrics were both poetic and unadorned. De Dijk also performed extensively, and the exciting concerts were a key ingredient in their success story.

After twenty-two studio albums, including one with soul legend Solomon Burke, several live albums and compilations, hundreds of performances, the Popprijs, several Edisons and an extensive farewell tour that included five visits to the Ziggo Dome and concluded at Paradiso, the band called it quits in November 2022.

At Platenzaak.nl we have many CDs and LPs from De Dijk, including exclusive versions.