10 april 2024
A fire destroyed everything they had, but they’re back. They celebrate their anniversary this year with a new album and a European concert tour. Singer Henk Hofstede, drummer Rob Kloet and keyboardist Robert Jan Stips are guests and talk about half a century of European Rock.
They are sometimes called the ‘Pink Floyd’ of the Low Countries. They have been around for 50 years: the Nits, or Nits as they are now officially called. A phenomenon for everyone over 40, for young people perhaps an unknown name from the 80s.
The past 50 years have been marked by successes, but there have also been lows. Singer Henk Hofstede was struck two years ago by a rare muscle disease: myasthenia gravis. Yet he will be in a full Carré twice this weekend. “I wouldn’t have thought I could do it six months ago. The muscle disease affects my speaking and swallowing. Without medication I would have a bit of a strange story here. The moment I got it I thought my world was falling apart. But as soon as I knew that the medicine was there, the process started again; I want it so much. I want to write and record songs.”
Another low point was a fire that destroyed the entire Nits studio in 2022, with the band’s entire history in it. “That is the biggest loss,” says Rob Kloet. “You’ll sort that stuff out. The fans did a wonderful collection, and we were able to buy stuff again. The problem is the entire history that was taken from you at once. The archive and recordings.”
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