A few hours before his show in The Rock Temple in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, (for a review clicke HERE) LazyRocker.com had an interview with Bert Heerink. The former vocalist of VanDenBerg - one of the biggest Dutch rockbands ever - but also of Picture, Undercover and Kayak released his latest melodic rock solo album "Better Yet" in 2009. In order to promote this album he is doing the "Better Yet and More Tour". A tour that also contained some dates where he was booked as the double headlining act together with no one less than John Waite. LazyRocker.com already attended the show in MC the Bosuil in Weert, the Netherlands with John Waite two days earlier. For a review click HERE.
"Better Yet" just entered the Japanese charts and the single "Panic Attack" is doing well in the Dutch charts. While enjoying a cup of tea (well we did, Bert twice threw away his cup of tea) we talked about his career and of course about his latest album that was produced by Michael Voss. 

Hello Bert, how are you doing? We would like to talk about your career and of course your latest album.
I am fine, thank you. That's okay.

Let's start with VanDenBerg. The band got a contract at the American major label Atlantic based on a 5-track demo. Were these tracks added to the debut album "VanDenBerg"?
4 songs made it to that album "Nothing To Lose", "Back On My Feet", "Burning Heart" and "Out In The Streets". The track "I'm On Fire" was featured on the 2nd album "Heading For a Storm"

                                               

Next question is for our younger readers... How come VanDenBerg so big and how popular were you??
Very popular. It was a different time you know. When we were still teenagers we were already playing 4/5 shows per week. We did a lot of gigs in schools. We tried to made it to the press with a rebel attitude. For example we pushed down the amplifiers. School teachers didn't really like that haha. We tried to cause a certain commotion. Once we had success the attitude changed.
Technology wasn't also it is these days. No internet for example. If you made it to a TV-show like Top Of The Pops a large audience got to know you. Nowadays there is much more competion.
For the Netherlands you can compare our popularity to a band like the Dutch rock band Kane, but we were also succesful in USA and Japan. Kane, Anouk and Ilse DeLange tried to conquer the USA but they did not succeed. I think the reason is that they tried too hard to have an American sound. In the USA there are so many bands that already have that sound. I think the reason VanDenBerg had success is because we had an European sound. Just as Shocking Blue with "Venus" and the Golden Earring with "Radar Love".

What's your highlight if you look back on the VanDenBerg-era?
VanDenBerg was one big highlight!

After/during the "Alibi" tour trouble started in the band. The story goes that you were kicked out of the band. How did that happen?
It went a little different then that. We did have some disagreements, sure, but also Adrian was asked again by David Coverdale to play in his band Whitesnake. And now he took this chance. I thought he had to do it because it really was his thing and we know how it ended :-)

Do you still have contact with Adrian "Adje" VanDenBerg?
Oh yeah, the other day he called and he joked that Father Abraham (also known as Pierre Kartner, a Dutch vovalist and songwriter) was afraid that my single "Panic Attack" would take over the nr. 1 position in the Dutch charts from the winner from the Dutch National Songfestival.

After VandenBerg you sang in different bands (Picture and Undercover). Isn't it hard to play in sold out stadiums and then to start again in small clubs?
No, it's always fun. It doesn't make any difference if I play for 10 or 1,000 people. I like to play in a club like we do tonight.

Is the Dutch crowd hard to please?
Yes, but that's a good thing that the audience always expects a certain level of performance. It keeps you sharp.

What is it you have with covers? The first album with Undercover contained a lot of covers, you recorded big international rock hits with new lyrics written in Dutch and you did some tributes to Queen, Pink Floyd and The Who.
Well, the famous Dutch beer brand Heineken came to producer Jaap Egggermont with this idea to record well-known rock classics sang in Dutch language. And he said we have to take Bert! It was the first album ever recorded with this concept and it turned out to be very successful in the Netherlands. If I do something I want to do it right so we didn't take easy songs, but songs like "More Than a Feeling". These kind of songs a very well known so you can't make it to fuck them up.
We did the tributes with some very good orchestra's. These were once in a life time chances. And I learned a lot.
It's not that I only want to do covers but it just something that came on my way. And it's fun to do you know.

Now let's talk about your latest album "Better Yet". How did you come to this album?
The German producer/musician Michael Voss was working on his project "Voices of Rock II". He was looking for some vocalists to record his songs. VanDenBerg-drummer Jos Zoomer, who also played with Michael Voss in Mad Max, suggested to ask me. We recorded "Shame On You". The coorperation was very well. After Michael Voss finished this project he called me if I was interested to record a full album. I felt the time was right so here we are.

My favourite tracks on "Better Yet" are "Restless Heart" and "Falling Down". What are your favourite tracks?
These are also my favourite tracks! "Restless Heart" will be the 2nd single. I also like "April". I think the album has got an 80's sound. We didn't intend to sound it that way. It just happened.

There are a lot of big names involved in your album like Russ Ballard, Harry Hess and of course Michael Voss. Did you have any influence on the album?
Yes, a lot! For example Russ Ballard sent us a rough demo of "Panic Attack". We had carte blanche to do with this song whatever we wanted. The version that made it to the album is completely different. When we sent Russ our version he liked it very much!
Working with Michael Voss was a great pleasure. A fun guy to work with. He's very driven and works very fast. If I wanted to change something that was no problem. Of course we had some discussions but that's normal.

By the way it was announced that you would do this tour with Michael Voss on guitar. But we didn't see him last Thursday?
Well, as you know Ronnie James Dio is very sick so he had to cancel a lot of gigs. Michael Schenker is now doing these gigs with Michael Barden and Michael Voss.
Guitar player Cyril Whistler who I know since he was 15 was ready to replace him so that was no problem at all.

Last Thursday you entered the stage before John Waite. Maybe we can call you the Dutch John Waite as your careers are quite simular?
Yeah, I think you can. We both had our ups and downs. We had success with our bands and now we have our solo careers. I think John Waite is a great vocalist. His voice is vulnerable, but still powerful. After our gigs in Germany it seemed John's management wasn't that happy. They saw me as a support act, but for the audience it was like a double headlining show. I am very satisfied about our gigs so far. I work with very talented and professional musicians.

Bert, thank you for your time and have a good show tonight.
Thank you. And I hope you will enjoy the show!

Related Websites:
http://www.bertheerink.nl/
http://www.myspace.com/vandenberg121
http://www.vandenbergrocks.nl/