Ilse

Gateway Band?
My gateway into alternative music/rock was Nickelback, but the band that really got me into (pop) punk and the local music scene was Destine. I could not believe they were a local band when I saw one of their videos on TV, or that cool local bands even existed (I did not get out much). I got to see them a couple months later and I was SOLD. They introduced me to a lot of other pop-punk and adjacent bands like New Found Glory and There For Tomorrow. We’ll never know what would have happened otherwise, but I met some of my best friends through that band and I do not even wanna think about how many rad local things I would have missed out on if I never would have latched on to them.

Favourite Album Ever?
Favourite Album EVER is a bit tricky, ’cause I’ve only listened to some of the bands I currently love for a couple of years and I just feel like my taste keeps changing little by little. So, it’s too soon to tell whether it’s my favourite ever, but the self-titled St. Plaster album that came out in 2019 is so good. It really hits that sweet spot for me where an easy on the ears, well produced sound collides with that rough around the edges punk sound. Adrian and Tim are great songwriters, musicians and singers, triple threats! I think any fan of melodic punk would like it.

Guilty Pleasure?
The Life Is A Highway cover by Rascal Flatts is literally one of my favourite things on earth. La Camisa Negra by Juanes is a-mazing. A-ha, Rick Astley, The Human League, Cyndi Lauper, the OG Pokemon theme song, Bon Jovi, that’s the good stuff.

Favourite Gig?
I hate this question! I love going to shows, since that’s usually when I hang out with my best friend(s) and we always have a good time. But, if I have to pick one, I’m gonna go with the time I went to Dortmund to see Bad Cop/Bad Cop (April 25th 2019). I don’t know how they managed, but the organizers had such a cool bill and tickets were very affordable. As mentioned before, I went to see BC/BC but I also saw/got introduced to The Last Gang, saw Not On Tour and a bunch of other bands as well. I remember feeling very shitty at the time (mentally and physically), I really had to drag myself out of my hotel room to go to the gig. Made it there just in time to see BC/BC and it was amazing. It was the first time I properly got to see them play and even though I was in a different country, in a place I’ve never been before, where I didn’t know anyone, I felt so in place. They are an amazing band of course, but I also don’t think I ever saw an all-female band on stage before and it’s hard to explain, but it was kind of an emotional experience!

Favourite Venue?
Okay, so I work at two venues (Astrant in Ede and LuxorLive in Arnhem) and those are obviously two venues that are very special to me. I love to be at those places for different reasons. Astrant really feels like another home. It’s a “young” venue and I’ve been involved with them since March 2017 so I really got to be part of and see its growth. I love how many different events we host and I love the people who work there. LuxorLive is a bit of a different story. It’s also fairly young but definitely more established. The building is beautiful, it’s a monument, built/opened in 1915 (used to be a cinema). There’s something majestic about it. The building has a total capacity of 1000 people which is big(ger) yet intimate and having drinks after a nightshift in the (almost) empty main room is something special. The events that are held there are a bit more geared to appeal to “the mainstream” but I kinda like spending the night with people/a subculture I typically don’t really come across. And again, lovely people working there.

Silliest Thing Done For Punk Rock?
I don’t want to think about how many kilometres I’ve travelled and much money I’ve spent in the name of punk rock, haha. It’s hard to distinguish though, because at times it’s not just about the music, but about the people involved just as well. But if I were to pick one thing that combines all those things, it’s going on tour with my favourite LA/UK pop-punks of Orange for their Orange Goes Bananas tour in 2017. I really appreciate that they let me crash their tour so I could spend time with my dear friend, amazing drummer, tattoo artist extraordinaire, the one, the only: James Bull. It was really cool to see a tour from the other side and even though it was also rough (and so expensive) I would 100% do it again.

What To Buy You If I See You At A Gig?
I love a non-alcoholic beer! Will also accept a coke or a ginger ale when I’m feeling fancy.

Band You’ve Seen The Most?
Call It Off, about 30/35 times.

Band You Wish You Could Have Seen?
This might be blasphemy to some, but I can’t really think of bands that don’t exist anymore that I’m bummed about that I can’t see them. As I’m writing this, I’ve never seen Alkaline Trio play live. But that should change in March 2022! Same goes for Angels And Airwaves. It’d be cool to see Joan Jett and The Blackhearts though, I don’t really see an EU tour (with NL date) happening any time soon.

What Punk Rock Means To You?
Questioning the norm, expressing yourself, being a compassionate human being, having an outlet, family.

Other Interests?
I care about too many things, but to name a few things: I listen to about a million podcasts, I like reading, watching funny series and movies, playing board games, collecting CDs, (learning) languages, cats, (vegan) food, travelling every now and then, writing or drawing things, and hanging out with friends and/or family.

See the other members of the CPRW team here.