Who we are
Biography
Formed in Zaandam in 2012 by singer–harmonica player Kevin de Harde and guitarist Micha Sprenger, The Damned and Dirty began as a lo-fi delta-blues studio experiment—recorded in two days, and released online for free — a debut that stunned the Dutch scene by winning the Dutch Blues Foundation's Best Album award the same year.
Now a powerful five-piece with Alexander van Meerten (drums), Dirk van Hoven (bass) and Tarah Ouwerkerk (backing vocals), the band anchors its delta-slide-and-harp grit in Chicago shuffles, ragtime swing and JJ Cale-style grooves. Gospel-tinged backing vocals broaden the palette without sanding off the edges.
The group has reached audiences at the Bali Blues Festival, headlined the Farmhouse Blues Festival in Shropshire, and played a handful of club dates across the UK, France and Belgium.
Closer to home they packed Paradiso's Kleine Zaal for the Rolling Into Town release, returned to the main hall as support for Robert Cray and Mud Morganfield, premiered the EP Revelation at Patronaat, and have stood under the lights of Podium Victorie (incl. support for De Dijk), P60 (Amstelveen), De Vorstin (Hilversum) and P3 (Purmerend).
- Dutch Blues Awards – Best Blues Act (2024), marking more than a decade of boundary-pushing shows and releases.
- Dutch Blues Awards – Best Blues Album (2012, 2013, 2014): first act to claim the honour three years running.
- International highlights – Bali Blues Festival 2017 plus select club and festival appearances in the UK and France.
- Collaboration – EP Revelation (2018) produced by Mario Goossens of Triggerfinger.
- National radio – live sessions on Radio Veronica (Countdown Café, Giel Beelen), NPO Radio 2 (Roodshow, Muziekcafé), 3FM, and NPO Radio 1.
Each release broadens the sound: acoustic howl on The Damned and Dirty (2012), Mississippi grit on Sell Your Soul (2013), ragtime-to-jazz inflections on Rolling Into Town (2014), genre-blurring guests on Hoodoo Down (2015), the punchy Mario-Goossens-produced EP Revelation (2018) and the forthcoming LP Fading Sun (2025).
"A hard punch to the gut – rough, in-your-face and drenched in soul-and-blues."