Beer, band, tent
The previous edition of Master Magazine was all about summer. Together with our colleague Jeroen Platenkamp and his band, we hit the road to the festival Reurpop in Ruurlo, Gelderland. Jeroen has been making music since primary school and often performs with his band Livin’Room, at various parties and festivals. So too at Reurpop. He talks about the origins of his musical hobby, playing in a band and the combination with working at SVgroup and at home on the farm.
That creates a bond!
When Jeroen had just left primary school, he and a few other boys started making music. ‘Back then it was just for fun and was
the quality wasn’t that good yet,’ Jeroen says, laughing. He continues: ‘When we were about 18/19 I started my current band and the approach became a bit more serious, like; “guys we want to put something down so we can perform”’. That’s where the current band Livin’Room was formed, consisting of
five band members who each have their own input and instruments. Jeroen is the band’s lead singer and plays a tambourine in between. ‘In the
in the beginning, I was quite excited to go on stage, but this got used to quickly. If you do it often enough,’ he says.
Sounds like music to the ears
For eight years, the band did the bookings themselves. The desire to perform on bigger stages grew and so it was decided to sign the band up with a booking agency. At corona time, the band was with a booking agency in Brabant, but this was not a match made in heaven. ‘We were then approached by the Helderop company of Ronnie Degen, the founder of the Zwarte Cross,’ Jeroen proudly explains. ‘Since January this year, it has been official that we fall under Helderop and then, of course, you end up in great places,’ he continues, beaming.
aaspop Schijndel, Midsummer Festival Bentelo and thus the Zwarte Cross, are not unknown territory for the band. They perform about 50 times a year, as it has to remain compatible with the weekday work of Jeroen and the other band members. Especially in summer, the weeks consist of multiple gigs and bookings. ‘Those are busy times for us, in that period we sometimes even have two or three bookings a week,’ Jeroen says. He continues: ‘We perform at many different places, from weddings and birthdays to big tent parties and festivals’. The band does select together where they will and will not perform, keeping in mind the band members’ other bookings, work and schedules. ‘We also had to pass up a great opportunity once because we already had another booking lined up. For instance, we had the opportunity to play as support act for Golden Earring, but couldn’t cancel the other gig. This was quite sour,’ he says.
Live from your Livin’Room
A sort of living room setting is always set up on stage, which is where the band’s name is derived from. The band is a semi-acoustic cover band and plays different kinds of music, mainly from the 60s (Rock ‘n Roll) such as Johnny Cash, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Elvis Presley. Music in dialect is also one of Jeroen’s favourites to play. ‘Jovink or Boh Foi Toch is fun to play. Lately you notice that that music works well in marquees,’ Jeroen laughs.
Van coming soon
‘We have our own band van, completely in the style of the band. With this we go to every gig together,’ says Jeroen. Every gig, a regular BOB comes along to help with everything, from building up to providing drinks during the gig. ‘He likes to come along and we are also happy not to have to drive back,’ jokes Jeroen.
Reuring at Reurpop
During Reurpop 2024, the band performed in the afternoon and evening. Here, we got to take a look behind the scenes and listen to their music live, together with lots of other festival-goers. The atmosphere was great, with people dancing, singing along and enjoying the songs the band played. ‘There are also some people who follow us a bit and have seen us perform many times,’ Jeroen says. ‘Sometimes they can even sing along with all the songs from A to Z,’ he adds, laughing.
Home sweet home
Jeroen lives with his girlfriend in Laren, next to his parents’ farm. Together with his parents and his little brother, he is part of the farm’s partnership. So this is where he can often be found helping out or jumping in during busy times. ‘During the week, of course, I work at SVgroup. What I do at work I can put into practice at home in the evenings and at weekends,’ Jeroen says with a laugh. So any time Jeroen has left over he tries to put into the business.
You can learn to combine
It is clear that sitting still is not for Jeroen; the trick is in finding the right balance. ‘Sometimes you’re on stage on Sunday night until two in the morning, so I’ll be a bit later on Monday,’ he laughs. He continues: ‘Fortunately, that’s also possible here, so that’s very nice!’ Because they have an agricultural business at home with Jeroen, a love for the sector has been instilled in them from an early age. ‘I’m mainly into mechanisation, tractors and technology. If I have nothing to do, just put me on the tractor, I like that!’, Jeroen says with a smile. ‘At one point I started doing HBO mechanical engineering and then I liked that. I just like tinkering,’ Jeroen says. During his studies, Jeroen had to do several internships, including his first at Schuitemaker. After completing his studies, he applied to the company again and successfully. ‘I applied for a position in the R&D department and I was hired. I have now been here for 8.5 years,’ he laughs. He continues: ‘I am still in my place here, working with nice colleagues and we work on beautiful machines. The atmosphere is informal, and if the work is not going well, the colleagues always make up for it.’
Still the same song?
Plans for the future the band definitely has, but for now they will keep going like this first and see where the ship runs aground. ‘We are all in our 30s now, so what we can do we tackle. What the future holds beyond that will have to show,’ Jeroen concludes. ■
