I am a passionate music lover since a very young age. Born and living in The Netherlands, I grew up in a musical family. Kate Bush enchanted me when I was 11 years old but I also started to listen to Van Halen, Riot and soon after I became a huge KISS fan as well. The minute I started high school, the door went wide open to be part of the rise of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene and the hard rock and heavy metal scene in general during those roaring early 80s. I’ve been a metal head ever since. I listen to rock, metal, hair metal, prog metal, extreme metal and everything else that is appealing to me, but I also enjoy new wave and post-punk music a lot.

I’ve been active as a bass player and vocalist for over 30 years, played in numerous unknown rock and metal bands, but I’ve also been part of Cirrha Niva, Dial, Ayreon, Epysode and Robby Valentine.

I’ve always had a passion for writing and wanted to become a music journalist as long as I can remember. After working for several underground magazines for a few years, I became a music journalist for Dutch #1 printed Rock & Metal Magazine Aardschok in 1997, which I still enjoy doing.

I also hosted and produced the weekly rock & metal radio show Arrow High Voltage! on Dutch National radio station Arrow Classic Rock, from February 2011 until September 2016. With HeadBangers LifeStyle I want to support the rock and metal scene on my own creative terms. Thank you for supporting HBLS and ROCK ON!

I remember being a teenager the first single I bought was AC/DC - ,,Whole Lotta Rosie'' and I was blown away by it. After that, I started collecting all the metal and rock vinyl I could put my hands on and started following the news about the people behind it. That never changed only now I'm working with and for the people I was a fan of to start with.

Music always has been an important part of my life. As long as I can remember I've been a fan of rock music. I never felt the need to pick up an instrument myself, but writing about it was another story so I became a co-owner of Dutch metal magazine Meltdown, later also owner of a mail-order company and promotion and marketing representative for various big rock labels.

I'm still a journalist for Dutch #1 rock magazine Aardschok and since a while co-owner of HeadBangers LifeStyle. Our goal is to built a global platform to bring rock fans from all over the world together and inform them about trends, hypes, hotspots around the world with the help of those same fans.

Ambitious? You bet it is, but it is also a real cool challenge.

It started for me when I saw Jimi Hendrix on TV in the sixties. I was fascinated by his style, music and the way he played guitar. Way ahead of his time. Later I discovered bands like Rush, Heart, Blue Oyster Cult, UFO and Lynyrd Skynyrd and so many others. In 1980 I was one of the co-founders of Aardschok magazine. For a number of years I was involved with the magazine.

I also managed some Dutch bands like Highway Chile, Helloïse and Martyr. When I moved to Australia in 2007 I became a follower of rock and metal and saw my music collection grow and grow. Because I am old school I rather buy a rock/metal CD or DVD than download something. I am still as passionate about heavy music as I was before and that will never ever change.

Born in 1974 in the South of the Netherlands. My older brother introduced me to bands like Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Judas Priest, when I was 8 years old. And from that point on my interest in hard rock/ heavy metal music was there.

I started playing guitar when I was thirteen. Performing was/and still is a big part of me and I played in Rotterdam based Wild Ride, on Mennen’s `Age of Fools’ & formed the band Sustain and released the album `This is Now’.

I also was a volunteer at the Kajuit and later on with Rock Justice and started to work as a stage hand/roadie. This gave me a chance to help organize concerts, see the other side of being on the road, get to know a lot of bands and meet lots of people in the music business. And in some cases meet friends for life.

It was also an opportunity to see great deal of great bands come and go over the years! 

The creative site of designing logo’s, artwork etc. was something I always did for the bands I have played in and later on I got the chance to also use this craft on a business level. This resulted eventually in the start of my own company RH-Design. Four years ago I made the choice to start making the pictures for my business myself. Photography combined with my passion for music, is why I made the choice to get involved with concert photography.

My top 3 live concerts (to this date): Sixx:A.M.- Tivoli Utrecht 2016 , Gotthard – ViaRockFestival 1994 & the Monsters of Rock festival Dortmund Westfalenhalle 1992 (with AC/DC, Metallica, Queensrÿche & the Black Crowes).

On my 15th birthday my mom gave me two rock albums: `Billion Dollar Babies’ (Alice Cooper) and `Close To The Edge’ (Yes) and from that moment on I have been addicted to rock music. Later on I discovered bands like Rush, Queensrÿche and Dream Theater and since 1988 I have been a music reporter for several magazines, like Aardschok, Rock Tribune, WATT, FRET, Stage, Lust For Life Magazine and a couple of websites. After all these years I still enjoy going to gigs and festivals, write reviews and have interviews with “notorious” musicians; the most interesting interview was with Steven Tyler in Boston by the way… My favourite bands are still Rush, Dream Theater and Yes and I honestly think that if a man is tired of rock/metal music he is tired of life!!

Born and raised in Zürich, Switzerland in the late 70s, my first infection with rock music was at home by my dad. While listening to Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and The Doors he couldn’t even imagine what he did to me. Hendrix was my inspiration to grab a guitar and rock the shit out of it.

Checking out Michael Jackson and old school hip hop in the late 80s, I found my true destiny in 1991, when I got hit by the Seattle Grunge scene.
Since then, I’m an obsessed music collector for all kinds of genres, most probably rock and metal music but open minded for everything that touches my soul.
Being a guitar player (ex Soul Strip, ex-Mephistosystem, Five Rusty Horizons), a former radio host, rock DJ, stage presenter for Switzerland’s Greenfield Festival, writer for Switzerland’s Rockstar Magazine, moderator for Music Pub TV and all overall passionate music lover, my path brought me to Headbangers Lifestyle by coincidence.
Glad to be part of the team and I'm sure my participation will be for your pleasure.
All time favourite bands: Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Mother Love Bone, White Zombie, Nine Inch Nails, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, Ugly Kid Joe, Temple Of The Dog, Shinedown, KISS, Pantera….

As a fan of classic rock and metal in its widest variety I love to discover new bands and styles. Music is my engine and keeps me rolling onwards in life. I love to share my views on modern day rock and metal. Working with writers that triggered me as a reader of Aardschok Magazine is making my writing for HBLS going full circle. With the recent editorial addition of Food + Beverages I can also add my share of rock’s lifestyle as a craftbeer enthusiast. Hailing from the Dutch south I embraced the love for good food and fine taste, sharing it with you all and connecting it with music wherever possible.

Johanne James is drummer for the famous British progressive metal band Threshold and as well known as singer and drummer for power trio Kyrbgrinder. The Classic Rock Society has awarded Johanne five times as `Best Drummer’. This phenomenal and super kind musician likes to share his thoughts and opinion with you!

Born and raised in Culemborg, The Netherlands and as long as I can remember I’ve been a huge fan of music. My love for Heavy Rock started in the summer of '79 when KISS had their first massive smash hit with ,,I Was Made For Lovin' You’’ in most of the parts in Europe and it didn't took long before I started to get into other Hard and Heavy Rock bands such as Iron Maiden, Raven, Accept at the likes. By the time it was '82 I considered myself a dedicated Hard Rock-fan!

I feel very fortunate that I've witnessed the rise of Thrash Metal in the early 80s and I still hold very dear memories to that particular period in time. By the end of 1989 I've discovered a fresh new band by the name of Dream Theater and to make a long story short; me and with some dear friends ended up running their official International Fan Club for some ten years. It was during these years that my musical taste started to become more divers and nowadays my musical taste ranges literally from ABBA to Zappa and anything in-between as long as it touches my heart. My all time favourite bands are; Queen, Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Marillion, Opeth and any band that has Mike Portnoy behind the drums ;-)

I was born in the summer of 69 in the south of Holland, the City of Geleen to be precise, home ground to the famous Pinkpop Festival. I am a die-hard music fanatic and a free-lancer for several Dutch printed magazines since the nineties. Since 2000 I have been writing for Aardschok Magazine, which without doubt is the ultimate printed ‘heavy’ magazine to write for in the Lowlands. Proud to be part of that team still! Being able to promote the music we all love so dearly is not something I take for granted. Lending Headbangers Lifestyle my helping hand occasionally only seems a natural thing to do. My musical influences and preferences are wide. My first purchase ever was the  ‘Wunderbar’ single by British semi-punkers Tenpole Tudor but these days I hardly connect to happy singalong anymore. On the contrary; melancholy and dark sinister settings are my favourite musical spheres. Bands like The Kinks and KISS paved the way for me as a 10 year old. In 1983 at age 14, I saw Maiden, Ozzy, Scorpions, Priest, Leppard and more at the notorious Rockpop festival; a line up that was never topped. Monsters Of Rock in 1984 came close though with AC/DC, Van Halen, Gary Moore, Accept, Mötley Crüe and Dio. Hardrock and metal ruled my life until Zakk Wylde put me on the path of southern rock giants Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band, which to date belong to my all-time favourites. Southern rock then led to the next thing; blues and American roots music. It is often said that taste buttons develop by the years. I could not agree more. My love for hardrock and metal will never die.  On the contrary, since my taste for extreme metal only seems to grow but American roots music is affecting me more and more as well. I feel blessed with these extremes. When asked for my favourites in rock/metal, the answer too could differ day by day. It all depends on the mood I am in. But Alice In Chains, Allman Brothers, Deep Purple, Gov’t Mule, King’s X, Nevermore and Watain will probably always be mentioned.