In 1984 they performed for the first time during the TT night, for the past 25 years they are a regular guest on the market. The Asser band Dirty Boulevard is indispensable for the TT Festival. On Sunday they now traditionally close the festival. “No matter how some people get off the track, the audience always comes loyal to our performance,” laughs singer Barry van Urk.
When the violence of the TT nights is over, the city smells of scorched beer and the festival-goers have slept in their intoxication, Dirty Boulevard knows his annual moment of fame. On the market, when the races on the circuit are over, the TT festival closes with a pounding show full of rock classics.
Not a big stage for the band, but only an elevation. The audience almost dances around the band. Van Urk is already looking forward to it. “This is much nicer than a big stage. You have a quick contact with the public. It is all without fuss. No fences, no roof over our heads and never significant incidents. Much of the audience is ‘us know us’, but every year there is also a group of foreigners as standard.”
41 years ago Dirty Boulevard was still called Royal Relation. No tasty rock covers were played, but their own songs. “We were a member of Popas, the Asser Popcollectief in 1984,” Van Urk looks back. “At the time, a group presentation was done during the TT festival. We farted pods that evening, looked up to other bands enormously. It was a great honor to stand there.”
“In the following years we were regularly invited,” the singer continues. “We played in almost all places in the city. From the Rolderstraat to the Koopmansplein. It has always been a party for us. I don’t think there is another Asser Band that has performed more often during the TT.”
Where the band was a sought after guest at the TT Festival in the 80s and 90s, the popularity has grown enormously from 2000. Thanks to a tip from a local pub boss, who saw his pub drain.
“We played on the market as a Royal Relation 25 years ago in café The Old Dutch. That went so fast that the pub was completely empty,” Van Urk remembers. Pub boss Albert Smit then asked the band if they could also play more famous songs. There a new band name arose: Dirty Boulevard, cover band of sturdy rock songs.
“First we played inside, then we went outside and in recent years we play as standard on Sunday afternoon. Next Sunday we will play again with the big line -up and classics of The Cult, Lou Reed, the Stones and some less well -known Dutch bands will pass by.”
And the rest of the weekend? Even then you can find the men in the city. Drinking a beer and having fun. “But nowadays a little quieter than before,” says Van Urk. On Sunday the band members are at least fit. The performance starts at 8 p.m.