Singer Huub van der Lubbe (69) stops with De Dijk. This marks the end of the band that was founded in Amsterdam after 41 years. Van der Lubbe announced his departure on Wednesday on in de Volkskrant and in a press release. He is playing his last tour this summer. Then he wants to do other things.
Van der Lubbe said he wanted to stop several times. Previously, the band always found a solution that kept them together, but the lead singer says in de Volkskrant that life with De Dijk no longer offers him enough surprises. In addition, the long-term problems with his hearing are an important reason to stop. Van der Lubbe suffers from tinnitus and, according to himself, regularly wonders whether the ringing in his ear has not gotten worse. That is “an affliction” that he no longer wants.
The other band members say they respect his decision, but would rather have continued. They think it is “very unfortunate” that De Dijk is stopping. Van der Lubbe says in de Volkskrant to understand them. “One side of me also says that we have to keep going until the last gasp. But hey, I’m 69. You don’t have seven lives, you don’t even have two.”
De Dijk started in 1981 in Amsterdam. The band gained fame with hits such as ‘Blooded Heart’, ‘When She’s Not There’ and ‘Mag the Lights Out’. Last year, in honor of its 40th anniversary, the group received the Andreaspenning from Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema. De Dijk has won prizes such as the Zilveren Harp, the Golden Harp, the Edison Oeuvreprijs and the Popprijs.