B.G.K.

B.G.K., short for Balthasar Gerards Kommando, were an Amsterdam hardcore punk band formed in 1982 out of the remains of The Nitwitz. The original Nitwitz line-up had been active since the late 1970s, but by 1982 singer Eric Pieters had left to join Outrageous, leaving the remaining members to start over with a new name and a much faster, more politically charged approach. René van de Meer, Tony Leeuwenburgh and Marcel Verhoeven formed the core of the new band, with Steven Walraven joining on bass during the early period. 

 
The name Balthasar Gerards Kommando referred to Balthasar Gérard, the assassin of William of Orange in 1584. It was deliberately chosen for its provocative anti-monarchist meaning and fitted the band's increasingly political outlook. Rather than following the British Oi! direction that was becoming prominent in parts of the European punk scene, B.G.K. looked towards the emerging American hardcore sound, with bands such as MDC, D.O.A., Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys among their influences. The result was a much faster and harder style built around sharp guitar riffs, short songs and politically minded lyrics. 

 
B.G.K. were closely connected to Amsterdam's squat-based punk network, where bands organised their own shows, recorded and distributed their own music and maintained a strong DIY infrastructure. They also helped run shows at the Emma squat, a venue that became an important meeting point for the Dutch and international hardcore crowd. Their activities went beyond simply playing gigs, with benefit shows and other forms of scene organisation forming part of their approach. 

 
Their first major release was the LP 'Jonestown Aloha!' in 1983, issued in the United States by Radical Records. They had already appeared on several international and Dutch compilations, and their profile grew quickly outside the Netherlands. 'The White Male Dumbinance' 7-inch followed in 1984, while 'Nothing Can Go Wrogn!' appeared in 1986 on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. These records helped establish B.G.K. as one of the more internationally visible bands to emerge from the Dutch hardcore scene. 

 
The band also became heavily involved in international touring. They made two US tours, in 1984 and 1986, and toured mainland Europe at least five times during the period. The first American trip in 1984 was arranged with help from their manager Wouter and saw B.G.K. sharing stages with various figures from the American hardcore scene. Their extensive touring helped connect the Amsterdam scene with punk and hardcore communities across Europe, Britain and the United States. 

 
There was a significant line-up change in 1985 when Steven Walraven left. Tony Leeuwenburgh moved from bass to guitar, while Mathijs Houwink took over the bass. Houwink had to learn the band's extremely fast repertoire in a very short time, giving the group a new three-piece configuration alongside René and Marcel. By the later period, Tony was also handling vocals, and an interview from around 1987 describes B.G.K. operating as a three-piece while looking for a new singer. 

 
The lyrics dealt with subjects such as war, religion, drugs, political authority, corporations and the social pressures that the band felt interfered with independent thinking. Their song “Regering (Krijg de Tering)” became an example of their direct political approach, while the band's anti-authoritarian attitude was also reflected in the way they organised shows and distributed records. 

 
B.G.K. continued touring and recording through the second half of the 1980s before splitting in 1988. Tony Leeuwenburgh remained active in the Dutch punk world afterwards, becoming involved with projects including Loveslug and a later incarnation of The Nitwitz, as well as working as a touring musician. B.G.K.'s recorded legacy was later gathered on a double-LP discography issued by Alternative Tentacles in 1999, bringing their studio recordings together in one collection.