Nicky and the Shouts

Where it all began, an interview with Garry Wiltens

Garry Wiltens is the bassist of Nicky and the Shouts, one of the most popular beat bands in Groningen and the surrounding area from the mid-sixties. Pop archive editor Gerard Groothuis spoke to him in March 2008 about his experiences with this band. See Interview below:

Interview with Garry Wiltens by Gerard Groothuis, March 2008

Garry Wiltens is the bassist of Nicky and the Shouts, one of the most popular beat bands in Groningen and the surrounding area from the mid-sixties. There are a lot of performances during that time and there is national fame. Pop archive editor Gerard Groothuis spoke to him in March 2008 about his experiences with this band. Pop archive editor Gerhard Jansema and Shouts guitarist Bert van der Woude are also present.

Introduction

The Hoofdstraat in Hoogezand has been the permanent home of Mr Garry Wiltens for fifteen years. On his website he advertises himself as Garry Wiltens Komforthus, a specialist in Swedish construction. However, we come for a different subject, namely music. The current contractor Wiltens was part of one of Groningen's best-known beat bands Nicky and the Shouts in the 1960s.

Garry beams as he shows us some record covers. Don't Be A Fool, written by Roel Hemmes, and Tears Inside by the duo Jans/Bol sound through the living room. These are the most famous songs of this band. Garry, who was bass guitarist at the time, clearly enjoys it when he lets us hear these songs. Youth sentiment and... there goes the doorbell. Bert van der Woude presents himself with a bag full of photo albums. Wiltens and Van der Woude have not spoken to each other for a long time. The do-you-remember stories are on fire.

Wiltens suggests that we sit together at the large kitchen table. There the photo albums are opened and the black and white photos guarantee exciting events. Old times and facts are relived.

School orchestra

Garry Wiltens initially started with The Rocking Tigers with classmates Eddy Korma, Reini Hoofd and neighbor Lou Leeuw. They all go to school in the Indische Buursmaschool (the Brugsmaschool) and under the influence of their teacher Bil Venema (known for the series: Blikspuit, which has appeared for years in Nieuwsblad van het Noorden) they become enthusiastic about music around the age of 12. This resulted in a school orchestra. Primitive musical instruments such as a kazoo and harmonica are played and Eddie Korma plays drums on cans. However, the band continues to rehearse and everyone gets better. This created Little John & The Rocking Tigers.

Musical chairs

Because Garry Wiltens never performs with The Rocking Tigers and Nico Jans (ex-Nicky and the New Sounds) appears on the scene, a new group is founded called Nicky & The Running Beat. This band consists of Garry Wiltens, Nico Jans (Nicky) supplemented with musicians from Delfzijl.

The equipment is financed with the help of father Jans, but due to chronic failure to meet payment obligations, Nicky and the Running Beat quickly ceases to exist.

The equipment is properly arranged when the boys from Nicky and the Running Beat decide to play together with the boys from The Gold Stars (Bert van der Woude, Herman Wolters, Ger (Gijs) Bol and Lukas Kruizenga). Nicky and the Shouts was created on November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. This news is learned at the moment that the redundant singer of the Gold Stars is fired.

The Groningen Cliff Richard

The first performances of Nicky and the Shouts take place in the youth center on Violenstraat. Gijs plays bass guitar, but not on Sundays and when - if it suits him - he plays rhythm guitar, Garry strengthens the band on bass guitar. At the end of 1965, when Herman Wolters left, Gijs started playing rhythm guitar exclusively and Garry became the permanent bassist.

Nicky and the Shouts mainly play repertoire from Cliff Richard and the Shadows, because Nico Jans has a very good voice for that. He is also called the Groningen Cliff Richard. The band also plays a lot of work by The Searchers, Ivy Leaque and The Hollies. So it is mainly civilized music with an important role for the singer. Rehearsals take place at the Schuitendiep in a room of a cleaning company (a condemned house).

The first professional steps

For performances, a van is often rented or sometimes a more luxurious means of transport such as a Chevrolet with a trailer. After a performance at Bruinsma in Appelscha, it turns out during the return journey (in the Assen area) that the trailer including the uninsured brand new Ludwig drum set is missing. It is feared that the trailer ended up in the Smildervaart, but it is not too bad: it is still in Appelscha.

Promotion for performances is provided by the band members themselves. Illegal posters are quickly pasted everywhere from a Volkswagen van. When moving from one location to another due to a disturbance, Gijs Bol falls through the swinging doors in a sharp bend with his bucket full of wallpaper paste. He also ends up in jail once.

There are a lot of performances and in the meantime a gramophone record is being recorded. Roel Hemmes, owner of music and record house Hemmes, has contacts with record companies. He wrote the first single Don't Be A Fool for Nicky and the Shouts. The recording process is in the hands of Addie Kleingeld, who works with Heintje, The Scorpions (England) and Gert Timmerman, among others. Nicky and the Shouts is the first Groningen beat orchestra to record a single (1965).

On the air

It is beneficial for the local popularity of the single that Roel Hemmes has jukeboxes left and right in the city and Ommelanden that he also supplies, so that all gramophone records of Nicky and the Shouts can be heard everywhere.

The newspaper advertises with the slogan: Nicky and the Shouts: known for their light show. This light show is a novelty for this era, created by a certain Rob van der Wal who works at the technical parts store Radio Crescendo. A wireless system will also be introduced at that time. People carry a box with a transmitter built into it.

At one point during a performance in Het Wapen van Leiden in Vries, someone enters with the excited announcement: “Guys, you are on the radio!!!” It turns out that the transmitter on stage transmits the sound to the wavelength of the radio receivers in the area.

On Queen's Day

On Queen's Day 1966, Nicky and the Shouts performed on the packed Grote Markt for thousands of people after the tattoo. In order to play to the crowds on the Grote Markt, large, heavy, water-cooled amplifiers are used, which are normally rented by Radio Crescendo to Eelde Airport to scare away birds. The stage sound is amplified by Rob van der Wal via large speakers and various loudspeaker systems connected to lampposts.

Heyday

This is 1966, it is the orchestra's heyday. It is a busy time with a lot of performances: on Friday evening, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and also on Sunday evening.

Nicky and the Shouts currently perform with nationally known artists such as Shirley, Connie van Bergen, the Wama's, Imca Marina and Willeke Alberti. The latter show is organized by the then well-known Groningen impresario Herman Rinket in the Grand Theater.

Furthermore, performances are mainly held in the large dance halls in the region, such as: Zaal Dommering in Winschoten, Hotel van Hemmen in Gasselte, De IJzeren Klap in Musselkanaal, Dancing Vreedewold in Midwolda, De Drie Provinciën in Leek, Zaal Milius in Sappemeer, Het Wapen van Leiden in Vries, Hotel Dopper in Stadskanaal, Daddle Doofy in Groningen, Parkzicht in Veendam, Zaal Boonstra in Peize, De Kuper in Gorredijk, Café Boelens in Annen, Staalstra in Harkstede, Tropifauna in Heerenveen, Het Sprookjeshof and De Gouden Leeuw en de Prins Bernard Hoeve in Zuidlaren.

Nicky and the Shouts play at the Prins Bernard Hoeve as support act for the extremely popular British singer Dave Berry. There are also several performances in the winter residence of Circus Toni Boltini in Soesterberg.

From Concertzaal de Jong, Herman Rinket organizes And now…Groningen. This program is broadcast by Vara radio. Nicky & the Shouts perform together with The Scarlet Pimpernels and the world famous Tango and Rumba orchestra of Malando (Ole Guapa). Also in 1965, Nicky and the Shouts appeared on national radio in the AVRO radio program Van, for and by amateurs.

Unexpected visit

The boys of Nicky and the Shouts are becoming increasingly popular. During a performance on the German Wadden island of Norderney, the band members contact German female fans: “If you are ever near Groningen… come and visit us.” A week later they show up on our doorstep completely unexpectedly. To the dismay of the parents of the band members, the ladies are taken care of as best they can at the musicians' homes and in hotels in the city.

Opportunity missed

Following the release of the new gramophone record Tears Inside, which is selling well at Joost den Draaijer's company, a number of promotional performances are planned in the Gooi (including in the Singer Concert Hall in Laren and for television in the youth programs Moef Ga Ga and Tween). This is the opportunity for Nicky and the Shouts, it has to happen!

But due to disciplinary measures against singer Nico Jans in the army (severe seven days), the performances in the Gooi and on television cannot take place. Even Groningen mayor Berger still mediates between the band and the army, but to no avail. Actually they missed their chance there! The Scorpions from England are flown in and take their place and get their mega hit: Hello Josephine.

There will still be performances in Top of Flop, Herman Stok's popular show. And there are performances throughout the country together with De Toreros, Trea Dobbs, Karin Kent and André van Duin.

In recent years

After the departure of Nicky (Nico Jans) in 1968, the band's name was shortened to The Shouts. The music becomes a bit rougher, and thanks to the slightly rougher voice of the new singer Bert van der Woude, it moves more in the direction of the Spencer Davis Group. Of course, times also change.

The Shouts are often played for student associations such as Mutua Fides and Vera. The famous 'Pief' Gerritsen and later Alco de Groot took part in keyboards for some time. Later Rik Zaal (keyboards) and later Appie Alberts (sax) joined and the name was changed to Band of Hope and Glory in 1969. The music is now jazzy and rhythm and blues-like.

Bas Hartong still joins on organ and vocals (a bit à la The Rolling Stones), but things go wrong when Appie Alberts refuses to rehearse: “rehearsing is for people who can't do it”.

There is still a performance in Utrecht during the pop event: A Flight to Lowlands Paradise, but the motivation is lacking and things are getting messy. The band is also mockingly called 'Band of Despair and Faded Glory' and after the departure of Garry Wiltens, the band that started in 1963 as Nicky and the Shouts was dissolved in the course of 1969.

Interview from the Poparchief Groningen Visit here: Poparchief Groningen