The Ex

Konkurrel/Konkurrent

Nieuwendammerkade 62
1025 LZ AMSTERDAM
T  020-6844153
E  info@konkurrent.nl
W  www.konkurrent.nl

Terp Records

Postbus 635
1000 AP AMSTERDAM
E  terp@theex.nl
W  www.terprecords.nl

The Ex

Punk rock band that originated in the squatters' movement, but went on to play improvised music, blues, jazz, guitar noise and folk.
Full biography

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Members

Katrin Bornefeld   drums, percussie, zang
Terrie Hessels   gitaar
Arnold de Boer   elektronica, gitaar, zang
Andy Moor   gitaar

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Former members

John Van De Weert  
Wim ter Weele   drums
Jos Kley   zang
Luc Klaasen   basgitaar
Geurt van Gisteren   drums
René de Groot   basgitaar
Bas Masbeck   basgitaar
Nicolette Schuurman   gitaar
Joke Laarman   basgitaar
Han Buhrs   zang
Sabien Witteman   drums
Tom Cora   cello
Rozemarie Heggen   contrabas
Full list... Summarized list

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News archive

Benefiet voor gitarist Joep Pelt in de Melkweg (3/7/12) 
25ste aflevering ZomerJazzFietsTour (8/23/11) 
Bijzondere ontmoetingen op openingsavond DJWM (11/9/10) 
Bijzondere ontmoetingen op openingsavond DJWM (11/9/10) 
Joep Pelt in Ethiopië deel 6 en 7 (11/9/09) 
Presentatie van Han Bennink: De wereld als trommel (9/30/09) 
The Ex presenteert vijf projecten in Ethiopië (4/16/09) 
More results Less results

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Concerts & Festivals

by Podiuminfo / Festivalinfo

6/7/12, Robodock, Amsterdam
7/9/12, Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, Benicàssim

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Biography The Ex

Punk rock band that originated in the squatters' movement, but went on to play improvised music, blues, jazz, guitar noise and folk.

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1979

The Ex is formed.

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1980

The Ex releases its first EP.

A4 Rondos

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1981

The Ex is very active in the squatters' movement where they perform on a regular basis.

Svätsox

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1982

The album History Is What's Happening comes out.

De Kift

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1983

Dignity Of Labour comes out. The album Tumult and the 12" Gonna Rob The Spermbank are released. The Ex tours the UK with Alerta and together they record The Red Dance Package 12".

Dolf Planteijdt

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1984

The double album Blueprints For A Blackout comes out. With Svätsox The Ex goes to Switzerland.

Morzelpronk

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1985

The Ex releases its new album Pokkeherrie ('Fucking Noise').

B.G.K.

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1986

1936: The Spanish Revolution is recorded.

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1987

The Ex records the double album Too Many Cowboys and goes on a tour of Eastern Europe. Under the name Antidote they record the single Destroy Fascism! with UK band Chumbawamba.

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1988

Hands Up! You're Free is released on Ex Records label. Aural Guerrilla is recorded in England with Jon Langford.

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1989

Intifada is released. In October The Ex leaves for the US where they will tour with NoMeansNo. In November the double album Joggers & Smoggers comes out.

Dog Faced Hermans Ensemble LOOS

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1990

The Ex and Scottish band Dog Faced Hermans release the Treat cassette tape. The first ever The Ex CD comes out: Dead Fish, a 3" CD.

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1991

The compilation cassette Ample is released. Scrabbling At The Lock is the first of two albums that The Ex records with cellist Tom Cora. The press is unanimously positive and the album becomes the best selling album in the band's history.

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1992

The Ex is awarded the BV Popprijs ('Pop Prize') '91.

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1993

The band records another album with Tom Cora: And The Weathermen Shrug Their Shoulders. This time they also tour together.

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1994

The Ex records It's All Too Beautiful.

Nasmak

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1995

Mudbird Shivers is recorded. Dog Faced Hermans guitarist Andy Moor officially joins The Ex. The double CD Instant and the cassette tape Ample 2 are released.

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1996

The band takes a year off.

Osdorp Posse

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1997

The book Ex-rated is published. In May the album 1936 - The Spanish Revolution is re-released.

Kletka Red

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1998

They sign to US label Touch & Go and record a new album with producer Steve Albini. Sonic Youth asks The Ex to support them on their US tour.

Gore

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1999

The Ex celebrates its 20th anniversary and records a mini album with US band Tortoise.

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2000

Kletka Red, Andy Moors other band, releases a new album.

Ab & Terrie

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2001

The studio album Dizzy Spells is released. Een Rondje Holland ('A Tour of Holland') is a registration of a show by the Ex Orkest ('Ex Orchestra').

4Walls

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2002

The Ex enhanced with drummer Han Bennink plays a series of special concerts in Ethiopia, while its former drummer Kat accompanies Czech violinist/singer Iva Bittova on tour.

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2003

Contrabassist Rozemarie Heggen replaces bass player Luc Klaasen, who leaves the band after 19 years. Previously Heggen, who hails from modern classical music, already played with the Ex, which through the years has ventured into different musical directions. Also, the year before she cut an album with Terrie, the band's guitarist. In the spring the band embarks on an international tour in the spring, including Italy, France, the US and Eritrea. Additionally, the band is preparing the release of a CD and the publication of a picture book about its Ethiopian tour in January 2002. Next year the Ex will celebrate its 25th anniversary. In the summer the band starts rehearsing with theatre group Alex d'Electrique for a 2004 theatre show. In the fall the band tours France and does various gigs in England and Ireland.

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2004

The Ex leaves for (southern) Ethiopia for the second time. According to the band it is the first time a band from the West plays the region. The band performs on national television and also gives a workshop at the Yared Music School. The Ex celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and the band not only plays its own songs but also songs by their favourite Ethiopian singers. A specially for the Ethiopian market released cassette contains songs from the band's new CD, recorded with Steve Albini, on one side and on the other side Ethiopian songs performed by the Ex. The double album Turn (recorded in September 2003) contains guest appearances by French writer of nonsense rhymes Anne-James Chaton, British saxophonist John Butcher, Mingiedi Mawangu (in Theme From Konono) and Jimmy Langford (son of Jon Langford of Mekons and The Waco Brothers). The words to IP Man are based on lyrics by the late great troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk. On November 19 and 20 the Ex celebrates its 25th anniversary with a two-day festival in Paradiso Amsterdam.

Cornelis Vreeswijk

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2005

In March Rozemarie Heggen leaves the band. She is temporarily replaced by bassist Massimo from the Italian band Zu and by Colin McLean (Dog Faced Hermans). Together with theatre group d'Electrique The Ex performs its rendition of A Clockwork Orange, directed by Ola Mafaalani. The CD In The Event is recorded together with the French sound poet Anne James Chaton. The album features the rhythmically oriented, thirty minute-long experimental piece Événement No 19 and a remix by Ex-guitarist Andy Moore of the title track that was first released on the album Turn. The track In The Event features British saxophone player John Butcher. The album Singles.Period, out as of September 5, contains all vinyl singles by the Ex, released between 1980 and 1990. After a few guest appearances in John Cale's band, Terrie Ex plays four gigs in Italy with improvisation group Original Silence, featuring Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Jim O' Rourke plus Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustaffson and US DJ Olive.

Dog Faced Hermans

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2006

Zea and Drive By Wire, Simone Holsbeek's new band (Cords, Telefunk), support The Ex on their Dutch shows. In February The Ex embarks on a 10-day French Tour. In April the band cuts a CD with Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria (1935). Around this time The Ex and Mekuria organise Ethiopian nights in Groningen, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Diksmuide (Belgium) plus Paris and Tourcoing (France). Guest musicians include Xavier Charles (clarinet), Joost Buis (trombone) and Brody West (alt saxophone). The Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed trio releases the album Takkabel on The Ex's sub label TERP. Around the summer the band tours Scandinavia, highlighted by a show at Denmark's renowned Roskilde festival. More European festival dates follow, among which Fusion-Berlin. World Domination is released in France. In September the band is flown in especially for a show in Chicago at the 25th anniversary of the band's US label Touch & Go. It is the 13th time that the band visits the US. In the fall the band plays live in Spain, France, Italy and Austria. In the latter three countries they play with singer Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed and his trio. The album Moa Anbessa, with Getatchew Mekuria, comes out in October. In the same month Terrie cuts an album with drummer Han Bennink. On November 25 Terrie and Katrin team up with Xavier Charles and Michael Vatcher at the Southern Jazz festival in Eindhoven. Andy makes Music for theatre piece Heaven Above Berlin by Theatre Company Amsterdam, a co-production with Boston's Repertory Theatre. In December the Ex returns to the US for an East Coast tour. During this tour Andy and US DJ Rupture perform together at New York's Tonic. They also work together on an album. In December Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed dies of pneumonia.

Drive By Wire

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2007

The presentation of the CD Moa Anbessa in Addis Ababa in January is videoed. Terrie and vocal artist Jaap Blonk embark on a French tour in January. The DVD Building A Broken Mousetrap is a live registration by film director Jem Cohen. It contains the nine songs the Ex played at New York's Knitting Factory on September 11, 2004. In the spring the Ex plays in Scandinavia (seven shows in Norway and one in Sweden), France and Switzerland. In April Terrie and drummer Han Bennink release the CD Zeng! The duo is also involved in Transparancy Wolk No. 3, a live record on painter/drummer Rik van Iersel's label. Terrie contributes to the album The First Original Silence by Original Silence, a one one-off band featuring Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore. Guitarist Andy releases the solo album Solo Recordings '04-'06. He also releases a CD with French noise poet Anne-James Chaton plus a CD with Yannis Kyriakides. In May the Ex and theatre group d'Electrique embark together on the Clockwork Orange tour along the Dutch theatres. A documentary of the Getatchew/The Ex project from 2006, made by French director Stephane Jourdain, is released on DVD in September.

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2008

On 7, 8 and 9 May The Ex plays three shows during the 25th anniversary of Music Action, a leading festival in Vendoeuvre, France. The band plays with musicians and friends like John Butcher, DJ Rupture, Clayton Thomas, Afework Negussie, Han Bennink, Wolter Wierbos, Joost Buis, Xavier Charles, Brodie West, dancer Melaku Belay and Getatchew & Guests. In May, The Ex and zea play several shows and workshops in Ethiopia with performances on at festival of the Alliance Francaise, the Hager Fekir Theatre, a music school for blind people and various night clubs. Between 29 May and 9 June The Ex & Getatchew Mekuria & Guests tour France and Switzerland. In August the entire crew travels to the US for a short tour of the East Coast. The tour ends in New York where the musicians have been invited by the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts to do a big show in Damrosch Park. Drummer/singer Kat and guitarist/singer Jon Langford (Mekons) record an album with folkpunk songs under the name Katjonband. The album is released on the American label Carrot Top Records.

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2009

After 29 years and 1371 gigs, Jos Kley alias G.W. Sok quits his job as singer in The Ex. He announces that he finds it increasingly difficult dedicate himself fully to the band and wants to focus on his work as a writer and graphic designer. The Ex goes on tour and Arnold de Boer from zea is Kley's replacement. In March and The Ililta Band kick off a European tour. One month later the band travels to Spain for shows in Barcelona and Madrid. De DVD The Convoy Tour: 25 Years Of The Ex includes a report of the anniversary tour through France. Andy Moor and Colin McLean release the CD Everything But The Beginning which includes shows of the period 2006/2007. The Ex celebrates its 30th anniversary with the release of a two CD compilation album. In the last week of December, The Ex organises for the third time the project The Ex Presents In Ethiopia. Under the name Saxophones, The Ex, tenor sax player Ken Vandermark from Chicago, Ab Baars and Friso Heidinga, perform together in Ethiopia. Also on the programme is a saxophone repair workshop.

zea

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2010

During the band's first British tour since 2003, The Ex is joined on stage by Brass Unbound, a horn section made up of Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Roy Paci and Wolter Wierbos. The tour kicks off on 29 January in Bristol and also takes the band to Dublin where the tour ends on 7 February. The first single the band has recorded with De Boer is vinyl single Maybe I Was The Pilot/Our Leaky Homes (March). The most important riff on the A-side of the single is an adaptation of a riff from a song by Ugandan musician Iganitiyo Ekacholi, the title of the flip side comes from the book Heat by British journalist George Monbiot. In March the band is in Steve Albini's studio in Chicago for recordings for the new album Catch My Shoe (September).

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Discography The Ex

In the discography you will find all recordings that have been released listed chronologically. We restrict ourselves to the title, the type of audio, year of publication or recording, label, list of guest musicians, plus any comments on the issue.

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Photos The Ex

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Video The Ex

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