The Pit’s aficionados performing @ Vort’n Vis

Around the same time of the conception of the Vort’n Vis, an ‘indie’ pub was set up in Kortrijk: The Pits (Actually it’s The Pit’s). People that frequented it and the bands that they invited were not necessarily hardcore/punk but there was an overlap…

From their history-writing: >> November 1^st 1988 Het Rond Vierkant [a local pub/hang-out] was officially buried but some of the loyal customers united in a non-profit organisation called Bang Zoom Noise (B.Z.N.) and opened their own pub, The Pits. The first intention was to organise concerts.<<

After cooperations with the local Limelight and De Kreun (commercial concert-places), and the 4AD in Diksmuide, B.Z.N. found themselves forced to organise their own space. This continues, even today… Check ‘m out on the www!

Some people that were active in and around the non-profit organisation that was the foundation for The Pits were also doin’ other sub-cultural stuff. On the local Radio Solar there was e.g. a 3h program called Blitzkrieg Bop (hosted by Joost Dierick, I believe) that highlighted mainly “alternative music” (info, theme-programs, ‘specials’) and lasted until it got banned (early 90s). They also did a free monthly newsletter that would evolve (I think) into the Pitstop (that you got free with a membership).

Within the boundaries of B.B. a man named Peter Arthur Caesens (“the local buffoon and author of bestsellers”; as Edward Verhaeghe described him in the 1^st issue of his zine Do It) was given the opportunity to do a 1h guest-appearance that he filled with “ranting and blustering”…

P.A.C. was a bit of a cult-figure in the Kortrijk area. He also performed at the Vort’n Vis a few times… On his website he calls himself an artist, poet, dancer, composer and performer.

Joost Dierick told me he had already been on stage with P.A.C.’s choir ‘Consortium Musicae Perversae’ at a gig with ‘Chronic Disease’ (90-02-24). ‘Bowy’ (Dirk Bauwens, one of the founding-fathers of The Pits) described these once as “the Dadaist realisation of the combined wet dreams of P.A.C. & Sid Veritas”…

Brob

I did 3 appearances, I think… Once I did a solo-act where I danced to the music of Bartok’s first concerto for piano, if I remember well… It was on a kind of international festival on a Sunday-afternoon; I believe it was a Straight-Edge concert [96-08-18; see guestbook-entry].

“On behalf of the institute for ponamology and as commander of the underground Revolutionary Military Forces for the promotion of Artisitc Muzak” [PONAM = Permanent ONterecht Afgewezen Minnaar; Permanantly Unfairly Rejected Lover]

But most legendary were the 2 performances with the vocal ensemble ‘Consortium Musicae Perversae’ (that originated at The Pits); under my direction. The first time there were a lot of people and they were stage-diving. The second time there was hardly no audience and one of my singers (‘Herr Brunkel’) was pretty drunk. He tumbled of the stage with a full glass of Duvel. The Consortium could’ve become a hype, if only the singers would have persevered a bit. The composition changed many times – upto 4 times over the years. ‘Sid Veritas’ (Thierry Meerschman), ‘Herr Brunkel’ (Christoph Bruneel); also Dirk ‘Bowy Bauwens in the beginning… We sang (a capella) our own kooky adaptations of a diversity of things (the midieval Carmina Burana, Bach, Boyce, folk-tunes and pure improvisation)…

Here’s a quote of my friend Herr Brunkel (February 2014): “Gig of the Consortium @ Vort’n Vis: full moon, poor organisation because unannounced concert, resulting in = public nihil. The singing incredibly out of tune, like a cat (not bad with a rotten fish – Vort’n Vis – dish) with a full moon of Duvels for ‘Brunkel’ and ‘blue clouds’ for Sid Veritas’…”

‘Ugly Papas’? I toured 2 years with them… Perhaps I played with them in the Vort’n Vis?

Peter Caesens

It was my idea to invite P.A.C. He also read from his own work, I believe. Happened at a few fests that I was involved with…

Edward Verhaeghe

The ‘Ugly Papas’ (also from the Kortrijk area) were in the final of Humo’s Rock Rally in 1990. They played “non-conventional, decadent but tight blues-rock with humour”. The band consisted of Dick Descamps (bass), Dr. Dekerpel (guitar), Luc Dufourmont (vocals; ex ‘Two Russian Cowboys’ – these had already performed at a Smurfpunx-gig: 88-10-23) and Eric ‘Rik’ Debruyne (drums). Did they perform here or just visit?

Brob

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