Pink Project Band

Ruud is a huge Pink Floyd fan since the early seventies. His first live concert was Pink Floyd in Ahoy in 1977 and since then he has been completely infected with the Floyd virus. In 2004 he was asked to be lead guitarist at Pink Project, a role he plays with great passion all these years. In addition, he is now also the Roger Waters voice at Pink Project. As for reproducing the characteristic guitar sound of David Gilmour, this is an endless quest that never gets boring.

To approach that sound as closely as possible, Ruud plays the following equipment:

Guitars: Fender USA Custom Stratocaster Gilmour Relic blackstrat. Fender USA Stratocaster Candy Apple Red EMG DG pickups. Fender USA Telecaster. PRS John Mayer Silver Sky Stratocaster.

Amplifiers: Hiwatt Custom DR 504 ’74, Hiwatt DG Custom 100, Reeves Custom 50. 2 x Hiwatt Custom 50 Combo.

Cabinet: WEM Replicate 4 x 12″ cabinet Effects/pedals: Visual Volume pedal, Boss CS2 Compressor, MXR Dynacomp compressor, Electro Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff, Pete Cornish P1, Buffalo Evolution overdrive, Buffalo Powerboost, Boss BD2, MXR 90 Phaser, Strymon Timeline Delay, Boss CE2 Chorus, Lehle parallel mixer, Electric Mistress Flanger, TC Nova Delay, Yamaha RA 200 Rotary, Digitech Whammy 5, MXR Talkbox.

When he was 13, Arjan sat with his nose glued to the window of a slightly older neighbor. He had a drum kit!  From that moment on, he knew one thing for sure: he wanted to play the drums. Until he was 15, he practiced himself silly in his room. His first band was a Stones cover band.               Arjan’s father drove him to every practice session.

In the past 40 years of making music, Arjan has learned the following:

Making music is something you do with passion

Don’t try to make a living from it

The chemistry between the band members has to be OK

As far as Arjan is concerned, making music is a lot like sex

Arjan: “When Pink Project approached me in 2006, I had to think hard. I was absolutely not a Pink Floyd expert. After a summer vacation where I only listened to Floyd on my MP3 player, I performed at  Zuiderpark and Omniversum, I was sold. The chemistry with the other band members, the professional approach to the concerts and Floyd’s music have had their effect. A nice side effect; my wife Linda has been a huge Floyd fan for years. So things are going well at home too.”

Gio’s biggest dream came true when he became the keyboard player at Pink Project in 2012. “To be honest, I had never done anything concrete with Pink Floyd music until then. I didn’t have any Floyd CDs in my collection either. But once you start, you understand more and more the magic and the way in which Pink Floyd created the music. What impresses me is that Floyd’s music still lives with so many people. And how! It is different, unique and also somehow mysterious. I want to convey that magic to people as best I can. And what greater honor is there than to be able to do that with top musicians?”

Jason grew up with music from a young age. Both his grandfathers played an instrument, so the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. At his high school, so-called ‘workshops’ were organised, playing in a band under the guidance of a professional musician. That’s how his love for the bass guitar started at the age of 14, a true love at first sight. Not a day goes by without him picking up his guitar.

Playing in Pink Project is playing with family. He has been part of the formation for over 15 years now.

It feels familiar to work with such great people, both the band and the crew. A beautiful dream come true.