"Blues is just such a powerful force that I believe it will keep on inspiring people for generations to come, as long as the word is still being spread. We get to do that and hopefully may continue to do that for a long time."

Little Hat: One-man (Trio) Band

Little Hat is probably Holland's best-kept secret. Rockin’, sleazy and electrified… Little Hat mix it all up in a relentless groove that flows like it came from a one-man band. Their tight, raw, and primitive sound will take you back to a time when “rocking” also meant a lot of “rolling” going on. And the heavy dance rhythms almost make you forget the fact that the low parts are not filled out by a bass player, but by the drummer’s right foot. This Rhythm Bomb/Rockstar recording band boasts the company of Dutch Blues Hall of Fame inductee Willem van Dullemen, who is complemented by frontman Machiel Meijers’ raw and impassioned vocal and harp work.

(Little Hat: Machiel Meijers; Paolo de Stigter; Willem van Dullemen / Photo by Stephan Creutzburg)

This “tough-as-nails” duo is rounded out by the driving rhythms of ace drummer Paolo de Stigter. Their debut album “Wine, Whiskey & Wimmen” -produced by US blues award winning producer Little Victor– has been given excellent national and international reviews. Expect wild grooves and hot licks when you come to a Little Hat show… But above all make sure to bring your dancing shoes as you’ll find it impossible to sit still when these Dutch Blues Challenge winners get down to business! Little Hat are: Machiel Meijers on Vocals/Harmonica; Willem van Dullemen on Guitar/backing vocals; and Paolo de Stigter on Drums/backing vocals. Little Hat will be the Dutch participation at the European Blues Challenge, Chorzów in Poland (June 1-3, 2023).

Interview by Michael Limnios             Archive: Machiel Meijers, 2017 interview

How has the Blues and Roots music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Power, judgement, abuse and oppression are big themes that you can hardly miss when you take a look at the lives of the people behind the music. The way they dealt with this in their own ways can be seen as either an inspiration or a warning, but the fact remains that they were able to make a mark despite many odds being against them. Although the odds are very different for myself, these are still themes that I recognise in my own life. Some stories have given me pause for thought while others pointed me in the opposite direction. In the end I would say it's made me think about how I can be good to others in a complex world full of conflicting interests, while still looking out for myself.

When did the idea of Little Hat come about? How do you describe Band's sound and songbook?

The idea came about when Willem van Dullemen and I were playing in a band called Stackhouse. We used to start sets as a trio with drums, guitar, harmonica. Playing with such a small combo gives you a lot of freedom you don't have with a 5-piece band, and we noticed that our playing became a lot fresher because of that. Willem and I have always been very attuned to each other, and the trio just made it that much easier to go with that flow. And that's really what it is to us: a flow that comes from within the three of us and that is just created on a moment to moment basis. We usually describe it as an "alternative power trio trying to sound like a one-man band", because that's the kind of interwovenness we are trying to aim for. Rockin', sleazy, electrified is the band's tagline and really just sums it all up: old-school blues and rock and roll. Bring your dancin' shoes kinda stuff, you know?

Why do you think that Blues music continues to generate such a devoted following in Europe?

Blues is just such a powerful force that I believe it will keep on inspiring people for generations to come, as long as the word is still being spread. We get to do that and hopefully may continue to do that for a long time.

"Soul is obviously more important, because that is what people will feel. At least for me that's always been what music is about, and what makes playing music so much of an outlet. But just as obviously: you need that technique to get your story across." (Little Hat / Photo by Stephan Creutzburg)

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

To be OK with the fact that you can't get everything that you want, and that life will keep going nonetheless. That how little or how much success you're having is not as important as how you deal with that success or lack thereof. Getting on the negative side of things will get you in a downward spiral, so you have to keep trying to see what is good about your situation... That basic life hack to stay thankful for whatever is good in your life really.

What's the balance in music between technique and soul? How do you want the music to affect people?

Soul is obviously more important, because that is what people will feel. At least for me that's always been what music is about, and what makes playing music so much of an outlet. But just as obviously: you need that technique to get your story across. Technique and soul don't have to be each other's opposite, and can support each other very well. Many of the musicians that we keep coming back to after they're long gone were very soulful players with great technique. But when either of these takes clear precedence over the other is when I do start having issues with it.

Are there sub-genres within the Blues field that you tend to stay away from or focus on?

I'm less focused on the modern bluesrock/progressive stuff. It's not that I've never enjoyed it, because when I started out in my late teens/early twenties I did listen to that stuff a lot. But somehow the classic blues music really spoke to the essence of my soul, and I started focusing on that more and more. I'm always trying to find new stuff that I've never heard of. I went from the who's who of 50s Chicago blues to rhythm & blues, swing, hardbop, soul, gospel, the Memphis blues circuit in the 40s thru 60s, etc etc... And at the same time loved listening to country blues heroes. Of course, I started out with Robert Johnson and then went on to guys like, Son House, Willie Brown, Blind Lemon Jefferson, blind boy's Fuller & McTell, Car & Blackwell etcetera... These days I listen to a lot of stuff from Louisiana: I just love the chill vibes coming from there!

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(Little Hat / Photo by Stephan Creutzburg)