From their inception in 1993 as Mike & the Mellotones they have been at the forefront of a new blues movement in Europe. In their native country of Holland they quickly made their way to the top based on a solid live reputation and an unparelleled ability to combine musicianship with showmanship. To stay on top it is essential, however, to reinvent yourself and keep up to date with new musical developments. Never the blues purists, The Mellotones have always managed to incorporate a number of styles into their music. First they named their particular blues brand Blues & Beyond but when they saw the term being used by more and more bands they chose a new title: Nu Bluz. These days they call their style of music Soul Rock.
2003 marked the transition from the three-piece format to a four-piece one renamed The Mellotones. With the addition of bassist Mike Sedee and guitarist Ruben Klabbers, frontman/singer/guitarist Mike Donkers and his drummer Lorenzo saw their taking shape as a kind of Texas Blues meets Classic Rock. In 2005, Jaap 'Nick Nasty' Lagerweij took Ruben's place as second guitarist. Besides such blues influences as Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan, The Paladins and Ronnie Earl, the likes of Cream, Free, Hendrix and Led Zeppelin have become equally influential to the style and sound of The Mellotones. It's an approach which came naturally and which has also proven a successful one: ever since the band started treating audiences to this unique new style and sound the general response has been that the band has become even better and versatile than before!
The Mellotones are not about simply rehashing old stuff, though. Instead they are blowing off the dust and doing something new, different and exciting with the music they love. The Mellotones put the 'Soul' back in the 'Rock' and they do it with a force that's impossible to deny. Key words used in reviews to describe The Mellotones are energetic, tight, powerful, intense, entertaining, original, and innovative.
