Music has always been an integral part of my life. Since I watched my cousin Raymond play the piano when I was four, I've had a passion for music.
I received my first acoustic guitar in the 1970s, which still hangs on my studio's wall. Every day, I compose at least one song for my music or a band.
Since the 2020s, I have been writing lyrics for another musician's compositions. Together, we create songs for several girl groups.
Musical History
My musical career began in 1973 while I was still in high school. I was a singer in an Alice Cooper cover band; although we never performed live, we practiced for a few months. Unfortunately, nothing ever came of that venture.
Things remained quiet until 1976 when Muzza "Muff" Tosh and I discovered our shared sense of humor and love for music. This was just as the punk explosion was beginning. Despite both having long hair, our blend of humor and punk seemed to fit perfectly for our musical journey.
The first Snap-on Brothers photo 1976
The Infamous Zeek & Giz circa 1978
A year later, we were joined on drums by Dave (the Great Giz), and the Snap-on Brothers were born. From 1976 to 1978, we dominated parties in the Dundee area and managed to record three cassette tapes:
- We're Not Really Brothers, We're Just Good Mates
- As Live as a Plug for a TV Set
3. Aaargh! Are We Ever Gonna Finish This?
In 1978, the Snap-on Brothers called it quits. Giz and I wanted to continue with the humor theme, so we formed The Infamous Zeek & Giz. We recorded a number of cassette tapes, but since Muzza had been the musical talent in the Snap-on Brothers, our focus shifted more toward humor than music. We recorded consistently until around 1988.
My first solo cassette release, after the break
up of the Snap-on Brothers (circa 1978)
Though we have never officially split, things went quiet for the duo. Giz started recording and performing with other bands, while I moved away from music altogether. However, there are plans for us to record a CD within the next few years.
In 1985, I was performing in a cover band called Stevie and the Saddle Sniffers. While playing covers wasn’t my passion, I did enjoy singing songs by artists like Stranglers and Dr. Feelgood. However, I always felt a strong urge to write and perform my own original music, which ultimately led me to leave the band.
In 1996, I met a talented young singer and guitarist named Bas Lute, known as The Rebel Jesus. This encounter reignited my passion for music and recording. As I needed a name for our project, I didn’t want to simply use my own name. After some reflection, I remembered an old Snap-on Brothers song called "Zeek the Freak," and I felt that this name added the theatricality I desired for my act.
Initially, I planned to record cassette tapes, as this was before the rise of CDs. However, after completing two tapes, I was overwhelmed by the urge to perform live. In 1998, I reached out to my musical buddy, Giz, and we managed to secure a slot as the support act for The Bouncing Betty's.
The gig poster I designed received angry feedback from The Bouncing Bettys because I made my logo larger than theirs. The egos of pop music.
I assembled a six-piece band, and we performed songs from my first two releases. The show was a huge success, which opened the door for many more performances and tape releases, with various musicians joining me along the way. Only Bas has been with me since day one.
Between 2010 and 2014, I took a break from the ZEEKtheFREAK project to refresh my musical ideas. During this time, I sang in several bands, including my Celtic metal band, My Celtic Faith. I performed a few gigs with the metal bands Ebo and Fl Bloom, but I missed the comfort of the ZEEKtheFREAK project. Eventually, I left those other projects to focus solely on that one.
In 2015, I moved to France for personal reasons. While I continued recording my music, live performances became quite rare. We only performed annually on Halloween at Gunney's Irish Bar in Alkmaar. The Shock Rock show grew increasingly perverse and extravagant over the years, but after more than 25 years, I started to lose the excitement of performing the same show.
The gig poster I designed after returning from France for three shows in a weekend.
In 2018, I decided to retire from live shows and the Freak Band to concentrate on recording my music.
By 2021, I also felt that rock music had served its purpose in my musical journey, so I decided to explore more experimental music with ZEEKtheFREAK.
In 2026, I plan to release a more electronic and experimental album called *D.I.D., which reflects the various personalities I portrayed in the live Freak show.
The story continues. . .
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ZEEKtheFREAK: Free Your Soul (official music video)
ZEEKtheFREAK: A Million Light Years (official music video)
Since around 1975, Zeek has confidently crafted thousands of song lyrics. Many of these have been featured in his various projects or performed by the bands he has fronted. However, he still has an impressive collection of both finished and unfinished lyrics waiting in a drawer in his studio or on his laptop.
Since 2020, he has collaborated with musician Maus Muziek, writing lyrics for their compositions aimed at female singers and bands. While the music leans towards a more commercial style than Zeek is accustomed to, he embraces the challenge and thrives in this creative environment.