Thé Lau
Thé Lau (born Matheus J. Lau in Bergen on 17 July 1952) is a Dutch musician and writer. Besides his solo career, he was part of the band The Scene that he formed and its lead singer.
Music career
Lau played guitar in several bands and was a member of the Dutch band Neerlands Hoop Express. In 1979 he founded the band The Scene with Lau as lead singer.[1] The band is greatly known for "Blauw" and "Iedereen is van de wereld".
Lau left The Scene in 2003 and touring with keyboardist Jan-Peter Bast in Dutch theaters. In October 2006, he resumed the tour under title Tempel der liefde accompanied by Jan-Peter Bast and tango string quartet Pavadita.
In 2007, The Scene had a comeback reunion and made up of Lau with three former band members (Jeroen Booy, Emilie Blom van Assendelft and Otto Cooymans) and started touring again touring, releasing a new CD.
In 2010, Thé Lau topped the Dutch charts in a collaboration with Dutch rapper Lange Frans in the "Zing voor me".
Writing career
In 2000, he made his debut in literature by writing short stories De sterren van de hemel (meaning the stars of heaven). In 2003, his writings were published in a book titled Thé Lau, de teksten. His first novel was Hemelrijk in 2004, followed by a collection of music stories entitled In de dakgoot (meaning in the gutter). In 2007 his work has appeared in 1000 vissen, a collection of stories about the Amsterdam's neighborhood Spaarndammerbuurt where Thé Lau had been living and working for 15 years.
In popular culture
- In vrijheid the 2005 song Thé Lau wrote as a liberation song for Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day in the Netherlands).[1] He performed it on May 5, 2005 and the song has become very popular for the annual celebrations of the Day.
- Thé Lau was part of the Dutch "Ticket For Tibet" event and took part in the album release of the collective in 2008.[2]
Discography
Source for Thé Lau discography[3] / Source for The Scene discography:[4]
Albums
- with The Scene
- 1980: The Scene
- 1985: This is real
- 1988: Rij rij rij
- 1991: Blauw (NED #41)
- 1992: Open (NED #26)
- 1993: Avenue de la Scene (NED #34)
- 1994: The Scene Live (NED #43)
- 1996: Arena (NED #35)
- 1997: 2 Meter Sessies (NED #53)
- 2000: Rauw, hees, teder - Het beste van (NED #69)
- 2007: 2007 (NED #79)
- 2009: Liefde op doorreis (NED #46)
- 2012: Code (NED #44)
- Solo
- 1998: 1998
- 2002: De God van Nederland (re-released in 2004 with the bonus CD Overspel)
- 2006: Tempel der liefde (NED #63)
Singles
- with The Scene
Non-charting
- 1980: "Young Dogs, Young Blood
- 1982: "The Beat" / "Bliss"
- 1982: "Stappen" / "Allied Cigarettes"
- 1986: "S.E.X."
- 1987: "Ritme"
- 1987: "Wereld"
- 1988: "Borderline"
- 1988: "Rij rij rij"
- 1989: "Rauw hees teder"
Charting
- 1990: "Rigoreus" (NED #68)
- 1991: "Iedereen is van de wereld" (NED #62)
- 1991: "Blauw" (NED #15)
- 1992: "Zuzter" (NED #33)
- 1992: "Open" (NED #40)
- 1992: "Samen" (NED #57)
- 1993: "Iedereen is van de wereld" / "Nieuwe laarzen (van een oude leest)" (The Scene / De Dijk) (NED #16)
- 2000: "Helden" (NED 84)
- Solo
- 2003: "Brandende regen" (NED #91)
- 2005: "In vrijheid" (NED #48)
- 2010: "Zing voor me (Lange Frans & Thé Lau) (NED #1)
- Collective
- 2004: "Lied voor Beslan" (by Artiesten voor Beslan) (NED #17)
DVDs
- 2003: The show
Bibliography
- 2000: De Sterren van de Hemel
- 2003: De Teksten
- 2004: Hemelrijk
- 2006: In de Dakgoot
- Participations in collections
- 2007: 1000 vissen (bibliophilia by Uitgeverij Brokaat)