Flip Kowlier celebrates 25 years of solo career at Dranouter with a unique show: 'My first record defined my career'

Flip Kowlier marked his 25th anniversary as a solo artist with a special one-off performance at the Dranouter Festival. The West Flemish artist played his debut album, 'Ocharme ik,' in its entirety on the main stage, interspersed with other career highlights. Despite the milestone, Kowlier affirmed his enthusiasm for creating new material and continuing to perform with his group 't Hof van Commerce.

“

And that album defined my career.

Kowlier reflected on the significance of 'Ocharme ik,' released in 2001 while he was already active with 't Hof van Commerce. "That album defined my career," he stated at the Dranouter festival. He recalled that his team initially viewed it as a minor side project, expecting to sell only about 1,000 copies. However, the album exceeded expectations, resonating with audiences and embedding songs like 'Welgemeende' and 'Min Moaten' into the collective memory, particularly in West Flanders.

"From there, a new career alongside 't Hof van Commerce grew," Kowlier explained. "Now I consider myself fortunate that I started it and can still make music today. In my youth, I assumed projects would be successful; now I realize how lucky I am to have remained an artist and that people still come to watch."

“

From there, a new career alongside 't Hof van Commerce grew. Now I consider myself fortunate that I started it and can still make music today.

The performance at Dranouter drew a large crowd. Kowlier and his band recreated the songs from 'Ocharme ik' as closely as possible to the original versions. He noted that he rarely listens to his own records, allowing the songs to evolve over time, much like a whispered sentence passed around a circle. This show aimed to revisit those original sounds, including songs he had never performed in their initial form.

“

With this show, we wanted to return as closely as possible to the original.

Choosing Dranouter for this special show was deliberate. Kowlier mentioned that his first major concert in 2001, just a month before 'Ocharme ik' was released, took place there in a small tent. He described that early performance as legendary and wild, with an exceptionally enthusiastic audience. Over the years, he has performed at Dranouter approximately 15 times with various projects, including Ertebrekers and 't Hof van Commerce, making it a significant venue in his career.

“

I played my 1st big show at festival Dranouter in 2001, a month before the record came out.