Fatal Flowers

The Fatal Flowers was an influential Dutch rock band founded in Amsterdam in 1984 by Henk Jonkers, Richard Janssen, Dirk Heuff and Marco Braam. The group quickly became one of the leading alternative rock bands in the Netherlands during the 1980s, thanks to their energetic live performances and strong critical acclaim.
After recording an early demo and building a reputation on the live circuit, the band signed with WEA Records. Their debut mini-album Fatal Flowers (Netherlands 1985) (opens in a new tab) was released in 1985 and received enthusiastic reviews within the Dutch music scene. Their breakthrough came in 1986 with the album Younger Days, whose title track became a radio hit and reached the Dutch Top 40. The band later won an Edison Award and performed at major festivals such as Pinkpop.
In 1988, the band released Johnny D. Is Back! (Europe 1988) (opens in a new tab), produced with the involvement of Mick Ronson and recorded in Woodstock, New York. The album is widely regarded as a classic of Dutch pop-rock music. Despite growing international ambitions and successful European tours, a major international breakthrough never fully materialized. In 1990, the band released the heavier-sounding album Pleasure Ground (Europe 1990) (opens in a new tab), but shortly afterward the group split up following the departure of singer Richard Janssen.
After disbanding, The Fatal Flowers’ reputation continued to grow. Several albums were reissued over the years, and the band reunited for special performances in 2002 on the occasion of the release of their Younger Days - The Definitive Fatal Flowers (Netherlands 2002) (opens in a new tab) compilation and again in 2019. The 2019 reunion tour, which included festival appearances and two final shows at Paradiso in Amsterdam, confirmed the band’s cult status in Dutch rock history
Early 2026 it was announced the band returns for a festival tour in the Summer celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Younger Days album. Also, all of their albums from 1985 to 1990 have been reissued as limited hand-numbered vinyl editions on May 15, 2026 to celebrate 50 years of Plato record stores in the Netherlands.
Fatal Flowers were/are:
Richard Janssen - Lead vocals / Guitars (1984-1990, 2002, 2019)
Henk Jonkers - Drums / Vocals (1984-1990, 2002, 2019)
Dirk Heuff - Guitars (1984-1988), Casio (2002)
Robin Berlijn - Guitars (1988-1990, 2002, 2019)
Marco Braam - Bass / Vocals (1984-1987, 2002, guest appearances at the two final 2019 shows]
Geert de Groot - Bass / Vocals (1987-1990, 2002, 2019)
René van Barneveld - Live Guitars (1988)
Cor Willemse - Additional Keyboards (1985-1990)
JB Meijers - Live Keyboards (2019) [replaced by for two shows]