B.G.K.

B.G.K., or Balthasar Gerards Kommando were a 1980s Dutch punk band. The band was named after a Dutch historical figure named Balthasar Gerards, who assassinated the king of the Netherlands in 1584. Balthasar Gerards Kommando were formed in the early 1980s by members of Amsterdam punk band the Nitwitz.
Rejecting the then-popular trend to emulate British Oi bands, B.G.K. took their musical cues from American hardcore bands such as MDC, and soon developed an ultrafast style of their own. The band was also committed to following through with its leftist political stance, both in terms of the punk scene (the band set up DIY shows with low door prices, and put out affordable records on their own label) and in a wider political spectrum (they often played benefits for various causes, and helped run the Emma squat in Holland).
B.G.K. released all their records on a label they started in their Nitwitz days, Vögelspin, and collaborated with U.S. labels R Radical and Alternative Tentacles. They helped touring bands playing in the Netherlands, and themselves toured Europe and the U.S. several times, finally calling it quits in 1987.
After B.G.K.’s demise, bassist Tony formed rock’n’roll band Loveslug. In 1996, the Nitwitz reunited (partially due to interest from Epitaph Records).

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Jonestown Aloha (1983)

192kbps mp3


White Male Dumbinance EP (1984)

192kbps mp3


Nothing Can Go Wrogn! (1986)

224kbps mp3