Gotcha!

Gotcha! is a Dutch funk band founded in 1989; their music, a mixture of sixties-trip-rock with funk and hip-hop, is influenced by George Clinton. History 1989-1993 Gotcha! took part in national band contest de Grote Prijs van Nederland; they settled for bronze but were offered a record-contract. In 1991 they released their debut album Words and Music from the Lowlands included the singles "Da Ten Is Mightier Than the Sword" and "Mathilda the Wicked Witch". In 1992 they previewed new tracks on a radio and TV concert with 17-year-old rapper Michael Parkinson of later Postmen-fame standing in for Ten. The studio-versions of "Naked", "MTV-ling" and "Where Have You Been So Long" appeared in 1993 on GOTCHA! GOTCHA! GOTCHA!, but the rock 'n roll-lifestyle that the band bought into had taken its toll. Singer/guitarist Robadope Ro and rapper 'Rockattack Ten' staged a fistfight during a gig in France and the original line-up fell apart. Ro lived down his Gotcha!-years by DJing in Tokyo; upon his return to the Netherlands he joined freakcore-band as a guitarist and songwriter. Drummer Martijn Bosman moved to Beeswamp in an attempt "to recapture that Gotcha!-vibe". Percussionist Rudi Conga performed with Hipbone Connection. 1995-1998 Gotcha! continued in a new line-up including guitarist Koen Fu. In 1995 they released Four: It! The Terra-P-Funk from Beyond Space (single: "Babies"). Ten left a year later to pursue a solo-career; he recorded two albums, toured with George Clinton and moved to London (although New York was his first option). Ro, Bosman and Rudi reunited as founding members of Ro & Paradise Funk; they released two albums that found critical acclaim, but no commercial success. The band were forced to split when a hernia kept Ro grounded for a year. Bosman went on to play with upcoming-stars Ilse de Lange and Kane. Rudi spent the summer of '99 performing as a vocalist with the one-off band Kor en de Amigos at travelling-festival De Parade; he then took over Martijn's column-page in free music-monthly FRET.