Flat Earth Society

Flat Earth Society features the talents of Peter Vermeersch, Benjamin Boutreur, Peter Delannoye, Berlinde Deman, Pauline Leblond, Frederik Leroux-Roels, Bart Maris, Michel Mast, Marc Meeuwissen, Martí Melià, Kristof Roseeuw, Wim Segers, Bruno Vansina, Peter Vandenberghe, and Teun Verbruggen.

I wish the promotor had chosen Flat Earth Society as closing act for the festival. The roof would have been on fire at Middelheim, just as we’re used to each year.
Jazzenzo

FES was founded in 1998, when no-nonsense artist, former architect, clarinettist, saxophonist, keyboard player, composer and producer Peter Vermeersch, wanted to explore new horizons after having convinced music lovers all over the word with Maximalist! and the cult legend band X-legged Sally. Vermeersch, who worked with international artists like Josse De Pauw, Wim Vandekeybus, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Fred Frith, The Simpletones and Jazzwork from Berlin and wrote music for the Arditti Quartet, Prima La Musica and the Smith Quartet, assembled a pack of inspired and inimitable muscians, forming a big band which has nowadays become much more than just a big band.

Peter included, the band now consists of a group of 14 musicians: Benjamin Boutreur (alto sax), Peter Delannoye (trombone), Berlinde Deman (tuba), Pauline Leblond (trumpet), Frederik Leroux-Roels (guitar), Bart Maris (trumpet), Michel Mast (tenor sax), Marc Meeuwissen (trombone), Martí Melià (Clarinet, bass clarinet), Kristof Roseeuw (double bass), Wim Segers (vibraphone), Bruno Vansina (baritone sax & flute), Peter Vandenberghe (piano & keyboards) and Teun Verbruggen (drums & dustbingrooves). In the past they worked with various guest musicians: Uri Caine, Toots Thielemans, Mike Patton (Fantômas), Jimi Tenor, John Watts and more recently Ernst Reijseger.

The music of FES, varying from strictly written sheet music to liberating improvisation, is 95% homemade. Streaks of music of other composers are used as inspiration, frequently arranged, adapted and integrated into FES compositions, adding a wide range of atmospheres and styles to the eclectic FES universe. FES, who dares to flirt with other disciplines as theatre and film and owns the ability to seduce a number of different audiences, from more select jazz listeners to a wild young rock public, is at its best live on stage.

This page was last updated in November 2020.