Biographies Needing Attention

In 2010 there was a Pim KOOPMAN Tribute concert in Amsterdam's Paradiso hall, exactly (save one day) a year after his passing. KAYAK played a special set with guest artists or band members that Pim had worked with in the past as a producer and songwriter. Pim’s place as a drummer that night was taken by Hans EIJKENAAR. A few weeks after the concert KAYAK announced their intent to continue as a band with Hans as Pim’s successor on drums. In 2011 the tribute concert DVD of the Paradiso concert in honour of Pim was released, along with a new album 'Anywhere But Here' in September of that year. Hans not only took Pim’s place behind the drum kit, but also mixed the new album. From October to December a re-energized KAYAK embarked on a club tour to promote the album.
 
In 2012, to celebrate their 40th anniversary, KAYAK embarked on a club tour called 'Journey Through Time'. Due to his many other musical commitments, Hans EIJKENAAR was not available for the whole tour, and was replaced by Sjoerd RUTTEN for some of the concerts. The band released a special maxi-single with a previously unreleased track ('Symmetry', dating back to 1971) and a new song 'Cleopatra - The Crown of Isis.' Plans were announced for a new, ambitious rock opera about the life of the legendary Egyptian queen Cleopatra.
 
In 2014, after a period of over two years preparing and recording, the new rock opera was finally released. The double album was financed partly by a crowdfunding campaign. The CD featured several guest vocalists: Martin van der STARRE, Alexander van BREEMAN, Marjolein TEEPEN (who had been part of the Nostradamus cast in 2005) and Greek singer Tatiana MANOLIDOU.

To everyone's surprise singers Cindy OUDSHORN and Edward REEKERS announced that they would leave KAYAK after the last gig in 2014. The news came only a few weeks before the release of the album and the upcoming club tour, but in March 2015 KAYAK (Ton SCHERPENZEEL, Rob VUNDERINK, Joost VERGOOSSEN, Jan van OLFFEN and Sjoerd RUTTEN (replacing Hans EIJKENAAR) & guests (in particular Marjolein TEEPEN and Rolf KOSTER, who replaced Cindy and Edward) performed the rock opera at a special outside event on the Dutch island of Texel.

In March of 2017, Ton SCHERPENZEEL introduced two new band members - singer Bart SCHWERTMANN and guitarist Marcel SINGOR - who, along with himself, would become the band’s creative core. It had become apparent that nobody from the most recent line up would return - except for Ton himself, of course. This meant the most radical line up transformation in KAYAK's long history, quite a remarkable feat after so many years. KAYAK's live line up was eventually completed by the addition of Swedish bass player Kristoffer GILDENLÖW (ex PAIN OF SALVATION), and drummer Collin LEIJENAAR (AFFECTOR, NEAL MORSE, DAVE BAINBRIDGE). Kris and Collin had already played together before in Neal MORSE's band.

In July 2017 KAYAK found a new management (Glassville Music) and signed a worldwide deal with Inside Out Music, and although it had originally been announced for October 2017, the latest KAYAK album 'Seventeen' was officially released by them on January 12th 2018. The new album featured a guest appearance by Andy LATIMER (CAMEL) on guitar, and a reborn KAYAK once again proved that the band's name - though chosen randomly back in 1972 - was still as appropriate as ever. Just when everyone expected the boat to sink, it miraculously resurfaced and sailed on!