Who are The Paps?
Four musicians from the north with a soft spot for Irish folk, solid rhythms and a packed room.
Johan
Vocals, banjo & mandolin
Our frontman, with a beard that could have come straight from Dublin. He just happens to come from the north of the Netherlands. His love of banjo and mandolin started in an earlier Irish folk band, where he also took his first steps as a singer.
In The Paps he is the face of the band: always smiling, and always ready to take the room with him.
Theo
Bass
The best-looking man in the band, or so we say. Theo comes from seventies punk and metal and now lays the deep bass lines under every song.
He also plays in Krekedaon with Johan and Gijs, so that musical friendship goes back a long way.
Gijs
Guitar & backing vocals
From sound engineer to guitarist: Gijs knows how it should sound, behind the mixing desk and with a guitar in his hands. He plays both acoustic and electric.
His harmonies make the choruses that bit fuller. He also plays in Krekedaon with Johan and Theo.
Daan
Drums & bodhrán
Daan loves world music and solid rhythms with a rough edge, and Irish folk rock is where the two meet. Ireland even has its own drum: the bodhrán.
He lived in County Kerry for years and brought the band’s name back with him. At the back, he is the engine that sets the pace.
Why The Paps?
The Paps of Anu are two rounded hills in County Kerry, with a stone cairn on each summit. Daan looked out on them for years. When a band playing Irish folk with a rough edge needed a name, nobody had to think for long.
Fancy seeing them live?
Book The Paps for your festival, pub or party.
