De Hardheid just can't help itself. The Amsterdam ska-punk formation will be back in action a limited number of times in 2026. The band, which pulled the plug in 2009, has achieved cult status by now. Songs like "Buurman," "Klootzak," and "Kutmuziek" remain popular and relevant. On Friday, February 19, they will be performing at Patronaat together with the 12-piece Haarlem ska band Eskalatie!

De Hardheid was born in the mid-1990s in Amsterdam-West, where a few high school friends decided to start a band. After experimenting with metal and hip-hop, the band eventually took the ska turn. In the early 2000s, with the addition of a horn section, the band increasingly took on the form of a ska band, albeit one with a hard, raw undertone. That formula worked then, and it still does today.

Even though the band is no longer active at all—the website has disappeared, and there is only a neglected Facebook page—fans still manage to find them. And so, blood is thicker than water. Although the band members are getting on in years, on stage they briefly transform back into the young guns of yesteryear, with catchy songs and provocative lyrics. So, seize your chance to see those old geezers live one more time, or finally.

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Eskalation
Eskalatie is like that stain at the back of your fridge: every time you see it, it's bigger than the time before!
This collective of young music addicts draws their inspiration mainly from the first two waves of ska, but also from punk and rhythm & blues, for example, to subsequently create a unique cacophony (or should I say 'skacophony'?)! Their live shows are an unparalleled chaos where, at times, the audience and band members are indistinguishable from one another! More than worth skipping your grandma's (possibly last) birthday for!