Interview by Lourdes Boasman, the Neatherlands
Helle Fastrup / Cornelis Vreeswijk

When did you first meet Cornelis?
I met Cornelis at Christiania. A girlfriend of mine told me, that Cornelis Vreeswijk was playing at Spiseloppen - a fine restaurant close to the entry of Christiania - she said, that he was known for not showing up, but if I wanted to give it a try with her? I knew the song Felicia, the song Veronica and the one with the white plastic bracelet, songs I loved - and yes - why not give it a try ?
When we came indoor - he was standing on the floor playing - and I was stunned - I thought I saw the 4. musketeer - when he moved his feet he was sliding over the floor in grey smooth-leather boots - He was so elegant to me. Then we bumbed into each other on the toilet. Not romantic, I know, but at that time there was no seperate toilets for men and woman at Spiseloppen - so what to do - I quickly noticed his tatoo and showed him my star-tatoo on my shoulder. We went back to the reaturant and we both knew we would leave the place together. From then we stayed off and on together for 18 month.

Were you a lover of his songs at that time?
I did not knew any other songs but those 3 i mentioned in the first question. But on the road I learned them almost all.

I understood that you have been to IJmuiden with Cornelis, what was it like to be in his hometown?
The first place in Ijmuden he took me was to the harbour. I remember the harbour so clearly. It was a weather like steel - gray - it was still winter - water and earth the same steel-gray colour and the cranes and ships were close. We were driving in the Bronco - a car he had at that time - and we sat in the car for a very long time just looking and listening to Jokerman - Bob Dylan - that was our favorite CD to play at that time - ( nb: he tried to translate Neighbourhood bully - but it didn't work for him). Afterwards he took me to a beautiful restaurant at the beach. It was open - even if it was february month. And then to his mother. She lived on the second or third floor, I dont remember - there was a little outside- gallery - and then he rang the bell - no turning back. Inside he had his own room !! Yes, he had his own room - and there he had books. He immediately pulled out a book - a very romantic looking book - "That's how love is, Madam" and wrote: Till min Belle Helle - Cornelis 6/2 -84 - Ymuiden Holland ( he wrote it in a Y - not IJ ) and then we went to the livingroom for coffie. His mother did not speak to me at all. She had a parrot - it did the speaking, so I only spoke to the parrot. Cornelis told me that his mother loved the Queen and she drank one bols for her birthday and the parrot could sing the national-hymn. It did not sing it while I was there. We stayed there for 3 days - 3 long days for me - Cornelis was out most of the time with his cousins - a man-thing, not for women - he told me not to leave the appartment, but he was home at nighttime. But to my sadness his mother never spoke a word to me.
Then he took me to Den Haag for hotel-treat Des Indes Den Haag and Indish restaurant Padang and shopping and then to his sister Marianne and her husband. I think we were in Holland for 10 days. I remember the Indish restaurant Padang, because I still have the menu-card ( ! ) - the chef wrote the desert down for me - a true chef-secret: here we go:

Padang "Mistery"
Vanilli ice cream
Milk
Malibu
Bleu Curacao
mix in blender

Lovely desert.

How many (and which) records did he produce in Denmark?
I'm sorry, but I don't know - I never talked with him about that and I haven't been investigating anything. But I know he did "Vildhallon" -produced in Demnark 1979, because it is the foto from the cover - foto by Andreas Trier Mørch and cover by Ole Fick - who is the one, who did the poster for Cornelisdage 2002. That's why I know - by coinsidence. But there is ONE track that I clearly remember - produced in Denmark at Fuzzy's studio and I was there - by coinsidence again because I had lost my keys, - and he recorded a song for me and gave it to me there. It is not out yet - I haven't figured out how to do it - Columbine is the name of the song.

What kind of person was Cornelis?
He was a hydrogen bomb walking on two legs.

What did you like most about him?
I liked his sadness - he understood the blues - I liked his honesty towards me - And his humor - a thing we treassured and shared. And I adored his perfect timing and I thank him for all the times, he rang me and just placed a ticked at the ariports when he wanted me to come to him, when we were not driving together.

What did you hate about him ?
I'm smiling when I see your question. No, I did not hate anything about him - It was a relationship much too frustrating, with confused and complexed aspects to have such an opposite clear feeling from love. Sounds peculiar, huh - But confused is more likely the word - and what got me so confused about him? His way of turning everything upside down with paranoia -violence - confused when he took over the wheel in the car at nighttimes and there was cliffs, - confused by all the drinking - and sad to have to leave him - but no hate. We kept in contact, but he never grew to accept my new boyfriend. In juli 87 by coinsidence my new boyfriend, drummer-man, was playing at the same stage as him and Conny and Owe - even then he asked me to join him to Stockholm. It almost broke my heart - I cried very hard after he left. I knew it was the last time I would ever see him. Boy, he was skinny and sick. I felt lost.

When did the idea arise to found a Danish Cornelis Vreeswijk Association?
The idea came from Marianne Jul, Cornelis' booker in DK in his last 9 years. Sweden and Holland had association's and she said: why don't we have one too? And Norway and Island and Suomi and why not Finland????..... and who know's, why not???? I travelled with him in Holland, Faroe islands , Norway and Sweden - not Finland - but he was there. And he was a legend somehow everywhere.

Could you tell something about yourself and your role within the association?
At first I did not like the idea of an association. I am always nervous about strings to be attached to. But Marianne Jul tricked me. I must remember to thank her. She wrote a list of the members of the Danish Komiteé ( association) and told me to update it quickly on the internet because it was needed.
It was early in the morning and I was still asleep, so I just did it blindfolded so to speak. My name was on the list - so here I am, so far so good, but these Cornelis-assosiations I grow to belive in.
My role is close collaboration with Marianne and doing the internet like a straigh job.