Thomas Devos

Thomas Devos (°1972) is a musician, singer and composer from Brussels. With his first band 'rumplestitchkin', he reached the final of Humo's Rock Rally and made two full albums. In 2008, he formed the band 'Tommigun'. They recorded their first album in San Diego with Pall Jenkins of Black Heart Procession as producer. They toured Europe as support act for American singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston and were also his backing band on a subsequent tour. Two more albums followed: 'Pretenders' and 'Wooden Son'. Soon, they will start working on a fourth album.

He also worked as a musician, composer and stage artist for various theatre companies and dance and theatre projects such as: KVS, Bronks, Kopergietery, Studio Orka and Radio No Frequency (a live radio show from Palestine). He created and provided the live music for rauw (2014), horses (2016) and promise me by kabinet k. He was also involved in the creation of khouyoul the Tunisian version of horses by kabinet k. In 2018 he created his own performance Karandash about his fascination with Russia and Eastern Europe.
In 2020 during the corona pandemic, he devised Peepshow Parnassus, a corona safe stage for live concerts and performances. And in 2021, he relaunched the Brussels cult band Madou after 40 years with the album 'Is there anything' for which he wrote the music.

Thomas Devos in promise me (2021).
In the performance raw, a former production of kabinet k, he was the bard who celebrated with his music the resilience of children; in horses, also from kabinet k, he sang of an utopia of solidarity; in promise me, he exhilarates the dancers, challenges them, and seales their pact of care and trust. And this only on electric guitar and with occasional singing. Tempestuous, dynamic and tender.
His music always arises organically, in step with and inspired by the movements of the dancers. ‘I work from the belly', he explains, 'not from a preconceived concept. But the word ‘greedy’ did cross my mind, the promise to yourself not to fall asleep.
Translated into musical terms there is a constant tension, which rarely settles down. He likes catchy tunes that worm their way into your ear and keep returning as a musical theme. As an example, he mentions the epic music of Ennio Morricone. Or Preisner's soundtrack for the film 'La double vie de Véronique.
Initially, he wanted to add a violin, because this instrument accentuates the melodies. ‘But when you sing, you also achieve this compelling effect. Passion and sheer spirit are best expressed through the human voice. So now I try to sing as if I were a cello’.