This episode we Speak with Richard Surie, another transitioned professional to musician. From Electrical engineer to full time musician. As a Guitarist and piano entertainer, Richard has been entertaining throughout Europe and writing songs for many years. With drummer Vinoj Joghi they play some originals including one especially written for the podcast!.

In this episode of The Piano Men Podcast, we talk with Djino about his experience managing and running Crazy Pianos and his own venue, Mad Pianos. He shares behind-the-scenes stories, insights into the world of live piano entertainment, and what it takes to run successful music venues.

We’re also joined by Lars on drums, an exciting up-and-coming session drummer who is already performing with rising festival bands as well as piano shows. Expect a fun conversation full of real insight into the trade, great stories from the live music scene, and of course, some fantastic music.

Season 2, Episode 7 was a special one—recorded at the legendary Maxim Piano Bar in Amsterdam. We dive into the bar’s rich history and swap stories from years past with retired manager Hans de Lau, before turning to the music and journey of Stijn van den Berg. Stijn has a unique connection to Maxim: it’s where it all started for him, years ago—and in this episode he shares what that place still means to him today.

Mark and John go way back — they first played together in Tilburg (The Netherlands) at Live Pianos, and the chemistry is still 100% there.

Mark, better known as The Piano Guy, now focuses on weddings and private events across the UK. In this episode, he breaks down how the UK private-party scene works compared to the Netherlands, shares practical advice for building a solid career, and offers genuinely useful tips for younger players coming up.

And of course, there’s music: Mark and John dive into a few tracks you almost never hear on the podcast — and it leads to some of my favourite performances we’ve had on the show.

Phillys has been traveling the world as a musician for years, collecting unforgettable experiences along the way. In this episode, she shares her best advice on piano entertaining and performs some of her favorite songs together with Sander Mens from the Netherlands. It’s their very first time playing together — but it feels like they’ve been musical partners for a lifetime.

Alex has been a musician for most of his life, but only recently made the bold leap from working as a lawyer to becoming a full-time performer. In this episode, we talk about growing up in The Hague, Netherlands, the joy of jam sessions, and his journey from guitar and accordion to the world of piano entertaining.

We’re also joined by drummer Eveline Carels, who shares her thoughts on what makes a great piano-entertaining team and the best ways to play together on stage.

Expect plenty of laughs, great stories, and a selection of some of their favourite songs to perform.

Note: Towards the end of the episode, we experienced a microphone failure, so we had to get a little creative with the audio to keep the podcast going. Eveline’s mic may sound slightly different, but everything is still clearly audible.

Enjoy!

Michael and Roy have been entertaining audiences together for years, collecting plenty of great stories along the way. In this episode, they talk about memorable gigs, share solid advice on piano entertaining—especially for corporate parties and weddings—and, of course, play a few choice songs.

Alexander has one of the very best Billy Joel shows you will ever see, alongside many other projects he’s involved in. Alexander and Dennis have played together for many years in their own band as well as numerous other collaborations. We have a great conversation about the dynamic between drummers and pianists, and the life of a touring musician.