The Spitfires

The Spitfires

The Spitfires are a Dutch folk band from the Netherlands, fronted by Hein Michelbrink. They develop from a long-running group in the Achterhoek region, where the band’s roots go back to 1939 under the name Dans Orkest Brugman. After the war, they adopt the name The Spitfires as a tribute to the Spitfire aircraft. Hein Migchelbrink joins the band in 1979 and fronts it until its farewell tour in 2020.

History and line-up

The band becomes known as one of the longest-running live acts in the Achterhoek area. Its later identity centres on Hein Michelbrink as lead singer, while the group name remains associated with the region’s dance-band and folk tradition. The group is listed as active from 1939 to 2020.

Style and release history

The Spitfires are described as a Dutch rock and roll and folk act, with the name also connected in other contexts to British mod, Canadian rock, and Finnish rautalanka/rock and roll acts. In the Dutch line, the band performs as a long-established folk group rather than as a short-lived modern project.