A TRIBUTE TO THE WORLD'S BEST

HANS-ERIK - HANK VON HELL - HANK VON HELVETE
«A DEAR BELOVED CHILD HAS GOT MANY NAMES»
Born June 15, 1972 - Dead November 19, 2021
The editor's own, personal, very objective memories

Text: Atle Jørgensen

The world has lost a big star, and the sky has gained a new one. The world collapsed when I received a phone call early in the morning 19 September 2021, informing me that my good friend Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby, aka Hank Von Hell, Hank Von Helvete, as many perhaps better knew him as, had left us. I became acquainted with Hans-Erik in 2008, through the motorcycle community in Southern Norway. I as a hangaround in the world's largest and best motorcycle club, Hans-Erik as a good friend of the same club, and the motorcycle community in general. An environment that meant a lot to Hans-Erik, an environment he greatly appreciated and took good care of by virtue of being first and foremost a fellow human being, but also as the rock star he was.

Hans-Erik is one of, if not the most intelligent man I have ever met

The Biker community, the clubs, the members of the clubs, appreciated Hans-Erik very much, and took good care of him in the difficult times when he needed support. My first meeting with Hans-Erik was when I drove him and bass player Thomas Seltzer, aka Happy-Tom of Turbonegro home after a big motorcycle party. After that, both Hans-Erik and Thomas became good friends of mine. Hans-Erik, Hank, is one of, if not the most intelligent man I have ever met. He fronted the first front page when I took over as editor of Scanbike in 2008, with accompanying article. Hans-Erik posed, and eventually also my good friend Per Heimly, one of Norway’s most famed photographers, took the pictures to the front page and the article, a fun session I must say, with two of Norway's really great personalities, each in his own way. Per really brought out Hans-Erik's soul and personality in the article pictures.

We consumed of 3-4 bottles of red wine during the interview

The article was, if I must say so myself, very immodest, a very good article, great reading. Oh well, with such an interesting and great interview subject as Hans-Erik, it could not be nothing but good. We met at Grünerløkka in Oslo one late night, talked, laughed, cried, we consumed 3-4 bottles of red wine. And became friends. Turbonegro played a concert in Brønnøysund in the summer of 2008, and I was of course there, a formidable concert, and a legendary nachspiel, first at the nightclub Kred (where I was taken to be the bodyguard for the band, together with my best friend Frank), then at a party at Twin Heads MC Brønnøysund (now Twin Heads MC Nordland), where Hans-Erik had many good friends - Hans-Erik lived for a few years in this beautiful coastal town on Helgeland.

Batman and Robin

13 years, 13 years for better and for worse. Not the friendship, but, good and hard times for both of us. Common destiny, common consolation? In fact, yes, sometimes. Absolute predominance of the good times. I got to be with Hans-Erik on many happenings and events. It's Batman and it's Robin. I was Robin every time, and I was happy with it, because, Batman was insanely inclusive. Always. Hans-Erik published books about food, he was a fantastic cook. And drinks! His Bloody Mary is legendary, the best I've ever tasted, as it should be: full of chilli, very strong, in every way.

Cornelis Vreeswijk and Hans-Erik’s theatrical journey

I got to attend the birth of Hans-Erik's musical tribute to Cornelis Vreeswijk. Moreover, the film about Cornelis Vreeswijk! There Hans-Erik fully showed what an acting talent he was. Hans-Erik gave a very strong and moving portrayal of Cornelis. Hans-Erik also followed in the footsteps of Jon Skolmen in the musical version of "Selskapsreisen", where he very successfully played the character Ole Bramserud, who in the film met anti-hero Stig-Helmer Olsson during a charter holiday in the Grand Canarias. The musical garnered rave reviews, and was a great success in Sweden.

Dr. Midnight & The Mercy Cult and Johnny Cash

I got to be part of the birth of the rock band Dr. Midnight & The Mercy Cult, and I got to be part of when Hans-Eriks initiated his tribute to Johnny Cash, with Norwegian lyrics - the first concerts. In everything he did, it was quality, because Hans-Erik was a quality person. Yes, with many demons ravaging inside him, but, these were demons that mostly remained locked inside him. His closest friends, like Thomas Seltzer of Turbonegro, was 100% aware of these demons. He and the band accepted the demons, guarding their band brother, and tried to take care of Hans-Erik when these demons tried to overtake him.

MasterChef and MC in Copenhagen

Hans-Erik's food knowledge / interest gave him access to the TV program MasterChef. When he was to take part in an extra program, as a star surprise, I was hired as a specialist. NO, I'm not talking about myself as a chef - there are too many gaps in my knowledge. But, to find a cool motorcycle in Copenhagen, there I was on top! To teach Hans-Erik to ride a motorcycle in "only a short time" offered some "challenges", but, with good help from Christian Middelboe and Kim Berg (the latter made a benevolent bike available), Hans-Erik made the entrance worthy of him as the production company had planned - driving in with the celebrity chef candidates on a motorcycle.

The United States as a sanctuary

There were several US trips. Hans-Erik called me on the phone in 2014, when the world was uninhabitable in Norway, When marital breakdown and negative press coverage marked Hans-Erik's life. He asked; "can you get me away? Far away»? Via a very good friend of mine, who also became a very good friend of Hans-Erik, he got a sanctuary, a place to live for free, in a very luxurious apartment on the East Coast of the USA for three months. On the harbor of the city, with a view of boats and the sea. Three months of peace and quiet, which healed the worst wounds before he had to return to Norway. Before he checked into the apartment, it was a few days in New York, with good food and drinks. There we visited the legendary rock club Manitoba's, where the bartender immediately recognized Hank Von Helvete. The rest of the evening, only Turbonegro was played!

Presenter at TNT's 30th anniversary December 2017

Hans-Erik was given the honorary assignment to be a presenter when Norwegian rock band TNT celebrated 30 years in December 2017. The event ended in my hotel room, Hans-Erik, my brother Ove and I, as well as some very tasty bottles of red wine.

The Norwegian poet priest Petter Dass and the resurrection of Hank Von Hell in 2018

Hans-Erik was Hank Von Helvete, but he also took on a natural role as Nordland's poet priest Petter Dass in 2018, in a series of church performances that became a great audience -and critic success. Hans-Erik's personification of Peter Dass was nothing short of formidable - like most of what he did when he performed. And, I saw the resurrection, Hans-Erik as a rock artist again, Hank Von Hell, December 15, 2018, in London, fantastic!!

USA again, Billboard next?

Hans-Erik wanted to take me to the USA the spring of 2020, together with our good friend Thomas Lund. Thomas had been introduced to the very famous music promoter Brad LeBeau, with artists such as Metallica, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, David Bowie on his CV, just to name a few, a merit list of gold placements on Billboard you can only dream of. Captain Micke Eriksson and his crew in SAS gave us an extraterrestrial experience on the trip from Oslo to New York, a big thank you to Micke and crew! Hans-Erik was recognized by fellow passengers, who came and wanted to say hello, talk to him.

Thomas had made an agreement with LeBeau to get him to take Hans-Erik on Billboard, with the song "Disco" (https://youtu.be/mELUHej372o).

LeBeau completely fell for the song. "Let’s just do it", LeBeau enthusiastically busted out! We landed back in Norway on February 28, 2020. Three days later, the corona epidemic, Covid-19, shut down Norway and the rest of the world. Everything, including Hans-Erik's career was put on hold. Everyone in cultural Norway, the whole world, actually, knows what I mean. This became the new and cruel reality, for Hans-Erik and most other artists worldwide. Hans-Erik released two albums as a solo artist: "Egomania" in 2018 and "Dead" in 2020, both of which are doing very well in the international rock world.

Last physical meeting, in Mosjøen

The last time I physically met Hans-Erik was when he visited my hometown Mosjøen in Norway 18 and 19 September 2020. Then he made a number of appearances for the Church's City Mission, and as always - Hans-Erik excelled, as a lecturer. Not a dry eye left the lecture hall that day, including my own. Not one!

An honorable, but sad description of THE BEST!

Hans-Erik, I could write a novel about my memories with you, you were simply one of a kind. You were a friend, a BROTHER, a problem solver, one who always supported everyone else, helped everyone else. However, like Philip Zoran Obuskovic, better known as Phillie, Hans-Erik's guitarist said to me: "Hans-Erik became like a father to me after I lost my own father in 2021. Hans-Erik helped everyone else, but, he refused everyone else to help him». An honorable, but, sad description of THE BEST! The future was laying right there, right ahead of you, Hans-Erik, big concert tour in Europe 2022, and: Turbonegro had confirmed that they were about to contact you for reunion in 2023, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the band's formidable album «Apocalypse Dudes». Your passing now, before everything good was about to happen, is, as I said before, nothing short of tragic.

Hans-Erik, Hank, I hope you are well now where you are, on the other side. I really wish you were still here with me, with all your other good friends, all who cared. They are so many that they cannot be counted, Hans-Erik. Peace, and peace forever, until we meet again. Because we will, and then I will have a Hell of a lot to tell you, a hell of a lot to talk to you about, Brother !!  ❤❤❤

GALLERY

Photos: Per Heimly & Atle Jørgensen