Foto: Bas van Dam © 2000

The Dordrecht based band The ZIPPS belongs to one of the best underground bands Holland could boast in the sixties. By publicly parading the use of hallucinatory drugs, the ZIPPS managed to catch the public's eye in no time at all. And if there was any doubt left: purple stickers with the text Be Stoned! Dig: Zipp's Psychedelic Sound were handed out during concerts.

The ZIPPS were formed in the autumn of 1965 when Jan Bek (solo singer). Philip Elzerman (vocals, flute, harmonica), Peter Nuyten (guitar), Theo Verschoor (electric bass) and John Noce Santoro (drums) decide to get in touch with the beat scene of the day. Singer Jan Bek pulls out already before the recording of the first single Highway Gambler which is released on the Op Art label in February 1966. This label, started by the legendary Paul Acket, attracts wide attention with the monthly reviews of the records released on this label in his Teenager Music Magazine "Muziek Expres". Just like another Op Art band - The Outsiders - they change labels by switching over to IRAMAC, that claims to offer new Dutch talent an opportunity to rise to fame on its brand new Relax label.

By then the ZIPPS can boast a hardcore flock of fans who follow in their footsteps throughout the country. As a result of the marriage of psychedelic sound and their renowned 'Zeta Lightshow' it hardly comes as a surprise that the ZIPPS are readily known as the Dutch 'Pink Floyd'. At the end of September 1966 one of the Dutch news TV programs 'Brandpunt' does an item on the use of LSD in The Netherlands, illustrated with interviews and live footage of a ZIPPS concert in the Casino in Scheveningen. Philip Elzerman in particular enthusiastically relates on the (negative) use of this drug in a typical ZIPPS song called 'Alice D'. The real message of this song, which at that time was impossible to be released as a single, is that even a drug like lsd25 cannot cause such a 'high trip' as does listening to the psychedelic sound of The ZIPPS; "Dig the ZIPPS and Be Stoned" instead of using drugs! However, most of the time this message is heavenly misunderstood by the band's audience that is often too 'high' to understand it.

Every week fans wrote about the ZIPP's concerts they have attended in the Teen's Magazines 'Hitweek' and 'Kink'. One day, in a big promotion campaign for Dutch Milk, Hitweek featured a picture of Philip Elzerman with a glass of milk in his hand. This is the immediate cause to rename the title of a single that had been announced into The Struggle For Ice cold Milk of Benzi The Bassplayer Or How To Promote Original Dutch Milk. The fans, though, prefer the flip side Marie Juana.

There are also sidelines: the ZIPPS accompany the poets Cees Boender and Ben Katerberg (author of Kicks and Chicks) at poetry recitals, resulting in the EP single Beat and Poetry. During their first tour visit to Paris they helped French singer Philip Salerne by accompanying his concert when he was hit by a strike of French musicians who were demanding higher fees for recording sessions. A number of songs by Philip Salerne, accompanied by the ZIPPS, are released on two singles which brought the Dutch group to France for a second time in 1967 to give concerts in the famous Parisian Disco 'La Locomotive' underneath the celebrated Moulin Rouge. After the tour, drummer John Santoro is replaced by Wim Klein who plays on the song Lotus Love: the first recording in the new formation, which will however be shelved for a long time caused by contractual difficulties. During the rest of 1967, records are no longer released and the press seems to have forgotten their existence.

Only in December this lull in publicity is disrupted by the news that the ZIPPS together with the Soft Machine (UK), have been engaged as supporting acts for the concert in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw of the American Underground group Electric Prunes. In the spring of 1968 the group breaks up only to pick up where they left off a few months before; drummer Wim Klein changes places again with John Santoro. In the summer of 1968 also the bassplayer is replaced by Ruud van Seventer and Dick Visscher replaces solo guitarist Peter Nuyten who composed most of the ZIPPS songs.

The new formation records the psychedelic single When You Tell It, Tell It Well ...! that is released in March 1969. A few months later, singer Jan Bek joins the band again (since 1965!) together with guitarist, songwriter Janko Barut. A great number of incidental concerts in Belgium and Germany were to follow, however new label contracts stay away and after various personnel changes the band definitely breaks up in the mid seventies.

The new millennium saw a rebirth of the garage music from the Lowlands called 'Nederbeat' and the former ZIPPS band members decide to reunite for a concert in December 2000. Due to the unexpected success of this concert and the enthusiastic reactions of former ZIPPS fans, both in Holland as abroad, the band continues their reunion concerts until now … alive and kicking!