HIQPY

How wonderful it is to see that there are still bands winning over audiences the good old-fashioned way: by playing live constantly. HIQPY is one such band: village after village, town after town, there isn’t a single stage in the Netherlands they haven’t graced. The splinters on the stages of venues like Paradiso, Tivoli or 013 now consider them Instagram friends. In the many reviews written about HIQPY, a whole host of foreign artists are cited to make a point. Here’s a challenge to give this announcement a bit of oomph: for every well-known guitar band we name-drop here, we’ll drink a shot of tequila – promise. Right, let’s carry on: HIQPY are no strangers in Belgium either. Last year, for example, they were invited to replace English Teacher at Rock Werchter. “We’re in,” replied the band, and after one and a half songs it turned out to be a sort of Nadler Chadli/Dries Mertens replacement. So absolutely no loss of quality. There’s no album out yet, but their singles ‘Something’, ‘Red flag magician’, ‘Girl in red’ (all 2025) and ‘Youman’ (2026) are stuck on repeat in our jukebox. “Wolf Alice,” someone shouted (yeah, right!), “No way, Echobelly and Elastica!” someone managed to blurt out (cheers!), whilst a third person came trotting along with Bettie Serveert (hic) and we ourselves were daydreaming a bit about The Strokes, Nirvana and the Pixies (there we are, slumped over the table). The fact is: Hiqpy are the kind of guitar band whose pop songs are packed with energy, yet feel like electric shocks to the heart. A potential global sensation who, on Friday 7 August, will prove that there is life – plenty of it – after Anna Calvi, Sonic Youth and St-Vincent (waiter, a machine to pump our stomachs empty, please!).