It's a funny old world when a band as influential as The Zombies are touring around backwater theatres at under £20 a ticket. Their 1967 misspelled masterpiece “Odessey and Oracle” continues to capture the minds of younger generations, despite not selling well at the time. Their growing list of celebrity fans has ensured their myth and legacy has grown over the decades. Paul Weller proclaimed “Odessey...” as his all-time favourite album, Dave Grohl is a big fan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have covered them, and their influence of the likes of Belle and Sebastian is obvious.
The show itself is a more of a celebration of what Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent have been up to over the past 50-odd years, than a dedicated Zombies night as such. There are, in fact, as many original members of 70's rockers Argent on stage as there are original members of The Zombies, thus two of Argent's most recognisable moments, “God Gave Rock and Roll To You” (covered by Kiss of course) and “Hold Your Head Up” are rapturously received key moments in the set, two of Blunstone's biggest solo hits, “I Don't Believe In Miracles” and “Say You Don't Mind”, are thrown in, and Blunstone's time with The Alan Parsons Project is represented by a warmly welcomed “Old and Wise”.
Of course The Zombies' key tracks are present and correct; “Tell Her No”, “She's Not There”, and of course, “Time of the Season”, all stand up nicely. Blunstone's voice is still pretty stunning, to be honest; it really cuts through, and his performance is enigmatic and impassioned. Their creative urge is still strong too, and they're not afraid to play stuff off their current album.
While it's great to see a band of their calibre in an intimate setting, the sense of occasion is maybe a bit lacking. The evening feels very polite, and Rod and Colin seem to feel obliged to explain every song in the set, and Rod in particular seems very keen to explain and defend their legacy at every turn. I can't imagine, for example, Bob Dylan explaining to an audience where “Blonde on Blonde” came in Rolling Stone magazine's “Top 500 Albums” list, but I guess that takes us full circle; I can't imagine Dylan bothering to play Sevenoakes either, and I can't imagine him seeming as gracious and happy to be on-stage as these guys. The night may be a bit “tame” to the more jaded rock 'n' roll fan, but if the Stones' ticket prices are putting you off, you could do a darn sight worse than an evening with The Zombies. A joy.
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