Belated post: Backstage with The Zombies

[MAJUSCULE]

Haven’t gotten around to posting this until now, but had the chance to watch The Zombies from backstage and quickly meet Rod Argent earlier this summer. If they’re near you, I’d recommend the show. They still sound great. All the hits and some new material which totally holds up to the rest.

 

Rod’s rig included a Hammond XK-5 above a Kurzweil PC3X, with a Key Largo and Hughes & Walker amp sim on the floor. They also all had little tablets to control their in-ears, which Rod had on the bottom end of the Kurz.

 

 

Rod and Colin are the only original members, but as I said, they all sound great. The voices are still fantastic, from what I heard everything was in the original keys. Colin apparently warms up his voice for an hour before both the sound check and the show. I heard a little bit of that and he’s got chops for days. There are also a few interesting tidbits told during the set, such as them lucking out and being the first into Abbey Road after Sgt Pepper’s to record Odyssey & Oracle. Lennon had had an 8-track brought in, which left The Zombies with more tracks than they had planned for. With a half-hour left in the session, they got Geoff Emerick to put up some mics and recorded the handclaps and breath sounds for Time of the Season on a whim. They hadn’t written or rehearsed that part before then.

 

I’ve got a few videos on social media of the performance if anyone is so inclined.

 

Got a chance to take a quick picture with the man after the show. Unfortunately not much more as their original bassist (who named the band before leaving it to become a doctor) was in the audience and hanging with them, which was a cool coincidence.

 

 

Anyway, great show! It was maybe just a liiiittle bittersweet since I was originally supposed to be on this tour until their management stepped in and said no full bands. 🤪

[mate stubb]

Rod was one of my biggest rock Hammond influences, in both Zombies and later Argent. I was able to go to a Zombies show 10 years ago and I thought they were still great after all these years. Glad to see them still rockin'.

 

I consider him a master at building a solo.

[Morrissey]

Any info as to the purpose of the expression pedal?  I'd guess it is volume/expression pedal for the Hammond, but don't most players use their right foot for that?

4 hours ago, MAJUSCULE said:

 

 

[MAJUSCULE]

Oh yeah, he took several extended solos and sounded great throughout. Really fantastic player, plenty of language and a great melodic sensibility.

 

As far as the expression pedal, I believe that was actually hooked up to the Kurz. IIRC he was bringing strings in to layer with his piano sound. That's another thing I forgot to mention in the OP - he apparently doesn't use an expression pedal on his Hammond. An interesting choice, but it worked for him.

[zxcvbnm098]

I saw them earlier this summer as well, and was knocked out at how good they sounded. A must see if they come to your town. I know some folks who have toured with them and the word is Colin and Rod are sweethearts...kind, cool cats. Amazing they sound so great at 78! Colin even sang "Hold Your Head Up", which he was not the singer on the original version, but killed it! 

[Mark Schmieder]

Yeah I saw their amazing Oddessey and Oracle tour in 2017; my company (at the time) ran sound for the show (and supplied the loudspeakers), and Colin kept commenting on how it was the best sound he could ever remember, so I'm wondering if that was a big contributor to the incredible passion and energy at that show and the number of encores they did.

 

It was a bittersweet performance given what happened a few months later. Jim Rodford was one of my bass heroes, and also a sweet guy like the rest of them. His son has been the main drummer for a while, also helping support Hugh Grundy's drumming when he reunites with the band.

 

I came close to having the same accident that killed Jim, years prior: falling down steep stairs while carrying a heavy bass amp. I can't stand to think about it. But I'm glad to hear the band is tight even without him; I'm sure he would have hoped for that.