Review: The Zombies, Canterbury's Gulbenkian Theatre, Friday, December 2

by Keith Hunt

It's not uncommon for married couples to celebrate their 50th anniversary but it is unusual for a pop band to clock up that golden milestone.

Not that The Zombies have constantly been together like Darby and Joan in all that time. Neither can it be said the original line-up is intact.

But the two main men - Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent - are still there and very much the bedrock of a band that racked up some memorable hits in the swinging 60s.

Their long 50th anniversary tour through several countries recently came to a crowd-pleasing climax at Canterbury's Gulbenkian Theatre.

Fans will remember Blunstone and Argent, now both a stately 66, with boyish good looks and a froth of hair. The long locks are still there, if a little thinner, and I am pleased to report their talent is undimmed.

Blunstone now moves more deliberately, but the purity and quality of his wistful vocals remains and can still soar to great heights on Say You Don't Mind.

Despite being well past bus pass age, Argent exudes a remarkable enthusiasm and continues to dazzle with the keyboard skills that gave the group its distinctive sound when they first hit the music scene in St Albans all those years ago.

In one comical moment he recalled how Elvis had two of the band's songs on his jukebox. "Presley or Costello?" shouted one wit.

Belying their name, which conjures up images of the living dead, the pair had breezed onto the stage with guitarist Tom Toomey, bass player Jim Rodford and his drummer son Steve and launched into a rocking Sticks and Stones, followed by I Love You.

Argent told us the theme was connections and they would be swinging between their earlier material and their latest critically acclaimed album Breathe Out, Breathe In.

Their biggest hits She's Not There, Tell Her No and Time of the Season were, of course, a must and sounded as good and fresh as ever.

A few tracks from their lauded 1968 album Odessey and Oracle, ranked 80 in Rolling Stone magazines list of 500 greatest albums of all time, was a heady offering that left us smiling with admiration at the break.

The original line-up of Argent, Blunstone, Hugh Grundy and Chris White had performed the whole album in 2008 to celebrate its 40th year.

The group broke up soon afterward its release and Argent went on to form his eponymously named band and Blunstone went solo and had hits with Say You Don't Mind, I Don't Believe in Miracles and the Jimmy Ruffin cover What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.

The best examples of these were served up in a tasty menu. By the time one of Argent's gems Hold Your Head Up and She's Not There brought the evening to a climax, the audience, although still seated, was deliriously happy.

The band returned for an encore of another Argent anthem God Gave Rock and Roll to You and George Gershwin's much-covered mellow classic Summertime, we were all on our feet applauding wildly in appreciation of some true pop legends.

Argent joked they were selling tickets for their 100th anniversary tour - now wouldn't that be something?