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Hometown: London, ON, CA
Label: Independant
Management: Gargoyle Music
Genre: Alternative
The band came out of the early punk scene of 1978 - 82 when Jane Colligan(bass) and Christine deVeber(guitar) returned to London, Ontario after the disbanding of the Zellots in Vancouver with Heather Haley (vocals) and Connie Knowe(drums).
Chris and Jane returned to London and reformed the Zellots with Cathy Destun(vocals) and Greg "Zedman" Moore(drums). They wrote and performed originals and obscure covers in the local thriving punk scene of London, Ontario.
Early influences, were the Sex Pistols, Generation X, the Velvet Underground, Wire, Psychadelic Furs, Stranglers and Iggy Pop.
The Zellots delivered spellbinding performances while pushing the creative envelope with raw energy, rapidly attracting a strong following. They opened for artists such as John Cale (of the Velvet Underground), Bauhaus,Simple Minds,Viletones,Psychadelic Furs and the Demics,(several of whom expressed an interest in the band) gigging mostly in London, Toronto and Detroit.
They recorded a 6 song EP at Emac Studios with Rob Nation released on CD. They also added members John Francom (sax and keys) and Gilbert Smith (rhythm guitar), with Craig McGauley filling in for Greg for a while. They also recorded an album at Springfield Sound Studio, but sadly, lost track of the master tapes after the studio folded and the band split up.
Three songs from the EP have been remastered by Peter J. Moore (talented and respected Toronto producer, and old friend of the band) a few years ago and released in Japan on a compilation "You Only Get One Chance at the Big Time" through Keith Grave and Wizzard On Vinyl Records.
Currently a project is in the works to find and remaster live recordings of the band for a possible release on vinyl - we will keep you posted ..
““Every punk scene had bands that were just screwing around for fun, others with real intentions yet questionable talent. There were the really good ones, and there was the cream, the bands with talent and the ability to write great songs. In London Ontario, one of the early punk bands that were definitely cream was the Zellots.
Hailing from the influence of early punk the Zellots went on to become one of the best punk bands to make their mark on the local scene. Featuring the talents of Jane Colligan on bass, Christine deVeber guitar, Cathy Destun on vocals and Greg Moore on drums.. and later Craig McGauley on drums, the band created some great original songs that stood out from much of the material presented locally at that time. They had a reputation as a great live band and whenever they played, the dance floor was crammed with people and an air of excitement.”
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Danny Napalm - londonpunkrockscarchives
“Dave O’Halloran (What Wave magazine, local DJ and punk historian) is a huge fan of the band. Dave recalls, “They were one of the London bands that should have gone on to something bigger, they had some really good original songs, great harmony vocals and their cover songs were obscure, yet done with that unique Zellot sound. Wish I’d had the guts/know how to put out a record by them. They were my favourite punk band from London back then”.
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Dave O'Halloran - Whatwave Magazine
