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Fans worldwide fund hometown mural for '60s band

Danny Fullbrook
BBC News, Hertfordshire
The Rocks Management A mural depicting members of the music group The Zombies on the side of a building with members of the band standing in front of it. The mural is light green and dark green and depicts give men wearing blue velour or velvet jackets. They have 60s style hair and the text is written in a 1960s-style font.The Rocks Management
The mural has been painted on the side of the building in St Albans where The Zombies had their first band rehearsal in 1961

A mural honouring rock band The Zombies has been unveiled in their hometown after money was raised by fans from across the globe.

The brightly-coloured portrait of the band was painted on to the side of the Pioneer Club in St Albans, Hertfordshire, where the band had their first rehearsal in 1961.

It was unveiled to the group - whose hits include Time of the Season and She's Not There - on Saturday to coincide with a screening of their new documentary film, Hung Up On A Dream.

Fans from across the globe hit the £2,000 ($2,744) fundraising target for the mural within 48 hours so it would be in place in time for the screening.

Lead singer Colin Blunstone said the artwork "perfectly captures the spirit of the original band in the mid 1960s" and cemented The Zombies' "lifetime connection" with their hometown.

Keyboardist Rod Argent added the whole band was "very moved to see this beautiful mural".

Steve Rossi, who co-runs The Zombies fan club, said fans had been looking for a way to honour the band in their home town for some time.

The club had previously led campaigns to get the band back into US and UK charts, as well as an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

He said: "This was about the Zombies community coming together once again to honour our band."

The full total raised, £2,712 ($3,700), was passed to the band's US-based management who organised the painting of the mural.

The Zombies when they appeared on Top Of The Pops in 1964. The photo is black and white. The five young men all have dark hair and are wearing loose waistcoats in a dark fabric, along with white collared shirts and skinny ties. Two of the men are wearing glasses.
The band's 1968 single Time of the Season was a hit around the world

Artist Ant Steel, from Norwich, admitted it was a tight turn around but was proud of his involvement, especially as the unveiling event was attended by American news broadcasters and fans from Japan.

"I know how much it means to so many fans across the globe, I feel really happy and honoured they chose me," he said.

The mural is based on the cover of their 1965 debut album Begin Here, combined with the psychedelic colours of their acclaimed second release, Odessey and Oracle, from 1968.

"Mixing the two together shows the joy and happiness they brought to their fans over the years," Steel explained.

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