Photo: The Daily Telegraph

Vince Contarino – Zep Boys

Earlier in the year, I had the pleasure to interview one Vince Contarino of Adelaide’s Zep Boys, better known as Australia’s leading Led Zeppelin tribute act. Recently catching up with him again to discuss the band’s latest happenings and their exciting new announcements, Vince had plenty to say and more about the future plans of the Zep Boys!

Following two sell-out shows in Sydney this year, which then led to two successful shows at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, looking back now, I asked Vince what has been his favourite part about the whole ‘Led Zeppelin Masters’ experience?

“I’m really proud that people come along and celebrate the shows because it really does mean something to them. It means something to me too, because I love the music. I’m just as happy listening to ‘Bad Company’, but Led Zeppelin’s special: it goes that extra step beyond. Something I love is that people, after all these years, are still coming to the shows. Another thing is that I’m working with a group of people that get it — they finally get it. I’m working with professional people like Tim Woods and Phil Bathols, and they go, ‘This is not a tribute, this really is an event. It’s about the music.’ Now, we’re developing the show along those lines, we’re trying to present it the best way possible; presenting the best sound possible; the best lighting possible, and just how we go about doing it all. So we can put on a quality show, in respect of the masters that we’re celebrating.”

In an exciting bout of news, the Zep Boys confirmed that they will be performing three more shows for ‘Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin Masters’ in the new year. Taking place once again at the Sydney Opera House in January next year, I asked Vince how all of this came about?

“I think because it was so successful last year, it was all, ‘Let’s just do it again’. We were kind of an unknown quantity back then, so I think a few people came out of curiosity more than anything else. Now, I think they’re just going to come in, boots and all. [laughs] I think also at that time of year, there’s also a lot of internationalists, as well: people who just want to come and see a show at the Opera House. And what better than a show where we do a little bit of Led Zeppelin, because they’re very popular all across the world and their music catalogue is varied. So, I think the fact that we sold out the two shows [in 2016] goes a long way to repeating it again next year.”

The Zep Boys are also heading to the UK for the first time next year. I asked if Vince could tell us a bit more and where the band will be heading?

“Well, that came about a couple of months ago and we’ve got eight days in England, with one in Scotland, so we’re really excited about that. We’re in the process of doing all the promotions, and man, to get a band over there is not a cheap undertaking (and we’re doing it with the orchestra). We’ve been doing this for 30 years in Australia, so even if people haven’t seen us, they’ve heard about us by word of mouth. So we’ve got a kind of reputation. Also, with the orchestra shows, we’ve been doing them since 2004/2005, so they have a reputation, as well. There’s a lot of stuff on YouTube, with live performances and so on. Going to the UK, nobody knows us from Adam. And we’re kind of like, we’ve got to traverse this unknown barrier of letting people know this is, once again, not a tribute show. We’re not dressing up, we’re not pretending to be anything. We’re just playing the music.”

Reiterating over it being their first time, Vince elaborated further.

“I just don’t know what to expect. I have no idea. I can only be guided by bands that have been over there in the past. It’s really good that the promoters that have seen us then go, ‘this is the thing we want’. Because there’s not many shows… you know, there’s a lot of different shows performing the work of artists that have been big hits; Led Zeppelin is one. And, specifically, when you use an orchestra, I don’t actually think there is anyone using an orchestra with the band setup as we are. There may be acts that come along that have four or five different musicians — two or three guitarists — but we do it as the four-piece Led Zeppelin with the orchestra behind us. We’re trying to do it as authentically as possible if Led Zeppelin had done it, if they used an orchestra. So we’re pretty excited that people over there are going, ‘Let’s give this a go’. But it’s also pretty scary, as well. There’s a lot of work to be done. It’s not like we do three or four gigs and then have four days off. We’re going to be working all the way through it.”

Vince mentioned in the last interview we did how there was a — and I quote — “chemistry that [Led Zeppelin] had as four individuals” and is “something that permeates into the psyche of many, if not all of us”. From the videos watched and the interviews read, Vince Contarino and the other three members of the Zep Boys seem to share a very similar chemistry. I asked Vince how he would describe the relationship he has with the other members of the band?

“With Warwick Cheatle, the bass player, I’ve basically worked with him for 30 years,” Vince began. “So he knows what I’m thinking before I even think it. Musically, we love Led Zeppelin. Away from Led Zeppelin, we have quite diverse tastes, as well. When it comes to putting a band together and having that intensity — and also, not only the skill of playing the music and giving it respect — we also have to not forget we have to communicate this to an audience. The audience is not invisible, they are there and they need to be regarded. So there’s a focus on sharing. It’s a difference between writing a recipe book and cooking for them, and going, ‘here you go’. We don’t want to show them pictures of a recipe book, we actually want to feed them. So that’s our take on it.

“Over the years, I suppose we’ve had this shared knowledge on things we agree on. Now, as other members come in, I think that takes them over, as well. They remember there’s an audience out there, because if there wasn’t, then what’s the point of bloody-well doing it? So there’s a chemistry we have and it’s pretty cool, man. We all get on really well and when people come on and they have skills and talents, you kind of respect them anyway, so you have a high regard for them. Even though you may not agree with them, you do respect them. Sometimes you discover something because of that respect. Before you know it, you’re like, ‘Fucking hell, man, I really like this! This is cool!’ So there is a common understanding between us. I think that comes with age, too. When we were young men, it was all about posture and pose, but as you get older, you don’t give a shit about that anymore. You just want to have fun and do the best job possible. So you become a little bit more open-minded than before. So I think that helps, as well.”

I also just had to ask to Vince of what was the first Led Zeppelin song he ever heard that just blew his mind?

“I’ve tried to wrack my brain for what it was about Led Zeppelin, but I do know it was the first time I heard ‘Black Dog’. I just went, ‘Whoa! What is this?! This is awesome’. I was probably about twelve. I just went, ‘This is fucking awesome’. [Vince then breaks out into a brilliant rendition of ‘Black Dog’ over the phone!] It was wild! As a young man, that was just so groovy and sexy and everything. I just thought, I need to find more after having heard three or five words. Having said that, I’m pretty sure it was also ‘Whole Lotta Love’. But when I heard ‘Black Dog’, that was it.”

The Zep Boys continue the Led Zeppelin Masters experience at the Sydney Opera House for three special dates in January 2017. Be sure you don’t miss what is guaranteed to be a night you won’t forget!

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