Zellots

Websites:  https://supremeecho.bandcamp.com/album/zellots
Origin: London, Ontario → Vancouver, British Columbia → London, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

The Zellots emerged in 1978 as one of the few all-female punk bands to cut through both the Vancouver and London, Ontario undergrounds. Guitarist Chris DeVeber and bassist Jane Colligan first cut their teeth in London with short-lived projects like Heaven 17, inspired by the Demics and the first wave of punk filtering into southern Ontario. By the summer of ’78 the two relocated west and answered an ad placed by vocalist Heather Haley and drummer Conny Nowe. Rehearsing in East Van basements and crashing on couches, the Zellots quickly became part of a burgeoning Vancouver scene that revolved around the Smilin’ Buddha and house parties. They played alongside DOA, Subhumans, K-Tels, Modernettes, Private School, and even the Dishrags, holding their own in what was otherwise a male-dominated circuit.

The original lineup recorded a handful of songs in 1979 with Peter Draper, a guitarist and engineer tied to Art Bergmann’s Schmorgs. Though the master tape was lost, cassette dubs survived, and decades later three tracks resurfaced on Let’s Play House (2017, Supreme Echo). Raw and melodic, with Haley’s voice rising over Jane and Chris’s harmonies, the recordings captured the Zellots’ balance of toughness and pop sensibility. Supreme Echo’s release, salvaged from Haley’s personal tape, provided a crucial document of their Vancouver period and cemented their reputation as an overlooked chapter in Canadian punk.

The West Coast version unraveled by the turn of the decade. Nowe was dismissed and replaced briefly by Modernettes drummer John MacAdams; tensions grew as opportunities slipped past. At the notorious Rock Against Prisons concert in 1979 they were filmed by activist Doreen Gray, though the soundtrack remains buried in archives. Police harassment of punks at the Smilin’ Buddha—culminating in raids and DeVeber’s arrest on trumped-up assault charges—underscored the hostility they faced. When Haley was courted to move south with Randy Rampage and members of San Francisco’s Avengers, the Vancouver Zellots dissolved.

Back in London, Ontario in 1980, Colligan and DeVeber reformed the band with new recruits: vocalist Cathy Destun and drummer Greg Moore (ex-Stoves). Later, Moore was replaced by Craig McGauley (later of United States). This version of the Zellots was tighter, more assured, and immediately found themselves opening for an impressive roster of international acts. Their chance meeting with the Psychedelic Furs—who literally stumbled upon the band covering their songs at Larry’s Hideaway—led to the Zellots opening the Furs’ London debut. Other high-profile supports followed: Bauhaus, Simple Minds, Joe King Carrasco, Chris Spedding, John Cale.

The band rehearsed and lived communally, pushing their material into darker, more ambitious terrain. Demos were recorded at EMAC Studios with Rob Nation and Joe Vaughan, at Springfield Sound, and with Toronto producer Peter Moore, whose binaural “dummy head” captured their live energy. An unreleased full album was tracked at Springfield but lost when the engineer, who had fallen for Destun, withheld the tapes. Despite strong material and encouragement from figures like Cale—who offered to bring them to Europe if they could finance the trip—the band lacked the money and management to capitalize. Record contracts and backing fell through, and promised tours never materialized.

By 1982, depleted from years of chasing opportunities, the Zellots folded. Members scattered into other projects: Conny Nowe built a respected career with Tin Twist, Moral Lepers, Random Order, Swamperella, and more; Jane Colligan and Chris DeVeber formed Ukase; others cycled into London’s vibrant post-punk web. Looking back, Greg Moore called the Zellots “the best band I ever played in,” while DeVeber remembered it as both her proudest memory and deepest disappointment.

Though never properly released in their time, the Zellots’ songs survived through cassettes, memories, and later archival work. In 2012 the London lineup reunited for one night at Call the Office during the Graphic Underground: London 1977–1990 exhibition, alongside fellow Cedar Lounge veterans NFG, the Enemas, and Uranus. With DeVeber’s passing since then, that show stands as a poignant final bow.

The Zellots’ legacy lies in their determination and originality, even as opportunities slipped away. From basement gigs in Vancouver to opening for international acts in London, they carved out space in two very different punk scenes and proved themselves against the odds.
-Robert Williston

Vancouver Lineup (1978–1979):
Chris DeVeber: guitar, vocals
Jane Colligan: bass, vocals
Heather Haley: vocals
Conny Nowe: drums
John MacAdams: drums (briefly, after Conny Nowe, also of the Modernettes)

London Lineup (1980–1982):
Chris DeVeber: guitar, vocals
Jane Colligan: bass, vocals
Cathy Destun: vocals
Greg Moore: drums (ex-Stoves)
Craig McGauley: drums (later of United States, replaced Moore)

Late London Additions (1981–1982):
Lisa Patterson: saxophone (later of Sheep Look Up)
John Francom: saxophone (later of Sheep Look Up)
Gilbert Smith: rhythm guitar (Crash 80s, Sheep Look Up)