The Zoots band in Devon and Cornwall
It was fantastic to be interviewed by presenter and DJ David White from BBC Radio Devon / Cornwall on 4th December 2024. We spoke mostly about our New Years Eve show at Seaton Gateway on 31st December 2024. Its the forth time we’ve performed there on NYE but it could be more!
Jamie Goddard from the band Zoots discusses their upcoming New Year’s Eve performance at the Gateway at Seton. The band, which has performed over 3,000 shows in 35 countries, specialises in 60s, 70s, and 80s music. They will perform a mix of upbeat Rolling Stones, Beatles, Motown, glam rock, disco, and 80s hits. The venue, known for its large dance floor, is a favorite for those over 40. Tickets for the event are £25 and can be purchased online. Additionally, Jamie shares his background in music, including a record deal with Warner Brothers and his involvement in the Bootleg 60s Tour, which has sold over 150,000 tickets.
Interview 4th December on BBC Devon / Cornwall with Andrew White and Jamie Goddard from The Zoots
David White
Now we’re not even at Christmas yet. We’re already thinking about New Year’s Eve. Now this is a special show which is at the Gateway at Seton, at the theater there, and it’s being put on by the zoots. And I’ve got Jamie Goddard, who is kind of the main man from the zoots with us on the show this afternoon. Everybody’s gonna hate me for calling you the main man, aren’t they?
Jamie
No that’s great. I’m really looking forward to Seaton Gateway. What’s great is that it’s a great theater, but it’s what’s so brilliant is that people can dance there as well. So it’s like a really unique venue and a really unique space. It’s a big stage, but also a big dance floor, which
David White
is fantastic, which is what you need with your type of band,
Jamie
yeah. So we’ll do 60s, 70s and 80s. So it’d be, it will be really nice, because if you think about it, it’s not a lot of places that people can go and have a dance. If you’re over, you know, if you’re over the age of 40, there’s not really that many places to go. So New Year’s Eve as Seaton Gateway is the place to be for a dance.
David White
So what sort of stuff will you be playing?
Jamie
Well, We do a lot of theater shows. We do 60s and 70s, 80s separately. But what we’ll do, we’ll start off with the 60s, and it’ll be sort of fairly up tempo, dancy, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Kinks, lots of Motown, and then moving on to the 70s, a bit of glam rock, bit of disco, bit of Hot Chocolate for those who want it. And then moving on into, I think we sort of finish off with the 80s, and we’ll get some some fluorescent bandanas out and some fun, you know, it’s just a fun evening, and it’s just really nice to see everyone . We’ve done it about three times now, and each year it gets better and better, and people come from all over the all over the countr. So it really is a special event at Seaton Gateway. It’s really, and this is a special, special venue. We really, we really, absolutely love it there.
David White
And let’s be honest, it’s the time where you can just crack out all the party hits all night long.
Jamie
Yeah, exactly. And it’s really ideal, because everyone will know all words for the songs. Songs the crowd will all know well. Quite often the crowd know the lyrics better than I do.
David White
They can help you out. Just do the old bit where you know if you forget the lyrics, you go your turn to sing. Now, yeah,
Jamie
there’s a lot of that. There’s a lot of that to get the crowd involved, and there’s such a lovely bunch of people that come to the Seton Gateway so and a lovely staff there, and some really fantastic volunteers that that that ensure that events like this can go on. So it’s fantastic to be involved.
David White
So you’re a five piece, aren’t you? Just for people who might not have seen you perform, just tell me a bit about the zoots, yeah.
Jamie So we formed in 2009 and we’ve done, oh, I don’t know, I think we’ve done about this ridiculous amount of shows, 2 or 3000 shows. We’ve toured over 35 countries. But there’s nothing like putting on a in a show in in your hometown. My Uncle used to put on a lot of gigs in Honiton and the Devon area. So it’s always like, special for me, because we used to spend a lot of time in the area when we were growing up as kids. So it’s a very special place for me to perform, not just because of, you know, that it’s a lovely venue, but because it’s a special place in my heart. You know, playing in Devon and Cornwall as well.
David White
Are you named after the famous suit? Well, it’s
Jamie
a funny story about this, because what happened my dad used to be my manager , and he was speaking to an agent about putting on a tour, and we used to have a slightly different act, and he said, what I want to do is put on a 60s show for you, and if you’ve got any names for the ideas for the names. And my Dad said, we’ll get them to wear some smart suits. And he said, What did you just say? He said, I said smart suits. And he said, Oh, that’s a great name for a band and the and the agent on the phone thought he said Zoots, but he actually said suits, but ithats how it started
David White a misheard phone call. That’s fantastic.
Jamie
Yeah, it’s brilliant. And, and my Dad was the reason I got into music. He was, he was a, I wouldn’t say, famous drummer, but in the 70s, he was in a he was in a group that was part of the live band that had a one hit wonder, a group called the first class, and then it became something else. And he was actually replaced by Zak Starkey, who’s Ringo Starr’s son. So essentially, when I was born, he gave it all up and and what he did was he He buried his drums in the garden, and he put another set up in the loft. And I used to sneak up in the loft after school and set up the drums and sneak up there and play well, well before my Mum got back from work. So that’s how I got into music.
David White
But you moved to guitar then eventually, didn’t you,
Jamie yeah, I was a singing drummer, and, and, and I felt that it was a little bit more easy to to hold the crowd if you’re right at the front, because people used to look around and think, where’s that voice coming from? And, and now…….hahahah…………… I don’t know they think what they think now!!! hahaha but it’s fun.
David White
I was gonna say, You look like you have a lot of fun, which means the band has a lot of fun, which means the crowd have a lot of fun.
Jamie
Yeah, exactly. We do take what we do very, very seriously, and we do put a lot of effort into making sure that all the songs sound as much like the original as possible with our own little bit of a spin on it. But we do have fun, and we do have some really fun costumes and and that really helps to break the ice with it. If it’s a new audience, certainly, I think after they’ve seen this for about five minutes, they realize that we we’re not taking ourselves too seriously. So yeah, it’s a lot. The key word is fun with the Zoots shows that we do.
David White
Yeah,right. Let me play some music, Jamie, and I’ll be right back, and we’ll talk a little bit more brilliant. We’ve got Jamie Goddard on with us this afternoon. Jamie is leading the Zoots and they’re playing at the Gateway at Seton on New Year’s Eve. It’s gonna be one heck of a party.
JAMIE
Yes, it is. It’s gonna be if we’re gonna have to play a bit longer because it’s pretty late tonight.
Andrew White
So because you’re on what, you’re on about half past nine, isn’t it?
Jamie, well, I don’t know. I think, I think we’re probably going to go on earlier than that. And do we’re going to do 60s set, 70s set, and 80s set, and then maybe a bit of something else, because, but we’ve got to kind of break it up to make the whole evening. So we will be playing longer than we normally do, but be a longer evening. But yeah, more time on the dance floor for everybody so better bring their dancing shoes, because it will be. It really is a fantastic night, and it’s a fantastic venue to play.
Andrew White
I got to ask you something, because you’ve got an amazing claim to fame, right about the you know where I’m going, Jamie, the Chinese education curriculum.
Jamie
All right, okay, yeah, yeah. So I used to be a songwriter, and I had a record deal with Warner Brothers and, yeah. But the funny thing about it is, is that you’ve got the whole whole curriculum of English in China, listening to my music and it’s funny in one one respect, because I’ve never actually even been there, and they don’t have any copyright! so I don’t get any money for it!
David White
Oh no,
Jamie but no, it’s fun. It’s funny, really. It’s a claim to fame, but also quite funny, because it’s not profitable at all, but it is. It is fun, and I suppose that’s what music’s all about. And if people are listening to my own music, that’s fantastic,
David White
as long as they know who you are, so they can maybe go and check you out when they get home.
Jamie
Yeah, but I don’t, I don’t think they have Google in China. Hahaha
David White
Away from the zoots as well, Jamie, you do kind of the Bootleg 60s tour, don’t you?
Jamie
Oh, yeah, I’ve been lucky to do that. I’ve been all over Europe and this massive show, and I’ve actually sold over, I think it’s we got an award last year for selling over like 150,000 tickets, or something like that. So it’s great to be involved in that. And I’m going back to Holland and Belgium next year. So yeah, that’s a great thing to do. Gosh, you’ve done your research, David, that’s, yeah, that’s good fun. And we’re doing that in the spring, so that’ll be fantastic.
David White
And what about the zoots in 2025
Jamie
Well, yeah, we’ve got quite a lot of we’ve got doing quite a lot of theater shows, because we’ve got our sounds of the 60s and 70s and 80s. We’re coming to the Beehive in in Honiton on the 14th of March, so that’ll be fantastic. And that’s a 60s show, and we’ve kind of revamped the show. So we’ve got lots of lots of new songs, so our regulars will see a pretty different show for that one. And we do a lot of places in the southwest, because we absolutely love coming. We’re coming to the Tacchi Morris Art Centre, and we’re doing Sterts Theatre for the relaunch, that’s in Liskeard in July. So we’re doing quite a lot in the south west. It’s one of our favorite areas to go
David White
fantastic. And the next Well, the next time you’re here is going to be New Year’s Eve. If you want to see the zoots at the Gateway and Seton gateway, New Year’s Eve tickets available online. Jamie
Jamie
Yeah, from the zoots.com if you go there, the tickets are 25 pounds, and it’s really good value, because we could be playing for about three hours.
Andrew White
You are right. Well, look have a fantastic Christmas rest, if you can, and then see you on New Year’s Eve
