My blood pressure spiked today. Reports are coming in that Led Zeppelin is hitting the road on a reunion tour next year and by Led Zeppelin, I mean Jimmy, Robert, John and Jason (John’s son). There is a reason why the Led Zep website’s URL for the O2 show back in Dec 07 is “/reunion” – I think Jason is legit – he’s family.
I first heard this rumor last Saturday – that John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page were in the studio rehearsing with Jason Bonham along with a mystery vocalist for a possible 09 tour. It made sense to me: Jimmy and John were tight when they played with Dave Grohl back in June but where was Robert?
On the Led Zep Reunion Tour, The Sun reports that,
They even rehearsed with stand-in singers — and one American was so impressive they were confident they could hit the road next year without Plant. That was what finally persuaded him to return. A source revealed: “The rest of the band had all but given up on Robert joining them, but they were determined to go ahead so had started to seriously explore other avenues. When Robert realized the band were serious about doing it without him, it made him think long and hard.
NME and MTV are quoting piece in the Sun but nothing official has been reported as of yet. In a New Yorker review I mentioned back in December, Sasha Friere-Jones mentioned,
“Rumors have floated that next summer Led Zeppelin is going to play at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, in Tennessee. This might seem like a good idea, but Led Zeppelin is a cover band now, covering its own material. Without John Bonham, the band can only sound like Led Zeppelin; it can’t be Led Zeppelin. The band should turn down the money and let its record stand.”
That sounded really good at the time, especially when she had been at the show and I was merely reading about it and wishing I had been there, but now I am thinking that maybe it would be a good idea for me to see them in person and see if I agree with her, you know, see what the facts on the ground are. That would probably be best for all those involved.
Via Keith