Robert Plant Discusses Reasons For Scrapping Led Zeppelin Reunion In Interview With Absolute Radio

In a recent interview with Absolute Radio DJ Ben Jones, Robert Plant (pictured above with Alison Krauss) spoke about the reasons behind his decision not to tour with a reunited Led Zeppelin. Citing John Bonham’s absence, Plant told Jones:

“The reason that it stopped was because we were incomplete, and we’ve been incomplete now for 29 years.”

Plant also said that he feared tarnishing Led Zeppelin’s legacy, stating:

“I think the thing about it is really, is that to visit old ground, it’s a very incredibly delicate thing to do, and the disappointment that could be there once you commit to that and the comparisons to something that was basically fired by youth and a different kind of exuberance to now, its very hard to go back and meet that head on and do it justice.”

To hear Ben Jones’s interview with Plant and Alison Krauss on the Absolute Radio Web site, click here.

To read an NME.com article about Plant’s comments to Absolute Radio, click here.

WTF? Jimmy Page’s Manager Now Says Led Zep Won’t Tour Or Record

What a difference a day makes.

Just yesterday, the music world was abuzz with the talk of who would replace Robert Plant (pictured above) as the vocalist in the band featuring his Led Zeppelin cohorts Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham. The talk was stoked by comments from Jimmy Page’s manager, Peter Mensch, to BBC 6 Music. Then, later yesterday, Mensch pulled a complete 180, telling MusicRadar.com:

“They tried out a few singers, but no one worked out. That was it. The whole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop talking about it.

“Led Zeppelin are over! If you didn’t see them in 2007, you missed them. It’s done. I can’t be any clearer than that.”

Mensch’s stunning reversal from his comments to BBC 6 Music have left many scratching their heads. Is he serious this time? Or was Page upset when he read Mensch’s comments and told him to issue a retraction? This bizarre story just gets stranger and stranger.

When he was asked what Page will be doing this year now that the Led Zeppelin reunion is off the table, Mensch stated, “Fuck if I know. I’m waiting to hear.”

Maybe tomorrow, Mensch will reveal that Led Zeppelin’s new vocalist is William Hung!

For more on this story, see the articles from MusicRadar.com and XFM London.

Also, see the piece from MusicRadar.com revealing how the BBC 6 Music interview with Peter Mensch was months old.

Book Excerpt In The Times Of London Chronicles The Debauchery Of Led Zeppelin

An excerpt from Mick Wall’s book, When Giants Walked The Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin, was published in the Saturday, November 1st edition of The Times of London. The excerpt chronicles the legendary debauchery of Led Zeppelin on the road. (Yes, the baby shark incident is discussed.) Here’s an excerpt from the excerpt:

Keith [Richards] may still have draped silk scarves over his bedside lamps, carried guns and knives and shot up heroin, while Mick [Jagger] certainly kept the ladeez busy, but no one was busting up rooms, cars and jaws like [John] “Bonzo” Bonham; nobody was a bigger babe-magnet than rocket-in-my-pocket [Robert] Plant; and not even Keef could keep up with nocturnal [Jimmy] Page’s noneating, non-sleeping regime of smack, coke, Quaaludes, Jack Daniel’s, cigarettes, weed, wine, whatever. Plus, Page was the only one using whips and magic wands on any sort of regular basis.

To read the full excerpt, which is quite lengthy, on The Times of London’s Web site, click here.

Robert Plant Reportedly Agrees To Led Zeppelin Reunion Tour

Since the surviving members of Led Zeppelin reunited for a triumphant one-off show in support of the late Ahmet Ertegun’s foundation at London’s O2 Arena in December of last year, rumors have been rampant that the band would join together again for a world tour. Robert Plant has steadfastly denied the rumors while continuing his tour with Alison Krauss in support of their album, Raising Sand.

The UK newspaper The Sun reported yesterday that Plant has finally agreed to do the tour. According to The Sun, Plant changed his mind because Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were auditioning other singers and were, apparently, ready to hit the road with or without Plant.

A source told The Sun:

“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.

“He realized he couldn’t face the thought of not being involved. The band were over the moon when he told them the news. They are now forging ahead with the tour plans and they can’t wait to get on the road.”

The reunited Led Zeppelin, with the late John Bonham’s son, Jason, on drums, will allegedly tour next summer. If the tour actually does come off, it is likely to be the hottest (and probably most expensive) ticket of the 2009 summer concert season.

Further information can be found in The Sun, NME.com, and XFM London.

Led Zeppelin Jamming and Rehearsing Without Robert Plant

Drummer Jason Bonham told a classic rock radio station that:

“I’ve been over [to England] a couple of times. I’ve been working with Jimmy (Page) and John Paul (Jones) and trying to do just do some new material and some writing. I don’t know what it will be, but it will be something.”

I don’t know who’s singing but it would be blasphemy if these musicians went on as Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant. Some Zeppelin traditionalists think there should be no continuation of Zep without Jason’s father, John. For me, as a big Zeppelin fan, it’s Plant or nothing. No one should fill in for him.

Jimmy Page Talks Led Zeppelin Reunion With XFM London

Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page spoke exclusively with XFM London about the future of the band on June 16th at the Mojo Honours List 2008, where he and Led Zep bassist John Paul Jones picked up the Best Live Band award (for playing exactly one gig last year; more info is at http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2008/led-zeppelin-scoop-best-live-act-award). On the subject of possibly persuading Robert Plant to agree to do a reunion tour, Page told XFM:

“I’m not going to persuade anyone to do anything. It’s just like the O2, you do it in the spirit of your heart, don’t you? You either do it or you don’t.”

Page also revealed that his broken finger, which caused postponement of the band’s O2 Arena concert for three weeks, was actually broken in three places. Page said that the finger hadn’t fully healed when the day of the concert arrived:

“But my personal focus was that broken finger – it didn’t matter [about it], it was just steering ahead. It didn’t get better in  three weeks, it’s just that I played in three weeks.”

In addition, Page told XFM that the December 2007 reunion show at London’s O2 Arena, which featured the late John Bonham’s son, Jason, on drums, might see the light of day on DVD. (I guess I now know what Pat will be getting Hawk for Christmas!)

To read the full article on the XFM London site, go to http://www.xfm.co.uk/artists/interviews/2008/exclusive-led-zeppelin-reunion-the-spirit-has-to-be-there.

John Bonham’s Son Hopes For Led Zeppelin Reunion

Jason Bonham (above) sat in for his father at London’s 02 Arena in December. Now he’s hoping a Led Zeppelin reunion tour will happen, and he will be invited to sit in again.

“My fingers are crossed and I would do it in a heartbeat,” he tells BBC.

In the meantime, Robert Plant is playing down any possibility that there will ever be a reunion. Recently he told journalists at a basketball game that it is doubtful.

Can you say curmudgeon, boys and girls?

Say it with me: cur·mudg·eon It is a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.