BCC in London Dec 30

Black Country Communion performed show number two of their mini-two show tour of England last night, and Dave Lewis was there:

Black Country Communion gave an abject lesson in the art classic rock at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire last night...

The musicianship throughout was awe inspiring...

For me this(No Quarter) was simply the best cover version of a Zep track I’ve ever heard live. It typified the sheer class of a unit of musicians who are evidently loving playing together.

Black Country Communion are the real deal. Catch them at a festival near you in 2011.

Great clip of them playing No Quarter from Wednesday night's Wolverhampton gig:





Black Country Communion (20:30-22:00)

Black Country
One Last Soul
Beggarman
Revolution In Me
Down Again
Too Late For The Sun
Song of Yesterday
The Ballad of John Henry
Great Divide
Medusa
No Quarter
Sista Jane
Drum solo >
Black Country (Reprise)
Burn (Encore)

Band of Joy go Bluegrass

The Telluride Bluegrass Festival is an annual event put on by Planet Bluegrass in Telluride Colorado. The weekend long festival goes in June, and has featured some of the biggest stars in country and bluegrass music in it's 37 year history.

This year, along with star acts like Bela Fleck and Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant and the Band of Joy will be featured at the 38th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

The festival runs the weekend of June 16-19, 2011 and tickets are available from shop.bluegrass.com or 800-624-2422. Tickets are $155 each and camping packages, ranging from $55 - $265/weekend, are available.  Be sure to read the descriptions of the campgrounds, as I noticed one that is on a school ground, thus a strictly enforced alcohol and tobacco ban are in effect.

Going Back To The Black Country

I am a messenger
This is my prophecy
I'm goin' back
To the Black Country

Black Country Communion predicted they would return to the Black Country, and last night they did. The world conquering heros returned with their first full show as a unit - a second show will go tonight in London.

They played a 90 minute set for 3,000 fans at a "famous old venue."

The first review is in by Ian Harvey at the Express and Star:

Not since the days of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and, of course, the mighty Slade has the Black Country had a rock supergroup it can call its own.

That small oversight was well and truly laid to rest last night as Black Country boys Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham introduced American counterparts Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian to the Civic for Black Country Communion’s first ever full concert . . . where else but in the Black Country?

...Bonamassa, unleashed from his day job as the saviour of blues rock, was a revelation, clearly relishing being not just a band leader but a band member. He must have been relaxed because instead of the usual designer suit and sharp shoes, he was sporting jeans and trainers . . . still designer, of course.

It’s virtually impossible to pick highlights, such was the consistency throughout the 90-minute set, but perhaps special mention should go to the foot-to-the-metal Sista Jane, Bonamassa’s showpiece Song of Yesterday, and the extended workout of Too Late For the Sun, Shernian’s keyboards more to the fore than on disc.

My own spy in the building commented as well on Bonamassa and said the show was "...absolutely SUPERB!"

Tight But Loose's Dave Lewis is off to tonight's London show, so I would expect a very comprehensive review at TBL sometime in the next few days.

From city to shire
We come from the heartland
We walk thru the fire

We rise to the measure
The line in the sand
It's cold on the mountain
And this is our land

I am a messenger
This is my prophecy
I'm goin' back
To the Black Country

*********************



Setlist

• Black Country


• One Last Soul


• Beggarman


• The Revolution in Me


• Down Again


• Too Late for the Sun


• Song of Yesterday


• The Ballad of John Henry


• The Great Divide


• Medusa


• No Quarter


• Sista Jane


• Black Country


• Burn (encore)

Black Country Communion Rock Wolverhampton

Black Country Communion stepped on the stage in Wolverhampton tonight, playing their entire debut album plus classic tracks from Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Joe Bonamassa according to Nightwatcher's House of Rock and The Voice of Glenn Hughes.

On top of the songs from the album they played Led Zeppelin's <em>No Quarter</em> Deep Purple's <em>Burn</em> and Joe Bonamassa's <em>The Ballad of John Henry</em>.



Love that Jason Bonham bass drum and Bonamassa's painted amps.

Rolling Stone Calls Band of Joy #8 in 2010

Rolling Stone Magazine has released it's list top 30 albums of 2010. Along with other albums of the rock genre by Kid Rock and Kings of Leon, and by established artists such as John Mellencamp and Elton John, Robert Plant's Band of Joy comes in at #8.

Keep waiting, Jimmy Page — he's not coming back. Plant followed up his dreamy roots-romp Raising Sand (2007) with an album that was edgier and rootsier: Plant and his bandleader, guitarist Buddy Miller, pursue ancient songs and modern tangents with a black-light glow on this psychedelic exploration of blues and country, covering Los Lobos, Townes Van Zandt, the slow-core band Low and public-domain gospel as if they are all stops on the true road to nirvana.

Rolling Stone's top 10 of 10:

• Kanye West: My Dark Twisted Fantasy


• The Black Keys: Brothers


• Elton John & Leon Russel: The Union


• Arcade Fire: The Suburbs


• Jamey Johnson: The Guitar Song


• Vampire Weekend: Contra


• Drake: Thank Me Later


• Robert Plant: Band of Joy


• Eminem: Recovery


• LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening

Band of Joy Top Album of 2010

In a pick of top albums of 2010, England’s The Daily Mail picked Robert Plant’s Band of Joy as the best:

…(Plant) is… fully convincing the wider world that his talent didn’t begin and end with Led Zeppelin… The 62-year-old Plant’s resurgence… has been remarkable… (the) rock legend singing tender ballads such as House of Cards and Silver Rider with astonishing sensitivity…

Zeppelin Caroling

Washington’s BIG 100.3, in conjunction with Zep Fest 2011, are Zeppeling up Christmas with 24 hours of non-stop Led Zeppelin.

From 10PM EST Dec 24, Christmas Eve, to Midnight Christmas night. You can listen on 100.3FM, or listen to their on-line player.

There will be, besides all those Zeppelin Carols, many chances to win Zep Fest 2011 tickets (which are on sale now).

When you just can’t stand one more version of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, turn the dial (we’re analogue folk here) to 100.3 or, if you fancy using those internets, click here. All Zeppelin, All Christmas.

Tight But Loose Issue 28

Dave Lewis has begun sending out Tight But Loose Edition #28. Featuring Jimmy Page’s book launch, John Paul Jones’ Classic Rock Award, Robert Plant’s Band of Joy tour and Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience and more TBL28 looks like it will be jam packed.

It also has a great cover (right), with an amazing, casual shot of Jimmy Page.

Dave is sending out the edition in batches, but warns that unprecedented winter weather in England may cause delivery to be slower than usual:

Realistically, given all the current conditions, I would hope all UK subscribers will receive their copies by the end of the first week of January. Europe, USA and the rest of the world will follow soon after with expected delivery by mid January.

Tight But Loose is available from the Tight But Loose website.

The Groove Remains Very Similiar

Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy put together a tribute concert to John Bonham in September, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his death, called The Groove Remains The Same. The show, featuring Tichy fellow Whitesnaker  and  Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience bassist Michael Devin and Keyboardist/steel guitar/guitarist Stephen LeBlanc, went very well. Now Tichy is putting together two more Groove Remains The Same shows in California: On January 12th at the Key Club in Hollywood and the 13th at the Galaxy Theatre in Anaheim. The star of the show is an Amber Vistalite drumkit with Bonham's 3-ring-logo backdrop, on which a number of feature drummers play Led Zeppelin songs, accompanied by the Moby Dicks:

• Brian Tichy on guitar


• Michael Devin on bass


• Stephen LeBlanc on keyboards.

The September 25th show also featured Keith St. John on Vocals and Brent Woods on Guitar. No word on whether those two will be reprising their roles, but it is a good bet that they do. The scheduled drummers will include:

• Steven Adler - Guns 'N Roses, Adler's Appetite


• Carmine Appice - Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne


• Vinny Appice - Black Sabbath/ DIO/ Heaven And Hell


• Kenny Aronoff - John Cougar, Smashing Pumpkins


• Frankie Banali - Quiet Riot


• Charlie Benante - Anthrax Galaxy show only


• Bobby Blotzer - RATT


• Fred Coury - Cinderella


• Jimmy D'Anda - Bulletboys


• James Kottak - Scorpions


• Abe Laboriel - Paul McCartney, Sting


• Khurt Maier - Salty Dog


• Xavier Muriel - Buckcherry Galaxy show only


• Stephen Perkins - Jane's Addiction Key Club show only


• Chris Slade - AC/DC, The Firm


• Chad Smith - Chili Peppers, Chickenfoot


• Jason Sutter - Foreigner, Chris Cornell Key Club show only


• John Tempesta - White Zombie, The Cult, Testament Key Club show only


• Brian Tichy - Whitesnake, Foreigner, Billy Idol, Ozzy Osbourne


• Joe Travers - Zappa Plays Zappa, Duran Duran


• Simon Wright - AC/DC, DIO

JasonBonmham Interview on KLOS

Jason Bonham performed at the Mark & Brian Christmas Show at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles Thursday night. Jason performed with an all star Band that featured Joe Perry, Paul Rodgers, Michael Anthony and Steve Lukather. Before the show he sat with Sal Cirricione, and had a lot of interesting things to say:

On Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, he says there is a possibility of more Led Zeppelin Experience shows next year.

On Black Country Communion, Bonham confirms that they will be recording in LA in January, with Kevin Shirley again producing. It looks like BCC will tour beginning the end of May or early June, although the time line is not clear yet.  Any Led Zeppelin Experience shows will likely go off between those dates.

Finally, and most significantly, is his mention of a DVD of the Zeppelin 02 show:

“Nothing is official, as yet. I only know that because Robert had said that he’d watched it. I really do hope that it eventually will see the light of day. It’s just nice to know that Robert had seen it, so I knew something, but it was nice that he rang up and said ‘Wow, it sounded great.’”

Lots of exciting news from Jason Bonham, including hopes that maybe that 02 DVD will eventually see the light of day.

ZepFest 2011

I try, I really do, to not just be a rehash of what everyone else is doing. There are other, more established Led Zeppelin blogs who already do so much, so well. If I can give a story a personal touch, I’ll jump all over it. If I’m just rehashing, I stop and wonder what I’m adding to the discussion.

The other blogs in their entirety, have been doing a wonderful job of promoting ZepFest 2011 (in fairness, the other bloggers all seem to have been invited to speak at ZepFest 2011). My plan was to hold off, start talking about it sometime in the new year. Come the spring, ZepFest is going to be a huge Zeppelin story, so I thought I’d wait.

That’s what I thought. Things change. A couple of things have come up. First, I won a Led Zeppelin I 8-track (in-gently used, 1969 Chevelle not included) on their 12 Daze of Zepmas. I recommend everyone on Facebook join their mailing list, and watch for the The 12 Daze of ZepMas. Trust me, you can win.

Then the guys at ZepFest decided to link up to this blog. Great blog, they call it. When guys have good sense like that, they become hard to ignore.

So for the record, here’s the pertinent bits:

ZepFest 2001

The Worlds Largest "Zep Fest"
Memorial Day Weekend
May 27, 28, 29 2011
Washington DC

50+ Bands on 5 stages
"Interactive" Festival Grounds
DJ's-Speakers-Authors - Largest collection of Zeppelin Memorabilia ever assembled - secret shows - surprise guests.

It’s going to be a great event.

Dolphins Dancing Days

If you are heading to next Sunday’s Miami Dolphins Buffalo Bills game, there’s an extra treat for you. Besides being one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFL, this Sunday, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience will be playing at the pre-game.

The Experience will be playing the Land Shark Tailgate Stage on the AT&T Grand Plaza at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. The pre-game tailgate concert will begin at noon.

Glenn Hughes on BCC

Classic Rock magazine interviewed Glenn Hughes on the occasion Hughes receiving a Classic Rock Award (A gong) for for his work with the charity Childline:

Whenever they call on me I’ll be there, no problem at all. I urge all my musician mates to do the same.

Childline is a counselling service for children and young people who both Hughes and his wife are involved with - and good on both of them.

While they had him, the subject of Black Country Communion came up. Hughes suggested Led Zeppelin fans might just enjoy the show:

Two UK shows are booked for late December and we commence work on the second album on January 10 at the same studio in LA that the Hughes/Thrall album was made...

They’ll feature most of the first album and we might throw in a Led Zeppelin cover and some other things.

According to his Facebook page, Hughes had been very busy writing songs for BCC2, as he's currently calling it. A few weeks ago he noted he played what he had for Kevin Shirley, and it was well received. But he apparently wasn't done there, offering today:

My every wakin' moment is spent workin' on new BCC songs here in Brazil... I have no choice... the tap has been turned on... I am grateful... GH

It sounds like it will be a good 2011 for Black Country Communion.

Unpacking Jimmy Page

Rick Barret of Zeppelin Collectibles.com received his copy of the Genesis Publication book, Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page on Dec 10 - the third anniversary of Led Zeppelin's celebrated 02 arena concert.

Rick took a video of himself opening the book, and flipping through it the first time. Nice treat for fans who didn't get a book. And another reason to kick yourself for not buying one.

Robert Plants Adds Toronto Show

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy have added a second Toronto Show.

The Band of Joy are set to bring their North-Eastern American tour to Toronto's Sony Centre on Saturday January 22nd. The second show will be the following night, January 23rd, at the same venue.

The Sony Centre is formally the O'Keefe Centre where Led Zeppelin played in November 1969. Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience also stopped there in October.

Tickets for the 2nd Robert Plant and the Band of Joy Toronto Show go on sale the Saturday, December 11th.

Band of Joy Makes Spin Magazines Top 40

Spin Magazine just released it’s top 40 albums of 2010 and Robert Plant’s Band of Joy came in at 35 with a bullet. Along with modern acts such as Eminem (38), The Black Keys (30), Gorillaz (23), Drake (16), M.I.A. (8) and Kanye West (1) plus Canadians Arcade Fire (3) and Neil Young (28) and a bunch of acts this geezer has simply never heard of, Plant’s album is an out of place honour.

“Old, weird Americana, steeped in the black hours before Sunday morning comes down,” says the review at Spin. “The restless Plant seems more at home than ever.”

And the Nominees Are

The Grammy Awards tonight announced their 2011 nominees during a televised concert. Led Zeppelin members record three nominations this year, two to Robert Plant, and one to John Paul Jones’ band Them Crooked Vultures.

Robert Plant:
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only)
Silver Rider
from: Band Of Joy

Best Americana Album
(Vocal or Instrumental)
Band Of Joy

John Paul Jones:

Best Hard Rock Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals.
Singles or Tracks only.)
New Fang
Them Crooked Vultures
from: Them Crooked Vultures

Plant won five Grammy’s in 2009, including album and record of the year, for his collaboration with Alison Krauss, Raising Sand.

Previously, he won a Grammy in 1998, with Jimmy Page, for the song Most High, from the Walking Into Clarksdale CD

As near as I can determine, this is John Paul Jones first Grammy nomination, although he has previously conducted a 20 piece orchestra that performed with the Foo Fighters in 2008.

The 53rd annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 13th.

Jason Bonham Does Hollywood

Some gigs are more important than others. Hometowns, for example. Or  New York. For James Dylan, singing with Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, it was Philadelphia:

Philly was very special for me because Averelle and our son and three daughters were there.

For anybody associated with Led Zeppelin, add Los Angeles to the list.

A week ago now, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience stepped on the stage at Pantages Theatre in Hollywood with Paul Stanley and Steve Lukather in the audience and Jason's sister, Zoe Bonham, waiting in the wings, the Experience broke into Rock and Roll/Celebration Day. Andrew Bansal from Metal Assault was on hand to bear witness to the night:

No concert involving Led Zeppelin is complete without "Stairway To Heaven". This was no different, and they did complete justice to the most beautiful song ever written.

Overall, Jason was absolutely flawless on drums and I could feel a lot of emotion in his performance... The same can also be said about vocalist James Dylan whose voice was truly magical throughout the entire two and a half hours that he was on stage. Guitarist Tony Catania was absolutely brilliant and possessed a natural likeness to Jimmy Page in terms of appearance and stage presence, without even seeming to make an effort to do so. Multi instrumentalist Stephen LeBlanc and bassist Michael Devin also did their parts excellently well.

John Bonham is no more, but now I know for sure that he continues to live on in his son's body and enthralls crowds across the world.

A deeply emotional, mesmerizing and entertaining performance.

Zoe Bonham, John's other child and Jason's younger sister, joined the band onstage to play organ on When the Levee Breaks. Levee was one of the show's highlights already, Jason letting a video clip of dad lay down the groove for the for the song.  Nice to have both of his children playing along with him.

John Bonham must have been watching on with a tear in his eye.

Jimmy Page Book Shipping

It's official, the hand bound Genesis Publication book, Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page is shipping.

It was reported on the Led Zeppelin Mailing list today that the £695 Deluxe Edition has reached at least one household:

JP by JP DELUXE EDITION IS HERE:
Wow what a package weighs in at 17.2 lbs and comes protected with 4 layers of
packaging the book itself is magnifico and comes in its own plush proctive bag.

No word yet on any purchasers of the £395 Collectors Edition, who didn't contribute to the book, receiving their copies yet.

Two weeks ago photographer Mark Bowman, who had two shots in the book, posted that he had received his copy:

This thing is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE....!

I just got my Collector's Edition delivered yesterday... WOW - what a
magnificent statement from James Patrick Page on his life, his contributions to
the WORLD and a legacy that will most likely be remembered along the lines of
Bach, Mozart or Beethoven.....

So if you ordered Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page, it is shipping.

If like me you didn't, you might want to stay away from the Zeppelin chat sites a while, lest you regret not splurging when you hear repeated entreaties about how fabulous this book is.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience Tour Over

Around the time this post loads onto the WordPress server, Jason Bonham, James Dylan, Tony Catania, Michael Devin and Stephen LeBlanc will be taking the final bows of the Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience Tour. Covering 38 shows in almost two months, three different runs into Canada, three shows in the Toronto Vacinity and a show at the Best Buy theatre in Times Square, it was, by all accounts it was a successful tour. The show got consistently strong reviews and blew audiences away.

Early on, the fan reviews were luke-warm. By the time the the show hit Milwaukee on October 20th, the band seemed to be gelling and the word was out that this was a very good show. Then Montreal happened:

I sit for a moment to take in how great the show was tonight in Montreal ! Not because I feel we played any better than any other night but tonight the crowd was the highlight for me !! Never have I played to such a fantastic audience , I'm still shaking inside and feel overwhelmed . Thank you thank you thank you !!!!

Stephen LeBlanc was just as enthused as his boss:

The soccer crowd response we got in Montreal last night can't be a fluke. Awesome crowd, great show

Bass player Michael Devin also called it, "such an amazing night."

The tour was on a roll, and the next bunch of Canadian shows, in Quebec City, Hamilton, Kitchener and Toronto all got a strong response. Crossing back into America, they started November in Boston, travelled the North East, into Florida, across the Southwest and back up the west Coast. They played San Fransisco the night before the anniversary of the Last Waltz before finishing in Portland, Seattle, Bellingham and Vacnouver BC, a mere 740 miles from where they began in Dawson Creek BC.

Jason Bonham put together a top notch band, who did the hard work necessary to pull off an outstanding show for thousands of fans across North America. Next up for Jason Bonham is two shows with Black Country Communion in late December, and then back into the studio with the supergroup for BCCII. Look for a spring tour.

Download Robert Plant And Band of Joy

The Monday after Thanksgiving in the USA is traditionally as Cyber Monday.

Today, for one day only, Robert Plant's Band of Joy album is available for download from Amazon.com for $1.99.

Happy Cyber Monday Led Zeppelin fans!

Robert Plant on Jimmy Fallon

It's being reported that Robert Plant will pay a visit to the  Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show on December 9th.

Fallon's late night show comes on in Conan O'Brian's old time slot, immediately after Jay Leno's Tonight Show.

Check your local listing for program time for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Jason Bonham Without Flowers in His Hair

A news report from San Francisco on the Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience.

LZ-’75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin’s 1975 American Tour: Review II

[caption id="attachment_433" align="alignright" width="232" caption="LZ-’75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin’s 1975 American Tour"][/caption]

I’m a portion of the way through LZ-’75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin’s 1975 American Tour, Stephen Davis’ new autobiographical read on Led Zeppelin’s 1975 tour of America and, more broadly speaking, Led Zeppelin’s 1975, and something is bothering me. In 1969 Davis saw Led Zeppelin at Boston’s famed Tea Party, and was impressed by the young, early rockers.

Between then and 1975 he worked as an editor at Rolling Stone (not the whole time), America’s premiere music magazine. So what does Davis do before heading out with Led Zeppelin? Familiarize himself with the Led Zeppelin catalogue. Familiarize himself, because working for the #1 music magazine means not being familiar with the top selling band, the top concert draw of the last five years?

Taking my assignment seriously, I had to familiarize myself with Led Zeppelin’s music… I had never even listened to 1973’s Houses of the Holy…

My brother Chris is eight years younger than I. In 1975 he was still in the clutches of ardent Zeppelin fandom. He told me I had to hear the Led Zeppelin bootleg records because the mystical connection between the band and “the kids“ was a bout a communion forged by their intense love shows.

Yes kids, in 1975 you could be one year out of a Rolling Stone editorship and never listened to a Led Zeppelin album that had been #1 on Billboard, Cashbox and the UK album charts. You never need to wonder again why Led Zeppelin so mistrusted the “rock” press.

That Led Zeppelin mistrusted, even hated, the press is an important part of the story of LZ-’75. Stephen Davis was invited to travel with Led Zeppelin, courtesy of Led Zeppelin, in a proactive attempt to get better press for the band. Stephen Davis, in short, didn’t do his job for five years, and was rewarded with the gig of a lifetime. His superior attitude that the stoned kids who liked Led Zeppelin were, “in the clutches of ardent… fandom,” runs throughout the narrative.

Yet for that, LZ-’75 is an enjoyable read. Once Davis has familiarized himself, and given Led Zeppelin’s history up until 1975, the book settles into a nice memoir of the band and it’s extended family.

Because he knew he would be covering Led Zeppelin during part of their 1975 tour, Davis kept newspaper reports of the early days of the tour. Whether it’s the fans in Boston in near riot during the lead up to the tickets going on sale, or the early shows and the various problems they encountered, Davis covers the history of the 1975 tour. But it is when Davis joins up with Led Zeppelin in New York that LZ-’75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin’s 1975 American Tour comes to life. The book shifts from historical record to personal, first person behind the scenes account of the tour.

It is, however, the Los Angeles portion of the tour that makes LZ-'75 worth the money. Whether it is chance encounters with Jimmy Page's ex-girlfriend Lori Maddox, ("Lori is a legend along Sunset Strip,") or Ron Wood's wife Chrissie, "who ran off with Jimmy before the tour started," (Wood is reported to have asked Jimmy at an after concert party in New York, "how's our bird?"): The Hyatt House, known as the Riot House; the groupies; the kindergarten teacher who wants to be a groupie, for one night at least; Iggy Pop selling heroin; John Bonham jamming, at full volume, to Alphonse Mouzon's 1975 album Mind Transplant at 3AM; or Robert Plant on Davis' hotel balcony, yelling "I am a Golden God!"

Add in an interview with Robert Plant (during which the aforementioned balcony scene occurs), and a meeting in Jimmy Page's hotel room where the exhausted(?) Page lies around in darkness, the room barely lit with "a dozen white candles." Davis has a meeting with the kindergarten teacher, The Prairie Princess, and two roadies at the bar.

Outside the Continental Hyatt House, Davis travels with the band on The Starship - including a harrowing trip through a storm, hangs out backstage, examines John Bonham's drum-kit with Bonham's faithful roadie Mick Hinton, to the concerts themselves.

LZ-’75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin’s 1975 American Tour is overall, an easy, comfortable read. Many of the stories herein will be familiar to a Led Zeppelin fan, but weaved together they tell an interesting tale of a top flight band at the apex of their career. Their Achilles Heel, drugs, was just beginning to show itself and the band would change irrevocably in the aftermath of 1975.

Dotted throughout with fabulous black and white pictures by Peter Simon, many of  them never before seen, LZ-'75 makes a perfect winter's afternoon read in the big comfortable chair.

*****************
I previously reviewed LZ-'75 from an e-book version here.

Band of Joy: You Can't Buy My Love

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy have released a new single from their hit album, Band of Joy. The Beatle-esque You Can't Buy My Love is available on iTunes and, presumably, wherever else you buy your music singles.

"You Know Too Much!"

Jason Bonham, once again proving he does do interviews with blogs, has talked to Stephen Appleford of West Coast Sound. The interview appears on LA Blogs, where The Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience is currently playing. Bonham speaks about his tour, his father, and his time recording with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, who told Jason leading up to the 02 concert three years ago, "You know too much!"

On his father's drumming style:

It's like the myth of him using huge drumsticks and hitting harder than anybody else. That's a lot of bollocks. His drums sticks are tiny compared to mine. There's a whole jazz element there that not many people are aware of.

On his father's three ring, Ballantine Beer symbol:

...it means father, mother and son. I always felt that I was part of it in some way.

On hanging arond with the memebrs of Led Zeppelin (while rehearsing for the 02 show):

They are the most normal bunch of guys you could be around. At one point we were in rehearsal, and this old lady turned up with sandwiches... we took a break, everyone would take a section of the newspaper and read. And I'm going, 'Where's the debauchery? Where's the upside down crosses and naked girls and sacrificial tables with virgins on them?' But, boy, when they played.

On why Robert Plant didn't continue with Led Zeppelin after the 02 show:

Robert always expressed to me: 'Jason, you know I love you, I loved your dad, and I know how great you are as a player. And on the night, you were great. But to me Led Zeppelin's John, not Jason.'

On the music made in the aftermath of the reunion with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones:

Some cool riff-based stuff, some acoustic stuff. I think Jimmy is still working on that stuff now. I look forward to hearing that. Jimmy was playing amazingly.

A good interview that, while short, covers a lot of ground and adds new information to the canon about the Led Zeppelin reunion and John Bonham.

Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience Pictures

Aubrey Stewart went to the Dallas Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience and "snuck" his Canon 7D with 24-70L lens in:

...Security immediately started shaking their heads saying it was a professional rig and I argued it was a consumer camera and they asked me to step to the side and they called someone on a walkie talkie and said they would have to get it approved. As they turned back to incoming patrons I handed my camera bag to my wife and told her to quickly go and she did. I stood there for a few minutes more and they realized I no longer had the camera and gave me one of those "no you didn't" looks. I just shrugged and walked on in and nobody pursued me.

The result is the best set of pictures I have seen of this tour, and I've looked at a lot of them.  He has graciously allowed me to post some of the pictures here.

For the whole set, go to imagesbyaubrey.com/jblze/

Robert Plant to Join Cancer Concert Lineup

Five days before beginning his 2011 tour of the American Northeast in North Carolina in on January 18th, Robert will perform at a charity concert in London.

Along with The Who and Jeff Beck, Plant will perform at A Concert for Killing Cancer at London's Hammersmith Apollo January 13th.

The event is being put together by promoter Harvey Goldsmith and Plant's manager, Bill Curbishley:

Said Curbishley:

Robert and I had lived through the final months and days of close friends battling with cancer, but also fighting to overcome the effects of their treatments. Only later we discovered that PDT could perhaps have saved their lives and certainly given them some dignity in their final weeks.

See more Bill Curbishley here. And here. And Harvey Goldsmith.

Said Jeff Beck about the concert:

Any new breakthrough in cancer treatment should be taken very seriously and we want as many people to know about that as possible. The concert is not just going to raise funds to pay for new PDT trials, but will also help raise public awareness.

Money raised at the show will benefit the charity Killing Cancer, which helps to fund research into Photodynamic Therapy (PDT).

Jeff Beck and Robert Plant? Perhaps "The New Yardbirds," would be an "good vehicle" for Jimmy Page.

Jimmy Page "Desperate to be Playing."

Jimmy Page is once again making noise about new music and a tour for next year. Earlier this year Page suggested he was ready to go with new material, plus some live shows, including a Peace Concert that was to be have taken place in China last month. Other than his book, Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page, however, the guitarist has been silent.

He now says next year is the year, telling Planet Rock’s Liz Barnes:

I’m desperate to be playing… I’ll get a good vehicle to get out there and do some concerts.

While that statement is fairly ambiguous on the subject of new music, possibly suggesting there won’t be any, it seems clear Page wants to do some shows. Hopefully what he’s talking about is a tour, of course.
*********************
Update: Here's the interview:



3:59 (Liz Barnes): I can't let you go without mentioning your book, because I came to the launch and it's a beautiful book. But, having seen it now in real life, God, a lot of work must have gone in to that. I didn't realize how much was in it.

4:13 (Jimmy Page): Well, people had asked me to do a book before, like a written book. I thought, you know, I'd like to do this in a different way and do an autobiography, in pictures. So that's pretty interesting because, it sort of went back to when I was 13 years old and there's about 70-80 photographers in there. But the more that I did it and laced it together with the commentary, I'm really pleased I've done it now.

4:40 (LB): And what for the future of Mr. Page?

4:45 (JP): I'm desperate to be playing, but it won't be 'til next year. I'll get a good vehicle to get out there and do some concerts.

4:52 (LB): I think lots of people are desperate to see youplay.

5:03 (JP): Yea, next year. Let's hope it all comes to fruition next year.

Them Crooked Vultures for RockBand 3

Them Crooked Vultures may be scattered to the winds, each off doing their day jobs, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be hearing from them. This is especially true if you have a RockBand player in the house.

The newest version of the hit video game includes the song Dead End Friends by Them Crooked Vultures. The new game will come with a keyboard for the first time and more songs from the classic rock era. Dead End Friends is available in X Box 360, Playstation 3 and Wii versions of the game.

Dead End Friends joins .New Fang, which was made available for RockBand last December

Robert Plant and Band of Joy 2011 Tour Dates

As mentioned last week here, leaked news of a Pittsburgh concert by Robert Plant and the Band of Joy meant an early 2011 tour. This morning, a number of dates were announced:

January

• 18. Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium


• 19. Pittsburgh PA - Peterson Events Center (University of Pittsburgh)


• 21. Ann Arbour, MI - Hill Auditorium


• 22. Toronto, Ontario - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts


• 25. Boston, MA - House of Blues


• 26. Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre


• 28. Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Theatre


• 29. New York, NY - Beacon Theatre

February

• 1. Washington, DC - Constitution Hall


• 2. Raleigh, NC - Memorial Auditorium


• 4. North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Performing Arts Center


• 5. Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre


• 7. Charlotte, NC - Ovens Auditorium


• 8. and 9. Nashville, TN - War Memorial Auditorium

No ticket information is available as of yet.

Keep an eye on Ramble On for more shows.

Robert Plant to add Shows

The Beaver County Times, a newspaper out of Beaver Pennsylvania,  is reporting  that Robert Plant and the Band of Joy will play Pittsburgh on January 19th.

Since finishing the European leg of his current tour in Belfast on November 2nd, Plant has been enjoying a hiatus.  It appears it won't last long, as a Pittsburgh show is likely an indicator of more shows early in 2011.

Ticket information for the Pittsburgh show will announced Monday. Expect it to be not the only one.

More Crooked Vultures

When Them Crooked Vultures finished their string of shows last summer, it seemed like the supergroup may have run it's course.

Dave Grohl was heading back into the Foo Fighters fold: reports emerged they were back in the studio and some July 2011 UK dates have already been announced. Allowing for the difficulty in matching schedules of three highly successful musicians, Them Crooked Vultures looked like it may have run it's course.

Not so, says John Paul Jones:

He [John Paul Jones] says the group is already in the planning stages for a new album

"Some stuff we've worked on, but we're gonna write pretty quickly and just put it down," he said. "We may be a year or so."

He said the new set "will mainly be excess material from the first album".

On a side note, Jones also suggested he may join the Foo Fighters on stage at one of their London concerts in July. But unlike 411mania, I don't see that as the real story.

More Crooked Vultures, that's the real story.

And the Winner is...

Peter Fiskio of Tampa

Peter was the only respondent to get all five questions correct. Many other got four. Here are the answers:

1.
Q. Name the plane Led Zeppelin used for their 1977 tour?
A. Ceasar's Chariot

The Starship was used on the 1973 and 1975 tours. It was grounded for repairs in 1977, and the band rented the Boeing 707 owned by Caesars Palace

2.
Q. Where did Led Zeppelin get the Swan Song logo from?
A. A painting by William Rimmer (1816-1879) called "Evening: Fall of Day."

It currently is in a museum in Boston.

3.
Q. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant retired to a cottage in Whales to write the third album, Led Zeppelin III. What was the name  of the cottage (proper spelling) and how was it misspelled on the album.

A. Bron-Yr-Aur. On the album, the song "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" appears.

According to William McKeen in the book Whole Lotta Led Zep: "...the misspelling (was) allegedly immortalized in the process of filing the copyright."

4.
Q. Complete the lyric:

So I looked round to ___ __ _ ______.
Searching hard trying to brighten the day.

A. hitch up the reindeer.

5.
Q. Who (according to himself) wrote Joe Perry and Stephen Tyler's speech when they inducted Led Zeppelin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

A. Stephen Davis, author

From the Prologue to LZ-'75:
One night in Beunos Aires, Jimmy Page asked Joe Perry to give the induction speech marking Led Zeppelin's entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that year. Joe enlisted bandmate Steven Tyler to share teh speech, and me to write it (page 3)

The last question may be considered a trick question, however, I was able to google the answer.

Thanks to all who sent replies.

Contest Closed

The quiz for the Stephen Davis book LZ-'75 is now closed. Any email received by noon with correct answers will be added to the list. The winner will be notified and announced in the next few hours, and correct answers to the questions posted.

Thanks to all who sent in an email. The winner will receive their book in the mail.

Book Giveaway

I have one copy of LZ-'75 by Stephen Davis to give away.

I have created a short Zep-quiz that isn't too difficult, yet not so easy my wife could answer the questions. The quiz will stay active for 24 hours, until noon Thursday. Email your answers to rambleon@briangardiner.ca. All correct quizzes will be put on a numbered list, then chosen by random number  generator.

Here's the quiz:

1. Name the plane Led Zeppelin used for their 1977 tour.

2. Where did Led Zeppelin get the Swan Song logo from?

3. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant retired to a cottage in Whales to write the third album, Led Zeppelin III. What was the name  of the cottage (proper spelling) and how was it misspelled on the album?

4. Complete the lyric:

So I looked round to ___ __ _ ______.
Searching hard trying to brighten the day.

5. Who (according to himself) wrote Joe Perry and Stephen Tyler's speech when they inducted Led Zeppelin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

That's it. Answer as many as you can and send them in. If I don't get any with five correct answers, I'll go to 4, then to 3, so send them in regardless of whether you know al the answers.

Winner will be notified sometime Thursday. They must be prepared to send me their mailing address.




**************************
About LZ-'75

A revealing account of Led Zepplin's 1975 North American tour including all- new interviews with-and insider information about-the band, from the bestselling author of Hammer of the Gods.

As a young music journalist in 1975, Stephen Davis got the opportunity of a lifetime: an invitation to cover the sold-out 1975 North American tour of Led Zeppelin, the biggest and most secretive rock band in the world, for a national magazine. He received a backstage pass, was granted interviews with band members, and even got a prized seat on the band's luxurious tour jet, The Starship. While on duty, he chronicled the Zeppelin tour in three notebooks, but after writing his article in 1975 he misplaced them. After three decades of searching, in 2005 he finally found the notebooks, on the covers of which he had scribbled the words "LZ-'75," and unearthed an amazing amount of new information from the tour including:

• Lost interviews with canny vocalist Robert Plant and the brilliant guitarist Jimmy Page

• Information on the rock icon who moonlighted as a heroin dealer

• Revelations about the identity of the lover about whom Robert Plant sings in "What Is and What Should Never Be" and "Black Country Woman"

• A detailed chronicle of each performance from a musical perspective, and a vivid account of the band members' extravagant, and often troubled, lives on tour

Tied together by Davis's entertaining narrative, and including more than forty never-before-published photographs, LZ-'75 is an unprecedented and comprehensive personal portrait of the greatest (and most notoriously press-shy) rock band in history at its apex.

*******************

Note: comments are closed, lest somebody decide to answer the questions.

contest runs from 12:00 noon EST Wednesday November 10 to 12:00 noon EST Thursday November 11.
All decisions of the operator of this blog are final

Black Country Communion for Christmas

Black Country Communion has decided to launch the band from the place where it took it's name, England's Black Country.

BCC today announced two English shows over the Christmas holidays:

Wednesday Dec 29th at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Thursday Dec 30th at O2 London Shepherd's Bush Empire

There will be an exclusive ticket pre-sale beginning next Monday, Nov. 15th through radio station Planet Rock. Tickets to both shows will then go on sale to the general public Friday November 19th.

The shows will be Black Country Communion's first full concerts. They performed a short, invitation only show that was broadcast on Planet Rock on September 20th, the day before their debut album was released.

Released on September 21st, the debut BCC CD, featuring Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham, has met critical acclaim. It reached #1 on Britain's music charts in October, and has been selling well.

After the two shows, Black Country Communion, according to both Jason Bonham and Glenn Hughes, will return to the studio to record BCC2, before doing a full tour beginning in the spring.

Inside the Atlantic Records Vault

Over the years, Atlantic Records collected a vast assortment of material. While we can easily imagine the tapes lying around, a priceless amount of music sitting in some vault, waiting for someone to notice what they have. But we don't think so much of pictures.

The images have been scattered about in dusty and moldy warehouses, relics of the pre-Internet age when photography was integral to selling music, and the photographers — names like Irving Penn, Annie Leibovitz, Lee Friedlander and Robert Mapplethorpe — went on to become nearly as famous as the subjects they captured and defined.

Warner Music Group, which now owns Atlantic, is scouring "nearly 100,000 boxes," of photographs, "from warehouses around the globe."

Included in what has been found so far:

a series of unpublished black-and-white shots of Led Zeppelin in the studio in 1969 by Jim Cummins. The intimate collection by Mr. Cummins, who was an Atlantic photographer, portrays a group of young rockers before they became hugely famous and includes a rare image of Robert Plant, the band’s singer, playing the acoustic guitar.

Expect the pictures to be made publicly available sometime in the future as Warner looks to monetize it's collection.

More here.

Free Download

Stephen LeBlanc, keyboard player, lap steel guitar and back up guitarist in Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, is making his second album, Leftovers, availibale for free download.

According to Stephen LeBlanc's Facebook page, Leftovers is "songs recorded mostly at home between 2005-2009. Elly LeBlanc lends vocal talents and a bit of songwriting."

The files are in M4a format and will be usable on any iTunes compatible computer or MP3 player.

His first album, SLEB is available to purchase on iTunes:

Stephen LeBlanc on iTunes

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience: Michael “Denim“ Devin

It was on all the music sites and magazines in August:

After months of speculation, Whitesnake are thrilled to announce their new bass player/singer… 35 year old Michael Devin.

Recently Michael was playing with Lynch Mob with new Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy.

[caption id="attachment_478" align="alignright" width="280" caption="Michael 'Denim' Devin(left) with Jason Bonham."][/caption]

Brian Tichy turns up a lot in the Michael Devin story. Whether it’s as the organizer for the tribute to John Bonham, Bonzo: The Groove Remains the Same, that Devin played in (along with JBLZE keyboard/guitar/lap steel player Stephen LeBlanc); as the drummer for Lynch Mob and Whitesnake with Devin; or just in passing mention as Devin’s favourite drummer to work with:

He’s the best drummer in the west. That playing with him was utter madness and they brought thunder to every concert.

When asked about playing with Jason Bonham, Devin is similarly ebullient:

My favorite drummers are those that I learn from, whether I know them or not. Jason is that kind of drummer, undoubtedly, and I'm fortunate to have made a new friend with Jason. He’s a great drummer. A real good guy, too. He’s a musical person, like his dad. I love playing with him ‘cause he’s such a hard hitter and takes chances. His groove is powerful. His downbeats are heavy as hell. I’d say Jason is a lyrical drummer - with his phrasing - it's because music is so much a part of his personality. I love playing with Jason. He’s a hard worker when it comes to music, too. Nothing gets by him when it comes to Zeppelin, not a note.

Michael “Denom” Devin seems to have come of age in the mid-1970’s, not born then. His nickname, Denim, is, according to band mates, “because he emits such a 70’s demeanour.”

He picked up the bass when he was 12 and has been exploring it ever since. Although he says he also plays piano, vox, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, piano, drums, guitar and taurus pedals, "sings a little,” and has been playing harmonica during When The Levee Breaks on the current tour, the bass has always been his primary instrument.

He comes by his musical tastes honestly: the New England town he grew up in was a factory town, and the local radio stations played hard rock. Eventually he followed in the path of his sisters, who were rock fans.

My sisters… went to see Whitesnake in 1988. They were supporting the 1987 album. I wasn‘t invited, being the kid brother. They returned with T-shirts. I nicked one and wore it for years, ‘til it faded.

As an 18-year old rocker, Devin set up a makeshift studio in his parents basement:

I got an 8-track tape, put up some walls, covered them in egg crate and carpet, rolled in a drum kit.

In that studio, he says, he learnt how to write songs and play different instruments. "It was paradise," he says now.

After high school, it was off to The University of Massachusetts Amherst where he got a BA in creative writing. He then got a Masters Degree in Sound Engineering from Emerson College, working at Cherokee Studios on Fairfax in Los Angeles until 2002.

During 2001-02 he gigged around Los Angeles, playing with former Motley Crue singer John Corabi, and Danzig Guitarist John Christ. In 2002 he joined the Brian Tichy fronted band BALL, about which he now says it was a band he loved being in:

BALL was FUN. Lots of amazing talent in the BALL family tree. Joe Travers, John DeServio, Dorian Heartsong, Mark Dannells, and Joe Taylor. I made a good friend in Brian because of that band.

After BALL, Devin went on to master bluesman Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s band, who he played with for three years. In Shepherd's band he played alongside guitarist Shaun Hague. The Massachusetts born Hague organizes tribute concerts in LA, bringing together numerous musicians to pay homage to artists like The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen, which Michael Devin plays in.

Then a year ago a change. In November 2009 he joined former Dokken guitarist  George Lynch‘s band, Lynch Mob. Since then Devin has toured with Lynch Mob, Joined Whitesnake, played bass at the John Bonham tribute concert and toured with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience.

In September he was at Lake Tahoe with Whitesnake, recording their new album. While a release date is still unknown, a tour begins next spring, leaving Devin little time to enjoy the successes of 2010.

He is a fixture in the LA circuit, and Jason Bonham heard about him through his sister, singer Zoe Bonham. Devin then introduced Jason Bonham to Stephen LeBlanc, who is also touring with The Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience.

When Brian Tichy organized a tribute to John Bonham on the 30th anniversary of his death, he called on Devin to play bass in the evenings house band. "Bonzo: The Groove Remains the Same- A Night In Honor of John Henry Bonham," was a great success, "a magical evening," that "lined up perfectly with JBLZE rehearsals and the tour we’re on now."

About playing with Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, Devin pulls no punches:

Playing Led Zeppelin music to such enthused crowds, big fans like me, enjoying it as much as I do, coming together to celebrate Led Zeppelin and John Bonham, it’s awesome. I’m completely humbled by the experience. I’m not new to Zeppelin’s music, I was deep into the trip by about 13 years old. First songs I ever learned on bass were Zeppelin numbers. I love that band so much. For me it’s always been Zeppelin, Sabbath, Floyd, Purple - they pushed the boundaries of what a rock band could do musically. Playing these songs with Jason, with the band, every show is special. The shows have been really intense, really charged. Plus, just in listening to the inside stories, Jason’s experiences, hearing new bits of history every other day, it’s all higher learning for me.

Now Appearing...

on Tight But Loose

Tight But Loose is the premier Led Zeppelin website and magazine.  Dave Lewis started TBL in the 70's and, although he took a break after the death of John Bonham, has been doing it ever since.

So it is an honour to have my words printed on Dave's web server, as he uses a modified version of the JBLZE review I posted here. Scroll down the page until you see Centre in the Square, Kitchener, Ontario:

“Kitchener,” says Jason Bonham from the stage, bowler hat much like his father would occasionally wear perched on his head, “is very special to me. The background picture on my phone is of my dad in Kitchener.”

Meanwhile, it's worth mentioning that Tight But Loose issue #27 has been out about a month. Chock-a-block full of information about Robert Plant's Band of Joy, Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham's tour, Black Country Communion and 30 years since the death of John Bonham.

If you're a fan, then it's a must have. You can order it here, but check out the whole website: you never who you might find there.

Streaming Video: Sons of Albion

Q104.3 has streaming video of Logan Plant's band Sons of Albion's show tonight from New York. You can watch it here:

http://www.q1043.com/pages/chat/?uri=channels/429640

Embedding is not available yet, when it is I will embed the video.

Update for Nov 6: Embedding now available.



The young Mr. Plant doesn't sound a whole lot like his father, although the occasional hint is there. However, he has his dads on stage mannerisms. And, apparently, the old mans historical sense.




Overall, the band is pretty solid, Logan Plant not a bad singer. And stay with it until the end, because they absolutely nail Neil Young's After the Goldrush as the last song of the set.

The Plant Boys Rule the Airwaves

If you're a fan of the singing Plant's, this could be your weekend. It kicks off tonight with Robert's son Logan, and his band, Sons of Albion. Performing from New Yorks  P.C. Richard and Son Theater, Q104.3 will be broadcasting the gig live.

More on Sons of Albion here.

Over 'ome, Logan's Dad Robert is having his night on BBC2 Saturday. At 10:15 tomorrow night, BBC2 is broadcasting a one-hour documentary on Plant, entitled By Myself:

Robert Plant discusses his musical journey from Stourbridge, the British blues boom, superstardom with Led Zeppelin in the 70s, to the Band of Joy album. He also looks at his work with The Honeydrippers and North African musicians, his reunion with Jimmy Page, and his pairing with Alison Krauss.

At 11:15, British TV viewers will get a re-broadcast of the Electric Proms show from the Roundhouse in London last weekend. At 12:15 Sunday morning, Plant does a half-hour show, Later.

Tracing Robert Plant's solo career from the early 90s via his appearances on Later... With Jools Holland. Through a mix of performance and interviews, the programme sees Robert reunited with Jimmy Page and a Moroccan orchestra, teaming up with Tom Jones and Solomon Burke on the Hootenanny, playing with former band Strange Sensation and also with Alison Krauss.

Now if only I can figure out how to listen to the radio in New York tonight, then catch TV shows in Britain tomorrow night.

Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page Book Launch

Jimmy Page, dressed in pinstripe suit, held court at the official launch of his Genesis Publication book, Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page. The launch was in the form of a photographic exhibition of pictures from the book, at the Elms Lester Painting Rooms in West End London.

The exhibition is open to the public today and tomorrow, from 11:00 - 6:00. Admission is free. Never though t I'd wish I was in London in November...

Wonder if this means the sold-out book will start shipping soon.

Sucker Punch Using When The Levee Breaks

When Zack Snyder debuted the trailer for his upcoming action fantasy, Sucker Punch, starring Vanessa Hudgens from High School Musical fame, it featured Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks. The song, however, wasn't expected to make the final cut due to licensing issues, Snyder told the audience at Comic Con in July.

It did, in fact, disappear from teasers that followed. However, Levee reappeared this week when the first feature trailer was released.

It doesn't look like my cup of tea as a movie, but you have to admit, When The Levee Breaks works great on it:

Robert Plant in Dublin

There's nothing like a good Irish writer to provide clarity with flair. Reviewing Robert Plant's concert last night at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Chris Wasser of the Herald proves himself to be a good Irish writer.

His review is both very positive, giving Plant and The Band of Joy five stars, but also full of colour:

A WARM cup of tea and some polite words for his followers -- just some of the makings of a world famous rock star, right?

Well, not exactly.

Which is probably why Robert Plant deserves both our attention and, indeed, our respect...

Are we to believe that he actually doesn't dream about hitting the road with Zeppelin for a gargantuan trek across the globe?

Does it really matter?

After all, he's just ... cool.

And that's not something you could say about every other beard-wearing 62-year-old man with a peculiar dance and a glorious set of natural curls hanging from his scalp...

A rich and most colourful display of flawless musicianship and unique professionalism from beginning to end, an evening in the company of Robert Plant and his appropriately christened Band of Joy may not be enough for those still crossing their fingers and toes for the Zeppelin tour that is just never going to happen.

But I'll tell you one thing -- it's a damn fine consolation prize.

I particularly like the bit about beard-wearing 62-year-old man with a peculiar dance.

Plant and the Band of Joy finished the UK leg of their tour in Belfast tonight, and now break for a while.

Black Country Communion to Tour in May

In a recent interview with LeHigh Valley Music Blog, Jason Bonham lays out the itinerary for his supergroup Black Country Communion:

Yes, we got a show in England we’re going to do at the end of the year, ‘cause I finish this, then I’m going to go home for a couple of weeks and I go to England for Christmas and then do the Black Country show at the end of the year. And then we’re going back in the studio in January and recording another album. And we hit the road, I think, in May of 2011.

Black Country Communion is Bonham's group with singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Joe Bonamassa and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. Their debut album, released in September, is an international hit that reached #1 on the UK music charts.

Jason Bonham Does Do Interviews With Bloggers...

Just not, apparently, Led Zeppelin bloggers whose very town he's passing through.

The LeHigh Valley Music Blog, however, got a Jason Bonham interview before the Calgary show. As expected, it's the best interview I've seen so far, although the interview passes by a couple of questions that a)was on my list and b)were laying right there to be asked.

A couple of snippets:

After the 02 Stadium show [in 2007] with Led Zeppelin, the expectation was that you guys were going to tour and then it didn’t happen. Can you tell me a little bit about what happened there?

...there was never talk of a tour before the 02, and after the 02, I think that was an idea the press had kind of built on. And there was no ever talk of a tour...the next phone call I got was in March, and then I flew to England to work with Jimmy and John Paul on writing material and to see what we could do musically together – and that was a great time...that was, for me, one of the highlights of my life – to have Jimmy page turn to you after we played a few ideas of his and John’s and then go, ‘Jason, have you got anything you want to work on?’

But I read a whole lot about the fact that Robert opted out of continuing on. Is that correct?

Robert gets a very tough time, gets hit hard because they kind of put it all on him. I’ve sat with Robert and we spoke very, very personally about my dad and the whole how he feels with it all...I felt very strong about his feelings for dad. His time has moved on. [He said] ‘I’m sorry if it’s not what you want to hear me say.’...

Lots more, and good interview. And Jason Bonham, now that we have established you do blog interviews...