Jason Bonham interview

A million thanks must go to Zeplady over at Royal Orleans, who posted a Jason Bonham interview from the December 2007 edition of Rhythm Magazine:

http://www.royal-orleans.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=29125

Highlights:

Robert (Plant) and I went out for dinner in February, socially, because we hadn't been that close for years. There was no talk of a Zep reunion and we had a really deep, heavy conversation going back to the moments before dad died. It was a beautiful but sad experience, to watch somebody that loved dad dearly, his best friend, choke up and tell me something he probably thought he would never have to. We needed to speak frankly, gloves off. I spoke my piece and he answered back with his version, which was not pretty for me. But at the end we walked out stronger and definitely mates.

[the first rehearsal] ... was a magical and emotional day. June 10th. We'd been emailing back and forth, 'What shall we start with?' When we got there we did songs not on my list. Typical! 'Houses of the Holy' and 'Custard Pie'. Then we did 'Kashmir', which was phenomenal, and at the end Jimmy shouts, 'Well done, Jason, come here, give me a hug'. And Robert goes, 'Yeah! Sons of Thunder!' It was really touching, something I'll never forget. Jimmy said, 'That sounded as good as any time we played it...

The atmosphere is going to be like England winning The World Cup, emotions are going to be high. I keep having these visions of being there and coming to the point where we do a certain song, which will remain nameless, and trying to figure how to get through the start of it without breaking into tears...

Read it all, it's worth it.

Jason Bonham interview

A million thanks must go to Zeplady over at Royal Orleans, who posted a Jason Bonham interview from the December 2007 edition of Rhythm Magazine:

http://www.royal-orleans.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=29125

Highlights:

Robert (Plant) and I went out for dinner in February, socially, because we hadn't been that close for years. There was no talk of a Zep reunion and we had a really deep, heavy conversation going back to the moments before dad died. It was a beautiful but sad experience, to watch somebody that loved dad dearly, his best friend, choke up and tell me something he probably thought he would never have to. We needed to speak frankly, gloves off. I spoke my piece and he answered back with his version, which was not pretty for me. But at the end we walked out stronger and definitely mates.

[the first rehearsal] ... was a magical and emotional day. June 10th. We'd been emailing back and forth, 'What shall we start with?' When we got there we did songs not on my list. Typical! 'Houses of the Holy' and 'Custard Pie'. Then we did 'Kashmir', which was phenomenal, and at the end Jimmy shouts, 'Well done, Jason, come here, give me a hug'. And Robert goes, 'Yeah! Sons of Thunder!' It was really touching, something I'll never forget. Jimmy said, 'That sounded as good as any time we played it...

The atmosphere is going to be like England winning The World Cup, emotions are going to be high. I keep having these visions of being there and coming to the point where we do a certain song, which will remain nameless, and trying to figure how to get through the start of it without breaking into tears...

Read it all, it's worth it.

No Tour...

...says biographer Stephen Davis. Author one of the definitive Led Zeppelin tomes, Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga, Davis says. "My sources say it's not going to happen":

Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham's son Jason are all on board, Davis said, but Robert Plant isn't interested. "Robert's a wonderful guy and a great singer, but he's an old hippie and just doesn't want to do it."

What's interesting is this is the second significant Zeppelin writers who say no tour, with Ritchie York saying a few weeks ago that a tour was a no go.

Davis also mentions that Hammer of the Gods will be released in a fourth edition in a couple of weeks (just in time for a) the concert b) Christmas).

Should Zeppelin Tour

While many in the media and on the internet, myself included, have been opining on whether Zeppelin will tour, few have asked the interesting question Should Zepplein tour?


The Deadbolt's Reg Seeton dared ask the question, with some interesting observations (emphasis mine):

The obvious question...Why now?

For years (even decades), Led Zeppelin fans have been begging for a reunion tour with the late John Bonham's son, Jason, on the skins... The... question is: Why now? Why, after so many years of fan demand, is this even a consideration? Wouldn't the band and the fans have been better served by a Led Zeppelin reunion years ago? Even with Jason Bonham on drums, will the band be able to deliver an intensity that they could have given fans ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago?

Given the fact that it would be a lot easier for Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham to simply hang out in the studio instead of racing around the world, a new album might be the better option for the aging rockers. Still, after you kick out a new album with new tunes, how do you avoid the demand to tour in support of the new effort?

Despite our hopes and concerns, the fact is that no one knows whether Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham even want to go out on tour with each other...

The whole thing is worth reading, a thought few of us have had in the ensuing rush to save funds for the upcoming (fingers crossed) tour.

No Tour...

...says biographer Stephen Davis. Author one of the definitive Led Zeppelin tomes, Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga, Davis says. "My sources say it's not going to happen":

Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham's son Jason are all on board, Davis said, but Robert Plant isn't interested. "Robert's a wonderful guy and a great singer, but he's an old hippie and just doesn't want to do it."

What's interesting is this is the second significant Zeppelin writers who say no tour, with Ritchie York saying a few weeks ago that a tour was a no go.

Davis also mentions that Hammer of the Gods will be released in a fourth edition in a couple of weeks (just in time for a) the concert b) Christmas).

Should Zeppelin Tour

While many in the media and on the internet, myself included, have been opining on whether Zeppelin will tour, few have asked the interesting question Should Zepplein tour?


The Deadbolt's Reg Seeton dared ask the question, with some interesting observations (emphasis mine):

The obvious question...Why now?

For years (even decades), Led Zeppelin fans have been begging for a reunion tour with the late John Bonham's son, Jason, on the skins... The... question is: Why now? Why, after so many years of fan demand, is this even a consideration? Wouldn't the band and the fans have been better served by a Led Zeppelin reunion years ago? Even with Jason Bonham on drums, will the band be able to deliver an intensity that they could have given fans ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago?

Given the fact that it would be a lot easier for Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham to simply hang out in the studio instead of racing around the world, a new album might be the better option for the aging rockers. Still, after you kick out a new album with new tunes, how do you avoid the demand to tour in support of the new effort?

Despite our hopes and concerns, the fact is that no one knows whether Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham even want to go out on tour with each other...

The whole thing is worth reading, a thought few of us have had in the ensuing rush to save funds for the upcoming (fingers crossed) tour.

Jimmy Page Interview

Jimmy Page sat down on Monday with BBC's Breakfast TV interviewer Fiona Bruce. Here is the interview in two parts: