It looks and sounds like Led Zeppelin came through big-time at their one off reunion gig at London’s O2 Arena yesterday (Dec. 10). Their two-hour set opened with “Good Times, Bad Times” and included “Black Dog,” “Stairway To Heaven,” Dazed and Confused,” and many fan faves.
Guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, and bassist John Paul Jones were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham. Billed as “The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert” (a benefit for the late Atlantic Records founder and producer Ahmet Ertegun, originally scheduled for Nov. 26), the gig featured Zeppelin, Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings, Paul Rogers, Paolo Nutini, and Foreigner.
Page looked stately with more silvery hair than I’d seen before, clad in a black suit, armed with a sunburst Les Paul. Jones looked fit and solid. Plant sported a bushy goatee and worked the mic stand like he did as a younger frontman. A very clean-cut Jason Bonham played an acrylic, Vistalite-style kit (very much like his dad’s old Ludwig set) and jammed tighter than expected. It was the first official Zep concert in nearly 30 years.
Rolling Stone put the three original bandmates on the cover this month, and published an online report from vet writer David Fricke here. The BBC has a great news piece and several video clips from the concert here. Is an actual “reunion tour” in the works? Rumors are flyin’.
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