OT---Report: LED ZEPPELIN Reunion Tour Could Be Biggest Ever

[mikemarrs]

Ray Waddell of Billboard magazine reports: It would be big. Potentially one of the biggest ever.

I'm talking, of course, about the increased chatter regarding a LED ZEPPELIN reunion tour for 2008 featuring founding members Robert Plant on vocals, Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass, with Jason Bonham, son of the late ZEP drummer John Bonham, manning the skins.

There has been no announcement that this tour is going to happen, and Plant has publicly denied it will take place. Billboard in general and myself in particular aren't usually in the rumor business. But this thing is starting to take on a certain air of reality. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

For years, a LED ZEPPELIN tour, or the closest thing to it in the absence of John Bonham, has been considered the holy grail of the touring world.

Plant and Page toured arenas together in the mid-'90s. With a killer backing band, the pair reported $31.4 million from 63 shows that drew 1,028,678 people. That was enough to make Plant/Page the seventh-grossing tour of the year at a time when THE ROLLING STONES, THE GRATEFUL DEAD and THE EAGLES were all touring stadiums.

[Lady Luck]

Wow! This would be something. I saw Plant/Page with Phil Collins on drums ('93 or '94), and that alone was amazing. The thought of ticket prices makes me cringe though.

[conversationpc]

The thought of a great band like that "reuniting" for a tour still makes me cringe, though, when one of the original and essential members is dead. Same thing with the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour or The Who touring without Keith Moon or John Entwistle.

[X factor]

The thought of a great band like that "reuniting" for a tour still makes me cringe, though, when one of the original and essential members is dead. Same thing with the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour or The Who touring without Keith Moon or John Entwistle.

I knda agree. As cool as it would be to see (and Jason IS a helluva drummer) I think perhaps they're all a bit , shall we say , "long in the tooth" to pull this off gracefully. If they would've just gotten Jones to play with them back in the 90's when they were doing the PLANT/PAGE thing, THAT would've ruled...Now? I'm not sure...I doubt it'll happen anyway. Zep reunion rumors have been bouncing around forever.

[NealIsGod]

Yeah, file this one under "10 years too late".

[conversationpc]

The thought of a great band like that "reuniting" for a tour still makes me cringe, though, when one of the original and essential members is dead. Same thing with the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour or The Who touring without Keith Moon or John Entwistle.

I knda agree. As cool as it would be to see (and Jason IS a helluva drummer) I think perhaps they're all a bit , shall we say , "long in the tooth" to pull this off gracefully. If they would've just gotten Jones to play with them back in the 90's when they were doing the PLANT/PAGE thing, THAT would've ruled...Now? I'm not sure...I doubt it'll happen anyway. Zep reunion rumors have been bouncing around forever.

John Paul Jones has always been one of my favorite bassists. He's a good player and his bass was always easy to make out on those Zeppelin studio albums.

[Saint John]

I wouldn't go to this concert for free...at any time, past or present. Never liked these guys.

[EightyRock]

I don't see this EVER happening. Plant claims he hates rock n' roll and he has moved on. He's been saying that for years. He couldn't sing their back catalog. Have you looked at the guy lately? He is the biggest candidate for Extreme Makeover that I've ever seen. Dude can do ok vocally in an acoustic setting, but his legacy as Zeppelin's great frontman (and probably the greatest EVER in rock) shouldn't be damaged at this point, just to make a few billion.
Page isn't exactly Mr. Nimble Fingers these days, either. These guys are too old for a reunion now. I saw them back in the day. I would not want to see the geriatric version.

[conversationpc]

I don't see this EVER happening. Plant claims he hates rock n' roll and he has moved on. He's been saying that for years. He couldn't sing their back catalog. Have you looked at the guy lately? He is the biggest candidate for Extreme Makeover that I've ever seen. Dude can do ok vocally in an acoustic setting, but his legacy as Zeppelin's great frontman (and probably the greatest EVER in rock) shouldn't be damaged at this point, just to make a few billion.
Page isn't exactly Mr. Nimble Fingers these days, either. These guys are too old for a reunion now. I saw them back in the day. I would not want to see the geriatric version.

Page actually looks worse than Plant, in my opinion. His lifestyle really wiped him out. I'm actually surprised he is still alive.

[Moose]

I don't see this EVER happening. Plant claims he hates rock n' roll and he has moved on. He's been saying that for years. He couldn't sing their back catalog. Have you looked at the guy lately? He is the biggest candidate for Extreme Makeover that I've ever seen. Dude can do ok vocally in an acoustic setting, but his legacy as Zeppelin's great frontman (and probably the greatest EVER in rock) shouldn't be damaged at this point, just to make a few billion.
Page isn't exactly Mr. Nimble Fingers these days, either. These guys are too old for a reunion now. I saw them back in the day. I would not want to see the geriatric version.

Page actually looks worse than Plant, in my opinion. His lifestyle really wiped him out. I'm actually surprised he is still alive.

They both look terrible. Plant couldn't reach a higher note if his life depended on it on his last solo tour. It's over!

[Red13JoePa]

I have a boot from the Walking Into Clarksdale tour, it is spectacular, STILL no Stairway (Thank God), '08 will be 10 years out, it just makes sense to do 1 more big go around.

Let ME write the setlist, though.

[Moose]

I have a boot from the Walking Into Clarksdale tour, it is spectacular, STILL no Stairway (Thank God), '08 will be 10 years out, it just makes sense to do 1 more big go around.

Let ME write the setlist, though.

That was a great tour...saw them at the Wac Center and they blew the roof off. What struck me was all the young people there that night. Plant was terrible last time around, but so was Sting, and The Police were awesome this month...so I guess anything is possible

[Red13JoePa]

Na, you're right moose. even far's back as the WIC tour Plant had lost a GOOD 10 mph off the heater. It can only be worse now, but still I enjoy the entire thing, not just the vox and maybe like on the Mightly Rearranger tour he will lower the vox to measure up.

I'm hearing the Police are doing this (fine) as well as some rather drastic rearranging (not a big fan of this) of some tunes.

[brywool]

umm, yeah...
If Plant's voice has been as crappy as it has been the past ten years, I give it a week.

[Liquid_Drummer]

Plant was one of the unlucky ones as far as range is concerned. He lost his very early. The difference between the 75 and 77 presence boots are might and day. I think he lived like an old blues guy. "Give me a cig and some whiskey and let me do my thing !"

[Moose]

I'm hearing the Police are doing this (fine) as well as some rather drastic rearranging (not a big fan of this) of some tunes.

They did some rearranging, but Sting still sounded really good. I was actually suprised. I saw him a couple of years back in Camden and I damn near fell asleep.

[johnroxx]

Wow! This would be something. I saw Plant/Page with Phil Collins on drums ('93 or '94), and that alone was amazing.

Highly unlikely, given that Page/Plant didn't even begin touring together until '95, and Collins was never a part of their band. Also doubtful after the mess of a Zep set that Collins performed with Page, Plant, John Paul Jones, and fellow drummer Tony Thompson at Live Aid in 1985. Plant sounded absolutely horrible that day, but for some strange reason all Page could do afterwards was bag on Collins' performance...go figure.

I'm pretty sure that Collins hasn't performed live with either of them since.

;^)

[ArnelRox]

Let ME write the setlist, though.

I'm interested. What's ur setlist?

[Lady Luck]

Wow! This would be something. I saw Plant/Page with Phil Collins on drums ('93 or '94), and that alone was amazing.

Highly unlikely, given that Page/Plant didn't even begin touring together until '95, and Collins was never a part of their band. Also doubtful after the mess of a Zep set that Collins performed with Page, Plant, John Paul Jones, and fellow drummer Tony Thompson at Live Aid in 1985. Plant sounded absolutely horrible that day, but for some strange reason all Page could do afterwards was bag on Collins' performance...go figure.

I'm pretty sure that Collins hasn't performed live with either of them since.

;^)

It was '95...my bad...checked my ticket stub. LOL February 26, 1995 to be exact. I could swear PC played drums that show, but maybe I'm thinking of something else.

[larryfromnextdoor]

Let ME write the setlist, though.

I'm interested. What's ur setlist?

hot dog would be in there..

[johnroxx]

Let ME write the setlist, though.

I'm interested. What's ur setlist?

hot dog would be in there..

Yeah, baby...

;^)

[Crazie Scarab]

Somebody mention Led Zep tourning again? If that happens, I'll be at one or more of those shows for damn sure! Been a long time.. a long damn time coming!

[Crazie Scarab]

I don't see this EVER happening. Plant claims he hates rock n' roll and he has moved on. He's been saying that for years. He couldn't sing their back catalog. Have you looked at the guy lately? He is the biggest candidate for Extreme Makeover that I've ever seen. Dude can do ok vocally in an acoustic setting, but his legacy as Zeppelin's great frontman (and probably the greatest EVER in rock) shouldn't be damaged at this point, just to make a few billion.
Page isn't exactly Mr. Nimble Fingers these days, either. These guys are too old for a reunion now. I saw them back in the day. I would not want to see the geriatric version.

Page actually looks worse than Plant, in my opinion. His lifestyle really wiped him out. I'm actually surprised he is still alive.

They both look terrible. Plant couldn't reach a higher note if his life depended on it on his last solo tour. It's over!

Hey.. the Stones still.. hmmm.. Yeah.. Well, you people do have a point there.. It may be 10 years too late. ??

[Red13JoePa]

Let ME write the setlist, though.

I'm interested. What's ur setlist?

hot dog would be in there..

Yeah, baby...

;^)

Hot Dog would surely be there. Not kidding either
In The Evening
Carouselambrela
I'm Gonna Crawl
Black Mountainside
Your Time Is Gonna Come
Dazed/Conf
Poor Tom
Darlene
When The Levvee..
Going To Cali
Ramble On
The Rain Song
Trampled Underfoot
Traveling Riverside Blues
Most High
Shining In The Light
Blue Train
Song Remains The Same
I'd even have a Plant mini set of 29 Palms, I Believe and Heaven Knows.

[conversationpc]

Hot Dog would surely be there. Not kidding either
In The Evening
Carouselambrela
I'm Gonna Crawl
Black Mountainside
Your Time Is Gonna Come
Dazed/Conf
Poor Tom
Darlene
When The Levvee..
Going To Cali
Ramble On
The Rain Song
Trampled Underfoot
Traveling Riverside Blues
Most High
Shining In The Light
Blue Train

Good man..."The Rain Song" is my favorite Zep tune.

[larryfromnextdoor]

Hot Dog would surely be there. Not kidding either
In The Evening
Carouselambrela
I'm Gonna Crawl
Black Mountainside
Your Time Is Gonna Come
Dazed/Conf
Poor Tom
Darlene
When The Levvee..
Going To Cali
Ramble On
The Rain Song
Trampled Underfoot
Traveling Riverside Blues
Most High
Shining In The Light
Blue Train
Song Remains The Same
I'd even have a Plant mini set of 29 Palms, I Believe and Heaven Knows.

wow,, i like that list.. you really left off some BIG songs that im sick of.." Kashmir, Rock n Roll, Stairway, Whole lotta love, Over the Hills, Dyer maker, All of my love, " how about When the World Was Young off of their LAST comeback album Walking to Clarksdale,
or a Page/Firm song,,, Wasting Time was cool from Outrider!!!

[Red13JoePa]

I did represent the last Zep record Walking Into Clarksdale but NOT with WTWWY. Though I DO dig that too, I could flip that with Blue Train. The other omitions you mention? Yes, mosterous hits but I don't care if ever hear em again.
Fuckin HATE GH setlists.


I will also put The Ocean in, LOVE that page riff.

[larryfromnextdoor]

two of the coolest rock stars ever!!

[Voyager]

The thought of a great band like that "reuniting" for a tour still makes me cringe, though, when one of the original and essential members is dead. Same thing with the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour or The Who touring without Keith Moon or John Entwistle.

Yeah, I agree. It's like the idea of Journey touring without Steve Perry.