Rockin' News for week of Jan. 5 ,2009, p. 2
“Led Zeppelin Are Over,” Jimmy Page’s Manager Declares
The plan for Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham to tour
and record an album with a singer other than Robert Plant is “completely over
now,” Page’s manager Peter Mensch tells Music Radar. (A spokesperson for Page’s
management firm confirmed to Rolling Stone that the Plant-less reunion is off). In
what could be considered a tirade, Mensch said, “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.” Robert Plant, who will continue working with Raising Sand partner Alison
Krauss, previously told fans it would two years before he’d even consider touring
again with Zep, so Mensch’s announcement that the band is “over” is distressing to
those willing to be patient.
Thankfully, however, it looks like Creed won’t be reuniting either as plans to draft
Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy — or any singer for that matter — for Plant’s
The plan for Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham to tour
and record an album with a singer other than Robert Plant is “completely over
now,” Page’s manager Peter Mensch tells Music Radar. (A spokesperson for Page’s
management firm confirmed to Rolling Stone that the Plant-less reunion is off). In
what could be considered a tirade, Mensch said, “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.” Robert Plant, who will continue working with Raising Sand partner Alison
Krauss, previously told fans it would two years before he’d even consider touring
again with Zep, so Mensch’s announcement that the band is “over” is distressing to
those willing to be patient.
Thankfully, however, it looks like Creed won’t be reuniting either as plans to draft
Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy — or any singer for that matter — for Plant’s
spot look dead as well. Mensch admits the band auditioned some new frontmen, but “no one worked out.” “That was it. The whole thing is
completely over now,” Mensch added. “There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop
talking about it.”
This report contradicts a previous statement where Mensch told BBC6 radio that the band planned to reunite with a new singer. “They
decided that if they could find a singer that they thought would fit their bill, whatever their bill was at this stage in their career, that
they’d make a record and go on tour,” Mensch said. Still, Mensch might not exactly be in the loop, as he responded to Jimmy Page’s
possible 2009 plans, “Fuck if I know. I’m waiting to hear.” (Courtesy of rollingstone.com)
*** *** ***
Quite frankly, I am relieved from one perspective that the rumor mill is reportedly ending here. The legacy that is Led Zeppelin could
only be tarnished by the inclusion of a "stand-in" vocalist, no matter whom that might be. I have seen Myles Kennedy live with Alter
Bridge, and there are few frontmen whose pipes or showmanship might make the Zep juggernaut roll one more time.
Still, though, how does one fill Robert Plant's shoes? The simple answer is this: you don't. This is not a case of unavoidable replacement
a la Bon Scott/Brian Johnson where the new guy was welcomed into the family. If Kennedy, or any other singer for that matter, were to
step in, there would always be the "what-if" cloud hanging over his head. Let's consider, too, the "new" Queen. There's no denying the
level of talent in the May/Rodgers/Taylor roster... but it ain't Queen, no matter how you slice it. I, personally wish those guys would
have called it "May/Rodgers/Taylor" or "Mr. T" or... anything other than Queen. The styles simply don't jell under that tag, and the Zep
plight would surely suffer the same fate.
O.K., any Zep activity would certainly stimulate concert revenues as well as record sales, giving that a new product would actually see the
light of day. Industry Big Dogs were most likely the ones who were counting on the fruition of this adventure. I'm hoping that what we
are seeing today is clear heads prevailing from Jommy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham. The brief reunion with Robert Plant back
in 2007 was a beautiful thing - so let's let that be the swan song. It was a fitting end on a high note.
One can only hope that this is not dragged out to the "will they, won't they" point or (God forbid) some mud-slinging fascade between the
band and the estranged Plant. We've experienced all too often the bitter taste which results from such nonsense. Let's just savor the
gift that is the Led Zeppelin catalogue which will live, intact as it is, for all eternity. - Thom Copher (HeavyMetalHog.com)
completely over now,” Mensch added. “There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop
talking about it.”
This report contradicts a previous statement where Mensch told BBC6 radio that the band planned to reunite with a new singer. “They
decided that if they could find a singer that they thought would fit their bill, whatever their bill was at this stage in their career, that
they’d make a record and go on tour,” Mensch said. Still, Mensch might not exactly be in the loop, as he responded to Jimmy Page’s
possible 2009 plans, “Fuck if I know. I’m waiting to hear.” (Courtesy of rollingstone.com)
*** *** ***
Quite frankly, I am relieved from one perspective that the rumor mill is reportedly ending here. The legacy that is Led Zeppelin could
only be tarnished by the inclusion of a "stand-in" vocalist, no matter whom that might be. I have seen Myles Kennedy live with Alter
Bridge, and there are few frontmen whose pipes or showmanship might make the Zep juggernaut roll one more time.
Still, though, how does one fill Robert Plant's shoes? The simple answer is this: you don't. This is not a case of unavoidable replacement
a la Bon Scott/Brian Johnson where the new guy was welcomed into the family. If Kennedy, or any other singer for that matter, were to
step in, there would always be the "what-if" cloud hanging over his head. Let's consider, too, the "new" Queen. There's no denying the
level of talent in the May/Rodgers/Taylor roster... but it ain't Queen, no matter how you slice it. I, personally wish those guys would
have called it "May/Rodgers/Taylor" or "Mr. T" or... anything other than Queen. The styles simply don't jell under that tag, and the Zep
plight would surely suffer the same fate.
O.K., any Zep activity would certainly stimulate concert revenues as well as record sales, giving that a new product would actually see the
light of day. Industry Big Dogs were most likely the ones who were counting on the fruition of this adventure. I'm hoping that what we
are seeing today is clear heads prevailing from Jommy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham. The brief reunion with Robert Plant back
in 2007 was a beautiful thing - so let's let that be the swan song. It was a fitting end on a high note.
One can only hope that this is not dragged out to the "will they, won't they" point or (God forbid) some mud-slinging fascade between the
band and the estranged Plant. We've experienced all too often the bitter taste which results from such nonsense. Let's just savor the
gift that is the Led Zeppelin catalogue which will live, intact as it is, for all eternity. - Thom Copher (HeavyMetalHog.com)