2008 Woodie Awards
New Zeppelin is not real deal
Andy Downs
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Opinions
To add to the horrific new trend of old rock bands reuniting and doing mega-tours to show they can still rock and roll with the young bucks, Led Zeppelin recently decided to hop on the train.
This is where I have some serious issues with the "reunion tour" gimmick.
Led Zeppelin owned what was the definition of everything rock, but the band was Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and the thundergod himself, John Bonhamn.
Unfortunately, legendary drummer John Bonham was a legendary drunk, leading to his death after downing four quadruple vodkas for breakfast followed by a long day of excessive drinking in 1980.
Yet still, even with Bonham dead for almost 28 years, Led Zeppelin is able to reunite. Interesting.
On Dec. 10, 2007, Led Zeppelin "reunited" to play live in London. Bonham was not a robot or held up with strings to play puppeteered drums, but was instead replaced with his son, talented drummer, Jason.
I'm sorry, and with all due respect to Jason, Led Zeppelin is a Hall of Fame-inducted band that will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time, but Jason Bonhman was not in Led Zeppelin.
So, please don't call yourselves "Led Zeppelin" when you don't have all the members of the band to get up on stage.
The Beatles can't reunite since half of the band is dead. Lord help me if Paul McCartney gets any sort of idea to have a Beatles "reunion" with two stand-ins for John Lennon and George Harrison. I will go on a Paul McCartney record-burning spree.
I have respect for Led Zeppelin and for Jason Bonham, even with the surviving members and Jason Bonham onstage together, but please call yourselves something different.
Steel Sky Hook, Metal Balloon, anything at all.
But please accept the fact that it isn't technically Led Zeppelin because John Bonham is dead.
This is where I have some serious issues with the "reunion tour" gimmick.
Led Zeppelin owned what was the definition of everything rock, but the band was Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and the thundergod himself, John Bonhamn.
Unfortunately, legendary drummer John Bonham was a legendary drunk, leading to his death after downing four quadruple vodkas for breakfast followed by a long day of excessive drinking in 1980.
Yet still, even with Bonham dead for almost 28 years, Led Zeppelin is able to reunite. Interesting.
On Dec. 10, 2007, Led Zeppelin "reunited" to play live in London. Bonham was not a robot or held up with strings to play puppeteered drums, but was instead replaced with his son, talented drummer, Jason.
I'm sorry, and with all due respect to Jason, Led Zeppelin is a Hall of Fame-inducted band that will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time, but Jason Bonhman was not in Led Zeppelin.
So, please don't call yourselves "Led Zeppelin" when you don't have all the members of the band to get up on stage.
The Beatles can't reunite since half of the band is dead. Lord help me if Paul McCartney gets any sort of idea to have a Beatles "reunion" with two stand-ins for John Lennon and George Harrison. I will go on a Paul McCartney record-burning spree.
I have respect for Led Zeppelin and for Jason Bonham, even with the surviving members and Jason Bonham onstage together, but please call yourselves something different.
Steel Sky Hook, Metal Balloon, anything at all.
But please accept the fact that it isn't technically Led Zeppelin because John Bonham is dead.