LONDON, England (AP) -- After that performance, Led Zeppelin really must go on tour.

Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin played Monday night at London's O2 arena.

The reunited rock 'n' roll legends were superb Monday in their first full concert in nearly three decades, mixing in classics like "Stairway to Heaven" and "Black Dog" with the thumping "Kashmir" and the hard-rocking "Dazed and Confused."

The band's three surviving members -- singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones -- were joined by the late John Bonham's son Jason on drums.

And it was the newest member of the band that was given the honor of kicking off the sold-out benefit show, pounding out the beat before the others joined in on a near-perfect "Good Times Bad Times."

After the lights went down at the O2 Arena, newsreel footage of the band arriving in Tampa, Florida, for a 1973 performance was projected onstage. Then Bonham jumped in, soon to be joined by the rest.

They followed that with "Ramble On," and with it destroyed all rumors that the 59-year-old Plant could no longer reproduce his trademark wail.

With his button-down shirt mercifully buttoned up, Plant roamed the stage belting out hit after hit, rarely giving his critics anything to work with.

But Page showed he still has the touch as well. Besides ripping out his patented riffs all night, he put the spotlight on himself when the band played the bluesy "In My Time of Dying."

With his left hand moving freely up and down the neck of his guitar and the metal slide wrapped around one of his fingers, Page effortlessly played a song that's not easy to master.

Page and Plant later combined to open "Nobody's Fault But Mine," a song that starts with another classic Page riff and then gets help from Plant mimicking the same sounds.

Still, it was Bonham who may have been the star of the show. At 41, he is older than his father was -- 32 -- when he choked to death on his own vomit in 1980.

Bonham's flawless performance and driving beat even made the other members of the band watch in awe at the end of "Black Dog."

After "The Song Remains the Same," Plant screamed: "Jason Bonham, drums! Come on!"

The 16-song set list produced few surprises. They did many of the songs expected, such as "No Quarter" and "Trampled Under Foot," and the entire show lasted a bit more than two hours, mainly because of encores "Whole Lotta Love" and "Rock and Roll."

The band also played "For Your Life" live for the first time.

"It's quite peculiar to imagine ... to think about creating a dynamic evening choosing from 10 different albums. There are certain songs that have to be there, and this is one of them," Plant said in introducing "Dazed and Confused."

When Page's solo started midway through the song, many in the audience were wondering whether the guitar virtuoso would resort to his old tricks.

But after only a few seconds, the 63-year-old Page turned his back to the crowd and walked nonchalantly toward his amp. Once there, he pulled a cello bow off the top, and the fans again went wild.

They followed that with "Stairway to Heaven," the band's staple song, which many hardcore fans were hoping would be dropped from the set.

But the crowd still loved it, with many standing to dance as Page played on his double-necked guitar.

A few lighters even popped up, but they were mostly replaced by digital cameras.

Plant may have struggled a bit on the early verses -- his voice a tad raspy -- but it was hardly reason to believe the band wasn't ready for anything.

Fans are hoping to get to hear them do it again, and soon.

Though this show is supposed to be one-time event, there have been rumors that if all went well, it would kick off a world tour.

Plant seemed to play down those rumors, saying he plans to tour with bluegrass star Alison Krauss, but Monday's performance will only add to the fervor of the fans to see them play more gigs.

"The whole idea of being on a cavalcade of merciless repetition is not what it's all about," Page told The Sunday Times leading up to the performance.

The show was Led Zeppelin's first full set since 1980. Robbed of "Bonzo's" pulsing drums, the band decided it couldn't go on and split up on December 4, 1980.

Tickets for the show, a benefit for the late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, were won in an Internet lottery. Proceeds are to go to the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which provides scholarships to universities in the United States, Britain and Turkey.

"Hey Ahmet, we did it!" Plant screamed after "Stairway."

Monday's concert wasn't the first Led Zeppelin reunion. The band played together in 1985 at Live Aid, and joined forces again three years later -- with Jason Bonham on drums -- to play at the 40th anniversary concert for Atlantic Records.

At their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1995, they teamed up with other musicians for another short set.

The show was originally scheduled for November 26, but was postponed until Monday because Page injured the little finger on his left hand.

There were several opening acts rotating across the stage, mainly hosted by former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman.

Paul Rodgers, Keith Emerson and Foreigner got the biggest cheers.

Plant said he was told that people from 50 countries made their way to London for the show.
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"I can't believe people would come from 50 countries for that," Page said after pointing out a banner in the crowd that read "Hammer of the Gods."

They came, and they saw a show that hopefully won't be the last.

Hello guys

I saw them at the Madison Square Garden in June 1977. Over three hours of music, twentieth row right in front of the stage, it was fantastic...... During the Stairway to Heaven Guitar solo, I stood up and walked to the stage. I was about fifteen feet from Page and Plant, very strong souvenirs...... It was also my first trip to New York City. I can still see myself walking in the streets dreaming of Spiderman, the super-heroes and Doc Savage NY adventures.....WOW

Today the guy is Fifty and still loving of lot of those great things.... It's amazing how fast the time goes......

Gaétan

Hello guys

I saw them at the Madison Square Garden in June 1977. Over three hours of music, twentieth row right in front of the stage, it was fantastic...... During the Stairway to Heaven Guitar solo, I stood up and walked to the stage. I was about fifteen feet from Page and Plant, very strong souvenirs...... It was also my first trip to New York City. I can still see myself walking in the streets dreaming of Spiderman, the super-heroes and Doc Savage NY adventures.....WOW

Today the guy is Fifty and still loving of lot of those great things.... It's amazing how fast the time goes......

Gaétan

Cool. Saw them in '75 myself. I'm just happy to read that they did themselves proud after all these years. It makes all the difference.

Cool. Saw them in '75 myself. I'm just happy to read that they did themselves proud after all these years. It makes all the difference.

According to a Page interview last month, that was exactly the point. They felt the last 2 reunions were somewhat lacking (Live Aid being particularly lame in his view). He said if it was truly to be the last performance of Zeppelin, he wanted to go out on a high note that everyone (Zep included) could remember fondly.

I'm actually of 2 minds about it. Yeah, I'd dearly love to see them live, but on the other hand, The Beatles felt that if they'd ever reunited, it would've "cheapened" their legacy and there's something to be said for that point of view too.

(Live Aid being particularly lame in his view).

Particularly lame is just about right. Embarrassing comes to mind. Those guys did not look like they were having fun at Live Aid.

It's nice to see LZ back one more time. $270 a ticket is kind of steep. But, I suppose anyone in the same boots would charge alot. If they do a reunion tour, or somthing, I think I'll try to go. Are they considering a reunion tour at their age? Of course, Jason probably wouldn't mind it.

I don't think a Beatles reunion would have cheapened the Beatles. If they were all still alive, they might still have done one some day. It would have been a nice experience for the fans as well as the Beatles. But, I think bands need to hold out a until they feel like they're ready to reunite again. Mabey the Beatles just weren't ready yet. No one probably ever dreamed that two of the Beatles wouldn't make it to 64, i.e. the song "When I'm Sixty Four".

Miles Davis quit playing cool bebop publicly for 30 years before he returned to his most famous music. He always wanted to grow artistically and not be stuck in the same rut. He invented and played jazz-rock fusion for a while and then went on to modern pop music. Before Miles passed away, he agreed to play a bebop gig publicly with a big band and Quincy Jones arrangements. It was a beautiful concert that was taped live. Some time after, Miles died. Because of that recording, we still have a beautiful recording to remember Miles by when he was old.

[QUOTE=Roland]It's nice to see LZ back one more time. $270 a ticket is kind of steep. QUOTE]

Actually, I'd pay that to see them live again. What freaks me out is the guy that reportedly paid $168,000 for a pair :eek: . 20 million people vying for 18 thousand tickets was bound to lead to some ridiculous gouging, but that's astronomical. From what I saw on British news earlier today, Zeppelin tried to thwart the gouging by having to prove you were the original purchaser of the ticket via a credit card receipt and driver's license in addition to a combination of ticket and wrist-band for admission. I have no idea how that worked out, but I've seen a few clips and compared to performances 30 years ago, they still kicked some serious ass.

And yeah, FWIW, I agree...had John & George still been with us, we'd almost definitely have seen at least 1 reunion. Aside from the obvious opportunity when "Anthology" was done, as they mellowed into their golden years, the old animosties seem to have faded and they spoke of one anther with utmost respect.

Still, the fact that they never actually did it certainly adds mystique to the history of an already legendary band.

Party on Garth!

[QUOTE=Roland] And yeah, FWIW, I agree...had John & George still been with us, we'd almost definitely have seen at least 1 reunion. Aside from the obvious opportunity when "Anthology" was done, as they mellowed into their golden years, the old animosties seem to have faded and they spoke of one anther with utmost respect.

Still, the fact that they never actually did it certainly adds mystique to the history of an already legendary band.

Party on Garth!

Yeah. I hate that John and George are gone, but it seems right somehow that The Beatles ended when thay did. No matter how many millions of words have been written trying to decipher and analyse what made The Beatles so special - it ultimately gets down to a sort of "magic". They couldn't have gotten it back.

Well, you know what they say -- John was the brain of the Beatles, Paul was the heart, George was the soul, and Ringo was, uh. . . the drummer.

And, with apologies to all you Zep fans, I just could never get into Led Zeppelin. Didn't like their music 30 years ago, don't like it now. To me, they always sounded like cats having sex.

"Cats having sex"? That's funny. When I was teenager, an old gentleman once told me that rock and roll sounded like "a chicken getting run over by a train". I read a review of the Led Zeppelin concert that Paul McCartney was in attendance the other night and got excited when the band played Whole Lotta Love and Rock & Roll. So, I guess the heart of the Beatles approves of Led Zeppelin.

I grew up listening to a wide variety of music. I still like alot of musical styles, but for some reason, jazz is my favorite. I don't know why I used to listen to some of the music I listened to 30 years ago. Some of it I still listen to. Some of it I can't stand to listen to and wonder why I ever did. Music is a real subjective thing.

Taste certainly is subjective but there's a certain musical genius that's undeniable. Driving in the car, I might pop in Sinatra followed by Hank Williams followed by John Coltrane followed by Lucinda Williams followed by The White Stripes. I don't even own any Led Zeppelin on CD - but if you know their musical catalog at all - "cats having sex" is really just sort of silly. I'll grant that they have spawned a million bands that have given us dreck I wouldn't subject Osama Bin Laden to (we don't torture!) - but that just proves how artistically singular they really were. They have, and will continue to stand the test of time.

I remember hearing LZ late at night on FM alternative rock stations. I was pretty young, and I remember thinking that this was "devil music"! a few years later it was part of the soundtrack of my teens...

[QUOTE=flyingfrets]

Yeah. I hate that John and George are gone, but it seems right somehow that The Beatles ended when thay did. No matter how many millions of words have been written trying to decipher and analyse what made The Beatles so special - it ultimately gets down to a sort of "magic". They couldn't have gotten it back.

They were in the right place at the right time. Other than that, in my own opinion The Beatles were mediocre to good at best. Never have been a fan of them.

Zeppelin on the other hand.... Kashmir blew me away the first time I heard it. Now, roughly 25-30 years later my oldest girl was blown away by Kashmir the first time she heard it...

Never quite got the Zeppelin thing, though I spent a decent portion of the early seventies listening to their albums intently in various smoky paneled-with-shag-carpeting rooms.

all due respect to the fans but IMO they are overrated. They also took beats and rythms from other bands before them(like most other bands as well)

Taste certainly is subjective but there's a certain musical genius that's undeniable. <snip> They have, and will continue to stand the test of time.

When I was younger, I was kind of a classical music snob. Now I find myself in the corner of those who might call LZ's music "20th century classical". They've produced a great portfolio of work and I regret being so up-tight that I couldn't understand/appreciate LZ when their music was fresh and new.

Robert Plant is as great an artist with a guitar as Clapton or Lindsey Buckingham.

John O.

It's heartening to see so many fellow Zep fans amongst the ranks here. I was lucky enough to see one of their last gigs before Bonzo's death...fabulous gig...Robert Plant is pretty cool solo as well and tends to play smaller venues which is better than seeing ants running around on stage...

Led Zeppelin's music is something I appreciate artistically a lot more than I actually enjoy it. The Beatles, on the other hand, get both from me.

I have often wondered, though, about the legacy of the Beatles had they stayed together (and all of them were still alive, naturally). Would they be thought of in the same way as the Rolling Stones are now -- still appreciated for their past work, still a hot concert ticket, but otherwise something of a nostalgia act, considered to have done little of relevance in a long time?

Still hope to catch Prince live one of these days, myself ...

Qapla'

SSB

Still hope to catch Prince live one of these days, myself ...

Qapla'

SSB

I'd like to see him in concert as well, but he no longer plays the songs that made him famous and the way he hammered his fan websites over imagry and music rights makes me hugely disappointed in him.

One of the greatest bands of all time. Second only to the Beatles IMO.
John O - didn't you mean Jimmy Page as great guitarist?
Regardless, on Whole lotta love,
I got lost one night in '75 on Oklahoma's red mud roads. 16 years old, miles from anything, and "...way down inside, woman you, woman, you need it..." wailed through the speakers of dad's AMC Ambassador. It was the voice of the devil. I felt doomed. Yet I couldn't stop listening. The song still gives me chills. Gawd, I love that feeling!

What awsome music that was (is)! IMO, no generation has ever produced so much in so short a span.I'm proud to have lived a piece of it and got to enjoy the thrills and freshness and newness of it all!

Led Zeppelin ROCKS!

IMO, no generation has ever produced so much in so short a span.

(Pop) Musically -that is just an objective fact. It amazes me to think that in the year 1967 alone you could turn on your local Top 40 A.M. radio station and hear the newest single by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Buffalo Springfield, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Who, The Young Rascals, James Brown, The Mamas & The Papas, The Beach Boys, Sam & Dave, The Lovin' Spoonful, Marvin Gaye, Jefferson Airplane, The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, Simon & Garfunkel, The Supremes, Ray Charles, Dusty Springfield, The Byrds .... and that's just to name a few.

Top that, Clear Channel!

I have often wondered, though, about the legacy of the Beatles had they stayed together (and all of them were still alive, naturally). Would they be thought of in the same way as the Rolling Stones are now -- still appreciated for their past work, still a hot concert ticket, but otherwise something of a nostalgia act, considered to have done little of relevance in a long time?


The Beatles are what made me want to play guitar (and eventually bass & keys as well) in the first place. Like them or not, anybody would be hard pressed to deny their influence & impact (and yeah, I feel the same way about Zeppelin, but to a lesser degree).

From interviews in Rolling Stone & various other sources back in '70 - '71, they felt they had nothing left to prove and like any other family who unquestionably loved one another, they'd grown up and apart. Nothing lasts forever and at the time, it was time to pack it in. I can't envision that they'd have hung on for the money. My own opinion is that they had too much integrity to milk a dry cow.

I think it was an astute move to retire at or very near their prime. Since we never were subjected to them becoming a parody of themselves (ala The Stones), or becoming irrelevant and fading away, what we remember is the very best they had to offer.

Who knows though, if they'd stayed together, maybe they could've saved us from disco ;) .

I was a little too young to appreciate Zepplin back in the day, but found the Beatles more accessible. Today, I love both bands and understand exactly what Zeppelin actually did.

My dad grew up in Germany as a major Beatles fan and saw them in concert a couple of times as a teenager. He said that he couldn't hear the music because all the girls were screaming too loudly. When the band broke up, he had to let them go. He stopped buying their records and never bought memorabilia or anything like that. He always liked to listen to the post Beatle independent career hits on the radio from Paul, John, and George. But, still never bought their records. Whenever I would bring up the idea of a Beatles reunion, he would just say forget it, it's over. I know John Lennon's murder upset him pretty deeply. I remember my dad talking with the priest at our church, also a Beatles fan, about how beautiful the lyrics to "Imagine" were... 's just grateful that the Beatles were there when he was growing up.

Back on the topic of Led Zeppelin, I never liked the "In Through the Out Door" record much. It wasn't as good as their previous material. If Bonham would have lived and the band had stayed together, I suppose it may not have been long until Led Zeppelin ended anyway. Jimmy Page was my one of my early guitar influences. His solos always follow the chord changes and he can play good rhythm guitar as well as lead guitar. I can't say these things about every guitarist that I hear. Listening to his guitar playing when I was young taught me alot even though I don't play much rock and roll today.

I think it was an astute move to retire at or very near their prime. Since we never were subjected to them becoming a parody of themselves (ala The Stones), or becoming irrelevant and fading away, what we remember is the very best they had to offer.

Who knows though, if they'd stayed together, maybe they could've saved us from disco ;) .


There's a good documentary about Joe Strummer playing on Sundance late at night, he's aged pretty well, the music he does with Mesecalero's compares pretty well with his Clash stuff. Some of it I even like better. And I was crazy about The Clash.

he's aged pretty well,

Well, right up until he died, at least.;)

Wasn't that quite a while ago?

Well, right up until he died, at least.;)

Well, the documentary I watched didn't happen to mention that!

I like the originals but these gals ain't bad at all. The whole band spent the night at my friend's house the last time they played here (don't get excited, one of the members of the band is the daughter of a friend of my friend).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNstGls5880 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNstGls5880)

(don't get excited, one of the members of the band is the daughter of a friend of my friend).

Ah ...ya ...so, the red head singer with bare tummy, you can get her number for me, right? :devil: kidding, kidding....

Great performance. Those girls really get it and look like they're having fun with the piece!


didn't you mean Jimmy Page as great guitarist?

...space ...:freak: YES... I hate that when I try to sound like I know what I'm talking about and blow the point of what I was trying to say.

Anyway, artists are where you find them. All you hafta do is watch these guys work and it's clear they're artists. YMMV.

John O.

Wasn't that quite a while ago?

Yeah, 2002! that was the year my first son was born so I was a bit busy, (and sleep deprived) so either I didn't hear it or it just didn't register.

The weird thing is the doc I watched was about Strummer touring Japan in 2002. You'd think they would have added a card or a epilog at the end! And since they used Strummers music in Blackhawk Down, Mr & Mrs Smith, and John From Cincinnatti ,I thought the guy was making a come back!

Yeah, 2002! that was the year my first son was born so I was a bit busy, (and sleep deprived) so either I didn't hear it or it just didn't register.

It didn't get a lot of press. I still love Strummer's performance as Johnny aka Elvis in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train.

Johnny: "Don't call me Elvis! If you can't use my proper name, why don't you try "Carl Perkins, Jr." or something? I mean, I don't call them "Sam & Dave", do I?

Dave: "Hey, man! My name is Dave!"

First major rock concert I attended - my new (at the time)stepfather bought tickets for me (10) and my older brother (12) - The Forum, L.A. 1970. He just dropped us off and then picked us up when it was over. Wow!

I've never heard of Strummer before.

Well, you know what they say -- John was the brain of the Beatles, Paul was the heart, George was the soul, and Ringo was, uh. . . the drummer.

Ringo was indeed the drummer.

Mark Lewisohn wrote books about the Beatles complete live performances and complete recording careers. He spent hours listening to every single recording the Beatles made in the E.M.I. studios. One comment he made was that Ringo didn't re-record his part very often like the other three did. He'd nail down the right tempo and feel for each song quickly. The others would then record, re-record, and/or overdub their parts until they were satisfied with their work.

Ringo has had many detractors over the years. In fact, many of the drummers I played with in bands made fun of the simplistic style Ringo appeared to have. However, when we would select various Beatles songs to perform, I'd find most of the drummers had problems learning those "simplistic" things Ringo played.

Ringo was also the only one that was able to get along with the other three throughout the bad times. He was the peacemaker amongst them, and usually the one the other three could count on for help.

I've never heard of Strummer before.

You might of heard of the band he started, The Clash. He's also done some good movie soundtracks, including Grosse Pointe Blank, which is one of the great non-score soundtracks of all time in my book.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b296/jacobmartin13/clash-the-joe-strummer-1952-2002-65.jpg

That's Joe on the left.

Yes, I have heard of The Clash. I wasn't a big follower of the punk movement, although, some of my friends have been.

Thanks for the info.