Andy Greene of Rolling Stone reports:
It could have been the biggest tour in the history of rock & roll, a stadium juggernaut to dwarf even recent efforts by U2, Roger Waters and the Rolling Stones. Had they agreed to a two-year trek, taken on sponsors and charged exorbitant rates for tickets and merchandise, Led Zeppelin could possibly have been the first act ever to gross $1 billion on a single tour. They spent nearly a year prepping for their reunion show at London’s O2 Arena in December of 2007, but just when his bandmates, concert promoters and fans all over the world were practically salivating over the thought of the group’s first tour since 1980, Robert Plant walked away from the group, and nothing was going to change his mind.
You’re going back to the same old shit,” Robert Plant says. “A tour would have been an absolute menagerie of vested interests and the very essence of everything that’s shitty about about big-time stadium rock. We were surrounded by a circus of people that would have had our souls on the fire. I’m not part of a jukebox!”
Nearly all of Plant’s peers are happy to deal with such a circus considering the insane financial rewards. “Good luck to them,” he sneers. “I hope they’re having a real riveting and wonderful late middle age. Somehow I don’t think they are.”
When Robert Plant walked away from the group after the O2 show, Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham continued to rehearse together in England, even auditioning singers for a possible Plant-free tour. Most names have remained secret, but Steven Tyler and Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy have both admitted to spending a few days playing with the group.
“Singers were being thrown at us from here and there,” says Page. “The material we were coming up with was really, really good. Obviously, other people wanted to just get us out on the road quickly. I wasn’t feeling comfortable. Going out with the three members from the 02 show and another singer might have looked like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. I wanted to see what we could come up with musically.”
Plant refuses to make a statement forever ruling out the possibility of him fronting Zeppelin again. “I don’t think there’s any reason for me to do that,” he says. “Otherwise we’ve got nothing to be mystic about…Everything will develop as it develops. All doors are open. All phone lines are open. I don’t hear from anybody. Talk is cheap…But I just think everything has to be new. Then you can incorporate history.”
Does that mean he’s open to the idea of recording new songs with Zeppelin? “You can’t be the marriage guidance clinic here,” he says, clearly irritated by this line of questioning.
Strangely, he’s among the few people who felt it was a good idea for Zeppelin to carry in without him. “They kept rehearsing after O2 and they had a singer,” Plant says. “I don’t know what happened. It seemed like a great idea to me.”
Plant stands up to leave, but turns on his heel. “Do you know why the Eagles said they’d reunite when ‘hell freezes over,’ but they did it anyway and keep touring?” he asks. “It’s not because they were paid a fortune. It’s not about the money. It’s because they’re bored. I’m not bored.”
Read more at Rolling Stone.
source: rollingstone.com
Plant’s spent the last 30 years being lauded by the Rolling Stone types for not joining in on a reunion. Now, perversely, its become an ego trip for him to be the holdout.
And it’s probably too late. Ten, fifteen years ago, sure. Now, just let it go.
Rolling Stone hates Led Zeppelin, they like liberal singer-songwriters from NYC & L.A.. He wants to be Arthur Lee 1967 but it doesn’t work without Page playing and Jones arranging it.
Give Robert credit. In the world we live in today how many people would not take the money? Imagine how much money. Also look at Robert’s solo career compared to say Mick Jagger, Rodger Daltrey, or for that matter Jimmy Page. Why try and live up to unreasonable expectation when you actually managed to reinvent yourself still do some Zeppelin songs and enjoy yourself without trying to duplicate them.
First off, Kudos to Lee for the Vito Bratta shoutout!!! Most unheralded guitarist of the era IMO.As for Zeppelin, here’s a crazy idea. They ought to do a one off tour like Lee suggests, 5 nights in major cities around the world. Then donate 50% of the profits to world hunger. Face it,none of them will ever need the money,it’s all about legacy from here on out. What a way to be remembered for eternity.For Chrissakes they could probably just about literally ” feed the world”. Yeah, like this would ever happen…lol
It’s the same tired drivel that Plant has been serving up for years. The Stones are still pretty mystic,mostly because Keith has outlived just about every other famous druggie musician……