Archive for September, 2007

MEDIA COVERAGE SOMEWHAT UNDERSTATED

September 18, 2007

Print media, my favorite forum, has been consistent but somewhat light. I bought three newspapers on September 13th following the band’s announcement of the London gig, and was disappointed that in all three papers, the news was relegated to the entertainment section, and on page 2 at that. I bought The New York Times, USA Today, and The Dallas Morning News. The story recedived a small amount of space in each paper, with no photo in any of the stories.

To be fair, the band were not present at the announcement, and the statement was read by the promoter. Had one or more of The Lads Of Led been present, media coverage might have been more dominate. Will someone please start a proper rock publication or TV channel so my boys can make the front page like they oughtta?

GIG OF THE CENTURY NOW OFFICIAL

September 13, 2007

Maybe the best gig of Infinity, actually…Led Zeppelin have come out of the reunion closet to finally confirm what had been rumored of late; they shall return, and not in a quiet manner.

On November 26, 2007, at the new O2 venue in London, Led Zeppelin will headline a special benefit concert being held in the memory of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun.

The three living original members, Plant, Page and Jones, will be joined by John Bonham’s son Jason. This is the full blown reunion Zeppelin fans have been praying for since John Bonham’s death in 1980. And the news gets even better; if you are tired of those 4 song sets that defined the band’s reunions in the 80’s, this is the show to see, as it has also been announced that the band will be performing an entire 2 hour concert. As a reminder, the band averaged 3 hours back in the day, so this is a bit pared down by comparison! But we here at Pagey are not complaining.

Also on the bill are Pete Townshend in a rare solo outing, and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones (until 1993). Tickets are a surprisingly low 125 English pounds (about $250). Low considering what they COULD be charging.

Having seen Zeppelin four times in concert, I will attest that this is a gig not to be missed, although most of us will, I imagine. But don’t lose heart – rumors hang heavy of a tour if the benefit goes well. The band are denying it, but even if it’s true, they can be forgiven for denying their intentions. They probably just want to see how this one gig goes before they commit to any further endeavors. Thankfully, such a high scale event will almost certainly be filmed and released…by Atlantic Records.

Announcement of this gig today (Sept. 12) has seemed like a dream. Please don’t wake me up if it is.

JOHN BONHAM COVER STORY IN TRAPS MAGAZINE

September 9, 2007

The latest cover of Traps Magazine features a very well written and lengthy story on Zep drumer John Henry Bonham. The piece was authored by Chris Welch, possibly the leading expert on all things Led. Hats of to this fine San Jose publication for running such an in depth piece on our dear old Bonzo. If you can’t find it at your local newstand, look it up at trapsmagazine.com. Tell ‘em Pagey sent ya.

Q MAGAZINE FEATURES JIMMY PAGE ON THE COVER

September 9, 2007

This month’s issue of Q Magazine (from England) featrures a nice foldout cover featuring JP on the very front section with his friend Jack White of The White Stripes. Jimmy is also inside the magazine, proving himself to be quite quotable. You can expect a flurry of magazine covers this Fall, as Led Zeppelin are releasing not one but two rereleases on November 13th; Mothership, a 2CD best of, and a new version of The Song Remains The Same with extra tracks on both CD and DVD. A super deluxe limited edition is hinted at as well, so break out the twenties!

WILL IT HAPPEN???

September 7, 2007

Everyone is abuzz about the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion with Jason Bonham on drums. There has not been this type of frenzy surrounding the band since the year 1988. The theme seems to center around the upcoming Nov. 26th Ahmet Ertegun tribute in London. Until there is an official announcement, we here at Pagey Corporate Headquarters are keeping mum. There does seem to be a certain vibe in the air…

HOW STRANGE IS STRANGE?

September 7, 2007

I have been having trouble with my email all week, so today I called tech support at Yahoo/AT&T/Exxon I hate voice mail, and today I was reminded of why. It was a worst case scenario. I spent almost an hour with a very nice woman who was patient and helpful, but we ended up nowhere. So she put me on hold while she transfered me to a suprvisor. I spent another hour talkimg to him and though he was very helpful, we still ended up puzzled, worn, and no further ahead.

It sounds hopeless, but we ended up having a good time, indulging sarcasm and music trvia. Turns out he was a big Page/Zeppelin fan. I told him about my brand new idea to publish a book about the 1983 ARMS Tour for Ronnie Lane, and he said he has 60 8×10’s from the second night in San Francisco. He said he would share them with me. It felt like a date with destiny, so we exchanged contact info. ‘How strange,’ I thought, ‘that I would meet another Page fan through these circumstances, something very good coming form something very frustrating. Like my friend Queenie used to say, ‘Duh-VIIIINE-Order!!” Very strange indeed. THE LED WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS.