Led Zeppelin talk Celebration Day

 

It’s been a question long on the minds of many Led Zeppelin fans – whether the band’s remaining members would reform again like they did on the night of 2007’s 02 Arena, in tribute to their friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. It was a concert 20 million people reportedly applied for tickets to, yet only 18 000 secured spots inside the iconic British band’s first headline show in 27 years.

Now, almost 5 years later, that show – all 2 hours and 16 songs of it – will be released on the big screen and on DVD, and in various other forms. And, if the band’s indirect replies to any kind of questions about re-uniting again are to be understood, this may certainly be the only chance to see them play together again.

Quite possibly though, watching Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant power through their songs, along with the late John Bonham’s son Jason on drums, Celebration Day might do more to feed the desire to see the group live in the flesh. The film is all about the musicians – the focus they have on their instruments, the looks they shoot briefly to each other, the techniques that made them one of the most influential bands of all time. There are hardly any audience shots, and there are no interviews or backstage antics. It’s the best view you’d get of the band – even if you were in the cheap seats!

 

Jones, Page and Plant, together with Jason, premiered the film in New York on Tuesday night, after a press conference. During it, they talked about the process of selecting which songs to include on the setlist that night, what it was like to play with John Bonham’s son, and, awkwardly, how “inane” it is to be asked about getting back together again.

Here Jason talks about playing with “Led Zeppelin”…

[audio:https://missntertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/zeppelin-jason.mp3]

Plant talks about why they chose to re-unite in tribute to Ahmet Ertegun…

[audio:https://missntertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/zeppelin-ahmet.mp3]

Both Page and Plant both, at various points, speak about the reunion question…

[audio:https://missntertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/zeppelin-reunion.mp3]

Their final question came from me. I asked – since they always remained in creative control of their music and their works, and were so influential in doing so – whether they believe Led Zeppelin could have existed in today’s music world…

[audio:https://missntertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/zeppelin-last-q.mp3]

Celebration Day releases in cinemas in the US on the 18th of October and on the 2nd of November in South Africa. The DVD releases on the 19th of November. For more click here.