JASON BONHAM Says BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION Should Tour With Session Guitarist

Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited recently conducted an interview with drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Classic Rock Revisited: I think as we get older and we realize the importance of music and art that is LED ZEPPELIN then we respect it more. The legacy must be even more important to you now than it ever was.

Jason: To me, when that kind of thing came, I wasn't that easily persuaded to do the LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE. All of my demands were met concerning how I wanted to do it, so that I could make sure that it was done right. We didn't know whether it would be accepted. Once we did our opening night then I never looked back. The band plays great and it really feels great to be doing this. We have the most fantastic band in the world. We are not trying to copy, but we are trying to give that same urgency that they had. If I can make the audience close their eyes and go back to a great time in their life, then I've done my job.

Classic Rock Revisited: For many years, you didn't embrace ZEPPELIN. What has this project taught you about yourself as a person and a musician?

Jason: I always accepted my dad and his music. There was always this fight where I wanted to exist too. I am always compared to the greatest, and I get it, but I don't think everyone else gets it. One person who went to see "Celebration Day" wrote this wonderful piece that brought tears to my eyes. This guy understood what was in my mind. Let's face it, to be in that seat, the seat of the possibly the greatest rock drummer of all time, when the entire world is watching to see if you are going to fuck up… it is intense. Everyone was looking for me to fail. This guy realized that and then complimented me on the way that I played and how I handled the pressures. It was a special night. For many years, I had problems with booze and drugs and I was trying to replicate the other John. And that was the wrong one to replicate. I realized that the good one was the drumming guy.

Classic Rock Revisited: Have you accepted that BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is not going to do a tour?

Jason: I have not suggested this to the others, but my thing would be that we should, for the fans, go out and play — me, Glenn [Hughes] and Derek [Sherinian]. We should just go tour it. We could get Joe [Bonamassa] to recommend a guitar player to go out with us, that way he is still involved. If he can't do it, then at least can we do it and he can recommend somebody. I would love to be able to take this out on the road. We'll see. If Joe can't do it, then we should go out with someone else. Joe is a really nice guy and I think if we asked him, then he would say, "Of course."

Classic Rock Revisited: I talked to Glenn and he told me that he loves you but he said that you are such an emotional person and that you cry more than anyone he has ever met.

Jason: I think that may be true. However, Glenn may not cry more than anyone else, but Glenn moans more than anyone I have ever met.

Read the entire interview from Classic Rock Revisited.