JASON BONHAM Says LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE Tour Will Feature 'Drum Duet' With His Father

August 18, 2010

Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency recently conducted an interview with Jason Bonham, son of the legendary LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Q: Where did the idea for the LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE come from?

Jason: It came after I played the show with Jimmy (Page),Robert (Plant) and John Paul (Jones). Once that all stopped and people knew it wasn't going to happen, the company that did THE BEATLES show "Rain" contacted my management and said, "Would Jason be interested in putting together a ZEPPELIN show?" And I said, "No, not at all." They said, "At least come and see 'Rain' before you make your final decision." So I went — it was the least I could do without being rude — and a light bulb went off. I thought, "I could do this, but in a way that makes it a personal thing." I have lots of memories of ZEPPELIN. And I know the joy it gives fans when I tell them stories. I see their faces light up. And it went from there.

Q: What can you tell me about the show?

Jason: It's more than just a band going on. There will be no wigs, no outfits, no dragon suits. We're not trying to emulate anything. We're trying to convey my life and my experience with LED ZEPPELIN. So without giving away too much about the whole thing, there's a certain amount of music and some storytelling. You'll see old movies of me as a child with Dad, playing the drums. There are some funny moments, some sad moments — just a personal trip into my life. And it celebrates Dad's life. It's just a little reminder that it's been 30 years since he went.

Q: Are you going to play "Moby Dick"?

Jason: Dad and I are going to do it together. We're creating it from the two main video and audio choices we have, which are the 1970 Royal Albert Hall show and "The Song Remains the Same" movie. It's going to be a challenge, making sure everything runs smoothly in sync. I'll also play with him on "When the Levee Breaks". That's one of the hardest songs to replicate, so rather than fight it, I thought, "Come on Dad, let's play this one together." We're editing footage of him playing and cutting it so that he's looking at me. I'm really looking forward to that.

Read the entire interview from QMI Agency.

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