I discovered Led Zeppelin around the age of 14. My neighbor (Brian) who was about 10 or 12 years older than me was into music heavily. Every weekend he would be outside washing his new truck, and I would offer to help him. It started to become a weekly ritual, and when I was finished helping him, he would take me around the area we lived and just cruise around. He would turn me on to all this music I had yet to discover. He always had something new playing in his tape deck. My first memories of The Who, Iron Maiden, Rush, Jethro Tull, Motley Crue, Ratt and many others came from the speakers of his truck. I'd always ask ,"who's this??" and he'd tell me the bands name usually followed by a little bit of info on the group. I thought this guy was the coolest. You have to keep in mind that this was the mid-to late 80's and Hair Metal ruled MTV and pop-culture. One day he put a tape in and didn't say a word......."Hey, hey mamma said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove" poured from the speakers followed by this massive riff that could destroy Satan himslf. I instantly new this was different from anything I had heard in my 14 years of life. I shouted over the music,"Who is this?" Brian answered,"Led Zeppelin, one of the greatest bands ever". I was hooked. He then played The Rover and once again, the riff blew me away. It was so heavy and musical. I subscibed to one of those music companies that sold tapes and cd's (BMG music). You paid for the first tape and then the others were free and you paid for shipping. Anyone remember? I ordered a few from Rush and ZZ Top and Led Zeppelin IV. I recieved them in the mail a week later and played the hell out of Zep IV until the felt started to fade on the bottom of the tape. Brian also gave me Led Zep II on vinyl around this time. I didn't have a state of the art record player, but there was my little brothers Fisher Price record player with a mini speaker in it, used for playing childrens records, etc. Once I put on the first track I was hooked. The Fisher Price record player was transformed into my own personal escape. Markings of " Zeppelin Rulez" were written all over the tiny white record player. It was now mine. My friends at the time were all into the fad, fashion and music of the day. I tried to turn them on to Zeppelin , but it was over their heads. They didn't understand the musicality of this new band I was introduced to. I slowly became an outsider to my pack of friends and was lightly joked uopn because of my taste in music. But I knew deep down that what I liked was truly music. I knew it was good and it had meaning, passion and soul-which the music of the day lacked completely. Zeppelin was like a revelation to me. Soon after I started to study and read about them through books and magazines. I would travel 5 miles round trip on my bike to the closest music shop called Acorn Records and Tapes. Every week I would by a new Zeppelin or Zep related album unil my collection was complete. I became obsessed with them. They were all I listened to. My parents told me it was okay to listen to music but to be that much into just one band all the time was little over the top. I didn't care. I couldn't get enough of them, and with each album and song I became more fixated on their whole purpose. I bought Hammer of the Gods like every other fool and believed it all, until I realised it was mosltly bullshit years later. With all of this going on at one time, I took an interest in playing guitar. My mom bought me a $99 guitar with a built-in speaker from Sears or something. It took one 9V battery. I joined a music class as an elective in High School and met a bunch of cool guys who were moslty into the same stuff as myself. There were a few Hair Band activist, who I was cool with but never had any real communication with. They didn't like Zep a whole lot, so I didn't care much for them. It's almost as if I didn't really trust or respect them because they didn't like Zeppelin. How could these guys not care for Zeppelin??? Were they insane?. We would have arguments about who was the best band and all that jazz - and at times I became very defensive. I held them very close to my heart. They were in a way my savior from all the trash on the radio/TV. I soon noticed that my talent for playing guitar came very natural to me. I never learned to read music, but I could hear something once or twice and figure out the chords and play it. I formed a band with two other classmates and ironically called the band "Achilles"...go figure. After playing the guitar for a few months , I gained interest in the drums and managed to get a hold of an old Rogers drum set. This was my position in the band. Again, my co-ordination was natural. I became quite good in a short period of time. We wrote our own music, which to this day sounds pretty good. It was more on the metal side of things - like Metallica or Iron Maiden. Achilles did a few talent shows for school and a few parties here and there. It was now 1989. There were two Classic Rock radio stations at this time who basically played the same stuff. 92.3 "Classic Rock" and WRNO 99.5 "The Rock of New Orleans" On weekends and school nights when I had nothing to do, I would glue myself to the radio and just listen, I would spend hours engulfed in the music coming into my room. As time passed, I was able to name any song on the radio, the artist, the year, the album, etc. You name it, I knew it. This was my HOMEWORK. A few years passed, as the routine continued. Around the age of 19 or 20 I started to collect bootlegs and managed to aquire a nice size collection. I had boots from every year. Probably 40 concerts in all. By this time my entire room was covered with Zep posters, memorabilia, etc. (which I have all lost since then, due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005) My band had split up and I was looking for a new project to get into. I knew my talents would take me somewhere, and most of all I enjoyed it. A friend of mine was looking to join a group but they needed a bass player, not a drummer. I had always had an interest in bass and now was a good time to try it out. I borrowed a bass from a musical friend and it was just as natural as any other instrument. I was new to the instrument, so I wasn't all that flashy yet, but I knew the notes, which was good enough for now. I was also singing a bit at the time. After a few jam sessions, a new band was formed called "DeJa Vu". We played top 40 classic rock and a few originals. My love for Zeppelin was still strong, even though I had managed to appreciate other great bands like Rush and Pink Floyd, none of the new music was of interest. Everything I liked was considered "old". (Classic Rock) I also aquired a love for the blues, which again was inspired by my love for Zeppelin. They opened my eyes to how music should be composed and arranged- not only how to play. I was born on October 23rd, 1973. The year Houses of the Holy was released, almost to the day. What better way to celebrate my love, than a permanant mark? Me and a few buddies of mine decided to get a tattoo one evning...Mine.....We'll I had the indide cover of HOTH engraved on my left arm. You know, the pic of the guy holding the adolecent child over his head. Looks exactly like it, except bigger. I brought the album with me that night so the artist couls sketch it out on paper...It looks beautiful to this day...Another reminder of The Zeppelin..... In 1997, I formed a trio with my brother on drums, a guitar player and myself on bass/vocals called "Three Piece White Meat". The name was hilarious, but we were hungry musicians who played around town consistantly. We did originals with a mix of Zeppelin, Rush and Black Sabbath. We were all heavy into Zeppelin and the guitar players father owned a record shop. The next few years of my life would be spent in and out of this shop, buying anything available from Zeppelin. My collection was getting bigger and bigger. It was good to finally realise at this point that the path I had chosen (musical preference) was indeed a good one, because my like-minded friends all had good taste and had been through that same phase in life. My friends had good taste, and I suppose so did I. It all made sense. All the years I had been teased because of what I had listened to, didn't matter anymore. I knew from an early age that what I embraced was going to shape my life and it did. In 2000, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my idols. Mr. JPJ at the HOB in New Orleans. He was supporting his Zooma LP. After a fantastic show, I waited outside for 3 hours to meet him. As he came out, I got nervous. I didn't know what to say!!!! After he signed a few autograph I asked him to take a few pics with me and sign a few things. I told him what an impact he had on my life growing up and he seemed really humbled by my comments. He was very polite and easy going. After the pics he said to me "good luck with your music, I hope you do well out there" and he disappeard into the dark ally. I was speechless for days. I couldn't believe I actually met JPJ. It was incredible. My brother and some friends (who also met him that night) were all in a daze for a week or so. Did we just meet The Master of Bass??? Yes, we did. A year or so later, I formed another Trio called "Endora's Mask" which still exist to this day. You can check out a few tunes at:

I enjoy both of The Firm's albums. Mean Business is a little stronger in my opinion. Fortune Hunter, Cadillac, Spirit of Love, Dreaming and Live in Peace are all good songs. The guitar solo on Live in Peace still gives me goosebumps when I hear it. Thats a classic Page moment.

This is from the show in Cleveland Ohio, 5/11/86 "Royal Darkness" which is probably the best performance and best sounding show from this tour that I've heard so far. I have this one on disk. It's been under so many different venue dates and names that it's hard to be sure, but I have three different sources of this particular show which all point to the same date. Although the title here is from Canada. If you do some research you will find that it's most likely the Ohio date. No matter what and where it's from, it's a killer show-no doubt. Page's playing reminded me a little of Eddie VH from this era. He used alot of wammy bar and notes that remind me of VH. His style of playing this way only happened with the Firm. Amazing how he changed up his whole approach and style for this band.

HAHAHA!!!!! that was a good one! Now Go Shave!

Thats exactly what I meant when I said, maybe his attitude has changed, because that was 15 years ago....your muttering my words

I'm not here to bash Jason Bohnam on his career choices,nor will I judge him as a person, but I will tell a brief story. I saw him do a Zeppelin tribute back in the late 90's with some fellows who very much resembled Led Zeppelin in both playing and appearance. They were very good. As a matter of fact, the bass player was the guy from the band Bohnam. The guitar player (can't remember his name) was from NYC. He was a friendly guy. I talked to him for 20 minutes or so sfter the gig. Long story short, it was in a small club in New Orleans called Jimmy's Music Club. They may have had 75 to 100 people in the place. Apparently this upset Jason and they quit playing after an hour and 15 minutes. I was pretty dissapointed by that. I even asked the guitar player on the side of the stage after the gig what was the reason for such a short show. He said Jason was aggravated about the lack of attendance......So you make your own opinion of the man from that...Maybe his attitude has changed, because that was 15 years ago or more.....but at the time, I lost respect for him over that.

I gotta agree with you. I believe he is saying "Devil people"... I've interpred it that way ever since I heard it. What you hear, is what you hear.

Yeah you rite! I have the same exact truck too...in green

I've heard the term Led -Head used more than a thousand times...in the last 20 years LedHead it is

Larks Tounges in Aspics 1973

Here are some articles I found from old mag's I still have from the mid 80's. The second read is the first page only. Enjoy!

This is a pic of Plant around that era. (1967 - might be closer to Band of Joy days) Leader of The Midlands Flower People. Protesting outside a courthouse.

Thanks..for making sense.

Here's a cool, but lengthy interview with Jimmy Page (about The Firm and other career highlights) from 1986...enjoy http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/004097.html

Back to the music

Yeah, Dino's Rock Box was in " Fat City". Also McAllister's was another Jimmy Page hang-out. Again, in "Fat City" (Metairie,LA).

I'm simply telling a story the way I heard it. But let me say this. He does have (did have) ties here in New Orleans and he was seen on several occasions at bars around Fat City in Metairie in the 80's. That's were he met his wife Patricia Ekerd. The girl who told me this particular story was not a bullshitter and she had no reason to make it up. And to add up on my end, I wouldn't post anything as ridiculous as it sounds without some sort of good source. It's a crazy story, I agree but drugs do funny things to people (he was on heroin or cocaine if you read between the lines) All the ex told me was that he was definitely "on something".(It could have been a combination of things for all I know) It's cool if you don't believe it-but don't say it's complete bullshit- I wouldn't post it. That also makes me a bullshitter which I'm not.....I have other great stories of this era, but you may not believe them either. (I'm not a journalist for the Enquirer) And thanks Steve for claifying the date of which he was in town playing a show. You are a creditable source as well.

It's not an "issue" as you call it. It's just a story-plain and simple. Don't get defensive about a story bro-It's very possible from my point of view and from who experienced it. I'm not on here to tell tall tales, you got the wrong guy. But even if it made you laugh, thanks for reading......

I have a few "shows" from The Firm in my collection. The best for sound quality and performance (from what I've heard so far) is Cleveland 1986. It doesn't get much better than that. It's good enough by far to be an official release. Sources from the studio we recorded at (with my project) told me a few stories of Page (from meeting him at Sound Check Music, in Metairie, LA which is where Page's ex-wife is from) back in the 80's with The Firm and his Outrider tour in 88'. I've heard (don't know how exact the statement is) that Page wasn't fond of touring with Rogers that much...He said "it was like touring with his grandmother". I guess they didn't pursue the same off stage activities together? I can believe that, considering Page's known habits and more so girl I dated for a long time (she was a few years older than me) told me a story once that had me baffled/jealous. She knew what a Zeppelin freak I was. In 1985 she was living in Metairie, LA ( I must express that she was a rock n roll chick and very attractive) she knew alot of people and some where connected to famous individuals, as the story reveals. She claims that she was sleeping one night (very late/early A.M.) and her friend Michael was knocking on her window (she was living with a roomate) He was a local druggy/limo driver/something or other, with connections? She opened up the window and the guy (Michael) crawled in, along with his "friend" Jimmy. They sat in the dark and talked for a while. Michael's friend Jimmy never said much that made sense (he just mummbled various things and was apparently wacked out of his mind) nothing much went on besides some conversation, from what she said. The next day her friend (Michael) stopped by and asked if she realized who that "friend" of his was. She said no. He told her it was Jimmy Page! She was in total disbelief to say the least. Apprently he wanted Jimmy to meet her. But from what she remembers he just mummbled things and sat in a corner of the room on the floor. She didn't recoginze him because no lights were turned on. Also, the guy (Michael) didn't make a big deal about who he was at the time, or mention his last name. She said the guy was hired (by whom, I don't know) to take Jimmy around town after the show and score some drugs for him/ show him a good time. Michael was also Bi-sexual from what she told me. Which may mean nothing to the story. Nevertheless, theres my Jimmy Page story of the day, told to me first hand from a reliable source. It was hard for me to believe at first but it sounds convincing and he did have ties to Metairie back in the 80's which makes it very possible.

I've actually had a short conversation (via internet) with Tony Franklin about the Firm. I mentioned to him how much I liked the band and we both agreed that it was hard for them to really bust wide open with all of the hair metal that was out at that time. Great band but another time and place would have given them more success and appreciation. Tony has a myspace page, and it's him, not someone running it for him. He's a great guy and does reply to some comments in time if they are worth a reply.But yeah, I love The Firm too. My favorite tune from them is Live in Peace. I think the guitar solo in that song is excellent, gives me the "goosebumps" when I crank it up......

Black Sabbath w/Dio "Die Young" I'm on a Dio trip Heaven and Hell- Mob Rules- Dehumanizer - good stuff!

exactly!

Endora's Mask @ Tipitinas - New Orleans 7/31/08 http://www.myspace.com/endorasmask JPJ and myself outside H.O.B. - New Orleans 3/21/2000 (in support of his Zooma LP) John Paul is the nicest guy in the world