Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience (Tour)

[justawoman]

It was a mutual admiration society as Jason was genuinely greatful and appreciative of the fans who came to see the show and we all responded with cheering and applause. To have the band recreate the sound and essence of Led Zeppelin was awsome to those of us who love and are wanting of anything Led Zeppelin.

My thoughts exactly ledzepfvr. That concert gave me a huge LZ fix, and like any addict, I want more now.

I'm hoping that b/c of the great response he's getting, not to mention great reviews, he'll decide to do a second leg. Please, please, please!!!!!!!!!

Edited November 24, 2010 by justawoman

[Deborah J]

HELLO ledzepfvr, great read of your night. Truly sounds like you also had an amazing yet emotional time:-)

I sounds like we may get more...

http://www.soundspike.com/features/tour/1101-jason_bonham_tour_q_a_jason_bonham.html

Edit to add:

Dazed and Confused" Jason Bonhams's Led Zeppelin Experience - Riverside

Edited November 24, 2010 by Deborah J

[luvlz2]

Wow, wow and WOW...last night was the mose awsome concert I have gone to...but then it's been a really long time since I've been to any concert and this did not dissapoint me. Before I go on any more I have to say a great big to a certain benefactor for making the night even more memorable for me.

Our evening started out by meeting up with a couple I met on the Bonamassa forum for dinner and a brew at the Mission Inn before walking one block over to the Fox to mill about amongst all the other Led Heads. They opened the doors at 7:00 and we went to find our seats. FRONT ROW, DEAD CENTER!!!! Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

The show started with the video to set you up for the journey and tribute that Jason was about to take us all on. Once done the band came on and launced into Rock and Roll and the crowd exploded in standing explause. I won't go into the set list as it has already been reported on the previous reviews SteveAJones posted.

It was so touching when Jason would talk to the audience about his dad and growing up with Led Zeppelin, even poking a little fun at himself. Playing Moby Dick with his dad on the back video moniter was an emotional moment for all and Jason too. as he never got to do that before his dad's passing.

Sitting in the front row was understandibly LOUD as there were two speakers on each side directly in front of us. When the fog machine came on for Dazed and Confused most of that fog came off the stage between those speakers and right into our laps. At one point James flicked his mic cord and all the excess slack came off the edge of the stage and onto our feet. We picked it up and threw it back on stage.

It was a mutual admiration society as Jason was genuinely greatful and appreciative of the fans who came to see the show and we all responded with cheering and applause. To have the band recreate the sound and essence of Led Zeppelin was awsome to those of us who love and are wanting of anything Led Zeppelin.

While I wasn't lucky enough to have Jason say HI to me, but I did notice him wink a couple of times. Not to me, but to be close enough to see the expressions and enjoyment of the performance made this show larger than life to me . When we left my ears rang, my voice was horse, my hands hurt from clapping, but I was happily filled with Led Zeppelin Experience memories.

Very cool ledzepfvr!

[luvlz2]

The timeline was very good, when he started talking about the 02 reunion to him working with Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones were strong moments for me.

[ally]

HELLO ledzepfvr, great read of your night. Truly sounds like you also had an amazing yet emotional time:-)

I sounds like we may get more...

http://www.soundspik...son_bonham.html

Edit to add:

Dazed and Confused" Jason Bonhams's Led Zeppelin Experience - Riverside

Great vid Deb. Thought I could hear ledzepfvr yahooing throughout

I'm going to the Seattle show with two lovely ladies so no doubt, I'll be yahooing too

[SteveAJones]

Jason Bonham will be on That Metal Show this Saturday at 11 PM eastern time on VH1 Classic. Click the link below for a video preview.

http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/600488/jason-bonham-sneak.jhtml#id=1653002

[reids]

Jason Bonham will be on That Metal Show this Saturday at 11 PM eastern time on VH1 Classic. Click the link below for a video preview.

http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/600488/jason-bonham-sneak.jhtml#id=1653002

Excellent. BCC cd/dvd was reviewed by Eddie Trunk on a recent That Metal Show episode, too (taped this season in California).

R

[justawoman]

HELLO ledzepfvr, great read of your night. Truly sounds like you also had an amazing yet emotional time:-)

I sounds like we may get more...

http://www.soundspik...son_bonham.html

Edit to add:

Dazed and Confused" Jason Bonhams's Led Zeppelin Experience - Riverside

Thanks Deb for posting the above article. The following quote really sparked my interest: " I finish that and I think we're going to go out and do another 20 shows of [JBLZE]. I don't think it's been confirmed yet."

[SteveAJones]

The following quote really sparked my interest: " I finish that and I think we're going to go out and do another 20 shows of [JBLZE]. I don't think it's been confirmed yet."

...and it's also corroborated by this quote published in the Orange County Register four days prior:

Why right now, when your Black Country Communion project only recently came out? What is your ambition beyond this Led Zeppelin Experience tour? Any eye toward expanding it into a more prolonged run?

No, not really. As soon as I'm finished here, I will be back in England to do two sold-out shows there (with Black Country Communion), then back in the studio in January. We're still talking about doing more JBLZE shows again next year, and I'm not sure of the details yet, but I think I'd definitely like to continue it on and do something more. I think there's still so much more I could do with the idea, there's so much more footage. It's definitely been a fantastic journey and a wonderful way to meet the fans, have a good time and play great music. I'm not opposed to doing it again, so we'll see.

Edited November 24, 2010 by SteveAJones

[ledzepfvr]

HELLO ledzepfvr, great read of your night. Truly sounds like you also had an amazing yet emotional time:-)

I sounds like we may get more...

http://www.soundspike.com/features/tour/1101-jason_bonham_tour_q_a_jason_bonham.html

Edit to add:

Dazed and Confused" Jason Bonhams's Led Zeppelin Experience - Riverside

Hey I recognize that. The fellow I met there took that video. His first attempt on his new camara. Did a great job. Just wish that James would have given the videographer the just credits too when listing the information.

[ledzepfvr]

Great vid Deb. Thought I could hear ledzepfvr yahooing throughout

Yep, you bet I was a hooting and hollering. I had so much fun there and I know you will too.

[Roger]

I'm still recovering from last night, but here's my recap:

It took me two hours of LA traffic to make it to the show in Hollywood (Pantages Theatre). No worries, I left early enough and had good music to keep me company, including Jason's In the Name of My Father, Page and Plant, and Lita Ford's cover of Whole Lotta Love (very hot). (For reference, the drive back was the usual 30 minutes).

The place was packed. There were a couple empty seats, so I don't know if it sold out, but it must have been around 99% fulll. The audience LOVED it. Standing ovations started about 3 songs in and continued for the rest of the evening.

The show was great. They might not be the best Zep cover band I've heard, but they certainly do it justice. The songs were shorter than Zep typcially plays (even than the album versions), and they left out some notes (especially in the first set) but they sounded REALLY good. One thing that struck me was the mixing-- it was great. Usually I feel that some part is too low, but the sound engineers on this tour did an outstanding job. As someone else mentioned, they put a lot of echo on Jason. Every song sounds like Levee Break's huge drum echo. Yes, it does distract a bit from Jason's technical artistry, but I think it sounded good and to me at least, it was a tribute to Bonzo's unmatchable, larger than life drum sound. Vocals were great, Catania on guitar was great (although I've heard better Page imitations). I was happy to hear Michael Devin and Stephen Le Blanc again (they were great in the Bonzo tribute show in September). Devin was amazing as usual, fingers flying, jumping and moving around stage, singing along on several tunes, you could tell he was having as much fun as anyone out in the audience.

I liked the video. Some parts reminded me of lava lamps, spirographs, and Asteroids, so it certainly brought me back to the 70s and 80s. They had a sportscar up there for some of the show, another tip of the hat to Bonzo. Speaking of which, Jason wore a black bowler that I though was a great tribute to his Dad. The home video and Jason's talking about his family was good, but somehow I expected more of it. I do understand it would be hard for him to rock out if he got choked up talking about his Dad, though. He did talk about his early life, and the O2 show, and there was great footage of him and Bonzo, but there wasn't the kind of emotional talk about losing his Dad that I was somehow expecting. The show was great, but for me the September tribute was a little more emotional.

One of the highlights for me was Zoe Bonham coming out to play Harmonica on Levee Breaks. This was the one time the sound mix seemed off--the harmonica was a little low, but still it was a great performance. Throughout the evening there was a lot of audience participation. They really brought us into the music. Lots of fun!

Thanks for the tip about the laminate fundraiser raffle. They sell a limited amount, so the chance of winning a meeting with Jason is around 1 in 40. I didn't win, but I'm still dreaming about winning his drumset at the end of the tour!

Speaking of which, thanks for the post about BCC planning on recording another album. The first one really rocks, and I'd love to see BCC tour the states soon!

[Deborah J]

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience @ The Pantages (drum solo) 11/23/2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYK9N9tfhnU

[JohnnyBgoode]

Last nights show in San Francisco was sensational. The crowd was into it and you could tell each of the band members were really feeling it. What really, really made the show for me was that they added in the San Francisco part into Dazed and Confused just like Zeppelin did in '73 and '75. Jason even said himself that they didn't rehearse that until the sound check before the show, as well as apologizing if it sounded a little rough. But it sounded great and was truly an experience.

Edited November 25, 2010 by JohnnyBgoode

[Henrik]

...and it's also corroborated by this quote published in the Orange County Register four days prior:

Why right now, when your Black Country Communion project only recently came out? What is your ambition beyond this Led Zeppelin Experience tour? Any eye toward expanding it into a more prolonged run?

No, not really. As soon as I'm finished here, I will be back in England to do two sold-out shows there (with Black Country Communion), then back in the studio in January. We're still talking about doing more JBLZE shows again next year, and I'm not sure of the details yet, but I think I'd definitely like to continue it on and do something more. I think there's still so much more I could do with the idea, there's so much more footage. It's definitely been a fantastic journey and a wonderful way to meet the fans, have a good time and play great music. I'm not opposed to doing it again, so we'll see.

I'd go see them without even thinking about it if they came around these parts... Sadly I think that's unlikely.

[SteveAJones]

Last nights show in San Francisco was sensational. The crowd was into it and you could tell each of the band members were really feeling it. What really, really made the show for me was that they added in the San Francisco part into Dazed and Confused just like Zeppelin did in '73 and '75. Jason even said himself that they didn't rehearse that until the sound check before the show, as well as apologizing if it sounded a little rough. But it sounded great and was truly an experience.

Here's Channel 7 (ABC in San Francisco) video footage from that soundcheck as well as a pre-show interview with Jason:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7809070

[SteveAJones]

Dad's Drummer Boy

Jason Bonham keeps Zeppelin spirit aloft with tribute show

By Rob Cullivan

The Portland Tribune, Nov 25, 2010

At one show on his current tour, Jason Bonham, son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, had a moment that summed up the contradictions of his life.

"I just had the strangest thought," he says. "I wish my dad was here to see this – but if he was, I wouldn't be doing this."

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience – which combines live music and video footage, including home movies, for a tribute to one of history's most storied bands – rolls into town Nov. 26 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. It's a critically acclaimed multimedia extravaganza that owes its creation to rock 'n' roll triumph, then tragedy.

Thirty years ago in September, Bonham's father died after a night of heavy drinking. In an instant, the pop music world lost one of its most talented, innovative, boisterous and, at times, controversial figures. It was such a shock to Zeppelin itself the band broke up, reuniting only to play large concerts, including 1985's Live Aid, twice since 1980.

While the world lost a celebrity, Jason, then 14, lost his dad.

"I think at 14 you don't really understand death," Bonham says during a phone interview from Tulsa, Okla., where the Experience was set to play recently. "You don't really get it. I was never ever going to see him again."

Gone was the down-to-earth father who taught him how to play drums, a relationship famously immortalized in a scene from the Zeppelin concert movie "The Song Remains the Same" showing toddler Jason playing the drums just before the movie cuts back to John Bonham's percussive opus "Moby Dick."

Gone was the father who had forbidden him to ride his motorbikes when he got in trouble, the dad who was a cheery friend to farmers and postal workers around town who'd say, "Hey John, you've been banging the drums again?" at the local pub.

"He was a regular guy, he just happened to play drums in Led Zeppelin," Jason recalls of his father.

He only realized the magnitude of his father's fame – to date, Zeppelin has sold more than 200 million albums – after his father died.

"We didn't live any of that kind of lavish rock 'n' roll lifestyle," he says, adding that he remembers his house being a little bigger than those of his relatives, all the better since it was a place the extended family could gather for holidays.

Jason hints at his own spiritual beliefs, forged over a lifetime he admits has been spent pursuing "his (father's) approval".

"I believe one day I will see him in a better place."

After John Bonham died, Jason says the other three members of Zeppelin – guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones and singer Robert Plant – were concerned for him. But he singles out Plant as "the first one to reach out" to him.

"When I was 15 he used to pick me up from school," Bonham says, noting that Plant later let him jam with the studio band he used to record his second solo album "The Principle of Moments."

Bonham proudly notes his tracks served as guides for the album's primary drummer, Phil Collins, who told him "you're the guy who did all the hard work for me!"

"Phil was a big part of my life in looking for the heroes after dad passed," Bonham says. "Phil Collins is one of the sweetest and funniest guys I've ever met."

In fact, Bonham says he "pursued him like a weird stalker fan" for a while, but Collins always had a kind attitude to his inquiring nature. It's a characteristic Bonham notes is rooted in the fact that he's hungry to learn as much as he can about the music world his father inhabited.

To illustrate, he recalls rehearsing with Plant, Page and Jones for their 2007 reunion show in London, a show that briefly resurrected hopes the Zeppelin might fly again, hopes later quashed by the band.

He relentlessly asked his father's band mates for information about how John Bonham played this, what he was doing when, that kind of thing. Finally, Jones had had enough, Jason says.

"No more questions," he told Bonham. "Just chill."

But Jason, who laughs as he tells the story, can't just chill.

"For me they were filling in all the gaps."

For someone born into privilege, Bonham has taken a decidedly different route than a lot of celebrities' kids who seem to have no moral or emotional center.

Think about it – when's the last time you've seen Bonham on some wretched tabloid show or photographed doing something stupid in public?

OK, he was on VH-1's 2006 "Supergroup." But at least he and Ted Nugent, Sebastian Bach, Scott Ian and Evan Seinfield actually did something creative, which is more than you can say for the casts of many reality shows.

Indeed, Bonham has aggressively pursued his own rock 'n' roll career, both as a session drummer and as a live musician, playing a couple hundred shows with Foreigner – "Waiting for a Girl Like You" was his wedding song – as well as playing in several of his own projects over the years, including his current group, the heavy, bluesy Black Country Communion.

He's recorded with everyone from Page and Slash to Joe Bonamassa and Healing Sixes, and he's even been in such movies as Mark Wahlberg's "Rock Star."

Yet, despite having become his own man – in fact, he's now a good decade older than his father was when he died – it's clear he still struggles to reconcile who he was with who his father was. But it's a struggle he seems to relish, not run from.

For example, he says, it all came together on Dec. 10, 2007, the day he played drums with Led Zeppelin in London. He admits to feeling immense pressure by "the size of the event."

"I still wanted to play the Bonham way," he says, recalling Page, Plant and Jones urging him to "take chances" and inject his own style into the band's repertoire.

"That's a big thing to do in a show like that, to suddenly become Jason," he says, chuckling as he notes he would take drum fills his father did on later songs, from such albums as "Presence" and play them on songs from earlier in Zeppelin's catalog.

"Well that drum fill he did in '75, I'm going to put a fill on a song from 1968," he remembers thinking.

Now, as he shares his own memories of John Bonham with audiences via the touring show, he says he gets a little choked up wondering what his father would think about all this.

"I have a 14-year-old boy now, and I see in his eyes that he wants to please me and see me say 'good job' and 'well done,' " he adds.

Then again, it's not all seriousness. He's looked out on audiences and seen many a father or mother with children in tow, and he knows how those children feel when they cringe as Mom or Dad starts shaking around to "When the Levee Breaks."

"I tell them, 'Don't worry, my dad was in Led Zeppelin' – and he still embarrassed me!"

http://www.portlandt...063740396825400

Edited November 26, 2010 by SteveAJones

[SteveAJones]

Jason Bonham 'Struggles' With His Dad's Death Every Day

Posted on Nov 18th 2010 2:30PM by Steve Baltin

Jason Bonham understands his dad, John Bonham, the backbeat behind the mighty Led Zeppelin, was inarguably among the greatest rock drummers who ever lived. Sadly, the younger Bonham only realized that after his father passed away in September 1980 after a lethal drinking binge. "I struggle with that on a daily basis. I never got to tell him how great he was cause he was just 'Dad,'" Jason tells Spinner. "I lost him at 14. I lost him before adolescence."

On tour now with his new project, the Led Zeppelin Experience, Jason is getting to pay respect to his father as a drummer. Still, he believes that his true "thank you" to dad came when he joined Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones in December 2007 for a one-off Led Zeppelin show. "I hope one day when that comes out it's kind of my documented homage to him -- 'Look what you taught me. This is what you gave me,'" Jason says. "It made me go back and sit listen to him again. It made me sit and focus on him like I had never done before."

So, will the long-awaited DVD of that magical show see the light of day? "I hope so," Jason says. "The business side, the Led Zeppelin thing, has always been their decision and I have no need to question it. Obviously, this one I'm involved with it so I really hope it does come out sooner than later." Shockingly, Bonham doesn't even have a personal copy of that show. "No, it's in a vault. Nobody has a copy," he says.

Before he can revisit that triumphant night, Bonham is busy making sure the Zeppelin Experience is as perfect as can be. "I'm very meticulous with the band. The guys, I'm really on them," he says. "Musically, they have to be right. I record every rehearsal every day and I sit every night, listening to the set over and over again. For me to go out and play it, once it's right, I'm gonna be beaming from side to side."

Bonham knows there are those who have been skeptical about taking this on the road. "There are people out there, the skeptics, who go, 'Oh, you shouldn't be doing this,'" he acknowledges, but as a drummer, he wants to tackle the best. "I always say, 'Well, if I wasn't my dad's son and I was a drummer in a band, I'd still want to do it. I'd still want to play Zeppelin songs at some point."

http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/18/jason-bonham-led-zeppelin-experience-tour/

[SteveAJones]

Barrelhouse Beat: Slideshow and review of Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience

By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR Tulsa World Scene Writer

Published: 11/18/2010

On Wednesday night, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience brought personal tales of he and his pops, Zep drum legend John Bonham, to life in a multimedia extravaganza that had people on their feet for multiple screaming ovations, standing on chairs, chanting along in unison glee, "Bonzo! Bonzo! Bonzo!"

--------

REVIEW & SLIDE SHOW: Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience

11/18/2010 4:13:00 PM

For those who missed it last night, well, you missed one heck of a show.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience brought personal tales of he and his pops, Zep drum legend John Bonham, to life in a multimedia extravaganza that had people on their feet for multiple screaming ovations, standing on chairs, chanting along in unison glee, "Bonzo! Bonzo! Bonzo!"

After archival footage that included a toddler Bonham rump-shaking to a backing track, son-of-Bonham Jason shared tales of the first Led Zeppelin song he remembers hearing “Your Time is Gonna Come – "that’s scary for a 2-year-old, lemme tell ya,” as hi-def angels floated on a background screen.

He launched into the tune with his previously un-named supporting band, which, if anything, could have stolen the show from underneath him. They didn't.

JBLZE was an intense, three-hour rollercoaster ride through rock ‘n’ roll history, lead by Bonham’s golden-hued monster drum kit and Zep-era psychedelic gong and replete with Tony Catania playing his gnarly and distorted guitar blues, Michael Devin’s screaming and blasphemously nimble bassplaying, Stephen LeBlanc’s emotive lap steel, keyboard and blues harp and James Dylan’s immaculately rendered vocals.

The concert was one of the best-received concerts I’ve ever seen, even if the crowd was a bit on the “intimate” (read: small) side. It’s a difficult concept to sell, especially with so many “tribute” acts out on the road today. But this was the real deal, explosively emotional, and giving a rare insight into the lives of one of the best rock ‘n’ roll drummers of all time and the music that made him famous.

Songs included “Celebration Day,” “Black Dog,” “Your Time is Gonna Come,” a sweltering version of “Dazed & Confused,” “The Lemon Song,” “What Is And What Should Never Be,” “Thank You,” a thunderous dad-son drum duet of “Moby Dick” (if there’s ever been a reason for an extended drum "solo," here it is!), “Good Times, Bad Times,” “How Many More Times,” “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” “The Ocean,” “When The Levee Breaks,” “I’m Gonna Crawl,” “Stairway To Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Kashmir” and more.

Slideshow:

Edited November 26, 2010 by SteveAJones

[ledzepfvr]

Thanks for those tidbits Steve. Interesting stuff.

[JohnnyBgoode]

Here's Channel 7 (ABC in San Francisco) video footage from that soundcheck as well as a pre-show interview with Jason:

http://abclocal.go.c...ideo?id=7809070

Aha! I was wondering why the ABC truck was there so early and left just before the Warfield's doors opened, a pre-show interview haha.

Thanks Steve

[SteveAJones]

The Bellingham Herald

Friday, Nov. 26, 2010

Bonham drums up the past with Led Zeppelin Experience in Bellingham

Jason Bonham is bringing some family photos and stories of his dad to Bellingham - along with crashing drum solos, soaring guitars and flashing lights in a tribute to the life and music of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham.

The critically acclaimed Led Zeppelin Experience comes to Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St., at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28.

"The sound was big, booming, echo-y and dirty - like vintage Zeppelin live," wrote Jon Bream of Minneapolis Star Tribune in a Oct. 21 review of the concert. "As for drummer/bandleader Bonham, 44, he was a percussive force, and his duets with his dad on film were suitably sentimental yet musically rewarding."

Tickets, $27 to $45, are available at 360-734-6080 and mountbakertheatre.com. For more on the concert, see jblze.com. Jason was only 14 when his father died in 1980 at age 32."I really wish I had the time to tell him when he was alive how much I loved him as a player, and his music," Bonham told The News York Times in an interview before the 30-concert tour opened.

http://www.bellingha...-past-with.html

Edited November 26, 2010 by SteveAJones

[Deborah J]

The Warfield, San Francisco, California 11/24/10 Moby Dick

[SteveAJones]

Jason Bonham continues the Zeppelin tradition

ERNEST A. JASMIN; Staff writer

The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)

Published: 11/26/2010

With Led Zeppelin, "Bonzo" John Bonham provided the techtonic beats behind some of rock's most epic recordings. Then his untimely death brought the band's legendary run to a sudden, shocking halt on Sept. 25, 1980. But now, 30 years later, his legacy lives on with his son. It has been three years since Jason Bonham sat in with Zeppelin's surviving members during a one-off reunion gig at London's O2 Arena. And now Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience is ready to rattle Seattle's WaMu Theater with "Kashmir," "Stairway to Heaven" and other Zep classics Saturday night.

The tour kicked off early last month in Dawson Creek, B.C. And checking in from a recent tour stop in Phoenix, Bonham talked about some of the emotions the trek and its planning have stirred up so far.

"This has been the hardest year, I think, in ... missing him because (of) the speculation of them touring again with me, and a little bit of disappointment that it didn't go on," he said.

He also admitted to being a little uneasy about taking Zeppelin songs on the road without Zeppelin.

"I didn't want to tarnish the things I accomplished with them by performing at the O2," he said. "But once it started, (I realized) I was so wrong to think it might be strange for me to do because the turnout and the support has been overwhelming and breathtaking."

The Zeppelin Experience band features Bonham on drums, Whitesnake's Michael Devin on bass, Tony Catania on guitar, Stephen LeBlanc on keys and lap steel, and vocalist James Dylan of tribute band Virtual Zeppelin.

Recent set lists have included "Immigrant Song," "Moby Dick," "Kashmir" and most of the expected hits. Bonham also promised eye-popping visuals, home movies and photographs that tell the Bonham family's story.

"The show actually starts off with images of the area where I grew up, which is the West Midlands, in Dudley (England)," Bonham said.

Fans first see the elder Bonham as an 8-year-old kid with his own dad. "Suddenly, people start to recognize that it's John Bonham. And at that point, the place usually goes crazy," Bonham said.

"He was the same as anyone else's dad. He would do things to embarrass you. He would cut you off if you'd talked back. He would ground you if you didn't do your homework. He was just a regular guy. He just happened to play in Led Zeppelin."

For some, seeing the Led Zeppelin Experience is an especially emotional experience.

Bonham recalls meeting a fan who described going to the Montreal Forum to buy Zeppelin tickets 30 years ago only to learn one of his idols had died.

"(He) comes to me in tears with his own son now, 30 years later, and is saying, 'This for me is as close to them as I'm ever going to get, and thank you for bringing the music,'" Bonham said. "It's very emotional."

Soon after he gets off the road with the Zeppelin Experience, Bonham will play a few shows in England with his main project, Black Country Communion. He said the super-group which also includes Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Planet X) and Joe Bonamassa will head into the studio in January.

Bonham didn't rule out the possibility that he might eventually go on the road with members of Led Zeppelin not that fans should start marking their calendars.

Bonham continued to jam with guitarist Jimmy Page and bass player John Paul Jones after the O2 show, and the trio had begun to write songs, Bonham said.

Negative reaction to rumors that Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy had been brought in to fill in for singer Robert Plant led Page to issue a statement saying the band was not a new incarnation of Led Zeppelin.

Bonham elaborated that the project was meant to be an entirely new band and "it's on hold for now," he said.

"But who knows? It was a fantastic time being in a writing situation with those guys just having ideas out and doing things is very cool."

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: WaMu Theater at Qwest Field, 800 Occidental Ave S., Seattle

Tickets: $33-$43

http://www.thenewstr...n-classics.html

Edited November 28, 2010 by SteveAJones

[rfoz]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the board, just wanted to make a comment about Jason's production.

I very much appreciated having the opportunity to see this in Los Angeles last week at the Pantages Theater.

We bought our tickets the day they went on sale with a healthy dose of speculation. Having never had the opportunity to see

Zeppelin live I was just hoping for it to not be a bust.

After seeing the show it just left me wanting more. I hope we will have the chance to see this at least once more in Los Angeles.

Many thanks to Jason and all that were involved in putting together this amazing show. A very heartfelt tribute to his father and the

entire band. In my opinion he did Bonzo proud.

Thanks for the opportunity to post.

Foz